The Collegiate Aviation Review International

Perspectives of Women Aviation Education Educators on Gender Disparity

2025-10-10T03:35:00+00:00

The aviation industry has long been regarded as a male-dominated field, with women facing various barriers to entering and advancing within the profession. In the Philippines, the Philippine State College of Aeronautics (PhilSCA) stands as a prominent institution for aviation education. This study explores the perspectives of women aviation education educators on gender disparity in the college, seeking to understand the challenges they encounter, and the strategies for overcoming these challenges. The study employed quantitative research method including structured survey with women educators. Results indicate generally positive perceptions of gender representation, with low levels of reported discrimination or bias. While participants noted improvements in inclusivity, concerns remain about underrepresentation in leadership and the presence of subtle gender biases. Respondents strongly supported institutional strategies such as policy reform, mentorship programs, professional development access, and gender equality training. The findings offer practical recommendations for enhancing gender-inclusive policies and support systems. This study contributes to ongoing efforts to advance inclusive practices in male-dominated academic fields such as aviation education.

Evolving Tax Havens: A Competitive Success Index for Small Jurisdictions in Business Aviation Finance

2026-02-09T08:44:09+00:00

Small jurisdictions — microstates and autonomous territories — play a disproportionate role in the global business aviation finance market, managing billions of dollars in high-value, mobile assets through specialized registries. However, little empirical research has systematically examined why some jurisdictions consistently outperform others. This study introduces a Competitive Success Index (CSI) to measure and compare the structural competitiveness of seven leading aircraft registries in small jurisdictions. The CSI operationalizes thirteen success factors across three categories: legality and regulatory quality, tax regime and fiscal policy, service quality and operational efficiency. Category weights are calibrated using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression on net aircraft registration growth from 2019 to 2024, controlling for exposure to international sanctions. Legality and regulatory quality emerged as the dominant predictors of competitiveness, far outweighing fiscal incentives or operational factors. This challenges the common assumption that tax policy is the primary driver of registration decisions. Instead, creditor protection, regulatory predictability, and governance credibility appear to play a more decisive role in contemporary transactions. While the CSI demonstrates limited correlation with short-term registration growth, the findings highlight an important distinction between institutional competitiveness and cyclical market behavior, particularly during periods of geopolitical disruption. Given the study’s small sample (n=7), these findings should be treated as preliminary. The CSI offers a scalable, quantitative tool to assist policymakers, registry authorities, and industry stakeholders in navigating the allocation of billions of dollars in aviation assets.

The Impact of the PART 147 Act on FAA Mechanic Written Exam Passage Rates

2026-04-21T20:18:09+00:00

Aviation Maintenance Technician Schools (AMTS) experienced one of the most significant changes in 2022. Overnight, the old Part 147—which had remained largely intact for over 50 years—was completely erased and replaced by the new Part 147. One of the noteworthy features of this drastic regulatory change is that for most AMTS, the responsibility of curriculum oversight shifted from the FAA to individual institutions. It is important to monitor learning outcomes because of this change. Passage rate data published by the FAA for 14 quarters were examined (seven quarters before the rewrite and seven quarters after). Results indicate that there is no statistically significant difference in pass rates before and after the rewrite, although the scores improved in all the measures we studied.

Exploration of the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Fatigue, Stress, and the Flight Preparations of Australian Pilot Students

2024-11-07T18:12:29+00:00

Stress and fatigue contribute to students falling behind in their academic work (Palmer, 2013). As fatigue is a leading contributor to aviation incidents affecting even the most experienced pilots, inexperienced student pilots need to be educated on fatigue and its management to ensure safe flight training. Two mixed methods studies identified the presence and/or extent of stress and fatigue issues that can impact pilot students in their flight preparation and training. Study 1 employed an online questionnaire (N=31) and a focus group (N=6). Questionnaire responses found that 60% agreed or strongly agreed that their flight performance had been negatively affected by fatigue, and that stress or anxiety, high workload, and early or late flight times contributed to poor flight preparation. A majority of focus group participants stated that COVID-19 did not negatively impact their flight training, but student pilots reported the need to balance their workloads; reported stress and the risk of errors but showed a strong self-awareness of their own limitations, the benefits of experience and proactive strategies to reduce limitations. Study 2 employed a 7-day diary study and interviews (N=3) which showed that pilot students reported a need for structure to manage stress; an acceptance of fatigue as unavoidable in the flight training process; and they valued some stress as a form of motivation. Factors identified in both studies should be addressed by educators and flight schools to better support students to perform safely and successfully in their flying and academic studies. Suggestions for future research are made.

Extending HFACS Beyond the Organizational Boundary: A State Safety Governance and Oversight Analysis of the VoePass Flight 2283 Accident

2026-08-03T23:55:24+00:00

Purpose - This study examines the VoePass Flight 2283 accident using the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) and proposes State Safety Governance and Oversight (SSGO) as a fifth analytical level to examine how operational, supervisory, organizational, and State-level conditions collectively influenced the accident.

Methodology - A qualitative case study using directed content analysis was conducted based primarily on evidence documented in the CENIPA final investigation report. Contributing factors were independently coded and classified through consensus across the four traditional HFACS levels and the proposed SSGO level, comprising five categories: State safety governance, capability and resources, certification and regulatory control, surveillance and risk management, and safety intervention and resolution.

Findings/conclusions - The analysis identified unsafe acts associated with icing operations, aircraft-performance management, and procedural execution, together with supervisory and organizational deficiencies involving maintenance control, safety culture, discrepancy reporting, training, operational risk management, and Safety Management System implementation. The proposed SSGO level identified State-level influences related to surveillance, regulatory intervention, and the sustained resolution of known safety deficiencies. Overall, the findings demonstrate that the accident is best understood as the outcome of interacting system-level conditions rather than isolated frontline errors.

Originality/value - This study extends HFACS by introducing State Safety Governance and Oversight (SSGO) as a fifth analytical level, providing a structured approach for examining how State safety oversight may shape organizational safety performance without assuming direct causality. The proposed framework offers a foundation for future applications and empirical validation across aviation accidents and regulatory systems.

Organizational Contributions to Air Traffic Controller Mental Health: A Preliminary Study

2026-05-20T20:50:28+00:00

The global air traffic control (ATC) system is experiencing a persistent staffing shortage, raising concerns about its impact on controller mental health, safety, and workforce sustainability. Despite extensive research on aviation safety, empirical work on the psychological well-being of air traffic controllers remains limited. This study addresses that gap by evaluating symptoms of anxiety and depression among controllers and identifying organizational factors associated with psychological distress. Using an anonymous survey design, the researchers collected data from 92 air traffic controllers in U.S. and international settings. Anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the predictive effects of staffing levels, traffic volume, and sleep duration. Results indicate that a notable number of participants reported moderate to severe anxiety and depression, exceeding general population estimates. Across all models, staffing levels emerged as the most consistent and significant predictor of both anxiety and depressive symptoms, with higher staffing associated with substantially lower symptom scores. Sleep duration was also a significant predictor of depressive symptoms, with shorter sleep associated with higher depressive symptom scores, whereas traffic volume was not. Additional demographic and employment variables demonstrated limited or inconsistent effects. These findings suggest that psychological distress among air traffic controllers is strongly influenced by organizational conditions, particularly chronic understaffing and inadequate recovery opportunities. Grounded in Maslach and Leiter’s areas-of-work-life model of burnout, the results highlight mental health challenges among controllers and underscore the need for organizational and policy-level interventions. Improving staffing levels, optimizing scheduling to support recovery, and developing protected pathways for accessing mental health care are critical steps toward enhancing controller well-being and maintaining the safety and efficiency of the National Airspace System.

Low-Cost Airline Pilots on Exercising Fuel-Loading Policies Designed to Minimize Carrying Extra Fuel during Flight: A Phenomenological Exploration Study

2026-02-26T13:57:56+00:00

The purpose of this study was to explore low-cost carrier (LCC) pilots’ lived experiences of exercising their airlines’ fuel-loading policies designed to minimize carrying extra (discretionary) fuel during flight. Using a phenomenological approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with seven Part 121 LCC pilots in the United States. Participants were recruited through purposive snowball sampling, and the data were analyzed using Creswell’s (2013) data analysis spiral. Participants described FAA oversight and the joint responsibility between captains and dispatchers as important aspects of their airlines' fuel-loading policies designed to minimize extra fuel. However, many expressed concerns that such policies reduced the range of options available in unexpected operational situations. Participants also described additional workload and time pressure associated with calculating, requesting, and justifying additional fuel, particularly during delays and disruptions. Overall, the findings suggest that conservative fuel-loading policies may be experienced as a source of psychological stress and highlight the challenges pilots face in balancing fuel-efficiency objectives with operational demands.

Assessing Flood Risk to Critical Infrastructure of Ohio Valley Inland Airports

2026-03-31T20:51:22+00:00

This paper uses a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based Flood Simulation Analysis in ESRI ArcGIS Pro (Version 3.4) to evaluate flood vulnerability of seven inland airports in the Ohio River Valley under two extreme precipitation scenarios: a short-duration flash flood (10 inches over 5 hours) and a longer duration regional event (16 inches over 24 hours). Recent increases in the frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall events have contributed to growing disruption risks for infrastructure, including airports and airport operations. While prior research has focused primarily on coastal airports exposed to storm surge and sea-level rise, inland airports are also vulnerable to flooding and require further study. Using the Flood Simulation Analysis Tool, planning-level analysis was conducted to assess inundation and potential impacts on critical infrastructure including runways, taxiways, access roads and ramps. Research findings show that all airports studied exhibit varying degrees of vulnerability, with smaller and lower-lying airports generally experiencing greater surface water accumulation on operational surfaces. Because this initial model does not incorporate drainage, infiltration or evaporation, results represent conservative, worst-case accumulation scenarios driven by precipitation and local topography. This research demonstrates the value of using widely available GIS tools for conducting screening-level assessments of airport flood vulnerability. This approach provides a consistent framework for identifying infrastructure most susceptible to inundation and can be used to support early-stage resilience planning for airports.

Barriers to Sustainable Aviation Fuel Adoption in U.S. Airport Infrastructure: A Systematic Review

2026-03-28T21:55:33+00:00