The human factors that relate to technological developments in aviation

The discipline of human factors has its roots in the aerospace industry. This chapter provides a brief overview of the development of human factors, from its birth during World War II to the present day. Flight deck design, pilot selection and training, and crew resource management (CRM) are all considered. While human factors has been primarily associated with aviation safety during the first 50 years of its life, it is argued that it is now time for the discipline to take a more pro-active role in improving the performance of airlines and reducing operating costs. This can only be achieved by taking a more integrated approach to the application of the various aspects of the discipline.