ABSTRACT

Objectives: This study was designed to explore pilots’ emergency response performance by collecting real-time physiological and cognitive workload data during pre-defined offshore helicopter scenarios in a flight simulator.

Background: Qualification processes require helicopter pilots to complete scheduled simulation training to ensure competency in areas that would otherwise be too dangerous to practice while flying the actual helicopter. Unfortunately, little is known about how effective this simulation training is in regard to cognitive and physiological responses.

Methods: Ten qualified pilots completed six flight simulations while real-time eye tracking and physiological data were collected. The pilots were assigned to one of two groups based on their regular flying position (First Officer (FO) or Captain).

Results: The findings indicated that there is a significant difference in maximal Index of Cognitive Activity (ICA_max) and maximal heart rate (HR_max) values between the two groups while completing the same in-flight emergency scenarios.

Conclusions: Results suggest that FOs found the sessions more cognitively demanding and also indicated they would benefit from learning how Captains conduct their radial scan of instruments. Therefore, it is recommended that visual search patterns are included in initial training, all flight simulator training includes eye tracking, heart rate data are collected, and that future longitudinal research follows new pilots through their training/upgrading process.

摘要

目的：本研究旨在通过在飞行模拟器中预定义的海上直升机场景中收集实时的生理和认知工作量数据来探索飞行员的应急反应性能。

背景：资格认证过程要求直升机飞行员完成预定的模拟培训，以确保在实际驾驶直升机时过于危险而无法练习的区域中的能力。不幸的是，对于这种模拟训练在认知和生理反应方面的有效性知之甚少。

方法：十名合格的飞行员完成了六次飞行模拟，同时收集了实时眼动追踪和生理数据。根据他们的常规飞行位置（副驾驶（FO）或机长）将飞行员分配到两个组中的一个。

结果：研究结果表明，在完成相同的机上紧急情况时，两组之间的最大认知活动指数（ICA _max）和最大心率（HR _max）值存在显着差异。

结论：结果表明，FO们发现这些会议对认知的要求更高，并且还表明他们将从学习船长如何进行仪器的径向扫描中受益。因此，建议在初始训练中包括视觉搜索模式，所有飞行模拟器训练都包括眼动追踪，收集心率数据，并建议未来的纵向研究遵循新飞行员的训练/升级过程。