Measuring the Lookout Behavior of Student Pilots in a Virtual Reality Flight Simulator

Learning adequate gaze behavior is essential in flight training. In this exploratory study we investigated the development of gaze behavior in flight training in a virtual reality (VR) flight simulator. Following standardized study material, fifteen participants without flying experience repeatedly practiced three basic flight maneuvers in a VR simulator of a small aircraft. During some runs, participants performed an additional N-back task to measure cognitive spare capacity. From the recorded gaze data we computed the percentage of time during which the gaze was directed outside the cockpit, i.e., the “Lookout”. This outside dwell ratio differed between flight maneuvers. A higher outside dwell ratio was associated with better flight performance. Remarkably, the outside dwell ratio increased with the additional N-back task. A heatmap indicated staring behavior during the N-back. In a follow-up study we will extend the analysis of gaze behavior with more dynamic measures than only the dwell ratio

Acquiring Manual Flying Skills in a Virtual Reality Flight Simulator

In this study, we explored the possibility of objectively assessing the progress in manual flying skills by student pilots using Virtual Reality (VR). Using a VR flight simulator of the Pilatus PC-7 training aircraft, fifteen participants without flying experience practiced basic flight maneuvers based on self-study and without receiving feedback. Relevant flight performance measures were normalized and a learning curve was fitted, representing learning speed and end-level. During some runs an N-back task was included as a secondary task to quantify the participants’ cognitive capacity. Interestingly, performance on the N-back was not a good predictor of someone’s learning curve. The correlation between performance measures and flight instructor gradings confirmed that, for a limited set of maneuvers, we were able to objectify the students’ learning behavior of acquiring a set of manual flying skills in a VR flight simulator. The results of this study show the potential of measuring learning performance in VR

Conserving Crop Genetic Resources on Smallholder Farms in Hungary: Institutional Analysis

Hungary is home to a great diversity of plant and animal species, whose preservation is of global value. This paper focuses on the institutional aspects of the research project on on-farm conservation of crop genetic resources in three Environmentally Sensitive Areas of Hungary (Dévaványa, Orség-Vendvidék, Szatmár-Bereg). Implemented by the Institute of Environmental Management, St. István University and the Institute for Agrobotany in partnership with the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, the project consists of an interdisciplinary institutional, economic, and scientific analysis. The main goal of the project is to develop a scientific understanding about the current and potential socio-economic role of agrobiodiversity maintained in home gardens. The first aim of the institutional analysis carried out by this paper is to identify the institutions and organisations that have significant impact on the seed choices and seed maintenance practices of farmers, and hence, on their access to genetic resources. The second aim is to identify and analyse different stakeholders' perceptions of the issue at hand, as well as their interests and the values they ascribe to them