Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-31-2023
Abstract
In this study, we explored the possibility of objectively assessing the progress in manual flying skills by student pilots using Virtual Reality (VR). Using a VR flight simulator of the Pilatus PC-7 training aircraft, fifteen participants without flying experience practiced basic flight maneuvers based on self-study and without receiving feedback. Relevant flight performance measures were normalized and a learning curve was fitted, representing learning speed and end-level. During some runs an N-back task was included as a secondary task to quantify the participants’ cognitive capacity. Interestingly, performance on the N-back was not a good predictor of someone’s learning curve. The correlation between performance measures and flight instructor gradings confirmed that, for a limited set of maneuvers, we were able to objectify the students’ learning behavior of acquiring a set of manual flying skills in a VR flight simulator. The results of this study show the potential of measuring learning performance in VR.
Repository Citation
Ledegang, W. D.,
van der Burg, E.,
Stuldreher, I. V.,
Houben, M. M.,
Groen, E. L.,
van der Horst, D.,
Starmans, E. A.,
& Almekinders, G.
(2023). Acquiring Manual Flying Skills in a Virtual Reality Flight Simulator. 22nd International Symposium on Aviation Psychology, 74.
https://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/isap_2023/49
