Date of Award

12-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Aviation (AvD)

Department

Aeronautics

First Advisor

Brooke E. Wheeler

Second Advisor

Ersoy Subasi

Third Advisor

Gregory A. D. Fox

Fourth Advisor

Madhur Tiwari

Abstract

The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to examine differences in safety climate by pilot rank and aviation background at a major U.S. airline, and (b) to determine whether training recency and years of employment could predict safety climate at a major U.S. airline. Safety climate was measured using the three-factor, 18-item Aviation Safety Climate Scale (ASCS; Evans et al., 2007). Participants (N = 210) were current pilots who completed a questionnaire, including demographic and aviation background information. A two-way ANOVA revealed no significant differences in safety climate by pilot rank, aviation background, or their interaction. The multiple linear regression revealed that neither training recency nor years of employment significantly predicted safety climate. A supplemental Welch’s t-test revealed no significant differences between participants with and without prior Safety Management System (SMS) experience. However, a supplemental two-way ANOVA using a compressed aviation background variable indicated that pilots with non-FAR Part 121 backgrounds reported significantly higher safety climate scores than those with FAR Part 121 backgrounds. These findings suggest that while pilot rank, tenure, and training recency may not be meaningfully associated with perceptions of safety climate, aviation background could play a modest role. The results of this study may inform recruitment, training, and operational strategies and contribute to the ongoing development and sustainability of aviation safety.

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