Education and demonstration – Vehicle operator instruction or testing – Flight vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-20
2004-09-14
Rovnak, John Edmund (Department: 3714)
Education and demonstration
Vehicle operator instruction or testing
Flight vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
active
06790041
ABSTRACT:
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for training aircraft pilots in an aircraft flight simulator. In particular, the invention utilizes a fault analysis guide to aid a pilot in the identification of a fault condition, the location of a corresponding fault procedure to be performed by the pilot, and the performance of the fault procedure associated with the given fault condition.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The majority of flight crew training today occurs in aircraft flight simulators. Training is also performed in the aircraft itself but in general the flight simulator is safer and does a better job of presenting an actual problem without the hazards of the actual problem in the aircraft. A typical flight simulator can closely duplicate the feel of a specific aircraft.
Every aircraft is required to have an Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM) that is used to train pilots. Each AFM has a section describing procedures for handling emergency or abnormal problems. Using the AFM, the aircraft manufacturer, training provider, or aircraft operator can create a manual or checklist of these procedures to be used as a resource during emergencies. Typically, this emergency manual or checklist includes pages such as an index for locating an appropriate procedure and pages for presenting the various procedures in a series of steps for the pilot to perform, along with other pertinent information regarding those procedures.
As aircraft and flight training manuals have become more complicated over the last sixty years, so have the emergency manuals and procedures become more complex. The organization of the index or procedure locator section becomes critical to the efficient use of the manual. In addition, very little has been done heretofore to standardize the presentation and description of the procedures themselves in the manuals. Different entities such as the aircraft manufacturer, the training provider, government agencies, the airline, and aircraft operators all have their own agendas regarding how to present aircraft procedures to flight crew members in training. A standard way for presenting and describing aircraft procedures that has been applied across all aircraft and company systems in the aircraft industry therefore does not exist. Small differences in the design and presentation of manuals and checklists can be roadblocks to both the location of an appropriate procedure and the smooth execution of that procedure, especially when pilots are required to fly more than one type of aircraft.
Additionally, flight crews operate in a multi-dimensional environment so that when aircraft emergencies or abnormal conditions occur, appropriate response procedures need to be quickly identified and accomplished even though there are often other cockpit tasks that simultaneously need consideration. Flight crew stress is related to the effective handling of aircraft emergencies. Confusion and doubt caused by the various different types of emergency manuals only creates additional stress, which diminishes the likelihood of locating and efficiently accomplishing the appropriate procedure when a problem does occur.
Aircraft today include a variety of indicators that provide signals or cues to the pilot when system problems occur. There are a number of ways that pilots can be notified of a problem. For example, many airplanes have what is known as a “master warning light panel”. This panel has rows and columns of backlit capsules that remain dark until a fault condition occurs. When a fault condition occurs, the associated capsule illuminates and displays descriptive wording (often abbreviated) or indicia that references the fault condition. Additionally, a “master warning light” in the glareshield in front of both pilots also illuminates and flashes words like “Master Caution” until it is reset by a flight crewmember.
Depending on the problem and on the standard of the aircraft manufacturer, the capsules may illuminate in different colors, for example, red or amber light. Red generally indicates a warning or emergency and is the most serious type of message requiring a prompt action. Amber generally indicates an abnormal condition and is less serious but requires a corrective action when time permits.
Other cockpit lights can illuminate to either support the lights in the master warning light panel or operate as standalone system warning lights. Additionally, individual instruments can include flags that are usually located in the instruments that are viewed most often by the pilots and indicate the quality of the information that is provided by the given instrument.
Newer aircraft have what is known as a “glass cockpit” or “partial glass cockpit.” Instead of a master warning light panel and other mechanical instruments, a cathode ray tube (CRT) display is used. These CRT displays include a messaging system that can display much of the information a pilot needs to operate an airplane: status of flight instruments, navigation systems, as well as engine and other system information. Typically, one or two CRT displays are mounted in front of each pilot. System CRTs are mounted between the pilots' CRTs on the instrument panel, and display engine and system information. When a system is having a problem, a message is displayed on a System CRT, which also illuminates and flashes the master warning light in the glareshield. The message on the CRT can illuminate in one of several colors, depending on the seriousness of the problem and the standard of the aircraft manufacturer. For example, one aircraft manufacturer has messages that illuminate in red, yellow or blue. In this case, red generally indicates a warning or emergency and is the most serious type of message requiring a prompt action. Yellow generally indicates a caution and is less serious but requires timely corrective action. Blue generally indicates an advisory condition that requires a corrective action when time permits.
The master warning lights, other cockpit lights, messaging system, and flags are all examples of direct visual signals provided to the pilot regarding the existence of a fault condition.
There are other types of signals that provide the pilot with information regarding the existence of a fault condition. For example, other cockpit instruments, aircraft movement, and flight control pressures also provide signals to the pilot regarding the existence of a fault condition. As used herein, these types of signals are denoted nonvisual. For example, if an engine were to cease functioning, the instruments that display the engine pressure would indicate less than when the engines are properly functioning, the nose of the aircraft would move in the direction of the failed engine, and pressure would be felt in the rudder pedals caused by the turning plane. In other words, a fault condition such as engine failure does not directly use lights, messages, or flags to indicate the failure, but other signals within the cockpit provide information to the pilot regarding the existence of such a condition.
Thus, a variety of ways exist for information regarding various aircraft conditions to be communicated to the pilot. As mentioned, an emergency procedures manual is meant to provide important information to the pilot regarding both the identification of a fault condition, the location of the appropriate fault procedure within the manual corresponding to the fault condition, and the presentation of the appropriate procedure steps in a logical manner.
Various problems exist with prior art emergency procedure manuals. For example, generally the only way of locating the fault procedure corresponding to a fault condition associated with a nonvisual signal is to us
Fountain & Associates, Inc.
Rovnak John Edmund
Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek SC
LandOfFree
Training methods for aircraft simulator pilot does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Training methods for aircraft simulator pilot, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Training methods for aircraft simulator pilot will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3215657