Pilot Experience Level and Situational Anxiety During Flight Performance

This study investigated the relationship between pilot experience level and situational anxiety during flight performance among aviation students and instructors at Indiana Aerospace University during the Academic Year 2024–2025. A convergent mixed-methods research design was employed, integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. Quantitative data were gathered through a researcher-developed questionnaire administered to 100 respondents categorized according to accumulated flight hours: 1–40 hours, 41–100 hours, and more than 100 hours. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews exploring participants’ experiences, perceived challenges, and coping strategies related to flight anxiety. Descriptive statistics and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation were used for quantitative analysis, while thematic analysis was applied to the interview data. Findings revealed that respondents across all experience levels recognized the importance of pilot experience, situational anxiety, and flight performance. Pilots with 1–100 flight hours generally agreed that these variables significantly influence one another, whereas respondents with more than 100 flight hours strongly agreed regarding pilot experience and flight performance but demonstrated lower anxiety levels during demanding flight situations. Less experienced pilots reported difficulties related to confidence, decision-making, handling unexpected situations, and communication under high workload conditions. In contrast, experienced pilots exhibited greater emotional control, situational awareness, and multitasking capability. The study concludes that accumulated flight experience contributes not only to technical competence but also to psychological resilience and effective stress management. It recommends experience-based anxiety management programs, realistic simulator training, emergency drills, and workload management interventions to enhance pilot preparedness, training effectiveness, and overall flight safety.