The Dragon in the Cockpit

The purpose of The Dragon in the Cockpit is to enhance the mutual understanding between Western aviation human-factors practitioners and the Chinese aviation community by describing some of the fundamental Chinese cultural characteristics pertinent to the field of flight safety. China’s demand for air transportation is widely expected to increase further, and the Chinese aviation community are now also designing their own commercial aircraft, the COMAC C-919. Consequently, the interactions in the air between the West and China are anticipated to become far more extensive and dynamic. However, due to the multi-faceted nature of Chinese culture, it is sometimes difficult for Westerners to understand Chinese thought and ways, sometimes to the detriment of aviation safety. This book provides crucial insights into Chinese culture and how it manifests itself during flight operations, as well as highlighting ways in which Western technology and Chinese culture clash within the cockpit. Science and technology studies (STS) have demonstrated that sophisticated technologies embed cultural assumptions, usually in subtle ways. These cultural assumptions ‘bite back’ when the technology is used in an unfamiliar cultural context. By creating the insider’s perspective on the cultural/technological assumptions of the world’s fastest growing industrial economy, this book seeks to minimize the accidents and damage resulting from technological/cultural misunderstandings and misperceptions.

Author Biography

Dr Hung-Sying Jing is Professor of the Institute of Civil Aviation at the National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan, Republic of China. He serves as an editorial board member for the Aviation Psychology and Applied Human Factors Journal and also Taiwan’s Science Monthly. He holds visiting professorships at Airbus Industries, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Xiamen University in China. He is the author of numerous articles in applied mechanics and also several books in Taiwan. Dr Jing received his PhD from the Ohio State University in 1985. His specialties are aviation human factors and culture in flight safety. Dr Allen Batteau is a cultural anthropologist and former director of Wayne State University’s Institute for Information Technology and Culture. He is the author of The Anthropology of Aviation and Flight Safety (Human Organization), Anthropological Approaches to Culture, Aviation, and Flight Safety (Human Factors in Aerospace Safety), and numerous other books and articles, most recently including Technology and Culture (Waveland Press, 2010). A certified private pilot, his research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautic and Space Administration, and numerous other international and corporate bodies. He is a graduate of the University of Chicago.