Aircrew Training Devices: Utility and Utilization of Advanced Instructional Features. Phase III. Electronic Warfare Trainers

摘要

An aircrew training device (ATD) is not merely a flight simulator. It is also equipped with sophisticated hardware and software capabilities, known as advanced instructional features (AIFs), that permit a simulator instructor to control, monitor and fabricate simulator training missions. This report describes the third phase of a three-phase project designed to determine the utility and utilization of AIFs by means of a survey of simulator instructors from the Air Force Major Commands. Phase I surveyed 134 instructor pilots and weapons director instructors assigned to principal Tactical Air Command (TAC) ATD training sites. Phase II surveyed 273 instructor pilots, flight engineers, and radar/navigators from Air Training Command (ATC), Military Airlift Command (MAC), and Strategic Air Command (SAC). Phase III extended the survey to 155 electronic warfare and aerial gunnery instructors from ATC, SAC, and TAC training facilities. Based on utility and utilization ratings, the T-5 and T-4 trainers were the most favorably evaluated devices surveyed. They were followed, in order, by the F-4G simulator, B-52 weapon system trainer, and A-10 simulator. The level of AIF use was affected somewhat by hardware and software unreliability, implementation time, functional limitations, and design deficiencies.