Assessment of Pilot Situational Awareness: Measurement via Simulation

Abstract

While pilots have an intuitive understanding of situational awareness (SA), researchers have had difficulty defining and measuring SA for practical ends such as pilot selection, training and cockpit design evaluation. To achieve the latter end a model of SA is proposed and a measurement technique is described. Specifically, SA appears to involve the development and maintenance of a highly dynamic mental representation of critical aspects of the flying environment. Using this system the pilot makes judicious decisions in a timely manner with little conscious effort. To render SA measurable, SA may be modeled as a computer system with elements and processes which serve to develop and maintain an extremely fast, efficient database. Computer systems are assessed via benchmark tests. To measure SA, the pilot flies a benchmark test which consists of a standardized mission in a medium fidelity simulator under progressively increasing assigned airspeeds. The pilot's SA is measured via techniques including objective metrics such as flying performance and responses to “unexpected” events, as well as subjective metrics such as ratings and knowledge elicitation. All must of necessity be indirect measures of SA, for the pilot's actions reflect not only SA but the adequacy of the data initially available as well as the quality of training, talent, and the vehicle itself. A statistically weighted combination of these measures is used in order to improve sensitivity and minimize their individual limitations.