Evaluation of spatial disorientation training; report regarding questionnaires

Authors:

  • Britta Levin

Publish date: 2011-12-23

Report number: FOI-R--3307--SE

Pages: 37

Written in: English

Keywords:

  • Spatial disorientation
  • simulator
  • training
  • night vision
  • NVG
  • illusions

Abstract

A combined introductory training course in spatial disorientation (SD) and flight with night vision goggles (NVG) is provided by AMST Systemtechnik GmbH, on-site in the Ranshofen facility in Austria. This course was subject to an extensive evaluation in conjunction with the participation of two groups of Swedish pilots in the fall of 2010. The part of the evaluation included in this report concerns the students' own opinions and is based on open and rating questions together with additional free comments. The students believed that it is important to perform both basic and recurrent SDtraining. In general, SD-theory was much appreciated and they requested a more comprehensive theoretical education than previously received. The students also stated that the training at AMST in an efficient manner increases ones understanding of illusions, gives an increased ability to recognize an illusion, and to overcome an illusion should it occur. Regarding the night vision (NV) part, the students claimed that the training efficiently increases ones understanding of NVrelated problems associated with night vision goggles (NVG), gives an increased ability to recognize NV-related phenomena, and enhances ones preparedness for flight using NVG. The students stressed that the course to a larger extent should have been coordinated with their previous or currently planned SD/NV training both regarding timeframe and content. In cases when a student already on a previous occasion had experienced a given illusion or NV-phenomenon, the present training was considered a valuable addition and a rehearsal. The students regarded the training as partially inefficient and had expected more theory and time spent in the simulator. A large number of students in combination with limited access to simulator equipment led to substantial delay between missions. The students believed that their SD-training could be improved and proposed a number of ideas for development. This report is also published in Swedish: FOI-R--3192--SE, March 2011.