Field of View Evaluation for Flight Simulators Used in Spatial Disorientation Training

Spatial disorientation (SD) is a deadly threat to aviation safety, so it is important to train pilots to recognize, avoid, and/or recover from it. Flight simulation is a safe and relatively inexpensive vehicle for SD training, but certain simulator characteristics, such as the field of view (FOV) required for effective training, need to be better specified. These specifications then need to be applied in upgrades to simulators used in SD training. This project examined three different FOVs and their ability to induce specific responses associated with SD, namely the Opto Kinetic Cervical Reflex (OKCR) and Control Reversal Error (CRE). Twelve pilots flew a simulator in two different scenarios using a Small, Medium, and Large FOV. The results indicated that under these conditions the Medium FOV was an optimum choice for eliciting the OKCR and CREs, since it generally outperformed the Small FOV and equaled the Large FOV, all at a lower price point and with a smaller footprint. This information is being directly applied to the Advanced SD Training simulator acquisition process that is currently underway at NAVAIR PMA-205, Aviation Training Systems. The results are applicable to other simulator systems as well, and implications and recommendations for SD training are discussed.