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From the captains' unfavorable comments on the 288 eliminated pilots from five airline companies, additional information was obtained pertaining to critical traits and characteristics. Of the 1,214 comments, 949 comments, or approximately 78% were related to unfavorable traits and characteristics of the eliminated group. The results of a content analysis of these 949 comments are presented in Table 13.

Further information pertaining to the critical traits and characteristics of the airline pilot's job was obtained from the comparison of ratings received by the E-group and the matched C-group on flight check reports or on reports submitted by captains on their co-pilots, both of which types of reports provided evaluations of the traits, abilities or characteristics of the pilots in each group. Comparative ratings were obtained of the following: judgment, alertness and speed of reactions, appearance and bearing, personality, industry, and cooperativeness. A below-average rating on each train, ability or characteristic was assigned a value of 1, an average rating a value of 2, an above-average rating a value of 3. Generally, the judgment of whether a trait was above-average, average or below-average was made by the captains themselves. In a few instances their judgments were made on a slightly different three-point scale, such as "Below Standard," "Standard" and "Above Standard." It was assumed that this scale was identical to the other. In a few other cases their judgments were made on a four-point scale: "Excellent," "Good," "Fair," and "Poor." After a careful examination of the distribution of ratings over the four-point scale, it was decided that both "Excellent" and "Good" ratings would be considered Above-Average, "Fair" ratings as Average and "Poor" ratings as Below-Average. The comparison of the E-group and C-group on these qualities in presented in Table 14.

Several traits, characteristics or abilities are consistently judged as more critical than others by both pilots themselves and by the Civil Aeronautics Administration Examiners and Company Check-Pilots. These are:
1. Intelligence, Thinking, Learning Capacity
2. Lack of Nervous Behavior
3. Ability to Get Along with Others
4. Favorable Attitude, Interest
5. Attending, Remaining Alert
6. Initiative, Aggressiveness, Forcefulness
7. Industry and Effort

3. Critical Selection Requirements. From the study of the company personnel records data were obtained which enabled a determination of the degree to which established company requirements from the selection of the pilot applicants predict successful completion of training. Data were available from the files of a number of the pilots in the E-group and C-group on the following:

1. Age at time of hiring
2. Previous education
3. Otis I.Q scores
4. Bennett Test of Mechanical Comprehensions (Form AA) scores
5. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory scores
6. Previous flying hours
7. Marital status
8. Previous ground training in aeronautics