Development and Validation of a General Aviation Risk Perception Scale

Abstract: The aim of this study was to develop a psychometric tool for measuring pilot perceptions of risk, with a focus on risk in general aviation (GA) flying. Unlike other objective protocols that pilots adhere to (e.g., checklists), assessing and responding to risk is a subjective task, making it challenging to evaluate. Previous research has developed scales that are either too generalized or have poor psychometric properties (i.e., reliability and validity). Therefore, this effort intended to develop a validated scale utilizing psychometrically sound methods, including literature review, item generation, subject matter expert review, item pool truncation, data collection, and analysis. Results confirmed a statistically valid and reliable 15-item scale – the General Aviation Risk Perception Scale – explicitly for pilots and GA-related risk.