Around the world, impacts of the pilot shortage are being felt in all segments of the aviation industry. However, even with this increased demand it is imperative that collegiate aviation programs continue to attract and educate the next generation of aviation professionals, and assist in ensuring that students are successful in their pursuit of an aviation education. This chapter will apply the widely used Astin (1993) Input-Environment-Outcome model to collegiate aviation programs. By further understanding how these important areas work together for student success, collegiate aviation will be better equipped to provide new aviation professionals into the industry.

The United States regional air carrier industry has recently undergone a substantial transformation in pilot salaries and hiring practices. Regional airlines are employing professional aviators at unprecedented rates in response to economic growth, regulatory reform, and legacy air carrier retirements. The combination of these factors has spurred demand for qualified air carrier pilots. As the hiring continues to increase, regional airlines are finding new ways to attract certified pilots to include: salary increases, bonuses incentives, and legacy airline employment flow agreements. The following report analyzes the salary changes that have occurred at US regional airlines from 2007-2017. From this data, an independent samples t-Test was performed to determine if there was significance between wholly owned and independently owned regional airlines. The results of this analysis indicate significance for hourly pay rates and effective wages between wholly owned and independent carriers during 2007, 2011, and 2016. This suggests that wholly owned air carriers have implemented pay increases prior to independently owned regional airlines.

This article is the third in a series of reports called Pilot Source Study 2015. In 2010, when the U.S. Congress considered dramatic changes to airline pilot qualifications, researchers from the ''Pilot Source Study 2010'' sampled pilots from six regional airlines to investigate how pilots' backgrounds affected their performance in airline training. In 2012, when the FAA proposed rulemaking to implement Public Law 111-216, the ''Pilot Source Study 2012'' researchers repeated the study with a new sample of pilots from seven different regional airlines. Data from these two studies were combined into a Pre-Law dataset. On August 1, 2013, the mandates of PL 111-216 became effective, ushering in the Post-Law era. The Pilot Source Study 2015 consists of three articles that cover the 19 U.S. regional airlines operating under 14 CFR Part 121. This report (Article 3) compares pilots' training outcomes between Pre-Law and Post- Law to determine whether their backgrounds had a stronger or weaker influence on Post-Law outcomes. Background variables were segmented into: (a) educational backgrounds, which occur early when pilots obtain their certificates and (b) experience backgrounds, which occur later when pilots accumulate flight time before applying to a regional airline. When comparing the Pre-Law and Post-Law data, educational backgrounds generally had less effect on airline training outcomes. Experience backgrounds also generally had less effect on airline training outcomes, with these exceptions: (a) previous airline and corporate experience had a more positive effect on extra training events, and (b) previous corporate experience had a more positive effect on completions. In conclusion, the congressionally mandated gap between earning pilot certificates and beginning airline training has reduced the positive effects of pilots' educational and experience backgrounds.

This report is the second in a series entitled Pilot Source Study 2015. Public Law 111-216 (Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010) and the subsequent FAA regulation changed pilot hiring for US air carriers operating under 14 CFR Part 121. The Pilot Source Study 2015 was designed to determine the effect of Public Law 111-216 on US regional airlines after its effective date, August 1, 2013. The study collected records for 6,734 FAR Part 121 regional airline pilots to determine the effect of pilots' backgrounds on their performance in regional airline training and operations. A previous report (Bjerke et al., 2016) compared the backgrounds of these pilots (post-law pilots) to the backgrounds of pilots hired between 2005 and 2011 (pre-law pilots). This report examines the performance of post-law new-hire pilots in initial training and operations as first officers for Part 121 regional air carriers. Post-law pilot backgrounds were measured against four performance measures: non-completions, extra training, extra initial operating experience (IOE), and extra recurrent training. Pilots who had the fewest non-completions and required less extra training were the recent college graduates (fewer than 4 years since graduation), pilots with fewer total flight hours (1,500 hours or less), and pilots who graduated from flight programs accredited by the Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI). Pilots who required less extra IOE and less extra recurrent training were pilots whose previous employment was with a Part 121 air carrier, recent college graduates (fewer than 4 years since graduation), and pilots with fewer total flight hours (1,500 hours or less). Other background indicators of successful performance included the Institutional-Authority Restricted ATP (R-ATP); a bachelor's degree, particularly in aviation; and prior military pilot experience. The third report of this series will compare background and success factors between pre-law pilots and post-law pilots.

This report is the first article in a series called Pilot Source Study 2015. Public Law (PL) 111-216, passed by the US Congress in 2010, and the subsequent FAA Regulation, Pilot Certification and Qualification Requirements for Air Carrier Operations Rule, abruptly changed the pilot hiring situation for US air carriers operating under 14 CFR Part 121. PL 111-216 became effective on August 1, 2013; thereafter, pilots were not eligible to be first officers in Part 121 air carriers unless they were certificated as Air Transport Pilots (ATP) with 1,500 hours of flight time, with some flight hour reductions for specified military and academic experiences. Recognizing that the rule had a notable impact on US regional airlines, the researchers visited 19 Part 121 regional airlines to extract data from their documents and records. De-identified background and corresponding performance data were recorded for 6,734 pilots hired after August 1, 2013. These data were analyzed in three articles, exploring the background characteristics of these pilots and determining to what extent there were differences in these background characteristics between post-law pilots (hired after August 1, 2013) and pre-law pilots (hired from 2005 to 2011). Besides the mandated increase in total flight hours and the requirement for an ATP certificate, the post-law pilots had less aviation-related academic experience, a lower proportion of flight instructors with more instructor experience, a larger proportion of military pilots, and a large range of flight experience suggesting career switching or returning to aviation. Among pilots with less experience, there was a significant reduction in multiengine time. This report is a preliminary article on the shift of pilot background characteristics as a result of the pilot certification and qualifications requirements mandated by Congress. Two future articles are being prepared. One article will analyze the success of post-law pilots in initial training for Part 121 operations, and another article will compare background and success factors between pilots hired before PL 111-216 and those hired after the law was passed.

Students in two different types of first-year experience seminar courses at a moderately sized public university were compared using a large variety of measures—both direct and indirect. One of these first-year experience types was a three-credit academic-themed course offered in sections with variable content; the other was a two-credit transition-themed course. In terms of direct measures such as retention to the second year, first-year grade point average, and number of earned credits during the first year, no significant differences were found. The academic-themed seminar did rate significantly better according to certain indirect measures related to academic engagement. These quantitative findings were consistent with qualitative information obtained from focus groups conducted with the students in the academic-themed seminar. The overall picture from across the data sources suggests that students were realizing a greater benefit from the academic-themed first-year seminar.

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact on student academic success and retention while participating in an aviation-themed living learning community on a college campus. The data for this study was drawn from 625 new students (freshman and transfer) who enrolled at the University with an aviation major declared at the start of the 2012 and 2013 fall semesters. The study compared the difference in academic performance and retention between students (N=82) living in the Aviation Living Learning Community (ALLC) against those not living in the ALLC. The study found significant differences between the two groups of students in Fall GPA and academic grade in the Private Pilot ground school, students participating in the ALLC did significantly better than their peers not living in the ALLC. There was no significance found between the two groups in regards to retention at the University, or staying in the aviation program.

According to an International Civil Aviation Organization (2009) global forecast, North America is uniquely cited as the only region in the world with a projected surplus in pilot training capacity...

JATE) is an open-access, refereed publication serving the needs of collegiate and industrial scholars and researchers in the multidisciplinary fields of aviation technology and engineering.A key focus of JATE is to promote the bridging of these fields by

The 2012 Pilot Source Study (Phase III) was a continuation of the 2010 Pilot Source Study (Smith, Bjerke, NewMyer, Niemczyk & Hamilton, 2010), using the same research design with a new data set containing no duplicate records. University faculty and students assisted seven regional airlines to enter data on 4,024 pilots hired between 2005 and 2011. New-hire pilots' college and piloting backgrounds defined their input (Source) variables. Training and first year operations data defined the output (Success) variables. Identifying information for pilots and participating airlines was removed fromthe data sets, and records were combined into a single data set for independent analysis by five researchers. Results were verified by two independent researchers from the University of Central Florida (a non-affiliated university). Results showed considerable consistency between the 2010 Pilot Source Study and the 2012 Pilot Source Study regarding initial pilot training at a regional air carrier. The study found that pilots entering the industry with an aviation-specific college degree, particularly a degree froman AABI-accredited flight program, performed better in initial training than those with no degree or a non-aviation degree. The results also indicated that a pilot's background, such as having a CFI certificate and obtaining advanced training from a collegiate aviation program, is an indicator of success in training. One important result was that commercial pilots had more completions than pilots with an ATP certificate. On the other hand, total flight hours produced inconclusive results.

Due to the impending pilot shortage in Asian countries many prospective students are being sent to the United States to receive their initial flight training. The purpose of this study was to determine if Chinese students entering an American flight program with higher English testing scores are more successful in completing their private pilot certification. A sample size of 141 Chinese students was used for this study. T-test analyses was conducted to determine if students who had higher English scores were more successful in completing private pilot training. Significant relationships were found between oral scores, Versant scores and private pilot completion. Multiple regression was used to determine if a relationship existed between a student's English score and his or her academic and flight performance. Significant relationships were found between the student's English screening scores, academic grades, and flight performance.

President Obama signed Public Law 111-216.This new legislation impacts the practices of 14 CFR Part 121 air carriers, as well as dictating the requirement of all airline pilots to hold an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate.This study examines how a flight instructor in a 14 CFR Part 141 pilot school measures up to the aeronautical experience requirements of the ATP.Aeronautical experience of 174 current flight instructors employed by a Part 141 collegiate aviation program was analyzed.The results indicate that this group of flight instructors significantly lacked the required crosscountry flight experience required by the ATP certificate.The research also found that the number of flight instructors aspiring to work for air carriers is on the decline.

Laptop initiatives at colleges and universities have remained in low numbers despite increases in the technology and decreases in the costs. The purpose of this study was to analyze student perceptions of a university mandated laptop program which requires students to purchase an approved laptop, software, and technical support. The results of a survey administered to aviation students (n=793) indicate an overall perception of value and approval for a laptop program. However, the study did reveal variances between different subsets of students. Accordingly, laptop programs and initiatives must be carefully constructed in order to be sensitive to various groups of students.

The purpose of this study was to examine student pre-entry attributes to predict student persistence and academic success in a professional flight program. The data set constructed for this study was drawn from a sample of 390 full-time, first-time students enrolled at a University, with Commercial Aviation as their declared academic major at the time of entry. The data examined the students’ academic progress for the first year to the second year of enrollment. Pre-existing data were gathered from each student’s institutional record and financial aid record. Multiple regression analysis was used to calculate the degree to which pre-entry attributes predicted student persistence and academic success. The study found significant relationships between pre-entry attributes in determining student persistence and academic success. Pre-entry attributes accounted for 9.6% of the variance in persistence, and 32.3% of the variance in academic success.

During the summer of 2007 the Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI) approved a new set of criteria to be used in accrediting aviation degree programs. One addition to the new criteria is the inclusion of creating a culminating experience for all aviation program options. The purpose of this study was to discover the importance placed on incorporating a culminating experience in the aviation program curriculum, and to determine which of the general outcomes were being assessed. The results of the survey (N=55) indicate that all programs felt the culminating experience was an important part of their degree program. However, there was a variance in the number of outcomes assessed and the appropriateness to assess each outcome.

College costs are rising faster than inflation; when coupled with rising flight training costs, students are paying a high price for their aviation education.This study analyzed the effect that working has on an aviation student.A survey of aviation students (n=793) suggests that by working more than 10 hours a week, a student's GPA is likely to decrease.The study also revealed differences in the amount of time that students work when compared to year in school and receipt of financial aid.No variance was found between the different aviation majors and the amount of work reported.Students, faculty and administrators in aviation programs need to understand the overall effects of students' working while pursuing an aviation degree.

The 2010 Pilot Source Study, commissioned to research the success of pilots in initial training for Part 121 operations, analyzed the training performance of 2,156 new-hire pilots in the years 2005-2009. Six regional airlines provided data that was mined from human resource and pilot training files. Five university researchers independently analyzed the data and integrated their results. The study expressed success in terms of fewer extra training events and fewer non-completions in regional airline training. Statistically, the best performing pilots were those who had flight instructor certificates, graduated from collegiate accredited flight programs, received advanced (post-Private) pilot training in college, graduated with collegiate aviation degrees (any aviation discipline), and had between 500 and 1,000 preemployment flight hours. Pilot source characteristics that had no significance in regional airline pilot training success were: having a non-aviation college degree and having prior corporate pilot or airline pilot experience.