Seasonal Differences in Daily Total Flight Training Time for Domestic Private Pilot Training

This study aimed to examine how daily total flight time differs between summer and winter seasons and to identify the seasonal characteristics of pilot workload and training availability. Operational flight log data from domestic commercial flights were aggregated to calculate daily total flight time, with July–October defined as summer and November–February as winter. Daily total flight time was summarized by season, and homogeneity of variance was first assessed using an F test. The result indicated significantly different variances between the two seasons (F(91, 87)=1.74, p=0.010); therefore, Welch’s t-test, which does not assume equal variances, was used to compare the seasonal means. The mean daily total flight time was 10.34±4.93 hours in summer and 8.53±3.74 hours in winter, and the difference was statistically significant (t(169.35)=2.78, p=0.006). These findings suggest that flight operations are more concentrated in summer, potentially increasing pilot workload and fatigue, whereas the relatively lower daily flight time in winter may provide a more favorable environment for scheduling pilot training and rest.