Air Force Pilots Research Articles

Aviation English Assessment for Military and Civil Pilots in Brazil: Similarities and Differences

Language proficiency assessment for pilots is a topic of potential interest for applied linguists and aviation professionals in general. Despite the growing number of investigations about this topic in the Brazilian civil aviation context (A.L. Monteiro/ N. Bullock, 2020, A. Garcia 2015, P. Tosqui-Lucks/ M. Prado 2020, A. Pacheco 2019), fewer similar studies are found in the Brazilian military scenario (A.L.B.C. Silva, 2016, 2022, M. Bruno 2018). With this difference in mind, this study presents an overview of the instruments being used to assess Aeronautical English proficiency for civil and Air Force pilots in Brazil.This study followed a qualitative approach by means of a bibliographic review and documental analyses. Results of this study show that the same instruments are used to assess English language proficiency for all Air Force pilots in Brazil, despite their varying needs, whereas a different instrument – the Santos Dumont English Exam (SDEA) – is used for civil pilots. Similarities and differences in both assessment scenarios have been highlighted to better understand the theoretical constructs assessed in each test. As a contribution to the fields of Applied Linguistics and English for Specific Purposes (ESP), this study allows different stakeholders to have a clearer and better understanding of Aeronautical English assessment for pilots in Brazil. This can help ensure that best practices are highlighted, and improvements implemented, which, as a result, could lead to more efficient and effective communications and safer skies for everyone.

The Study on Air Force Pilot’s Recognition about Cockpit Noise to Foster Aviation Safety by the Use of Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)

공군 조종사들이 비행 중에 겪는 지속적이고 강도 높은 소음은 조종사의 생리적(physiological) 및 심리적(psychological) 상태에 부정적인 영향을 미칠 수 있다. 이는 조종사의 비행 능력(performance)에 부정적인 영향을 주게 되며 임무 완수 및 비행 안전을 저해시키는 치명적인 결과로 이어질 수 있다. 대한민국 공군은 조종사들의 청력 보호를 위해 수동 소음 감쇠(Passive Noise Cancellation, PNC) 및 능동 소음 감쇠(Active Noise Cancellation, ANC) 기술이 적용된 헤드셋 및 헬멧을 사용 중이다. 그러나, 소음 저감 기술이 조종사의 청력 보호, 비행 능력, 및 비행 안전에 미치는 효용성에 대한 공군 조종사의 인식은 아직 연구된 바가 없다. 따라서 본 연구는 소음과 관련된 이론적 배경을 고찰하였고, 이후 설문조사를 통해 공군 조종사들(n=154)의 조종석 내 소음 및 소음 감쇠 기술에 대한 인식을 분석하였다. 분석 결과, 능동 소음 감쇠(ANC) 기술이 적용된 헤드셋 및 헬멧의 사용은 소음이 조종사의 생리적 상태에 미치는 영향에는 유의미한 효과가 없지만(<italic>p</italic>=0.402), 심리적 상태에 미치는 영향은 유의미하게 감소시키는 것으로 나타났다(<italic>p</italic>&lt;0.001). 따라서, 능동 소음 감쇠(ANC) 기술이 적용된 비행 헤드셋 및 헬멧 사용의 필요성을 강조하였고, 이를 통해 조종사의 비행 능력(performance) 저하 방지 및 비행 안전 증진에 기여하고자 한다.

The Dynamic Functions of Euphemism: The Martyrdom of the Jordanian Air Force Pilot Moath Al-Kasasbeh at the Hands of ISIS

The present paper explores death euphemistic alternatives used by media during the period of kidnapping and later burning the Jordanian air force pilot Moath Al-Kasasbeh at the hands of ISIS[i]. The internet-based data serving as a research tool for the present study explained the dynamic functions of death-related euphemisms, showing that what had been avoided before burning because of its dysphemistic sense (assassination and murder) was used as a euphemism and as a gentler substitute for the unexpected burning. Conceptual metaphor was also used as a euphemistic substitute for the ugly burning of the pilot, and not as doublespeak aimed at hiding the reality. The use of the word sacrifice in place of burning, the conceptualization of death and burning as journey and facing or cuddling fate or angles were found to be euphemistic alternatives used to report the act of burning the Jordanian Air Force Pilot Moath Al-Kasasbeh. Examining euphemisms in conjunction with face wants and politeness, it was found that burning euphemisms which are based on lexical substitutions are aimed at saving the public self-image of the pilot’s bereaved family and protecting their self-esteem. Keywords: Euphemism; Dysphemism; Pragmatic, Politeness, Burning, Metaphor.

Visual measures of perceived roll tilt in pilots during coordinated flight and gondola centrifugation.

During a simulated coordinated turn in a gondola centrifuge, experienced pilots show a substantial inter-individual variability in visual measures of perceived roll tilt. Because of the centrifuge's small radius, the pattern of stimuli to the semicircular canals during acceleration of the centrifuge differs in certain respects from that of an aircraft entering a turn. To explore whether these differences may be of significance for the pilot's roll- plane orientation and whether individual characteristics revealed in the centrifuge correspond to those during real flight. 8 fixed-wing air-force pilots were tested in a centrifuge and a high-performance aircraft. The centrifuge was accelerated to 2 G (gondola inclination 60°) within 10 s. The duration at 2 G was 6 minutes. Similar profiles were created in the aircraft. The subjective visual horizontal (SVH) was measured using an adjustable luminous line in darkness. Each pilot was tested on three occasions: centrifuge (2 runs), aircraft (2 turns), centrifuge (2 runs). For each 2-G exposure, initial and final SVH values were established via curve fitting. Despite a large inter-individual variability (±SD), group means were similar in the aircraft (initial: 43.0±20.6°; final: 22.5±14.8°) and centrifuge (initial: 40.6±17.0°; final: 20.5±16.0°). Further, individual peculiarities in response patterns were similar in the two conditions. For both the initial and final SVH tilt there was a high correlation between centrifuge and aircraft. The correspondence between conditions suggests that the centrifuge is an adequate means for demonstrating the fundamental motion pattern of coordinated flight and also for establishing the individual pilot's ability to perceive an aircraft's roll attitude.Findings are discussed in connection with vestibular learning and the possibility of underlying differences between pilots in the keenness for semicircular canal and somatosensory cues.

Samuel Zipp. The Idealist: Wendell Willkie’s Wartime Quest to Build One World.

“Sometimes in our endlessly recycled retellings the whole war becomes as simple as the moralistic plot of Steven Spielberg’s film Saving Private Ryan: all the terror and gore and chaos, rendered indelibly in the visceral D-Day sequence, were worth it, we are told, to save the life of one blond farm boy. “But some saw the war as something more than a gory fable about American exceptionalism. They embraced a more expansive and riskier story line than the anodyne triumphalist narratives we know so well. For Willkie and other idealists like him, if the war was to prove worth fighting, worth all the death and terror and privation, it had to deliver a peace worthy of the stakes” (6). Thus Samuel Zipp begins The Idealist: Wendell Willkie’s Wartime Quest to Build One World, his superb study of Wendell Willkie’s now nearly forgotten world-spanning flight in 1942, amid the Second World War at its most crucial point. He flew aboard a no-frills (nonpressurized cabin) commercial version (C-87 Liberator Express) of a four-engine B-24 Liberator bomber. Air force pilots called the military version the “flying coffin”—Willkie’s plane was Gulliver, and it did travel. In forty-nine days—late August through late October 1942—Gulliver landed at multiple airports in thirteen countries and five continents. A marathon journey that took Willkie, as Franklin Roosevelt’s opponent in the election of 1940 and now emissary, to all the political hot spots that they both knew would get hotter after the war.

Training Jewish Pilots at Flight Schools in Czechoslovakia during the War of Independence

On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion declared the establishment of the State of Israel. In response, the Arab states invaded Israel and launched an all-out war with the aim of forcibly nullifying the Declaration of Independence. The danger of an invasion of Israel by five Arab armies led by Egypt (alongside Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon) was already known. It was clear to Ben-Gurion and the other heads of the security apparatus of the Jewish community in Palestine/Israel that considering the Egyptian army’s air power and the fact that the Haganah had only a few light aircraft and not a single fighter plane, fighter planes had to be purchased immediately and pilots trained to fly them. The article will describe how the IDF purchased 25 Messerschmitt-Avia fighter jets and 50 Spitfires and planned to train Israel Air Force pilots to fly these aircraft.

The Effects of Body Composition, Physical Fitness on Time of Useful Consciousness in Hypobaric Hypoxia.

Several previous studies have reported that hypoxia accidents of fighter pilots are rarer than gravity-induced loss of consciousness and spatial disorientation; however, the risk is greater. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between physical fitness and body composition on time of useful consciousness (TUC) in hypobaric hypoxia. Body composition and physical fitness testing on human participants were performed; subsequently, they were exposed to hypobaric hypoxia at a simulated altitude of 25,000 ft. Cognitive testing of the participants was accomplished by having them perform arithmetic task tables until they stopped writing for a period exceeding 5 seconds, at which point, they were placed on 100% oxygen. TUC was measured from the time the participants removed their oxygen masks to the time when the oxygen masks were placed back on them. Pearson's correlation was used to determine the relationship between TUC and other variables, and multiple regression was performed to determine the independent variables that best explain the TUC. TUC was positively correlated with the maximum oxygen uptake, stroke volume, arteriovenous oxygen difference, and endurance (sit-up and push-up). The maximum heart rate on the ground, high altitude, body fat mass, and percent body fat were negatively correlated with TUC. A regression analysis showed that 84.5% of the TUC can be explained by body composition and physical fitness. Our results revealed that increased cardiorespiratory fitness and decreased body fat mass could significantly impact the TUC. Therefore, for Air Force pilots who are frequently at high altitudes and at risk for exposure to hypoxia, aerobic exercise is significant to hypoxia tolerance.

Calling as a double-edged sword for posttraumatic outcomes among Air Force pilots: The mediating roles of adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation

Calling as a double-edged sword for posttraumatic outcomes among Air Force pilots: The mediating roles of adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation

Prevalence of arterial hypertension in pilots of the Ecuadorian Air Force residing at the "Eloy Alfaro" Air Base in Manta, according to the Military Rank

Prevalence of arterial hypertension in pilots of the Ecuadorian Air Force residing at the "Eloy Alfaro" Air Base in Manta, according to the Military Rank

PERENCANAAN PENGEMBANGAN TERMINAL BANDARA UDARA DJALALUDDIN GORONTALO

The airport in Gorontalo is known as Djalaludin Airport which was taken from an Indonesian Air Force pilot who was the best son of Indonesia from the Gorontalo area, namely Lt. Col. Pnb Djalaluddin Tantu who was declared dead during the Dwikora operation in Malaysia. Before becoming Djalaludin Airport in 1974, initially this airport was named Tolotio Airport since it was founded in 1955 because of its location in Tolotio village, Tibawa district, Gorontalo regency. The purpose of this study is to find out whether the Djalaluddin airport terminal is feasible for the development of the terminal area of ​​​​the number of passengers. Data from the site survey and the results of the analysis of space requirements calculations with sources: (Airport Passenger Terminal, SKEP 347/XII/1999 (ICAO Annex 9 Reference on Facilities). The results show that Djalaluddin Airport is still feasible to accommodate passengers at this time. With Comparison of the actual area of ​​6122 m2 and the theoretical 5270 m2. And the results of the regression analysis show that in 2032 it was obtained 722,440 passengers. The actual area of ​​the Djalaludin airport terminal is 6032 m2, so it needs to be redeveloped so that it can accommodate the number of passengers in the coming year.

공군 조종사의 직업 피로에 영향을 미치는 요인

Purpose: This study aimed to identify factors that affect occupational fatigue of Air Force pilots. Methods: A cross-sectional and descriptive study design was used based on the theory of unpleasant symptoms. Study participants were selected from eight different Air Force units using quota sampling method. Data were collected through an online survey from September 6, 2021, to October 12, 2021. A total of 175 questionnaires were returned, of which 142 were valid with usable answers. Independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and hierarchical regression analysis were used to identify the factors. Results: The study found significant differences in Air Force pilots’ occupational fatigue based upon age, subjective health status, and flight experience. The factors affecting their occupational fatigue were daytime dysfunction (β=0.25, p=.012), and occupational stress in terms of the physical environment (β=0.21, p=.024). Conclusion: It is necessary to monitor the level of Air Force pilots’ occupational fatigue and to offer the theory-based approach considering characteristics of Air Force pilots’ occupational fatigue when designing intervention programs and preparing institutional policies for their occupational fatigue management.

Galvanic vestibular stimulation to counteract leans illusion: comparing step and ramped waveforms

Leans is a common type of Spatial Disorientation (SD) illusion that causes pilots to be confused about the position of the aircraft during a flight. This illusion could lead to serious adverse effects and even flight mishaps. Therefore, an effective means to deal with leans is crucial for flight safety. This study aims to investigate the effects of Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS) technology with different waveforms as a tool to mitigate the negative effects of leans. 20 Air Force pilots participated in leans-induced flight simulation experiment with three GVS conditions (without-GVS, step-GVS, ramped-GVS). Bank angle error, subjective SD, perceived strength, and annoyance were measured as the dependent variables. Analysis revealed that step-GVS and ramped-GVS yielded lower bank angle errors and subjective SD than without-GVS. In addition, annoyance ratings were lower for ramped-GVS than step-GVS. This study suggests that GVS has the potential to be utilised as a counteracting tool to cope with leans. Practitioner summary: Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS) can be utilised as a tool to counteract the detrimental effects of leans illusion, specifically the ramped style GVS, considering that it is less annoying and distracting for the pilots. In general, GVS induces a roll sensation that can offset the false sensation caused by the leans, which can potentially help maintain flight safety and avoid spatial disorientation-related accidents. Abbreviations: SD: spatial disorientation; GVS: galvanic vestibular stimulation; MSSQ: motion sickness susceptibility questionniare; SSQ: simulator sickness questionnaire; BLE: bluetooth low energy; PCB: printed circuit board; RPM: revolution per minute

Lipid Profile Status amongst the Pilots of Kuwait Air Force

Introduction: Dyslipidemia has been established as one of the most important modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Dyslipidemia is highly prevalent in the general population of Kuwait as well as in armed forces personnel. Objective: To assess the prevalence of dyslipidemia amongst the pilots of Kuwait Air Force. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in Medical Directorate, Armed Forces Hospital Kuwait from July 2017 to June 2018. One hundred and twentysix Kuwaiti Air Force pilot were included in this study. Lipid profile [Total Cholesterol (TC), Triglyceride (TG), Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)] were measured from fasting blood and were categorized based on the National Cholesterol Education Programme Adult Treatment Panel III criteria (NCEP-ATP III). Results: Mean (±SD) age of the 126 participants was 32.5±7.4 years. Among them 56.3% were current smoker. As per BMI (Body Mass Index) criteria 49.2% and 26.2% of the pilots were overweight and obese respectively. Most common lipid abnormality was high LDL-C (46%), followed by high TC (39.7%), low HDL-C 36.5%) and high TG (18.3%). Positive correlation between BMI and TG level and LDL-C level (r=0.273, p=0.001 &amp; r=0.177, p=0.049 respectively) and negative correlation between BMI and HDL-C (r= -0.286, p=0.001) were found. BMI was found to be an independent predictive factor for dyslipidemia. Conclusions: Dyslipidemia and obesity was alarmingly high in the pilots of Kuwait Air Force and should be considered as a matter of medical concern. JAFMC Bangladesh. Vol 17, No 2 (December) 2021: 71-75

Air Force Pilot Expertise Assessment during Unusual Attitude Recovery Flight

Pilot training and expertise are key aspects in aviation. A traditional way of evaluating pilot expertise is to measure performance output. However, this approach provides a narrow view of the pilot’s capacity, especially with regard to mental and emotional profile. The aim of this study is hence to investigate whether neurophysiological data can be employed as an additional objective measure to assess the expertise of pilots. In this regard, it has been demonstrated that mental effort can be used as an indirect measure of operator expertise and capacity. An increase in mental effort, for instance, can automatically result in a decrease in the remaining capacity of the operator. To better investigate this aspect, we ask two groups of Italian Air Force pilots, experienced (Experts) and unexperienced (Novices), to undergo unusual attitude recovery flight training simulations. Their behavioral (unusual attitude recovery time), subjective (mental effort demand perception) and neurophysiological data (Electroencephalogram, EEG; Electrocardiogram, ECG) are collected during the entire flight simulations. Although the two groups do not exhibit differences in terms of unusual attitude recovery time and mental effort demand perception, the EEG-based mental effort index shows how Novices request significantly higher mental effort during unusual conditions.

Air Force Pilot Expertise Assessment during Unusual Attitude Recovery Flight

Air Force Pilot Expertise Assessment during Unusual Attitude Recovery Flight

Virtual Reality Head Mounted Display 기반 공군 조종사 모의 비행 훈련 시뮬레이터 파급효과에 관한 인식 연구

Objective: The purpose of this study is to compare Visual Monitor (VM)-based and Virtual Reality Head Mounted Display (VR HMD)-based simulated flight training simulators with respect to ripple effects.<BR>Background: VR HMD-based simulators can increase immersion and realism by providing more realistic virtual environments in comparison to VM-based simulators. Existing studies related to VR HMD-based simulators have been mainly focused on flight training effects of pilots rather than considering all the effects collectively.<BR>Method: This study conducted a comparative experiment of VM-based and VR HMD-based simulators with 25 Republic of Korea Air Force F-15K fighter pilots.<BR>Results: All 6 items on ripple effects were statistically significantly higher in VR HMDbased simulators than in VM-based simulators.<BR>Conclusion: When VR HMD-based simulators are used to with respect to ripple effects the flight training for Air Force pilots, practical technical ripple effects can be expected.<BR>Application: The results of this study are expected to help us understand the system characteristics of VR HMD-based simulators.

Assessment from a Biopsychosocial Approach of Flight-Related Neck Pain in Fighter Pilots of Spanish Air Force. An Observational Study.

Flying on fighter aircraft is the only human activity that exposes the body to acceleration levels for long periods of time. In this sense, the regular exposure to G forces has been related to a high incidence of flight-related neck pain. The aim is to evaluate flight pilots of the Spanish Air Force (instructors vs. students) diagnosed with flight-related neck pain from a biopsychosocial perspective. Eighteen fighter pilots with flight-related neck pain were divided into two groups: instructor fighter pilots (n = 7) and student fighter pilots (n = 11). The Neck Disability Index (NDI), Cervical Range of Motion (CRoM), Pain Pressure Threshold (PPT), cervical repositioning error, and myoelectric activity were evaluated. Cervical flexion, extension and left and right rotation showed a reduced range of motion in both groups with respect to the normative values of the healthy population. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups (p ≥ 05). The correlational analysis showed a strong association between the NDI and CRoM of the left rotation (β = −0.880, p = 0.002). The NDI also had a positive association with the pilot’s age (β = 1.353, p < 0.01) and the number of flight hours (β = 0.805, p = 0.003). In conclusion, the Cervical Range of Motion at the left rotation seems to determine the perceived degree of disability in both the instructors and students. This factor could be influenced by the number of flight hours and accumulated experience as an F-5 fighter pilot.

Migraine History and Outcomes in Military Pilots and Flight Surgeons.

BACKGROUND: Migraine is a common disorder with significant aeromedical implications. The variability and unpredictable nature of occurrences hampers accurate assessment of future risk. This uncertainty results in a necessarily conservative approach to aeromedical recommendations, which unfortunately may lead to over-restrictive dispositions. Limited long-term follow up information is available on migraine outcomes in pilots, particularly assessing for impact of potential modifiable aggravating factors.Methods: This retrospective study reviewed 159 U.S. Air Force pilots with migraine who had been granted aeromedical waivers. As a comparison group, 44 U.S. Air Force flight surgeons with migraine who had been granted aeromedical waivers were reviewed.Results: Migraine with aura and isolated migraine aura without headache accounted for the majority of migraine subtypes in both male and female subjects. Self-identified triggering factors were identified by 62% of subjects. The most commonly reported triggers were dietary factors, sleep disturbances, stress, caffeine intake, and hormonal factors. Sleep disturbances, stress, hormonal factors, and ethanol triggers were more frequently noted in female subjects. Self-reported positive response to trigger factor modification was noted in 54% of subjects. Subjects reported an average of only 3 migraine attacks in the previous year. Long-term follow up indicated continued aeromedical waiver in 91% of subjects.Discussion: The majority of subjects had migraine with aura or isolated migraine aura. Significant salutary response to modification of commonly-reported triggering factors was noted. These findings can be incorporated into individualized aeromedically-compatible management strategies to clarify symptom impact on aviation safety, improve symptom control, and increase the possibility of safe return to fly recommendations.Hesselbrock RR, Haynes JT. Migraine history and outcomes in military pilots and flight surgeons. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2022; 93(1):26-31.

Cardiac Autonomic Modulation in Fighter and Transport Pilots of the Brazilian Air Force: A Case-Control Study

Cardiac Autonomic Modulation in Fighter and Transport Pilots of the Brazilian Air Force: A Case-Control Study

ROMANIAN MILITARY PARATROOPERS - 80 YEARS OF HISTORY (1950-2021)

In 2021, the military paratroopers celebrated 80 years of existence, since their establishment as a specialty, within the Romanian Aeronautics, later as a distinct specialization and generating, in turn, new military specialties, all vital for a military that wants to be modern and proficient. This specialty, established in the Romanian armed forces at the beginning of the Second World War, was an attempt to respond to and align with the needs and, why not, the modernity of the time. Passed through the difficult test of August 1944, disbanded immediately after the war and reborn from its own ashes in 1950, it managed, despite many hardships and sacrifices, some of which were particularly painful, to impose itself as an elite job profile in the panoply of the contemporary Romanian military. Side by side with the Air Force pilots, who always supported them with aircraft and aerodrome infrastructure, the paratroopers wrote history for modern Romania.