Flight Crew Training Research Articles

MANAGING HELICOPTER RISK

Annually, a million hours are flown by helicopters for the international petroleum industry. About 90% of this flying is offshore, and involves around 10 million passengers. Each year some 25–35 accidents are recorded, an average of 22 passengers and crew lose their lives, and a higher number are injured. Some 45% of these accidents stem from technical causes, a similar number are pilot related, and the remainder are linked to other causes. Helicopter accident rates are 10 times higher than those of airline travel.Strategies to tackle both technical failures and pilot related accidents have emerged, although application of these strategies around the world is inconsistent.One way in which helicopter technical issues have been addressed is by the introduction of Health and Usage Monitoring (HUMS) equipment. To tackle the pilot related accidents, lessons have been drawn from the airline industry’s use of Flight Data Management (FDM) programs, which allow pilots to learn from deviations from pre-defined normal parameters during routine flying. The helicopter version of FDM is the Helicopter Operations Monitoring Program (HOMP). Another important training tool is flight simulator training to allow simulated emergencies to be flown and practiced.Petroleum companies have the opportunity through their own aviation policy and standards to stipulate flight crew experience and training, the technical specifications for their contracted helicopters and the application of advanced safety programs, such as HUMS, and HOMP. Compliance and continuous improvement in line with these standards can be verified and facilitated through operational and technical audit. Only with such active involvement can helicopter risk be managed downwards.

Synthesis of decision rules when certifying the level of professional training of flight crews

Synthesis of decision rules when certifying the level of professional training of flight crews

Croatian Airports as Potential European Flight Crew Training Centres

The paper deals with the possibilities of offering Croatianailports as potential flight crew training centres on the Europeanmarket of se!Vices. With her available ai1port capacities,mainly those located on the Adriatic coast, Croatia has significantadvantages compared to other countries of Westem andCentral Europe. The most important condition for establishinga specialised training centre for the European market is the harmonisationof the national aviation regulations i.e. the implementationof global and European standards of flight crewtraining, as well as conditions that have to be met by a specialisedtraining centre from the aspect of the necessary infrastructure.The study has evaluated the potential airports of Rijeka,Pula and Losinj, acc01ding to the basic criteria of their geo-Lraffic location, infrastructure resources (technical elements ofrunway, navigation equipment, abport se1vices), availability ofspecial equipment for flight crew training on the ground and inthe ail; as well as climate conditions.

Developing Effective Flight Crew Decision Makers

The need for including decision making training objectives in the development of flight crew training programs is evident given the dynamic and complex environment in which the pilots perform. The experience of one airline in developing training for their flight crews has demonstrated that these types of objectives can be effectively integrated into their line oriented flight training (LOFT) program. The primary goal of LOFT is to create a realistic environment in which the pilots perform as if they are in line operations. Performance in this environment sets the stage for an effective training debriefing. An essential part of creating this environment is allowing for realistic decisions to be made that are followed by the appropriate outcomes and consequences. Pilots have consistently rated these training events as effective and helpful. Besides these student critiques, the effectiveness of the training is also evaluated using check pilot observations of crew performance in line operations.

Software reliability for flight crew training simulators

Flight crew simulator failures are costly and may have an impact on the timing or efficiency of a mission; thus, reliability is one of the most important issues facing simulator developers today. The reliability of a simulator is the probability that a training session of length t can be completed without a failure. This paper defines simulator failure and then identifies and compares the three sources of simulator failure: hardware, software, and human, focusing on the cost of software failure. The paper next describes a model for software reliability measurement and proposes a method for establishing a software reliability objective. Data from the NASA Shuttle Mission Training Facility illustrate the technique. Finally, the paper examines the implications of using the method on the software testing successes.

A Turning Point in Aviation Training: The AQP Mandates Crew Resource Management and Line Operational Simulations

Crew Resource Management (CRM) and Line Oriented Flight Training (LOFT) have not been mandatory elements of air carrier flight crew training. Additionally, Full-Flight Simulation and Flight Training Devices (FTDs) have been tools utilized to various degrees by the different air carrier training departments. Each air carrier's training program has traditionally been approved by its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Principal Operations Inspector (POI). The Advanced Qualification Program (AQP) is an alternative method of training air carrier flight crewmembers and will be a voluntary program applicable to airline certificate holders under the Code of Federal Regulations Section 14 (14 CFR--encompasses aeronautics and space) Parts 121 and 135. The FAA has facilitated the implementation of AQPs with the issuance of a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR 58), rather than rewriting the numerous Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) which detail air carrier training. Additionally, an Air Carrier Training Branch (AFS-210) has been established to administer AQPs, with quality control being developed by a human factors specialist. Mandatory CRM training and the utilization of Line Operational Simulations (LOS--a rechristening of LOFT) are key elements of the AQP curriculum for flight crewmembers. As AQPs are approved, increased utilization of FTDs may augment and optimize Full-Flight Simulation. "... it is anticipated that AQP will become standard practice in the future for FAR Parts 121 and 135 operators" (Longridge and Boothe, 1991).

Using computer graphics to enhance astronaut and systems safety

Computer graphics is being employed at the NASA Johnson Space Center as a tool to perform rapid, efficient and economical analyses for man-machine integration, flight operations development and systems engineering. The Operator Station Design System (OSDS), a computer-based facility featuring a highly flexible and versatile interactive software package, PLAID, is described. This unique evaluation tool, with its expanding data base of Space Shuttle elements, various payloads, experiments, crew equipment and man models, supports a multitude of technical evaluations, including spacecraft and workstation layout, definition of astronaut visual access, flight techniques development, cargo integration and crew training. As OSDS is being applied to the Space Shuttle, Orbiter payloads (including the European Space Agency's Spacelab) and future space vehicles and stations, astronaut and systems safety are being enhanced. Typical OSDS examples are presented. By performing physical and operational evaluations during early conceptual phases, supporting systems verification for flight readiness, and applying its capabilities to real-time mission support, the OSDS provides the wherewithal to satisfy a growing need of the current and future space programs for efficient, economical analyses.

Human Factors in Spacelab: Crew Training

At NASA-Ames Research Center's Life Sciences Flight Experiments Project Office two payloads for the Shuttle Spacelab are currently in development. The first payload, Spacelab-3, will launch in November 1984. Unique life sciences hardware designed to support animals in 0-g will fly for the first time. Flight crew training sessions for the Spacelab-3 astronauts began in June 1982. Human factors involvement is extensive. A thorough understanding of both the 1-g and 0-g environments is necessary. The weightlessness of the space environment creates special conditions; e.g., the time required for a 1-g laboratory experiment significantly increases in 0-g. The transportation of objects in 0-g uses different techniques than on Earth. These considerations, plus others, are incorporated into the design of the Spacelab-3 crew training program. The training begins with payload orientation sessions and then progresses to hardware and experiment task training. After successful completion of task training, the crew participates in phase training which is a full-up mission simulation. Refresher and proficiency training is conducted at appropriate intervals. Throughout the crew training sessions the flight crew has input into the flight procedures and any “crew factors” hardware modifications as needed.

Major Changes in American Airlines Flight Crew Training

During the last eight years, over 5000 pilots have completed transition training to B-747, DC-10, B-707, B-727, and BAG 1-11 aircraft at American Airlines' Flight Academy. These pilots have completed over 25,000 recurrent training cycles. All of these pilots have been trained in a manner that, initially, was revolutionary; yet the resulting trained crewmen, along with carefully prescribed and enforced operating procedures, has achieved a most excellent safety record in commercial aviation. The training techniques are described and illustrated. Critical operating procedures that are just as vital to safety are discussed. Training of flight crewmen can be more efficient and also can be of better quality. A systems approach to planning the whole training program, including line experience, is vital. The proper use of simulation is a key ingredient.

Training Airline Flight Crews

One of the important cost centers for an airline is flight crew training. Major commitments of capital and operating funds are necessary to qualify and maintain the proficiency of several thousand highly paid men. These men are responsible for aircraft that may cost in excess of $20 million per unit and which must be kept flying to produce revenue. Poor performance on the part of flight crews is reflected in the performance of the company. In addition to being the focal point of attention because of its expense, flight training also attracts attention for other reasons.

The lunar module simulator

The Lunar Module Simulators (LMS) in Houston and at Cape Kennedy are highly complex devices used for flight crew training and systems engineering evaluations to support the Apollo missions. Each of the two simulators consists of a three-machine digital computer complex, associated digital conversion electronics, a crew station that is an accurate replica of the Lunar Module cockpit, an infinity-optics visual display system, and an instructor-operator control con sole.

Instructional system approach to flight crew training.

This paper discusses the rationale for analysis and definition of flight crew training requirements. Using the Instructional System Approach, the concept of flight crew performance from a management aspect is presented together with methods for determining detailed flight crew training requirements.