Can Video Games Be Valid Predictors of Success for the Private Pilot Phase Check?

A study was conducted at a Midwestern university to determine whether or not video game performance can be an accurate predictor of success on the private pilot phase check. In this study, there were thirty-three potential participants enrolled in AT 145, the private pilot flight training course. Twenty-three (70%) students agreed to participate. These volunteer participants were asked to complete a video game (Super Mario Galaxy). The final score and time to finish a pre-selected level were recorded. These scores were correlated with the aggregated scores that the participants earned during their private pilot phase checks. Although a survey of literature suggested there might be a correlation between video game performance and pilot performance, the results of this study showed no significant correlation