Comparing Trust in Auto-GCAS Between Experienced and Novice Air Force Pilots

Abstract

We examined F-16 pilots’ trust of the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto-GCAS), an automated system fielded on the F-16 to reduce the occurrence of controlled flight into terrain. We looked at the impact of experience (i.e., number of flight hours) as a predictor of trust perceptions and complacency potential among pilots. We expected that novice pilots would report higher trust and greater potential for complacency in relation to Auto-GCAS, which was shown to be partly true. Although novice pilots, compared with experienced pilots, reported equivalent trust perceptions, they also reported greater complacency potential.