Modeling a Repertoire of Pilots’ Professional Communication Skills for Meeting Flight Safety and Aviation Security Challenges

AbstractCommunication in aviation is both a key tool in the efficient use of available resources and a contributing factor in developing a safer and more secure flight environment. When operating a flight, pilots are obsessed and overburden with paying attention to problems of technical (equipment failure) or environmental (adverse weather conditions) character. However, poor radio communication of aircrew with air traffic control personnel or face-to-face communication within cockpit may also severely impede smooth and safe flight operation and lead to accidents or near-accidents. In-depth study of scientific researches on aviation communication, ICAO language proficiency requirements, analysis of linguistic and psycholinguistic features of pilots’ radio voice and ground communication, multidirectional observations of flight work, interviews with pilots, aviation experts, and teachers of aviation schools allowed us to model a range of pilots’ communication skills necessary for ensuring flight safety and contributing to aviation security. Linguistic and functional aspects of oral (speaking and hearing) and written (writing and reading) aircrew speech activity when operating a flight and when preparing for it (communication with ground personnel) were outlined. As a result, the repertoire of pilots’ professional communication skills, necessary and sufficient for flight safety, was compiled. Since circulation and processing of information is of fundamental importance in aviation, we classified pilots’ professional communication skills by the criterion “information processes” and divided them into three groups: skills in receiving, processing and sending/transferring information.KeywordsPilots’ professional communication skillsRadio communicationFlight safetyAviation securityRepertoire of pilots’ professional communication skills