The Dragon in the Cockpit

Book excerpt: 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.