Ab initio pilot training for traffic separation and visual airport procedures in a naturalistic flight simulation environment.

Highlights • Ab initio pilot training for airport and traffic separation procedures is needed. • This study proposes a method for training in a naturalistic simulation environment. • Performance of VFR airport and traffic separation procedures improved after training. • Results can be applied to improve the efficiency and safety of learning to fly. Abstract The purpose was to evaluate a training method for ab initio student pilots to improve situational awareness, performance of airport procedures and of aircraft separation during Visual Flight Rules (VFR) flight in a simulated naturalistic environment. Loss of separation between aircraft is a frequent cause of accidents involving instructional flights. There are no established simulator training methods for ab initio student pilots to develop these abilities. This study describes a simulator training method, which is evaluated in a pretest-training-posttest design with 53 ab initio student pilots (23 females) assigned to a training and a control group. The results show that in posttest the training group demonstrated superior situational awareness and performance, and reported lower workload related to airspace monitoring, building a mental picture of the traffic situation, and coordination with other aircraft in the traffic circuit than the control group. Student pilots evaluated the training materials (the flight simulation environment, radio communication, the briefing and the application on the tablet PC) as useful. This study shows benefits of simulator training for traffic conflict avoidance and VFR airport procedures which can be introduced early during the ab initio syllabus. This study provides a safe simulator method that is useful for both, the teaching and the learning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]