Air Line Pilots Association

What Really Can Be Done in Simulation to Improve

Upset Training?

Sunjoo K. Advani
International Development of Technology

Jeffery A. Schroeder
Federal Aviation Administration

Bryan Burks
Air Line Pilots Association

AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference

August 2, 2010
1
 Outline
The problem
Todays requirements
Training needs
Technology gaps and possible improvements
Pros and cons of possible training solutions
Conclusions

2
 Take-away
Todays simulators are inadequate to meet NTSB
recommendations for upset training
Improvements in awareness, recognition & avoidance,
recovery warranted
Simulator improvements needed in the following areas:
startle factor
lateral/directional characteristics in the stall regime
motion cueing

3
The Problem
ICATEEs target
 What is the Problem?
Loss of control is the leading cause of fatalities
in the worldwide commercial jet fleet
In early 2010, the NTSB recommended:
training centers develop and conduct training
that incorporates stalls that are fully developed
and unexpected
simulation model fidelity requirements to
support an expanded set of stall recovery
training requirements be defined and codified

6
 What is the Problem?

Industry Aircraft Upset Recovery

Training Aid (1998)
Provides academic training
Swept-wing jets
100+ passengers
Non-regulated
Perhaps too large to absorb and recall
at time of need

7
 Todays Upset Training
Requirements
FAA:
Requires recoveries in the simulator from
approach-to-stalls in the clean, takeoff, and
landing configurations
European Aviation Safety Agency
Used to demonstrate ability to recover from
full stall, although now it is typically a briefing
Transport Canada
Upset training is required for airline
operations

8
 ICATEE
International Committee for
Aviation Training in Extended
Envelopes

iCATEE

International Committee for Aviation Training

in Extended Envelopes
Formed in 2009 by Flight Simulation Group of
the Royal Aeronautical Society
AIM: Upset Prevention and Recovery
MISSION: To deliver a complete and
comprehensive long-term strategy to
eliminate or reduce the rate of Loss of
Control In-Flight accidents and incidents
through enhanced Upset Prevention and
Recovery Training (UPRT) Flight Simulation Group -
Royal Aeronautical Society
London, UK
9
 ICATEE
International Committee for
Aviation Training in Extended
Envelopes

Deliverables (internal)

Steering
SteeringCommittee
Committee
S.
S. Advani,P.
Advani, P.Tharp,
Tharp,G.
G.Woolley
Woolley

Training
Training&&Regulations
RegulationsStream Research
Stream Research&&Technology
TechnologyStream
Stream
B.
B.Burks
Burks J.J.Schroeder
Schroeder

Training Core Sub-Group

Training Core Sub-Group Modelling Sub-Group
Modelling Sub-Group

Training Matrix Sub-Group Surprise Research Sub-Group

Training Matrix Sub-Group Surprise Research Sub-Group

Regulatory
RegulatorySub-Group
Sub-Group

Flight Simulation Group -

Royal Aeronautical Society
London, UK
10
 ICATEE
International Committee for
Aviation Training in Extended
Envelopes

Participants
Transport Canada
Embry-Riddle
FAA Airbus

ALPA
NASA Boeing KLM
IDT

Boeing Flight Training

AIAA MSTC DLR

Bihrle
ATA
SOS FlightSafety

Opinicus
ETC
CALSPAN
APS Emergency
Maneuver Training
BBGA
UTIAS
CAA IFALPA

NLR
CAE NTSB

FedEx TNO
Flight Simulation Group -
Volpe Royal Aeronautical Society
London, UK
11
 ICATEE
International Committee for
Aviation Training in Extended
Envelopes

Deliverables (external)*
Master
Master Document
Document
Recommended
Recommendedtrainingtrainingpractices:
practices:
What to train
What to train
How
Howtototrain
train
Whom
Whomto totrain
train
How
How oftento
often totrain
train

Research
Research&&Technology
Technology
Training
Training&&Regulations
Regulations

Upset
UpsetPrevention
Prevention(Awareness,
(Awareness, Adaptations
Adaptationsto toFSTD
FSTD
Avoidance/Recognition,
Avoidance/Recognition, standards (e.g. ICAO
standards (e.g. ICAO
Recovery)
Recovery)Manuals:
Manuals: 9625)
9625)totoenhance
enhance
Operator
Operator qualification
qualificationfor
forUPRT
UPRTinin
Instructor
Instructor FSTDs
FSTDs

Regulatory
Regulatoryrecommendations:
recommendations: Guideline
Guidelinefor
forthe
theuse
useof
of
Approved
Approved TrainingProgram
Training Program alternative training devices
alternative training devices
Professional
Professional Pilot Licensing&&
Pilot Licensing
Certification
Certification
Qualification
Qualificationat
atappropriate
appropriate
licensing levels
licensing levels *subject to advice from ICAO Flight Simulation Group -
Instructor
Instructorqualification
qualification Royal Aeronautical Society
London, UK
12
 Training Needs
Levels of mitigation
Awareness
Recognition and avoidance
Recovery
Hazards
Training criteria
Training media
Frequency of training
Training matrix and challenges

13
 Simulator vs aircraft as training medium
Training Advantage Disadvantage or currently missing
medium available surmountable insurmountable
continuous increased and knowledge transferability -
dissimilarity with target
decreased g-loads for trainer aircraft to target
environment
awareness environment
Aircraft cost to train several
realistic startle factors, risk exposure from aircraft-
thousand pilots (initial &
fear/threat, aerodynamics based training
recurrent)
-management

model limitations
identical g-cueing
type-specific environment less startle than aircraft
identical stress, fear,
FFS repeatable, measurable, safe motion cueing (improvement)
startle
procedures lack of feedback on airplane
expectations of trainee
envelope limits

14
 Simulator vs aircraft as training medium
Training Advantage Disadvantage or currently missing
medium available surmountable insurmountable
continuous increased and knowledge transferability -
dissimilarity with target
decreased g-loads for trainer aircraft to target
environment
awareness environment
Aircraft cost to train several
realistic startle factors, risk exposure from aircraft-
thousand pilots (initial &
fear/threat, aerodynamics
Technology based training
gaps recurrent)
-management

model limitations
identical g-cueing
type-specific environment less startle than aircraft
identical stress, fear,
FFS repeatable, measurable, safe motion cueing (improvement)
startle
procedures lack of feedback on airplane
expectations of trainee
envelope limits

15
 Gaps and Improvements
Need to do better to achieve startle in
simulation
Some operators achieving this in clever ways
Create immersion by making simulator training
environment more like airplane (e.g., wear uniforms,
more realistic air traffic communication)
Increase workload by having instructor add distractions
Invoke a startling situation (e.g., wake upset) at the will
of the instructor after distraction accomplished

16
 Gaps and Improvements
Reduction in lateral stability and control effectiveness
typically not modeled adequately
Although some simulations account for these effects
Flight data past approach-to-stall often not part of the data package
used to build simulator model
Sometimes data in this region exists, but is not comprehensive
Instead, extrapolated values used, which too often give pilots a
false sense of security in recoveries (i.e., simulated aircraft is more
stable and is more easily controlled than the aircraft)
Neither pilots nor instructors are informed when they are operating
in the extrapolated region
To train confidently in the post approach-to-stall region, the above
deficiencies need improvement

17
Modelling Gaps

18
Modelling Gaps

courtesy Bihrle Applied Research

19
 Gaps and Improvements
Need: Vibration indicative of stall buffet, degradations in
pitch/roll control, show difficulty in arresting descent
Motion cues need improvement, primarily vertical axis
Important: Define and avoid negative cueing
Vertical accelerations in simulator are often on the order of 10% that
experienced in the aircraft
Usually no feedback to the pilot or instructor as to how many gs were pulled
in the last maneuver
Instances of when excessive control might have compromised aircraft
structural integrity not fed back to the pilot or instructor

20
 ICATEE
International Committee for

Possible Tools for Upset Prevention & Aviation Training in Extended

Envelopes

Recovery Training
Maximum use of existing infrastructure
Specialized devices to support our internal research goals
Aerobatic-capable aircraft for basic-level training
Modern tools for academics training:
content is the key, not necessarily the tools themselves

Flight Simulation Group -

Royal Aeronautical Society
London, UK
21
 Pros and Cons of Possible
Training Solutions
Status quo
Pros: changes may result in unknown and unintended
consequences
Cons: If we know we can do better, we should endeavor
to do so
Mandate use of Upset Recovery Training Aid
Pros: Tests show simulators can be used to improve
recovery from upsets
Cons: May go outside simulator envelope. Also, lack of
consensus on proper technique for envelope-protected
aircraft

22
 Pros and Cons of Possible
Training Solutions
Extend envelope in todays simulators
Pros: Know how to make representative improvements,
and in some cases flight data exist to check
Cons: The benefit/cost ratio may not support this
approach, especially if near foolproof recognition and
avoidance can be achieved
Mandate upset recovery training in aircraft
Pros: Theres nothing like the real thing, and studies
support this fact
Cons: Infrastructure does not exist to allow it now, and
benefit/cost ratio may not support this approach

23
 Pros and Cons of Possible
Training Solutions
Embrace scenario-based training for upset recovery
Pros: Invokes some surprise instead of using todays scripted
approach
Cons: Concerns about evaluating pilots on these events, as
simulator may not be representative and probability of seeing such
an in-flight scenario may be remote
Cost-effective combination of previous solutions
Pros: Graduated approach is more comprehensive and allows
strengths to be emphasized and weaknesses to be de-emphasized
Cons: Would prefer one way to skin a cat for simplicity instead of
multiple ways

24
 UPRT is not only a simulator
problem

Regulatory:
When in a career should UPRT occur?
Instructional:
How do we enhance the instructors role?
CRM:
Encourage teamwork in upset prevention
and recovery

25
 FAA Deliverables
ICATEE has delivered to the
FAA/Industry Stall/Stick-Pusher
Working Group:
Recommendations on how to implement
startle in simulation during UPRT
Recommendations on how to provide
feedback via Instructor Operator Station on
effective UPRT

26
 Summary
Todays simulators are inadequate to meet NTSB
recommendations for upset training
Improvements in awareness, recognition & avoidance,
recovery warranted
Simulator improvements needed in the following areas:
startle factor
lateral/directional characteristics in the stall regime
motion cueing
ICATEE is prioritizing recommendations from a mix of
possible solutions
Will propose recommendations through RAeS to FAA
and ICAO

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