Factors influencing aeromedical decision-making: operational versus research environments.

The aeromedical research and operational flying communities have at least one common goal; ensuring the optimum combination of mission performance and safety for the aircrew. This is a continual challenge as aerospace technology leaps ahead while the human factor remains relatively constant. However, several issues interfere with the smooth interaction between these communities: 1) perceptions that the research and operational communities have towards human subjects and pilots respectively; 2) the legal and ethical considerations involved in exposing individuals to risk; and 3) the ever-present personality dynamics involved in any decision-making process (e.g., returning individuals to a centrifuge panel or flying duty after a medically disqualifying incident). All of these factors influence decisions made in both communities, and how they interact with each other. It is a dynamic process that varies between countries, individual services (e.g., Navy vs Air Force), and even between different geographical locations within the same service.