See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/332962402

A mathematical model to optimize the pilot training process

Conference Paper · June 2018

CITATIONS READS

0 112

6 authors, including:

Marta Kamila Woch Mariusz Zieja

Instytut Techniczny Wojsk Lotniczych Instytut Techniczny Wojsk Lotniczych
42 PUBLICATIONS 63 CITATIONS 136 PUBLICATIONS 276 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

Justyna Tomaszewska Grzegorz Kaminski

Military University of Aviation Warsaw University of Technology
286 PUBLICATIONS 20,056 CITATIONS 8 PUBLICATIONS 4 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Reliability analysis of the PZL-130 Orlik TC-II aircraft View project

Perform R & D in order to implement the market-based physiotherapy services for Dynamic Spine Corrector View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Marta Kamila Woch on 09 May 2019.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 Journal of Polish Safety and Reliability Association
Summer Safety and Reliability Seminars, Volume 9, Number 3, 2018

Woch Marta
Faculty of Cybernetics, Military University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland

Zieja Mariusz, Głyda Krzysztof

Air Force Institute of Technology, Warsaw, Poland

Tomaszewska Justyna
Polish Air Force Academy, Dęblin, Poland

Kamiński Grzegorz
Institute of Aeronautics and Applied Mechanics, Warsaw, Poland

A mathematical model to optimize the pilot training process

Keywords
optimization of process, pilot training, risk assessment

Abstract
In most NATO countries, pilots are prepared in accordance with a modern system of three-stage training:
selection, basic and advanced. For each phase, the purpose and scope of the training shall be defined and the
aviation equipment together with training support systems should be appropriate selected. The practical training
in the air is performed according to the parallelism of the training, which describes the technological relationships
between the individual exercises. The purpose of this contribution is to propose a mathematical model which
would enable the selection of exercises for each pilot, the appropriate selection of the aircraft and the moment of
beginning of each exercise, so that all required exercises are carried out in the shortest possible time. Additionally,
in this paper the concept of pilot’s habits and skills improvements is presented.

1. Introduction the concept of pilot’s habits and skills improvements is

presented.
The practical training in the air is performed according
to the parallelism of the training, which describes the
2. Formulation of the problem
technological relationships between the individual
exercises. For each exercise, the exercises are
specified, which must be done beforehand. Each of the 2.1. Pilot training process
tasks is performed at most once. The duration of each The aim of the screening programme is to determine
exercise is fixed and different types of aircraft are at the the psychophysical predisposition of candidates for the
disposal. For each type, the number of aircraft shall be profession of military pilot. This training,
determined. Exercises are only possible on the notwithstanding the subsequent specialisation of pilots,
appropriate type of aircraft. Exercises can be performed is typically conducted on low-cost aircraft, which
on exactly one aircraft by one pilot. A single aircraft enables navigation flights and basic aerial aerobatics.
allows one pilot to be trained in a single exercise. The During basic training, future pilots should master the
purpose of this contribution is to propose a take-off and landing manoeuvre, basic navigation,
mathematical model which would enable the selection daytime and at night group flights.
of exercises for each pilot, the appropriate selection of Candidates for pilots of combat planes are also required
the aircraft and the moment of beginning of each to perform basic and advanced acrobatics.
exercise, so that all required exercises are carried out in During advanced training, students already have a fully
the shortest possible time. Additionally, in this paper mastered piloting technique in all atmospheric
conditions. At this stage, the elements of combat ability

109
 Woch Marta, Zieja Mariusz, Tomaszewska Justyna, Kamiński Grzegorz
A mathematical model to optimize the pilot training process

are also taught - this includes mainly candidates for  knowledge in the scope enabling
pilots of combat aircraft. In countries, where a modern understanding of the operation and correct
system of training pilots of multi-purpose aircraft is in usage of weapons and technical equipment
existence, advanced training takes place on jet- (aircraft, flight safety systems, air
powered, airplane training and combat aircraft witch navigation, etc.);
have a similar to combat aircraft characteristics.  construction and technical capabilities of
the aircraft, as well as the principles of use
2.2. A military pilot education system at the and utilization of the exploited aircraft
Polish Air Force Academy (PAF) equipment and weapons;
 general knowledge of the principles of
The training system in PAF includes the following
command, preparation, organization and
aspects:
conducting combat at the tactical level;
 PAF theoretical training courses in the following
 knowledge of procedures, aviation
specialties: jet pilot, transport airplane pilot,
regulations and rules of conducting radio
helicopter pilot and navigator, air traffic
correspondence in air networks (including
controller (corrected with simulator training);
English) in accordance with the
 Practical training in 4 School Aviation Wings (4
requirements of national and international
SLSz) on aircraft (helicopters and aeroplanes).
aviation institutions.
The curricula of the PAF for theoretical and practical
4. Shaping psychophysical aptitude to ensure the
training of pilots as well as the scope and methods of
effective performance of official duties within
shaping their psyche during their studies must take into
the aviation specialty, i. e.:
account the requirements of operating units. The main
 good spatial orientation and imagination;
goal of training at the Higher School of Air Force
Officers in the specialization of "`Aircraft Pilot" is to  ability to concentrate and divide attention,
educate officers of the Polish Army - military pilots on make quick and accurate decisions;
the basis of the personal and professional  ability to perform tasks in the context of
characteristics of a graduate of the PAF, which, mental stress (e. g. actions in difficult,
together with a mastered range of knowledge and special conditions).
professional skills, will ensure that they properly
perform their tasks on the first professional positions 2.3. Schedule of training in helicopters in the
requiring higher education, in accordance with the Act aviation of armed forces
of 11 September 2003 on military service of The programme of aviation training in helicopters in
professional soldiers. In pursuing the above objective, the Polish Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland
PAF enables their students: standardizes the process of training of flying personnel
1. Mastering the knowledge and general, tactical in helicopters and constitutes the basis for developing
and specialist skills necessary to perform the a Long-term plan of air training to achieve class I pilots.
duties of an engineer-military pilot in the first The block graphics of the parallelism of pilot training
position of service, which allow to understand process is presented in Figure 1. It is an example of the
and interpret properly the phenomena implementation of the scope of training required to
encountered and to make appropriate and rapid provide a pilot with Visual Meteorological Condition
decisions while performing tasks in the air. (VMC) skills for pilot training. Example of schematic
2. Mastering the knowledge and skills necessary to sequence of pilot training process for one module is
perform the duties of an officer of the Polish presented in the following Figure 2.
Army on the first official position, including in
particular:
 knowledge of the humanities and basics of
military sciences concerning the essence,
regularity and functioning problems of an
officer in a military unit in peaceful
conditions, threats and war;
 the ability to effectively communicate,
negotiate and cooperate, as well as services
in a compact team (aircraft staff).
3. Obtaining the necessary knowledge, technical
and specialist skills in accordance with the
training specialization, i. e.:

110
 Journal of Polish Safety and Reliability Association
Summer Safety and Reliability Seminars, Volume 9, Number 3, 2018

 if the aircraft type h may be used

1
e h
c for the excercise c ,
0
 otherwise
h  1, H , c  1, C ,

 if pilot no. n has performed

1
f 
c
n
the excercise no. c ,
0
 otherwise
c  1, C , n  1, N ,

 if is planed to perform excercise no. c

1
x   by the pilot no. n using aircraft of type h
ch
n
0
 otherwise
Figure 1. Sketch of the parallelism of pilot training
process [1] c  1, C , n  1, N , h  1, H ,
ycn  ˇ  - the moment when exercise no. c
begins by pilot n, c  1, C , n  1, N ,
Z  R  - the duration of all training.

3.2. Mathematical description of the essential

attributes
1. Each pilot may perform the exercise only on the
Figure 2. Example of schematic sequence of pilot type of aircraft appropriate for the particular
training process for one module [1] exercise:

3. The sketch of the mathematical model    xnch  ech

c 1,C n 1, N h 1, H

3.1. Mathematical description of the essential

attributes 2. The starting moment of each subsequent
exercise shall not be less than the sum of the
N P - the number of pilots, starting moment of the preceding exercise and
C P - the number of exercises, the duration of the preceding exercise:
1 if excercise no. j requires excercise no. i
aij    H   H 
0 otherwise      xnih  1    xnjh  1 
i, j  1, C ,
i , j 1,C n 1, N h 1, H
 h 1   h 1 

1 if pilot no. n has to perform exercise no. c   aij  1   i  j     yin  di  y nj 

bcn  
0 otherwise
3. If the exercise no. j was carried out after exercise
c  1, C , n  1, N , no. i and by pilot n, this exercise also had to be
H  P - the number of aircraft types, planned or performed by pilot n:
SPh  P - the number of aircraft types h, h  1, H
  H 

dc R - the duration of exercise no. c, c  1, C ,    aij  1    xnjh  1 
i , j 1,C n 1, N
  h 1 
 H  
   xnih  1   f i n  1 
 h 1  

111
 Woch Marta, Zieja Mariusz, Tomaszewska Justyna, Kamiński Grzegorz
A mathematical model to optimize the pilot training process

4. The duration of all trainings should not be less

q   xnch  ,  yn 
than the moment of the end of each planned N C  H  c  N C

exercise:
Criterion:
Z  max  y  dc  , n
c n  1, N , c  1, C
Z
5. No more aircraft can be used during the exercise 3.4. Analysis of the information content
than are available:
The decision-maker will know the values of all the
data. The decision-maker will not know the values of
C n  1, N :
   SPh the following attributes:
h 1, H t  0
c 1 y n
c  t  ycn  d c  xnch  1  Z - the duration of all training, as this is the
result of decisions taken,
6. For each exercise, exactly one single Aircraft is  if is planned to perform
1
used:  exercise no. c by pilot
 xn  
ch
,
H  no. n using aircraft of type h
  bcn  1   xnch  1 0 otherwise
c 1,C n 1, N
h 1
c  1, C, n  1, N , h  1, H , since it is a decision
7. A single Aircraft allows one pilot to be trained that decision-maker wishes to be taken,
on a single flight:  ycn  ˇ  - the moment when exercise no. c
H begins by pilot no. n, c  1, C , n  1, N , since
 
c 1,C n 1, N
 xnch  1
h 1
it is a decision that decision-maker wishes to
be taken.

8. In accordance with the training schedule, an

exercise with an earlier number cannot require 3.5. Definition of sets of correct values, limit
an exercise with a later number. Such a values for decision variables and possible
requirement may be represented by an acyclical criteria values
graph: The set of correct data values may be defined as follows
[2]:
 aij  0
i j
A  P  P  B C C  B C  N  P  P H
 ˇ 
9. The duration of all training courses should be  C
kept to a minimum: 0  B CH  B CN

T = Z 
 ch   n
 min A set of acceptable values for decision variables is as
xn , y
  N CH  c  N C follows [3]:

3.3. The division of the characteristics into

decision variables, criteria and data
a    x ch
n
 ,  yn  , Z 
N C  H  c  N C

 B N C H   R0 
N C
List of data:  R0 :

a
N , C ,  aij 
i 1,C , j 1,C
, bcn 
c 1,C , n 1, N
,H,    xnch  ehc 
c 1,C n 1, N h 1, H

, ech  
  H   H 
SPh h 1, H
, dc c 1,C c 1,C , h 1, H
,     xnih  1    xnjh  1 
  h 1
   h 1 
 f cn 
c 1,C , n 1, N
  aij  1   i  j     yin  di  y nj   
List of decision variables:

112
 Journal of Polish Safety and Reliability Association
Summer Safety and Reliability Seminars, Volume 9, Number 3, 2018

   H  References
   aij  1    xnjh  1 
 h 1  [1] Dowództwo Sił Powietrznych (2012). Program
 
szkolenia lotniczego na śmigłowcach w lotnictwie
 H    sił zbrojnych Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej. Warszawa.
   xnih  1   fi n  1    [2] Chojnacki, A. (1986). Modelowanie matematyczne.
 h 1    WAT. Warszawa.
  Z   ycn  d c  , n  1, N , c  1, C   [3] Meyer, W. (2004). Concepts of Mathematical
Modeling. Courier Corporation.
   U h (t )  SPh 
h  0, H t  0
 [4] Fowkes, N. & Mahony, J. (1994). An introduction
to mathematical modelling. Wiley
 H

  bcn  1   xnch  1 
 h 1 

3.6. A function to assess the achievement of the

aim
The task is a one-criteria task of maximizing the
achievement of the result, so no function to assess the
achievement of the aim is required [4].

3.7. Draft formulation of the optimization task

For the data a  A determine such
q*   x*ch   *n 
n  N C  H ,  y c  N C  ( a )

that

Z  q*   Z *  min Z.
 xnch  , yn 
  N CH  c  N C

5. Conclusion
In the presented article the model of the training of the
pilots in PAF and 4th SLSz is described. The model is
based on the current instructions and programmes,
which are implemented in Polish Army. Additionally,
the algorithm is described, which allows to find the
best order of making the exercises.
This contribution stands at the beginning of research
thesis on optimization of aviation pilot training process
and subsequent development will be the subject of
future papers. The content of this paper, introducing the
primary mathematical model for pilot training process,
is the first paper of the series.
The key feature of the model, is the use of a prediction
function to optimize the training of the pilots. Planed
simulation studies, as well as comparison with data
collected in Polish Air Force Academy, will give the
information, if the model can be used in the process of
planning the training, or should be optimized.

113
 Woch Marta, Zieja Mariusz, Tomaszewska Justyna, Kamiński Grzegorz
A mathematical model to optimize the pilot training process

114
View publication stats