Baseline Assessment Of The National Association Of Air Traffic Specialists Federal Aviation Administration Partnership

The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) Flight Service Station (FSS) management and the leadership of the National Association of Air Traffic Specialists (NAATS) requested a baseline assessment of organizational climate prior to full implementation of NAATS/FAA Partnership (NFP) teams. The stated purpose of the NFP teams is to increase employee empowerment and improve decision-making and coordination within the organization.

This study compared correlations between Office of Personnel Management (OPM) selection test scores for Air Traffic Control Specialists (ATCSs) and scores from the FAA Academy's second-stage screening program with measures of field training performance. Field training performance measures were collected for 3,185 en route and 1,740 terminal ATCS developmentals. Baseline data were also collected from over 125,000 applicants who took the OPM ATCS selection battery and over 9,000 entrants to Academy programs. Separate analyses were conducted for developmentals assigned to en route centers, VFR towers, and terminal radar facilities. The Multiplex Controller Aptitude Test (MCAT) predicts field training performance better for en route developmentals than any other OPM test. MCAT is not predictive of field training performance for terminal developmentals, but scores on the Occupational Knowledge Test (OKT) are predictive. For both en route and terminal developmentals, Academy laboratory performance scores are more predictive of field training performance than are academic test scores; for developmentals at VFR towers, the average Academy block test score predicts about as well as the laboratory performance scores. Adjusting correlations for restriction in the range of scores on selection procedures revealed that while the OPM rating and the Academy course grade predict some measures of developmental training performance equally well, the Academy performance measures, particularly the laboratory performance scores, are better predictors of supervisor/OJT instructor ratings and training status than are OPM scores.

Every day in the United States, over two million men, women, and children step onto an aircraft and place their lives in the hands of strangers. As anyone who has ever flown knows, modern flight offers unparalleled advantages in travel and freedom, but it also comes with grave responsibility and risk. For the first time in its history, the Federal Aviation Administration has put together a set of easy-to-understand guidelines and principles that will help pilots of any skill level minimize risk and maximize safety while in the air. The Risk Management Handbook offers full-color diagrams and illustrations to help students and pilots visualize the science of flight, while providing straightforward information on decision-making and the risk-management process.