An Intelligent Flight Trainer for Initial Entry Rotary Wing Training

An Intelligent Flight Trainer for Initial Entry Rotary Wing Training
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 91
Release: 1996
Genre:
ISBN:

The Army Research Institute (ARI) has developed and demonstrated the UH-1 Training Research Simulator (TRS), and shown it to be effective in providing low-cost, effective simulator-based basic training of initial-entry rotary wing (IERW) maneuvers. The system integrates technologies of distributed computational processing and computer image generators in a configuration that has the potential for minimizing dependence on a dedicated instructor pilot. Six empirical studies have demonstrated the system's effectiveness in delivering positive transfer-of-training to the UH-1 helicopter, and further studies are planned to expand the evaluation effort's scope. A need has existed, however, to improve the instructional portions of the system by incorporating instructor pilot (IP) domain knowledge, and by providing the student pilot (SP) with appropriate tutorial feedback regarding proficiency progress. By doing so significant savings in IP hours could be realized to complement the savings already achieved through the low-cost hardware configuration. Of perhaps greater significance was the potential of demonstrating how intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs) could be hybridized with flight training simulators to support the development of a new generation of low-cost intelligent flight trainers (IFTs). The potential thus existed far beyond the UH-1 TRS, and may have significant impact on several other existing and planned flight trainers.

Optimizing Simulator-aircraft Mix for U.S. Army Initial Entry Rotary Wing Training

Optimizing Simulator-aircraft Mix for U.S. Army Initial Entry Rotary Wing Training
Author: John E. Stewart
Publisher:
Total Pages: 60
Release: 1999
Genre: Flight crews
ISBN:

"Early fixed wing research demonstrated that potential cost and training benefits could be derived from simulation-augmented primary flight training. Unfortunately, more recent research in this area has been the exception, not the rule. This is especially true in the case of rotary wing (helicopter) aircrew training research. The present report reviewed the research literature on military aviation transfer of training (TOT) research, and examined the current U.S. Army Initial Entry Rotary Wing (IERW) Program of Instruction. An in-depth review was also conducted on the recent IERW simulation research performed by the Army Research Institute (ARI) Rotary Wing Aviation Research Unit (RWARU). Review of the IERW TOT research showed that a combination of synthetic flight simulation and criterion-based training had the potential for saving training time and costs in the aircraft. Adaptive training aids such as the ARI RWARU Intelligent Flight Trainer, also showed promise. A research program, focusing on revising the current IERW program to optimize the use of simulation, was proposed. This program would include (a) criterion-based instructional strategies, (b) low cost simulation, and (c) investigation of different combinations of simulator vs. aircraft training events, in order to determine the optimal simulator/aircraft training mix."--DTIC.

Developing an Adaptive Intelligent Flight Trainer

Developing an Adaptive Intelligent Flight Trainer
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 6
Release: 2005
Genre:
ISBN:

Intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) seek to mimic the learning improvement provided in a one-on-one tutor/student relationship. To effectively teach to a student, the ITS must adapt to the student's current understanding. Many ITSs judge a student's knowledge by current and historic performance in a subject area. From this information, an ITS can determine a number of facts about the student relevant to tutoring. This current/past performance view of tutoring ignores many aspects particular to a student, which would be useful in teaching (e.g., personality factors, preferred learning style, confidence/anxiety). The authors view an adaptive instructional system (AIS) as an extension to an ITS that also takes into account these types of individual trait and state differences. The adaptations used by the AIS have been collected from both relevant literature and interviews with domain experts. Currently, the authors are applying these techniques to extend an ITS for training new helicopter pilots in the Army, where the subject matter experts are helicopter pilots. In current initial entry rotary wing (IERW) training, an instructor pilot (IP) is assigned two students. These two students train in the helicopter with the same IP until they complete the current training phase and check-ride. Researchers have examined replacing some of the actual flight training with simulation instruction for beginning pilots. The main drawback of this is that an IP is required for all simulator training to ensure that students don't acquire any bad habits. The Intelligent Flight Trainer (IFT) takes the simulator's role in training a step farther. Rather than have IPs train students in the simulator, the IFT takes on the tasks of an instructor pilot. This means that in addition to simulating helicopter flight, the IFT must also perform as an instructor pilot. The IFT consists of a helicopter flight simulator and an intelligent tutoring system (ITS) merged into a single system.

Optimizing Simulator-Aircraft Mix for U.S. Army Initial Entry Rotary Wing Training

Optimizing Simulator-Aircraft Mix for U.S. Army Initial Entry Rotary Wing Training
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 53
Release: 1999
Genre:
ISBN:

Early fixed wing research demonstrated that potential cost and training benefits could be derived from simulation-augmented primary flight training. Unfortunately, more recent research in this area has been the exception, not the rule. This is especially true in the case of rotary wing (helicopter) aircrew training research. The present report reviewed the research literature on military aviation transfer of training (TOT) research, and examined the current U.S. Army Initial Entry Rotary Wing (lERW) Program of Instruction. An in-depth review was also conducted on the recent lERW simulation research performed by the Army Research Institute (ARI) Rotary Wing Aviation Research Unit (RWARU). Review of the lERW TOT research showed that a combination of synthetic flight simulation and criterion-based training had the potential for saving training time and costs in the aircraft. Adaptive training aids such as the ARI RWARU Intelligent Flight Trainer, also showed promise. A research program, focusing on revising the current lERW program to optimize the use of simulation, was proposed. This program would include (a) criterion-based instructional strategies, (b) low cost simulation, and (c) investigation of different combinations of simulator vs. aircraft training events, in order to determine the optimal simulator/aircraft training "mix."

U.S. Army Initial Entry Rotary-Wing Transfer of Training Research

U.S. Army Initial Entry Rotary-Wing Transfer of Training Research
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 18
Release: 2000
Genre:
ISBN:

Early fixed-wing research demonstrated that potential cost and training benefits could be derived from simulation-augmented primary flight training. More recent research in this area has been the exception, not the rule. This is especially true for rotary-wing aircrew training research. Currently, the U.S. Army does not use simulation in the primary "contact" phase of initial entry rotary-wing "IERW" training. Research performed by the Army Research Institute showed that a combination of synthetic flight simulation and criterion-based training during the primary phase of IERW had the potential for saving training time and costs in the aircraft. This research was performed using a low-cost simulator based upon the UH-1 helicopter. In the 4 quasi-experiments reported, positive transfer effectiveness ratios "TERs" were observed for most flight maneuvers pretrained in the simulator; student pilots in the simulator group required fewer iterations than control participants to reach proficiency on most flight maneuvers in the UH-1 training aircraft. As the visual display and flight modeling systems were upgraded, greater TERs were observed, and differences among groups tended to become significant.

Intelligent Simulation-Based Tutor for Flight Training

Intelligent Simulation-Based Tutor for Flight Training
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 14
Release: 2004
Genre:
ISBN:

Today's military flight simulators have dramatically reduced the cost of training by providing cheaper, effective alternatives to training on a real aircraft. However, flight training is still limited by the availability of instructor pilots. The adage "practice makes perfect" is nowhere truer than in the learning of psychomotor skills such as flying. Ideally, trainees should be able to practice flying skills on their own to complement instructor-led training. However, most flight simulators do not have any automated assessment and tutoring facilities, making them ineffective as self-paced learning environments. The Army has funded pioneering research on developing automated tutors for flight training, specifically for training initial-entry rotor-wing pilots. An early rule-based system, called the Intelligent Flight Trainer (IFT), monitored trainees' flight performance and provided adaptive coaching. It provided instructional assistance by regulating the challenge level of a flight task, and through overt spoken feedback to inform trainees when they were flying out of range of specified flight parameters. Evaluations showed that while this system was effective in improving flying skills, it was inflexible in terms of it assessment and instruction strategies. The Army is currently funding research on a next-generation automatic flight trainer, called AIS-IFT, that improves upon the IFT. AIS-IFT is designed to be flexible and extensible in terms of assessment and tutoring procedures. A visual authoring tool lets Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and course designers modify or create powerful instructional behavior with little programming effort. Whereas the previous effort had the instructional approach embedded deep in the tutoring system, the new approach separates the specific instructional strategies from the ITS infrastructure, thus empowering SMEs and course authors to create a tutor with pedagogy that is customized to their domain.

Evaluation of the 175/40 Initial Entry Rotary Wing Flight Training Program. Volume II. Evaluation Report

Evaluation of the 175/40 Initial Entry Rotary Wing Flight Training Program. Volume II. Evaluation Report
Author: SEVILLE RESEARCH CORP PENSACOLA FL.
Publisher:
Total Pages: 240
Release: 1979
Genre:
ISBN:

This report presents results of an evaluation of the Army's 175/40 Initial Entry Rotary Wing (IERW) training program. The program consists of 175 flight and 40 simulator hours. In the last training phase of the program, students are divided into two training tracks, i.e., Utility Helicopter and Aeroscout. Data were gathered from IERW training files and through questionnaires administered to instructors at the Army Aviation Center and to unit instructors, supervisors, and program graduates at aviation field units world-wide. Data were gathered on graduates of both the 175/40 program and the 180/20 program that preceded it, and comparisons between the two programs are made. Results and conclusions are presented with reference to nine specific evaluation objectives. Major conclusions are: (1) the 175/40 IERW course is accomplishing its objectives; (2) the 175/40 course is an improvement over the 180/20 course; and (3) proficiency progression and individualized training can play an effective role in IERW training. (Author).

Evaluation of the 175/40 Initial Entry Rotary Wing Flight Training Program. Volume I. Executive Summary

Evaluation of the 175/40 Initial Entry Rotary Wing Flight Training Program. Volume I. Executive Summary
Author: SEVILLE RESEARCH CORP PENSACOLA FL.
Publisher:
Total Pages: 23
Release: 1979
Genre:
ISBN:

This report presents results of an evaluation of the Army's 175/40 Initial Entry Rotary Wing (IERW) training program. The program consists of 175 flight and 40 simulator hours. In the last training phase of the program, students are divided into two training tracks, i.e., Utility Helicopter and Aeroscout. Data were gathered from IERW training files and through questionnaires administered to instructors at the Army Aviation Center and to unit instructors, supervisors, and program graduates at aviation field units world-wide. Data were gathered on graduates of both the 175/40 program and the 180/20 program that preceded it, and comparisons between the two programs are made. Results and conclusions are presented with reference to nine specific evaluation objectives. Major conclusions are: (1) the 175/40 IERW course is accomplishing its objectives; (2) the 175/40 course is an improvement over the 180/20 course; and (3) proficiency progression and individualized training can play an effective role in IERW training. (Author).

FY ... Program

FY ... Program
Author: U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences
Publisher:
Total Pages: 60
Release: 2003
Genre: Military research
ISBN: