Spatial Disorientation Awareness Training Scenarios for U.S. Army Aviators inVisual Flight Simulators

摘要

Spatial disorientation (SD) remains an important source of attrition in militaryflying. SD was considered to be a significant factor in 291 (30 percent) of Class A-C helicopter accidents in the U.S. Army during an 8 year period between 1987 and 1995. The monetary cost of SD is high and the fatality rate is between one and one half to two times that of non-disorientation accidents. One method of reducing the impact of SD is through enhanced awareness and training of aviators. It is not possible to demonstrate many of the disorienting circumstances safely during actual flight. It can, however, be safely and effectively demonstrated in a visual flight simulator. Actual SD accident summaries from the U.S. Army Safety Center (USASC) were reviewed and those accidents which could reasonably be replicated in a visual simulator were selected. The resulting visual simulator scenarios are used to train aviators to recognize, avoid and overcome SD. In addition, the scenarios provide training to assist aviators in overcoming SD once encountered. Other, yet equal, benefits from this method of training are the reinforcement of aircrew coordination elements and the development of decision-making, risk assessment, and judgement skills.