Nicklas Dahlström

Fidelity and validity of simulator training

Through a case study, this article explores a number of theoretical issues related to the often taken for granted relationship between simulator fidelity and the quality and transferability of training in complex, dynamic, safety-critical settings. A counterexample based on mid-fidelity simulation is presented and the assumed coincidence of fidelity and validity is tested, that is the study tests the equation of constructed photorealism (built to mimic reality) and effective development of the competence that operators require to manage situations that involve underspecified problems, time pressure constraints and complex group interaction. The article concludes that such competence development cannot rely only on highly context-specific (photorealistic) environments. Further, it will be argued that lower-fidelity simulation, when appropriately designed, can provide competence development with pedagogical and economic advantages.

Mental Workload in Aircraft and Simulator During Basic Civil Aviation Training

This study investigated mental workload in basic civil aviation training. Heart rate, eye movement, and subjective ratings from 11 students were collected during simulator and aircraft sessions. Results show high correspondence in psychophysiological reactions between the sessions. For some flight segments, heart rate was consistently lower in the simulator, suggesting higher mental workload in the aircraft. Differences in heart rate during rejected takeoff and engine failure indicate that the increase of workload starts in advance of an “unexpected” event in the simulator where it seems to be of preparatory nature, whereas in the aircraft it is more connected to management of the situation.This study investigated mental workload in basic civil aviation training. Heart rate, eye movement, and subjective ratings from 11 students were collected during simulator and aircraft sessions. Results show high correspondence in psychophysiological reactions between the sessions. For some flight segments, heart rate was consistently lower in the simulator, suggesting higher mental workload in the aircraft. Differences in heart rate during rejected takeoff and engine failure indicate that the increase of workload starts in advance of an “unexpected” event in the simulator where it seems to be of preparatory nature, whereas in the aircraft it is more connected to management of the situation.

Team Coordination in Escalating Situations: An Empirical Study Using Mid-Fidelity Simulation

The performance of teams, with different levels of domain and crisis management experience, managing unexpected and escalating situations was observed using a mid-fidelity ship-bridge simulation and analysed by applying the central concepts of joint activity coordination as well as Woodss theory building on data overload. The coordination strategies used by the teams were evaluated by applying coordination process indicators and the concept of control. The paper discusses how different aspects of team coordination in unexpected and escalating situations, e.g. that teams that maintain a high level of control in escalating situations, avoid or minimize the effects of data overload by using explicit and agreed-upon goals rather than sharing as much incoming information as possible. The results presented in this paper show the benefits of applying a broad set of theoretical concepts to shed light on the actual demands that escalating situations pose on peoples data processing capacities and processes. It also provides guidance on the successful performance of teams in such situations and thus support for the development of successful strategies for their management.

Pilot training in our time ‐ use of flight training devices and simulators

Abstract The challenge of pilot training include adapting to an industry in which the environment is formed by steep upturns and downturns, cut‐throat competition, and advanced technology that continues to change the role of the pilot and in which safety always must match the continuously increasing demands of efficiency. The pilot training performed at flight training organisations (FTOs) is the fundament in the education of captains and first officers who will be able to manage the operational “sharp end” of this environment.

Recording of Psychophysiological Data During Aerobatic Training

Measuring pilot mental workload can be important for understanding cognitive demands during flight involving unusual movements and attitudes. Data on heart rate, eye movements, EEG, and subjective ratings from 7 flight instructors were collected for a flight including a repeated aerobatics sequence. Heart rate data and subjective ratings showed that aerobatic sequences produced the highest levels of mental workload and that heart rate can identify low-G flight segments with high mental workload. Blink rate and eye movement data did not support previous research regarding their relation to mental workload. EEG data were difficult to analyze due to muscle artifacts.