Eclipse to use personality tests in training?
 

Vern Raburn, founder of Eclipse Aviation, recently gave a speech to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Below is a link to the speech transcript:

http://commerce.senate.gov/public/_f...%20aviation%22

Notice at the end of the 3rd paragraph on page 5, while describing details of the training program, he mentions the "pilot will also be required to take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality test to help tailor the training program to their individual personality type." I found this an interesting idea. Have any of you in your aircraft training had to take a personality test? It almost seems that this would create more confusion than good and a much more complex training program.

Mr. Raburn also states that Eclipse will "refund the deposit of any customer who cannot successfully complete its training program." So if a customer decides they no longer want the aircraft, are they able to just fail the training, get a refund on their deposit, and move along?

Curious what the thoughts of operators on this forum are regarding this new VLJ...

Airlines routinely use formal or informal personality evaluation in the hiring process. They don't customize their training techniques, they just try to eliminate those who have an aversion to teamwork or authority/rules. Those types of personalities have very high, and very documented accident rate.

Eclipse doesn't need to worry as much about teamwork, but given their likely customer base they are going to have to deal with a few folks who think the rules don't apply to them. They are going to have perform a delicate balancing act between revenue and liaibility and maybe personality testing will help...

It's standard fare in airlines, the MMPI is favorite as are others.

I guess it would make sense then as United will be providing much of the training.

hmmm the head advisor of our aviaton department made us take the exact same personality test because he said it would better assess what kind of learner we were.

The reasons for the MMPI
 

Employers are interested in evaluating the pilot's attitudes and abilities to relate to others at work, an indispensable attribute in teams. At present I am conducting an academic study which will address the pilot's personality traits and their influence on interpersonal relations. If interested please contact me at [email protected].

Caroline Correa M.S.
Industrial Organizational Psychologist
[email protected]