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Abstract
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OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated airline pilots' inceptor input patterns and flight-path control strategies during a manual instrument approach as a function of recent flight practice.
BACKGROUND: Manual flying skills erode due to an extensive use of automation and rare opportunity to practice these skills.
METHOD: One hundred and twenty-six randomly selected pilots of a European airline took part in this experiment, performing a simulated manual raw data precision approach. All of the pilots were allocated to 1 of 4 groups according to their fleet and rank: first officers and captains on short haul, as well as first officers and captains on long haul. A new method to analyze flight-path control strategies by differentiating between constant and variable flight-path errors was proposed. Time-domain measures were taken into account to evaluate sidestick inputs.
RESULTS: We distinguished between 2 different flight-path control strategies; both differed in the deviations achieved. In addition, the pilots who predominantly used 1-dimensional sidestick inputs also had smaller deviations from the ideal flight-path.
CONCLUSION: Pilots showed a relationship between manual fine-motor flying skills and recent flight practice, especially in long-haul fleets.
Language: en |