The effect of airline pilot characteristics on perceptions of job safety risks

In a large cross-sectional sample, commercial airline pilots in the United States were asked for their perceptions of job safety hazards. Regression techniques are employed to investigate the relationship between these perceptions and both the length of tenure of pilots and their specific employer within the industry. The latter is found to have a far more significant impact on risk perception. No evidence is found for a learning curve of job risk with respect to experience. Pilots' assessments of inadequacies in training and aircraft maintenance are found to be significantly related to the financial health of their employer.The authors would like to thank the Aviation Research and Education Foundation and the Air Line Pilots Association for financial support. We are glad to acknowledge Steven Albert, Julie Libera, Janelle Muntz, and Adam Rauch for their research assistance.