AUTOMATIC ASSESSMENT METHODS OF A PILOT‘S FLIGHT IN THE TRAFFIC CIRCUIT

Tadas Masiulionis

doi:10.3846/16487788.2016.1195973

Abstract

With an increasing number of aircraft, navigation requirements and fast development of avionics systems, as well as the need for the integration of UAVs into airspace, pilots are facing new challenges that need to be mitigated by the development of additional training and assessment systems. These measures would both assess and encourage student pilots to improve their performance by using predetermined flight accuracy requirements based on established flight corridors. In this paper, automatic assessment methods to be used for pilot flight assessment while flying in the circuit are analysed.

Highlights

The rapid development of aviation systems generates the need to design automatic pilot flight assessment systems which would aid and simplify the work of pilot-instructors
For the traffic circuit flight assessment model to work properly, it is necessary for the student-pilot to know and comply with a specific task, otherwise the assessment might generate a fail
The flight assessment model must be designed according to the requirements of the specific task, so the assessment system must include different assessment modes for different tasks

Summary

Introduction

The rapid development of aviation systems generates the need to design automatic pilot flight assessment systems which would aid and simplify the work of pilot-instructors. –– taxi from apron to holding point; –– take-off and climb according to ATC clearances and instructions to the chosen route; –– flight en route according to clearances and instructions of the ATC; –– descent to the approach; –– approach and missed approach; –– landing and taxi to apron It is evident by analysing training flights completed by our students (Fig. 2) and typical North–South flight circuits provided by Airservices Australia (Fig. 3) (McConnell 2011) that flights in the traffic circuit are scattered and do not follow predetermined flight trajectories. For the downwind to become more important and an advanced pilot to be trained for en route flights more, it is suggested to include two additional points in which the student should change the flight altitude This would encourage maintaining an accurate traffic circuit and allow for a clearer trajectory according to which an automatic assessment system could assess the flight

Model of pilot traffic circuit flight assessment

Pilot flight circuit altitude assessment

Conclusions