Flight Training Survey

[rcaligan]

Hi all,

My name is Roy Caligan, and I know it’s been quite a while since I’ve been here. I remember talking with some of you a few years ago about flying in Germany. Well, it took a bit longer to get here, but we finally moved here last summer . Flying airplanes here is a bit out of my budget, but I am considering getting some glider time.

But for now, I am working on a research project for an Embry-Riddle class I am taking, and I would like your help with a survey. We’ve all heard Rev. Ron and others say that the amount of time needed to solo doesn’t really mean much, as long as the student is safe and competent. My research project is an analysis of that statistic: To see if the amount of time a student needs to solo is a predictor of future performance, or if other factors may be better determinants. The information gained from this pilot study will be used to develop more efficient and effective training techniques.

The survey is anonymous, and almost anyone who has earned a private pilot certificate can take it. All you need is your logbook and five minutes of free time. The survey is available at:

http://aviationsurvey.olivetreesolutions.com/

My ideal sample size is 384 respondents, so I will be advertising this survey on the red board as well, along with a few other schools and clubs. If you know of anyone who might be interested in taking the survey and has a PPL, feel free to give out the link to them. If you’re affiliated with a school, I can email you a flyer if you’d like to help promote the survey.

It’s good to be back, and thanks in advance for your help!

Roy

 

[Jim Logajan]

Hello everyone,

I wanted to give all of you an update about the results of the study. One of my advisors recommended that I submit the study for publication, and that requires a peer review to ensure accuracy. Unfortunately, the review is taking much, much longer than I anticipated. I still want to get the results out, but I also want to make sure that the study was not flawed in some way. Having a few extra sets of eyes review the study is one way to ensure that.

I sincerely appreciate everyone’s past help and continued patience during the review process. I will provide more updates when I get more information.

Thank you,

Roy

I would consider any study that uses information obtained via Internet volunteer surveys to be inherently flawed; but maybe that's just me. Something about the danger of self-selected populations worries me.

Still, maybe you could give a plot summary. Perhaps a one word answer to the question "Did the survey show any suggestion that time to solo was a predictor of future performance?"