Effects of Conceptual Training and Procedural Training for Teaching Aviation Instrument Holding Patterns

Abstract

Twenty private pilots without instrument ratings trained how to fly instrument holding patterns. Holding patterns are advanced aviation maneuvers learned during instrument training where pilots maintain a particular “race-track” figure that keeps the airplane essentially stationary. Participants were randomly assigned to a procedural training group or a conceptual training group. The step-by-step sequence of actions to fly instrument holds was emphasized in the procedural training group. The reasons for flying instruments holds and the interrelationship of elements in a dynamic environment were emphasized in the conceptual training group. Training stimuli included reading text and watching videos. Participants who were conceptually trained showed no difference in situation awareness when flying a typical instrument hold in a flight simulator compared to when flying a more difficult, atypical instrument hold in a flight simulator. However, the procedurally trained participants showed significantly less situation awareness when flying the atypical instrument hold compared to when flying the typical instrument hold. It was found that participants who required more attempts to answer questions correctly during training showed better situation awareness when flying atypical holding patterns. Finally it was found that participants required more attempts to answer questions correctly during the training delivered via video than they did during the training delivered via text.