@article{ref1,
title="Stirring the pot: comparing stick input patterns and flight-path control strategies in airline pilots",
journal="International journal of aerospace psychology",
year="2018",
author="Haslbeck, Andreas and Hoermann, Hans-Juergen and Gontar, Patrick",
volume="28",
number="1-2",
pages="15-30",
abstract="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.<br><br>BACKGROUND: Manual flying skills erode due to an extensive use of automation and rare opportunity to practice these skills.<br><br>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.<br><br>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.<br><br>CONCLUSION: Pilots showed a relationship between manual fine-motor flying skills and recent flight practice, especially in long-haul fleets.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2472-1840",
doi="10.1080/24721840.2018.1481343",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/24721840.2018.1481343"
}