IMPROVING PILOTING SKILLS IN TURBULENT AIR USING A SELF-ADAPTIVE TECHNIQUE FOR A DIGITAL OPERATIONAL FLIGHT TRAINER.

Abstract : The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of applying adaptive principles to flight simulator training functions. Of specific importance was the question: Can an Operational Flight Trainer be used as an adaptive trainer to improve piloting skills. Eighteen non jet-experienced pilots were assigned to two groups for the purpose of receiving a constant amount of flight simulator practice in the task of maintaining a constant altitude program during simulated air turbulence. One group was trained using an adaptive technique and the other was trained under conditions representative of conventional techniques. It was hypothesized that the adaptively trained pilots would be more proficient when transferred to a flight simulation representative of an aircraft in clear air turbulence than would the conventionally trained pilots. Resulting data supported the hypothesis, and it was concluded that self adaptive principles are feasible in the performance of flight simulator training functions. (Author)