Framework for Analysis of the Workload of Training Captains

Low-cost carrier (LCC) airlines that fly short-haul and medium-haul routes have grown rapidly in Europe in recent years. LCCs achieve a low-cost structure by maximizing aircraft use and streamlining crew scheduling, for example, by flying one type of aircraft and limiting overnight stops. A potential corollary of intensive crew use is elevated levels of crew workload and fatigue, which, if not managed effectively, can increase the likelihood of adverse safety outcomes. Training captains are a subgroup of the pilot population for whom workload may be particularly problematic. These pilots fly standard duties as well as performing a range of training and assessment duties. This is believed to be the first attempt to present a methodology to analyze the factors affecting training captains’ workload with the objective of assisting airlines in managing workload more efficiently. For 15 duties, 29 training captains from a LCC completed workbooks that collected information on duty type, work schedule, personal characteristics, and sleep, together with perceived workload and alertness ratings. The linear mixed model was used to analyze the data. The main finding was that after controlling for scheduling variables, personal characteristics, and sleep duration, workload varied systematically across the different duty types. Training captains training in the simulator and training while flying had a higher workload strain than standard flying duties, with simulator training duties associated with the highest workload. The results are used to make recommendations on how workload can be managed in an airline.