Low Fidelity Flight Simulation in Collegiate Aviation

Abstract

Verbatim from Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons. Not paraphrased, not summarized.

Aviation college pilot training programs, lessons and exercises contain portions that do not require training in sophisticated and highly expensive full flight simulators and flight training devices (FTD) with high fidelity of simulation, or in real aircraft flights. Relatively inexpensive personal-computer-based flight simulation facilities named low fidelity simulators (LFS) can boost development of aircraft pilots’ cognitive and behavioral skills. The paper attempts to reveal how the LFS can support aviation college flight training and research activities. In the Western Michigan University College of Aviation, peer mentoring technique proven to be helpful in higher education institutions has been applied to flight training by means of the LFS utilization. Student pilots demonstrated improvement of their progress in standard flight training lessons after preliminary peer mentored self-training exercises in the LFS. Positive results were also achieved when certified instructor pilots performed LFS introductory training of student pilots in teamwork and crew resource management before standard FTD multi-crew training. The low fidelity flight simulation shows potential in aviation college student pilots' flight training cost reduction and retention, as well as in aviation human factors research. Keywords: aviation, pilot training, flight simulation, simulation fidelity, peer mentoring

Author

• Risukhin, Vladimir N Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Keywords

• Aviation
• Aviation Education
• College Education
• Flight Simulation
• Aviation
• Aviation and Space Education
• Educational Methods
• Industrial and Organizational Psychology
• Other Education
• Systems Engineering and Multidisciplinary Design Optimization