VALIDATION OF ARMY FIXED-WING APTITUDE BATTERY AGAINST SUCCESS IN ROTC FLIGHT TRAINING

Abstract : To effect improvement in selection of trainees for the Army Aviation Fixed-Wing Training Program, a battery of HFRB tests, in operational use since 1956, was further validated against a criterion of success in the Primary Flight Training Course. The Army Fixed-Wing Aptitude Battery (AFWAB), based on the Air Force Officer Qualification Test (AFOQT), was administered to 1109 men in classes entering the FTP at Camp Gary during 1957. AFWAB scores were analyzed in relation both to failure to complete flight training and to failure by reason of flying deficiency. Results were examined to obtain information useful in establishing cutting scores appropriate to the Army's training requirements for a given year. The effect of weighting the tests by a multiple correlation procedure was also studied. The validity coefficient of .41 indicates that the AFWAB is a moderately effective instrument for selecting trainees for Army- Fixed-Wing flight training. Each of the five component tests also had significant correlation (a range from .15 to .34) with the pass-fail criterion. Battery scores based on unit-weighted subtests were as effective as those obtained by more complicated statistical weighting.