The United States Air Force (USAF) MQ-1 Predator has emerged as a dominant weapons-bearing “drone” aircraft. Predator pilots have become critical assets in a challenging, high-risk, and rapidly evolving career field. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the combination of cognitive and neuropsychological aptitudes (MAB-II and MicroCog), as well as personality traits (NEO-PI-R) that reliably distinguish high vs. low training performance among Predator pilots. A total of 235 USAF pilots who completed MQ-1 Initial Qualification Training (IQT) participated. Outcome data (high vs. low performance) were obtained following IQT. Findings reveal that a combination of cognitive aptitude and personality traits clearly distinguishes high levels of training performance among those selected for this career field. Results may influence civilian and military personnel selection, classification, and aeromedical evaluation processes.
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