Pilots In Aviation Research Articles

Using Eye-Tracking for Adaptive Human-Machine Interfaces for Pilots: A Literature Review and Sample Cases

This paper explores the potential of eye-tracking technology in adaptive human-machine interfaces for pilots in aviation. We argue that an interface able to adjust its layout and elements based on pilots’ real-time eye-tracking data can prevent errors and enhance their performance. The study presents a literature review on the use of eye-tracking for various pilot cases, including flight simulator games, drone pilots, and cockpit pilots. Results in most cases showed that eye-tracking has been employed to improve interactions, enhance spatial awareness, guide pilots’ gaze to relevant areas, and provide insights into pilots’ information processing and task load. The paper discusses two sample cases demonstrating the potential of eye-tracking in adaptive human-machine interfaces. In the first case, during challenging drone simulations, eye-tracking identified areas where an adaptive human-machine interface could aid navigation and reduce cognitive load. In the second one, based on real drone flights, when signal loss incidents occurred, eye-tracking data showed that the interface should adapt to pilots’ needs by providing critical information to help them to improve situational awareness. The paper concludes that eye-tracking technology has significant potential in adaptive human-machine interfaces for aviation, emphasising the importance of refining these technologies to meet pilots’ specific needs and enhance flight safety.

In Flight Emergency Decision-making Process: Does Intuition Matter?

Objective. This research aimed to describe the origins and contributions of pilot intuition in the decision-making process and gain knowledge on the urgency and importance of pilot intuition in decision-making.Method. The qualitative methodology used by the researcher is presented along with the phenomenology approach. Three pilots participated in the subject research. In-depth interviews, observation, and data documentation were used to collect the data. The researcher used the triangulation technique (other researchers, methods, theories, and data resources) to affirm data quality and results.Result. The research result showed that the pilot's intuitive decisions to take necessary action are based on ‘unconscious thought’ at the beginning of decision-making. However, it develops a more cognitive process where a pilot has time-critical analysis to rationalize his intuitive yet best decision. Such a decision-making process leads to prompt spontaneous and automatic action in the event of emergencies where data and information needed are lacking.
 Intuitive decisions and involuntary action are closely associated with the experience and knowledge of pilots in aviation. In an intuitive decision-making process, when time is limited and information/data is adequate, an analysis process can help a pilot identify the problem pattern and help them evaluate possible ideal decisions. An analysis process cannot replace intuition which plays a crucial role in the decision-making process during an emergency.Conclusion. A pilot’s intuition plays a strategic role in decision-making because aviation conditions are dynamic,situational, and constantly changing. Pilot’s intuition can be developed by sharpening their awareness of active and evolving aviation situations (situational and safety awareness). In addition, pilots must build longer flying hours, attend training, and expand their knowledge of aviation policies and procedures.
 
 

Crisis recovery in surgery: Error management and problem solving in safety-critical situations

BackgroundSurgical crises, both clinical and executive, carry risk of harm to patients, staff, and organizations. Once stabilized and contained, crisis recovery requires complex decision-making and problem-solving to address primary failures (errors) and their consequences. In contrast to other safety-critical professions, surgeons may lack access to crisis recovery strategies and tools that go beyond the technical aspects of clinical practice. This study aims to develop a framework for surgical crisis recovery based on problem-solving interventions used by pilots in commercial aviation. MethodsThis study undertook observational fieldwork, semistructured interviews, and focus groups with senior airline pilots and health care safety experts. Thematic analysis using the framework method identified key interventions applicable to surgical crisis recovery. Subsequently, expert group consensus adapted and content validated this model for clinical use. ResultsQualitative data from 22 aviation and health care safety experts informed surgical crisis resolution. This consisted of 3 strategies: (1) building cognitive capacity by improving situational awareness and workload management; (2) using checklists in abnormal situations to implement emergency operating procedures; (3) undertaking structured decision-making using analysis-based problem-solving cycles (eg, T-DODAR framework). Twelve tools were validated and adapted to aid implementation of these strategies. ConclusionOnce stabilized, surgical crises may be resolved using 3 sequential strategies derived from commercial aviation.

Formation Offuture pilots’ Adaptive Competence In The Process Of Their Professional Training: Characteristics Of Basic Concepts

Abstract.The study of the formation of adaptive competence of future pilots in the training process is relevant given the active integration of Ukrainian aviation into the world community, development of relations and increasing interoperability of Ukrainian military aviation with the NATO Air Forces, in accordance with the Military Doctrine of Ukraine and the Strategic defense bulletin, as well as the urgent need to use the rules of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which cooperate with ICAO, when using the common airspace. Recently, civil and military aviation have been working closely together, and military pilots are increasingly involved in evacuating the population during emergencies abroad, multinational military exercises, etc.
 Pilots of civil and military aviation of Ukraine should adapt to the requirements of the new environment as soon as possible, and higher education institutions that train pilots should adjust the training process in accordance with the new requirements. The issue of adaptive competence in general and in particular, the adaptive competence of future pilots has not been sufficiently studied yet in the modern scientific literature and therefore needs further consideration. The article aims to define and characterize the basic concepts of formation of adaptive competence of future pilots in the process of their training, which will be followed by scientific substantiation, creation of structural-functional model of formation of adaptive competence of future pilots, and creation and approbation of author's technology at the educational institutions which train pilots.
 The article considers and investigates the concepts of adaptation and its types; professional adaptation of the pilot; adaptability; competencies and competency; professional competency of the future pilot, its components and criteria of its formation; concepts and features of adaptive competency of future pilots. It also describes and characterizes the features of the future activities of pilots and certain requirements for the training of pilots in civil and military aviation.
 Key words: adaptation, adaptability, competence, adaptive competence, professional training.

Mental Representation Impact Analysis (MERIA), a method for analyzing mental representations for the design of HMI. A case study in aeronautics

Les pilotes de ligne en aviation civile évoluent dans des situations dynamiques et incertaines, assistés par des systèmes techniques complexes. Dans ces environnements, la gestion des risques par les opérateurs de première ligne doit être continuellement minimisée et maîtrisée, les pilotes sont soumis à d’importantes charges cognitives, pouvant mener à certaines erreurs de pilotage. Pour faciliter l’activité, les concepteurs de cockpits et d’interfaces cherchent à optimiser la conscience de situation et la représentation mentale des pilotes. Dans cette étude, nous nous intéressons aux représentations mentales des co-pilotes lors de la réalisation de scénarios risqués. Nous étudions en particulier, les écarts qui existent entre la représentation mentale « prescrite, attendue » et la représentation mentale « réelle, effective » des co-pilotes, soulignant les artéfacts qui sont à l’origine de ces écarts. Pour comprendre l’évolution de la représentation mentale au fil d’une activité, nous avons soumis une cohorte de co-pilotes à la réalisation d’un scénario risqué. L’activité de ces derniers a été filmée, commentée par des experts, puis des entretiens d’auto-confrontation ont été réalisés afin de renseigner les différents points de vue de l’activité. A travers la présentation d’une étude de cas d’un co-pilote, cet article propose la description de notre outil original de représentation graphique et chronologique de l’activité. Cet outil parvient à mettre en avant notamment : les représentations mentales du co-pilote à chaque étape du scénario, les écarts ayant impacté ou non l’activité, l’usage des outils et l’impact que cela peut avoir sur les représentations mentales. Cet outil présente de nombreux avantages : une comparaison efficace d’états mentaux relatifs à deux ou plusieurs opérateurs, une quasi-exhaustivité dans la présentation des différents jeux de données recueillis et analysés, une vision synthétique et précise de l’activité déployée. L’outil d’analyse est applicable à d’autres domaines que l’aéronautique et offre des prises considérables pour identifier les erreurs d’origine cognitive et les solutionner à la source.

HFACS Analysis for Investigating Human Errors in Flight Training Accidents

Training of pilots in civil aviation is the primary concern when dealing with accidents and incidents. There has been too little research into accidents during flight instruction. To advance the literature, the present study aims to analyze accidents during the instructional general aviation flights. This study examined investigation reports of 70 accidents involving instructional general aviation flights in the United States between 01.01.2018 and 12.12.2018. The data of those accidents was recorded by the national transportation safety board (NTSB).The causal factors of those accidents were statistically analyzed and classified by using the Human FactorsAnalysis and Classification System (HFACS). To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first ever report analyzing contributing factors of training flight accidents by the analytical framework HFACS. According to the analysis results, it was revealed that across all accidents mentioned above, skill-based errors were ranked as the primary contributing factors, followed by environmental factors, and decision errors. Results showed that the most common skill-based errors are student pilots’ improper landing flare and failure to maintain directional control during landing and takeoff. The findings of this study provide intriguing insight that may be beneficial to people researching contributing factors of aviation accidents in academia and practice. Furthermore, the outcome of the current study may assist student pilots in completing safe flights.

Quantifying the Safety Benefits of a Digital Copilot in General Aviation

Digital Copilot is a prototype information system providing cognitive assistance to pilots in general aviation. This paper presents the methods and results of an analysis quantifying the expected safety benefits of the system. The methods include a cognitive performance analysis, to quantify pilot workload in flight activities; a human reliability analysis, to quantify pilot error probabilities; and a probabilistic risk assessment, to quantify accident sequence frequencies. These methods are used to model flight risk with and without pilots’ use of Digital Copilot, and the comparison provides a quantitative measure of expected safety benefits, assuming the prototype system is adopted by pilots. The results suggest that Digital Copilot technology has the potential to significantly reduce the rates of total and fatal accidents in general aviation. The same methods also enable a detailed analysis of individual pilot actions and system features to quantify their risk importance and identify the most promising opportunities for further system improvements.

The Flight Risk Perception Scale (FRPS): A Modified Risk Perception Scale for Measuring Risk of Pilots in Aviation

Risk and risk perception remain focal areas of research within the aviation domain. The purpose of the current study was to assess an existing measure of a 26-item self-risk perception scale for pilots. A sample of 490 participants was used in the present study, and a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on the original 26-item instrument. The findings indicated that there was a poor model fit of the original instrument. Through the use of modification indices, a new 13-item scale was produced, which resulted in a second-order CFA model. Flight risk was shown to be the second-order construct with general flight risk, high risk, and altitude risk as the first-order constructs. The new model reported good psychometric values of GFI of 0.933, AGFI of 0.893, CFI of 0.947, NFI of 0.923, normed chi-squared of 3, and RMSEA of 0.071. The findings produce a new 13-item scale that can be used by aviation researchers who wish to conduct studies related to the pilot's self-assessment of risk perception.

LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCE

The purpose of this study was to explore how pilots potentially learn from their and others‘ experience through post-flight debriefing. Through a case study of pilots who fly air ambulances, this article attempts to illustrate the importance of learning from experience (Bion 1962) among pilots in aviation.

Intelligence quotients of pilots in civil aviation with atherosclerotic changes in the brain vessels

Intelligence quotients (IQs) in pilots of civil aviation were studied. A total of 73 healthy pilots (control group) and 70 pilots with atherosclerosis of the brain vessels, including 23 persons with atherosclerotic plaques, were studied. The study of intellectual indices was performed using the classical Eysenck’s tests and their modifications by Gorbov in a computer variant developed by Sobchik. In pilots with atherosclerosis of the brain vessels, a tendency towards an insignificant decrease in the indices of average values of IQ as compared to those of healthy pilots was recorded. The IQs of the examined pilots indicated their occupational fitness. Despite the presence of atherosclerotic plaques in the group of pilots examined by us, the results of numerical (IQ2) and verbal (IQ3) tests were not reduced. The presence of hemodynamically insignificant stable atherosclerotic plaques in pilots examined by us did not lead to a change in the cognitive functions; the intellectual capacities of pilots were preserved, which allowed them to continue flight work.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Aeromedical Considerations

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a gastrointestinal disorder diagnosed in accordance with the Rome III criteria. The pathophysiology of this illness is not well defined and there are no known structural abnormalities, biomedical markers, nor inflammatory causes to explain the symptoms. There are a number of serious illnesses, such as colon cancer, ulcerative colitis, and celiac disease that mimic IBS. If the Rome III criteria are satisfied and there are no alarm features of more serious illness, an in-depth workup is not necessary. There are numerous treatment regimens for IBS, none of which are curative nor offer universal relief. Some of the treatment regimens, such as antispasmodics and antidiarrheals, are not suitable for aviators because of anticholinergic effects and sedation. The aeromedical disposition decision is always challenging because of the vagaries of this illness. In general, a more liberal policy for pilots in civil aviation would be in order as long as symptoms are not frequent nor severe and not requiring antispasmodics or antidiarrheals while flying. A more conservative policy is in order for military pilots, possibly requiring restriction to multiseat aircraft.

The Right of Passage? The Experiences of Female Pilots in Commercial Aviation

A poststructural feminist approach was adopted to investigate commercial aviation and the experiences of female pilots in a large international airline based in Europe. The study aimed to examine critically the difficulties faced by female pilots. The data were collected from in-depth interviews with 23 female and 17 male commercial airline pilots. The article argues that commercial aviation continues to be dominated by masculine values and practices, which result in the earlier stages of women’s careers being treated as ‘a rite of passage’. The first women to join the airline experienced sexism, harassment, high visibility and isolation. Although the extent of the difficulties has declined over time, the experience of dealing with sexism and adapting to the masculine culture continues to influence the attitudes of female pilots, especially towards gender and equal opportunities. The article challenges the impression created by the aviation literature regarding the degree of acceptance of female pilots in commercial aviation and summarizes the recommendations made to management in relation to its equal opportunities policy.

The Incidence of Incidents: A Nationwide Study of Flight Experience and Exposure to Accidents and..

Very little is known about the actual flying activity patterns of pilots in civil aviation, particularly those in the recreational and general aviation sectors. Accurate information about hours flown is required to correctly calculate accident rates and to determine the risk factors for involvement in aviation accidents. Little information currently exists about involvement in incidents (events that have the potential to result in an accident). This study involved 2 nationwide surveys mailed to approximately 8,500 active pilots in New Zealand. The 1st survey asked respondents to report recorded logbook flight-time entries to determine the actual hours flown in various aircraft and operational categories. When combined with the official accident data, the information about flight activity showed substantial differences in comparative accident rates between different categories of aircraft. These data also showed that there were no sex differences in accident involvement after controlling for exposure (flight-activity). A 2nd survey requested information about involvement in accidents and incidents. The results of the 2nd survey showed that encounters with potentially hazardous events, such as running low on fuel, were fairly common and that around a quarter of respondents had been involved in an aircraft accident or incident in the previous 3 years. Implications of the results for safety interventions are discussed.

Alcohol and civil aviation.

In aviation medicine until the early 1960s the idea that pilots would fly while under the influence of alcohol was taboo. In the United States of America, the taboo was broken when it became known that 30% of fatally injured pilots in general aviation had been under the influence of alcohol. Since then the rate has declined to 10%. No fatal accidents involving alcohol have been recorded in airline passenger transport. The prevalence of pilots flying under the influence of alcohol is unknown. The lowest studied blood alcohol concentration (BAC) with impaired flying skill today is 0.025%, effectively suggesting that the permitted level should be zero, but many aviation authorities have not yet translated such findings into rules and regulations. In the early 1970s the US Federal Air Surgeon began to re-issue licences for rehabilitated alcoholic pilots. Previously alcoholism had been a reason for mandatory permanent grounding. The possibility of returning to the cockpit first opened the way to early recognition of alcoholic pilots on a larger scale. Today many airlines have their own alcohol programmes. This paper gives a brief account of the Swissair programme with its four phases: observation, intervention, treatment and follow-up.

A carbon dioxide monitor that does not show the waveform has value.

The author argues that a simple analog needle display can provide the anesthesiologist with the essential information he or she needs when monitoring carbon dioxide in the patient airway. He argues that essentially the most important information is virtually a binary, or all or none, phenomenon; in other words, carbon dioxide is either continuously present in the breathing circuit or is absent. Thus, circuit disconnects and undesirable endotracheal tube locations are readily identified. He relates the analog display of information to that of an automobile speedometer or the hands of a standard wrist watch. The author also compares analog meters with those used by pilots in aviation. He concludes with the argument that the carbon dioxide analyzer provides necessary information without the need to resort to expensive microprocessed displays that would include the waveform and trending, but would substantially increase the cost of the instrument.