Flight Screening Program Effects on Attrition in Undergraduate Pilot Training

The effectiveness of the USAF Flight Screening Program FSP for pilot candidates was evaluated by comparing the Undergraduate Pilot Training UPT performance and attrition rates of groups of candidates given variations of the normal FSP. The data indicated that FSP was successful at reducing UPT attrition. Candidates who received no FSP had higher attrition flying hours had lower attrition. However, there was no difference in attrition rates between a control group and an experimental group who was allowed to enter UPT regardless of FSP performance, suggesting that the benefits of FSP are due to an experience and training effect. Additionally, those candidates in the unscreened group rated as failures by the FSP Instructor Pilots IPs also had higher than normal attrition. Regression analyses indicated that FSP grades could be used to predict UPT performance. A combination of scores from an experimental psychomotor test combined with FSP grades from lesson 8 proved to be as predictive of UPT performance as the final five lesson grades 8-12, suggesting that a UPT screening decision could be made at an earlier stage of FSP than is the current practice.