Upset? This is More-Useful Than a Shrink, and Twice the Fun

Put briefly by the UTDI (Upset Domain Training Institute), "Loss of control in flight continues to be a major cause factor in loss of life and hull damage aircraft accidents. Realistic training for this very dynamic and disorienting event is difficult because current simulators do not reproduce the angular and G-accelerations or the disorientations of the actual event.

Training in transport or normal category aircraft cannot be safely done because the upset environment will take the aircraft and crew close to their limits. Training done in aerobatic aircraft, while helpful, does not duplicate the skill set needed to recover a large aircraft and, in some cases, may transfer the wrong impression of the skills needed."

The Problem:

A draft release from the UTDI continues, "According to the FAA’s Aircraft Upset Recovery Training Aid 1 from 1987 to 1996, the leading worldwide cause of fatal accidents in transport category aircraft was loss of control in-flight. Thirty-seven (37) loss of control accidents resulting in 2,221 deaths occurred during this period. The second leading cause during this 10-year period was controlled flight into terrain (CFIT), which accounted for 36 accidents and 2,396 deaths. Government and industry have focused on these issues and have made significant progress in understanding their root causes in transport aircraft. However, upsets remain an issue that affects all elements of aviation (General, Corporate, Transport and Military). One reason is the difficulty in providing realistic upset training.

"Historically, the airlines have recruited the majority of their pilots from retired or separated military pilots. These pilots had received in-depth aviation physiology, aerobatic and robust unusual attitude recovery training during their military service. Although perhaps not directly transferable to the civilian cockpit, this military training has provided a solid basis for the key skills of recognition of upset attitudes and energy levels. Civilian pilots receive flight instruction that is, in most cases, comparable to that of the military pilots. However, absent a federally mandated requirement, the civilian pilot typically seldom receives initial or recurrent upset recovery training, spin training or aerobatic training. Furthermore, a former military pilot’s skills decline unless updated with recent training relevant to the transport or general aviation category aircraft being flown in the civilian environment."

It Won't Get Better by Itself

UTDI notes, "As military pilot training declines and civilian pilot demand increases, it is increasingly possible that two pilots who are either not current or perhaps have never received realistic, interactive aviation physiology training or upset recovery training may be in the same cockpit when one of these situations arises. Unfortunately, upsets are very unforgiving of pilot inaction or improper pilot action. Typically, there is only a narrow time window when expert pilot actions can correct an upset. After that, the situation generally becomes rapidly worse. Pilots (crews) who have not been trained for upset are at a great disadvantage in being able to recognize and recover in this narrow window of opportunity."

It's Hard to Train in Conditions That Can Kill You

When pilots fly in everyday operations, they operate in the "normal flight domain," and they work diligently to stay within these modest limits. Much of pilot training is dedicated to understanding and controlling the aircraft to remain within the normal flight domain.

During training, the student must be allowed to practice skills and (within the bounds of flight safety) must be allowed to make some mistakes. Accordingly, during training we expand the flight environment further to understand the characteristics of the aircraft and prepare ourselves for the unexpected. But this "training domain" is only modestly beyond where we normally fly because of aircraft limitations – it is too risky to take the aircraft much beyond its normal flight realm. Although simulators are often used in training, current simulators are incapable of producing the sustained accelerations and sustained G cueing. Consequently, the trainee is presented a very benign environment where not all sensory cues are present and those that actually help the pilot to fly the simulator instead of stressing the pilot as they are in the aircraft.

Not only must the pilot learn recovery skills, UTDI says, but, "...these skills must compete with primal reactions which naturally predominate in the untrained pilot and which are often not only just ineffective, but lead to a greatly worsened situation." [emphasis in original]

Pilot and crew must recognize the situation, ascertain the airspeed/altitude/power profile, and make the correct corrective decisions, hopefully in concert with each other. Crew training, rather than only pilot training, is therefore important, although the training varies with the crew's position.

With a syllabus built on an 18-scenario table, UDTI sets about training pilots and crews.

"The Upset Domain Training Institute (UDTI) offers a new approach to solving this aviation safety issue. UDTI's total training approach utilizes ETC's specially designed ground trainers, the GAT II (single seat basic trainer) and the revolutionary GL 1500 centrifuge-based (dual seat, advanced simulator) to recreate the actual upset environment, including continuous motion and G cueing. Flight performance, controls and instrumentation replicate those of the category of aircraft that the pilot actually flies. This high fidelity simulator training is prefaced by academic training and followed by in-aircraft training. The UDTI approach equips flight crews with the necessary skills to enter the Upset Domain™ and to practice the skills required for successful recovery."

When, Where, and How Much?

Naval aviator Don Baggett (in top photo), who was the Commanding Officer of Training Squadron 9, and flew much of his time in A4s and A6s, has designed the syllabus, and plans to start with his first students in May, using ETC's GAT II trainer, premiering with GA and light-corporate pilots. The enhancements to the GAT II's software will be able to give the students strong illusions, which, coupled with the machine's three-axis mobility, will simulate strong upsets. As Mr Baggett told us, "The illusions, and mild, low-g upset activity -- those are then reinforced in an airplane. Upsets don't exist by themselves; they always exist in a context -- IFR, bad weather -- or the pilot has an illusion that looks just like that." JFKjr? "I'd hate to say that... but illusions clearly can kill you."

The new facility is opening in Okeechobee (FL). In about a year and a half, with a specially-configured GL-1500 sim, Don will take pilots to the next level, with higher-g sim work. The special ETC machine will be configured for two-person operation, and will sport some super-secret (for now) software and illusions. There's a strong effect that we assimilate, visually, and that will reinforce and expand the actual physiological experience.

GL-1500

Not that the GL-1500 isn't awesome by itself. "That's a 2.5-g -- continuous -- machine," Don reminded us. "It'll cage your eyeballs, all right, especially combined with the right visuals -- you'll really feel like more than 2.5 Gs." 'Big' corporate pilots are going to love this.

Why learn this way?

"People don't want to do the counterintuitive things to the controls, that will get them out of some upsets," Mr Baggett explained. "The typical pilot has never practiced these maneuvers."

Who's the best prospect?

"You're into aviation, you've never practicd this, and you need it. Some pioots have lots and lots of time, yet they've never gotten close to the edges of the flight envelope." Don explained, "Typical training is anti this -- they train you to not go outside normal flight attitudes. Some day, you'll maybe find yourself in a bad situation, and your natural instincts wil make your situation worse."

GAT II

He gave us an example, easy to talk about, so different in the cockpit: "If you're inverted, your natural instinct is to 'pull' -- you'll drop the nose closer to the ground." You may pull out, or you may fly the wings right off the airplane. No matter what, you'll lose altitude, something you may not have in abundance. "Instead, push the stick forward, ease off on the throttle, slow the airplane down, and then roll upright," was the simple-sounding solution.

That sounded too easy -- why get trained? "Most students -- I've had maybe 300 students in this type of training," Don said, "and only one, just one, did it right the first time. He was a 17-year-old kid, the most-natural pilot I've ever seen, including myself."

To the airplane:

"I instructed in Zlins at Flight Safety for quite some time," Baggett told us. "We'll practice these illusions, and recovery, in our Zlin 242."

Two ways to do it, starting in May:

Before the GL-1500 comes on line in a year and a half or so, Don's offering the very-useful 'Phase I.'

"The complete Phase I syllabus will be $2500, taken all at one time; about $2700, if it's broken up, due to the necessity of re-learning and buffing up. That consists of 3-4 aircraft flights, and 5-6 sim rides [in the GAT II], plus 8 hours of ground school," Don explained. It's designed to take "about three days, depending on weather."

For the most-bang-for-the-buck, especially for those who have never been exposed to this, Don offers the first part of 'Phase I.' "The first set of skills will cover angle of attack and basic control of the lift vector pointing skills," he explained. "That's two flights, two sim sessions, and 3 hours of classroom." The bill is $995, and Don promises that if you ever need it, you'll be more than happy you paid for this one. "However, I do not consider the upset training 'complete,' until the pilot has gone through the entire course," Don said.

Don left me with one more piece of advice, that sums it up: "Keep your eyes outside the cockpit; pay attention to what the airplane's doing -- those are the things that will keep you alive in the air."

FMI: www.etcupsetrecovery.com; 863-467-4885; www.etcaircrewtraining.com/gat2/fixed_main.htm