Novas Tecnologias de Cabine em Aviões do Transporte Aéreo Regular e Transformações na Representação Social dos Pilotos

Abstract

The Brazilian air transportation, also known as commercial air transportation, has been object of remarkable changes in the past 30 years. One of the main points of these changes results from the introduction of new technologies in the aircrafts cockpits, resumed after its automation in the expression glasscockpit . These technologies represent substantial changes on the pilot activity. The actual study focused on the research of the pilot social representation, trying to identify the probable effect of new technologies on the representation that pilots elaborate about their professional activity. It was used as a starting point for the carrying out of this project the Theory of Social Representations. To carry out this project, 216 subjects, pilots, divided in three categories by a time variable, a group was compiled by youths with less than ten years of activity; other pilots, developing the activity between 10 and 20 years and, finally, professionals with more than 20 years in activity, they participate of an empirical research. The social representation of the pilot, the professional experiences and the aviation changes perception were the axis investigated. The results allow us to suppose that general changes due to the using of new technologies are positive, that the subjects worries seem to judge other changes and that less experienced pilots offer excessive confidence to technology as safety manager.