This issue features six papers in aerospace medicine and safety, including four original articles and two reviews, focusing on pilot health, safety management, aerospace education, cardiovascular research in space, and artificial intelligence (AI) guidelines in aviation safety. Two studies analyze aviation medical examinations, highlighting rising pilot disqualification rates primarily due to neurological, cancer-related, and mental health disorders, emphasizing the need for targeted health management strategies. Another paper proposes enhancing the Line Operations Safety Audit methodology to systematically capture positive crew behaviors, competencies, and proactive threat management. A research article explores relationships between selfefficacy, team-member exchange, and academic performance in aviation service students, recommending customized training programs. Additionally, a review discusses cardiovascular therapeutics using microgravity and cosmic radiation environments, revealing potential terrestrial applications for cardiac regeneration and drug development. Finally, guidelines for AI development in aviation safety stress reliable governance, ethics, and transparency. Future research expanding practical implementation and deepening interdisciplinary collaboration in aerospace medicine and safety is anticipated.

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI), a collection of core technologies leading the 4th Industrial Revolution, is playing an important role in national innovation. AI is not just a new technology, but an innovative technology that brings about widespread changes in industrial and social structures and is a key driving force that will lead to strengthening the quality of life and national competitiveness of the people. The aviation safety sector also expects AI technology to be used as an error prevention and risk management tool in aircraft design and operation, aircraft production and maintenance, environmental problems, and airport operation. The national strategies of advanced countries for AI include securing professional manpower, securing their own AI technology, establishing an ecosystem and establishing ethics for human-centered AI development. However, most AI-related strategic plans and operational guidelines in the public sectors, including aviation, are focused on technology development and services, so they do not consider essential items such as reliability and ethics when developing and applying AI in the public sector. Therefore, this study aims to present guidelines that should be considered and applied when developing and introducing systems using the latest AI technology in the aviation safety and public sector.

As research on the unique effects of space environment, especially microgravity and cosmic radiation, on the cardiovascular system is being conducted, research on the development of cardiovascular therapeutics using the space environment is attracting attention. This review comprehensively analyzes the current status and prospects of cardiovascular therapeutics development research utilizing space environment.Microgravity environment has been shown to have a positive effect on the proliferation and differentiation of cardiac progenitor cells and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardio myocytes. Cardiac tissue culture and organoid technology have enabled more effective drug screening and disease modeling than on the ground, and changes in gene expression such as Aquaporin-4 have been found to play an important role in cardiac function. Cosmic radiation can cause myocardial remodeling, fibrosis, and vascular endothelial dysfunction, and the underlying mechanisms of these effects include increased oxidative stress, promotion of inflammatory responses, deoxyribo nucleic acid damage, and cell death. Currently, the development of drugs that can prevent or treat cardiovascular damage caused by the space environment is in the early stages, and future research is expected to focus on developing personalized treatments and exploring the potential applications of space medicine research results to terrestrial medicine.

Purpose: The physical and mental fitness of pilots is important for aviation safety. This study analyzes the causes of disqualification among class 1 pilots who underwent aviation medical examinations in South Korea from 2022 to 2024. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted using data from class 1 pilots who underwent disqualification between 2022 and 2024. The disqualifying conditions were categorized into major groups (e.g., neurological, cancer, mental health, car diovascular). Results: Among the 26 disqualified pilots, 92.3% (n=24) were men, and the mean age was 49.4 years old (standard deviation, ±6.9). Neurological conditions were the leading cause (27.0%), followed by cancer-related conditions (23.1%) and mental health disorders (15.4%). Cardiovascular diseases accounted for 11.5%, while falsification of medical records, ophthalmologic issues, musculoskeletal problems, and hearing impairments made up the remaining cases. Conclusion These findings emphasize the importance of rigorous medical standards, robust follow-up protocols, and effective management of both chronic and emergent medical conditions in aviation.

Purpose: This study investigates the relationship between self-efficacy and teammember exchange (TMX) among aviation service students, and examines how these factors influence academic achievement and collaborative behavior. Self-efficacy, based on Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, is defined as an individual’s belief in their ability to overcome challenges, while TMX reflects the quality of social exchanges among team members. Methods: A convenience sample of undergraduate students from an aviation service department was recruited, yielding 65 valid responses. Self-efficacy was measured using the New General Self-Efficacy Scale along with additional validated items, and TMX was assessed with a TMX-10 scale, both utilizing a 5-point Likert scale. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, K-means clustering to identify behavioral segments, ANOVA for group comparisons, and regression analysis to explore the relationship between self-efficacy and TMX. Results: The analysis revealed four distinct behavioral clusters: confident collaborator, team player, reserved individual, and solo achiever. Results indicated that higher selfefficacy is associated with enhanced TMX and academic performance. Moreover, significant differences in self-efficacy and TMX scores were observed across the clusters, and regression analysis confirmed a positive relationship between selfefficacy and the quality of team interactions. Conclusion These findings highlight the importance of fostering both self-efficacy and effective team exchanges to optimize collaborative learning environments in aviation service education. Tailored educational interventions based on behavioral clustering can further enhance academic outcomes and prepare students for professional challenges.

Purpose: Over the past 25 years, aviation medical examinations have become esse ntial for pilot health and safety, paralleling industry advancements. As the number of new and aging pilots increases, the demand for systematic health assessments has also grown. However, comprehensive analyses of pilots’ health behaviors and qualifications, particularly their lifestyle habits, remain scarce. Methods: This study analyzed data from the Airmen Medical Certificate Management System (2000–2024), covering age, sex, license type, affiliation, diagnoses, and screening outcomes. Results: Aviation medical examinations increased from 2,366 in 2000 to over 10,000 by 2016, peaking at 14,652 in 2019. Disqualification rates rose from 0.2%–0.4% to 0.5%–1.0% post-2016. Commercial pilot certificates issuance surged over threefold since 2011, peaking at 1,688 in 2019. Male’s disqualification rates remained around 1%, while female’s rates increased to over 3% by 2023. The highest disqualification rate was in the 50–59 age group (0.48%). Obesity rates increased (33% to 39%), smoking rates remained stable (20%), and alcohol consumption stayed high (around 60%). Conclusion The study highlights the growing demand for aviation medical examinations and rising disqualification rates, particularly among older pilots and female. Targeted health management strategies addressing obesity, smoking, and alcohol consumption are essential to maintain the health and safety of aviation professionals and ensure industry growth and safety.

Purpose: Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA) has reduced errors by detecting and managing threats and errors of flight deck crew in the cockpit during normal flight operations. Airlines can understand the countermeasures and competencies of the crew and the success of error management. This paper introduces the advantages of LOSA and how LOSA data collection can be enhanced for the safety of flight operations. Methods: It analyzed the components of data collection tool in the International Civil Aviation Organization Doc 9803, LOSA manual to find out the deficiencies for enhancement. Results: Five suggestions are proposed in this study, codes for positive activities and the development of a form, the development of proactive strategies that predict threats in advance and manage the threats and management of errors, to describe the coding and narrative for successful briefings that manage threats and errors and codes for positive culture are required for successful LOSA data collection flight operations. Conclusion Safety Management System, Threat and Error Management, LOSA, and other conventional safety tools manage safety based on risk or failure, so if we change the paradigm, we can train more safety-resilient pilots. The tragic outcomes such as accidents or incidents have the problem of low occurrence probability, but if we supplement and utilize LOSA data of normal flights, we can prevent accidents or nearaccidents in advance.