Pilot Oriented Performance Measurement

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Flight simulators provide a complete quantitative record of a pilot's flying performance. Evaluating this record is complicated by the volume of data and by its fine detail, dozens of flight parameters, sampled many times per second. Automated performance measurement systems (APMS) reduce the volume of data to an amount which is manageable and understandable. The usual APMS is aircraft state oriented. The APMS keys on aircraft state (e.g., X-Y position, bank angle) to define intervals over which performance data are integrated. This APMS is relatively insensitive to pilots' intentions and so may average performances which had differing objectives, based only on their having occurred at the same point during the task sequence. An alternative APMS has been developed which is pilot oriented. This APMS defines measurement intervals based on control inputs. Control inputs are identified by discrete changes in flight path. These intervals are psychologically relevant in that they begin with a goal-directed control input and end with a countervailing input. By relating performance in the pilot defined intervals to state defined intervals, it is possible to quantify performance on given flight segments (e.g., a level turn), and to specify factors which lead to a given level of performance.

This publication has 5 references indexed in Scilit: