FACTORS INFLUENCING AEROMEDICAL DECISION-MAKING - OPERATIONAL VERSUS RESEARCH ENVIRONMENTS

The aeromedical research and operational flying communities have at le ast one common goal; ensuring the optimum combination of mission perfo rmance and safety for the aircrew. This is a continual challenge as ae rospace technology leaps ahead while the human factor remains relative ly constant. However, several issues interfere with the smooth interac tion between these communities: 1) perceptions that the research and o perational communities have towards human subjects and pilots respecti vely; 2) the legal and ethical considerations involved in exposing ind ividuals to risk; and 3) the ever-present personality dynamics involve d in any decision-making process (e.g., returning individuals to a cen trifuge panel or flying duty after a medically disqualifying incident) . All of these factors influence decisions made in both communities, a nd how they interact with each other. It is a dynamic process that var ies between countries, individual services (e.g., Navy vs Air Force), and even between different geographical locations within the same serv ice.