From Human Performance to Predictive Intelligence at WATS: 5 Day 3 Takeaways

Day 3 at WATS 2026 sharpened the conversation around performance: human, cognitive, and organizational. Sessions moved beyond tools and technologies to focus on how people think, decide, retain, and act under pressure. The message was clear: the next evolution of training lies in better understanding human performance, and enhancing it.

1. Cabin crew training must prepare for when systems fail 

In the cabin crew stream, Aviation Safety Advocate Dr. Mizuki Urano delivered a powerful analysis of the 2024 runway collision involving Japan Airlines Flight 516, requiring an emergency evacuation. The incident highlighted what happens when standard communication channels and command structures aren’t available, forcing crew to rely on judgment, adaptability, and direct leadership. The session underscored the need for training that goes beyond checklists: preparing crew for ambiguity, empowering decision-making, and recognizing passengers as an active variable to be managed, not just controlled. 

“Flexible and resilient performances are built on a foundation of clear company policies, procedures, and adequate training,” she said. “This presentation encourages organizations to respect cabin crew judgment while strengthening training that supports mature decision-making and enhancing CRM, including effective communication during emergencies.” 

2. Remote training is efficient, but still not fully effective 

In the maintenance stream, James Scarpa, Aircraft Maintenance Training Instructor at SkyWest Airlines, tackled the “remote training retention gap,” explaining that remote learning has become essential due to geography, cost pressures, and rapid hiring growth. Evidence suggests, however, that digital delivery falls short in terms of long-term retention and engagement. Scarpa argued that remote training must be treated as its own discipline, not a direct substitute for in-person instruction, with greater emphasis on structured preparation, dynamic delivery, and robust follow-up to truly measure and improve outcomes. The focus should be on building enthusiasm and curiosity, stressing that “the primary hiring criteria is don’t tell me what you know, tell me you want to know it.” 

3. Aviation is starting to train the mind 

A standout theme in the pilot stream was cognitive performance. Dr. Jannell MacAulay and Brandon Murphy of cognitive training firm Lumena Inc. made the case that aviation has historically underinvested in mental skills training, despite rising operational demands. Drawing on military experience, they demonstrated how focus, stress recovery, and cognitive flexibility can be trained deliberately, improving both safety and learning efficiency.

Aviation has historically “under-invested in mental skills training,” said Dr.MacAulay, focusing more on technical performance and stress exposure than deliberate psychological development. There remains a stigma around mental health, with a culture that encourages people to “push it down, pretend it doesn’t exist.” She said attitudes are beginning to change, but more needs to be done to help high-performing aviators manage pressure, stress, and decision-making in critical moments.

The discussion also highlighted parallels with elite sports, where athletes use mindfulness and mental performance techniques to optimize results under pressure. Brandon explained that pilots, like professional athletes, must be able to execute skills when “there’s weather, when there’s ATC squawking in your ear, when there’s an aircraft emergency.”

4. Cognitive readiness can be structured, measured, and scaled 

Building on this, Brian Pinkston and Cheryl Lowry from Kinetic Medical Consultants introduced an integrated cognitive readiness framework for pilot training. By combining targeted cognitive exercises, pre-session state preparation, and high-fidelity simulation, the approach aims to improve attention, reaction time, and workload management. Early results suggest measurable gains in performance stability, pointing to a future where cognitive conditioning becomes a standard layer within training programmes, rather than an optional add-on.

Lowry argued that the aviation industry relies too heavily on medication as a quick fix, describing it as “somewhat a band-aid,” while emphasizing that understanding the “root cause” of stress, anxiety, or depression can help pilots train more effectively and perform better in the cockpit.

The pair also highlighted the pressures pilots face to appear flawless, despite the reality that “everybody has issues.” Drawing on their work at Kinetic Medical Consultants, where they support pilots dealing with anxiety, PTSD, and substance abuse, they stressed the importance of early intervention before problems escalate.

5. Data and AI are becoming central to preventing the next accident 

In the ab initio stream Shane Jordan, CTO of Hilo Aviation, brought the focus back to data, arguing that the indicators of future accidents already exist within today’s fragmented datasets. Aviation is “blessed with a lot of data,” but has historically struggled to analyze it effectively.

AI now makes it possible to examine “millions of rows of data” and uncover hidden accident trends that humans would miss when “scanning through spreadsheets.” Jordan described how AI can identify combinations of risk factors rather than isolated events, helping the industry better predict and prevent future accidents. The shift is from reactive analysis to proactive prevention, using predictive insights to target training interventions before incidents occur.

Using an example of a climb-into-terrain incident, he explained that multiple factors including weather, density altitude, and aircraft load combined to create a dangerous situation. He noted that “the collective is greater than the single,” meaning AI can reveal how several smaller risks together create accident scenarios that should be addressed in training.