The objectives of this research were to determine: (1) the extent to which generalized, conventional, air-to-surface (A/S) weapons delivery training in the Advanced Simulator for Pilot Training (ASPT) transferred to a specific aircraft; (2) the contribution of six degree of freedom platform motion to the transfer of training from simulator to aircraft; and (3) the differential effects, if any, of this simulator training on student pilots of different ability levels. These objectives were accomplished by selecting 24 students in the lead-in A/S training course at Holloman AFB to serve as subjects. These subjects progressed through lead-in training, receiving all training except the A/S flights, and then proceeded to Williams AFB where they were assigned into matched experimental and control groups. At Williams AFB, all of the subjects received academic training in weapons delivery techniques and procedural training on F-5B operations. At this point, the students in the control group flew two data collection sorties in the F-5B aircraft, performing 10°, 15°, and 30°, bomb deliveries. The experimental groups received A/S weapons delivery training in ASPT on 10°, 15°, and 30°, bomb deliveries with a fixed number of trials on each event. The experimental subjects then received two data collection flights in the F-5B identical to those received by the control group. Analysis of the results proved that simulator training significantly increased air-to-surface weapons delivery skills (e.g., approximately double the number of qualifying bombs, a one-fourth reduction in circular error) but that platform motion was not a contributing factor in this process. It was also found that novice student pilots of greater initial ability benefit most from such simulator training when a minimum fixed number of trials is used.
Simulator Training and Platform Motion in Air-To-Surface Weapon Delivery Training
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