Pilot Gain and the Workload Buildup Flight Test Technique: A Closer Investigation of Pilot Inceptor Workload

Abstract

This report includes a comprehensive investigation of pilot inceptor workload based on theoretic evaluations, simulator data and open source flight and simulator test data. Chapter 1 gives a short introduction to the topic of "pilot gain" including pilot gain measures and two-dimensional representations of pilot gain (power spectral density plots and pilot inceptor workload). Chapter 2 introduces and evaluates four potential one-dimensional forms of the two-dimensional pilot inceptor workload. The analysis is performed based on mathematic considerations and theoretic evaluations of experimental test pilots from the German test center (WTD61). Chapter 3 focuses on the relation between the two dimensions of pilot inceptor workload (aggressiveness and duty cycle). The evaluation is based on data gathered within a simulator study with 24 military pilots who applied different flight test techniques. These included the pilot gain calibration runs during which the pilots had to intentionally apply different pilot gain (low, normal and high) during a challenging sum of sines tracking ask. Also, three different versions of the workload buildup flight test technique were performed using the same tracking task. In addition, the simulator data was compared with open source information about F-16 fligh test data from the USAF TPS project BAT DART. Chapter 4 validates potential one-dimensional versions of pilot inceptor workload based on the simulator data and evalutes the necessity of a one-dimensional variant of pilot inceptor workload. Chapter 5 introduces and compares variants of the pilot inceptor workload plot based on stick deflection and acceleration.