An Art of One’s Own and Team Resources Management as a Meta-Competence of a Pilot and a Flight Instructor Who Function in Difficult and Dangerous Situations

Abstract

The character of work of a modern pilot and a flight instructor of military aircrafts, which was shown in the article, was used by the author to focus on the need for increased emphasis on his/her effective training activities as far as soft competences (non-technical) and meta-competences are concerned.

Based on the literature of the subject, the author formulates theoretical assumptions that concern a growing significance of soft competences and meta-competences of workers who are employed in modern organizations. The reasons for this may be connected with growing complexity of tasks that are carried out by the employees in their workplaces and also generating, more and more often, difficult and dangerous situations. Military aviation organizations, defined by the author, require improvement of the employees who work there, in regard to their own and team resources management. The person, who not only in military aviation, has a particular influence on the professional preparation of future aviation staff (military pilots) is a flight instructor. Thus, the work position is the main subject of author’s own research that was conducted in a representative aviation staff environment, namely the group of pilots and flight instructors of military aircrafts.

The results of theoretical considerations and analysis, as well as interpretations and the description of data, are conclusions that were formulated at the end of the paper. The conclusions are also practical tips that may be significant in the a process of systematic safety improvement of tasks performed in the air. Each tip, concerning human factor improvement, is of great importance for modern military aviation, since, nowadays, the human factor is responsible for 70–80% of dangerous situations occurring in aviation (incidents, accidents, catastrophes).