Methodology of Pilot Performance Measurements

The article is devoted to the development of the methodology of measuring pilot performance under real flight conditions. It provides the basic information on a research project realized to obtain new information regarding training and education of pilots. The introduction is focused on the analytical part of the project and the outputs in terms of the current state of the art. Detailed view is cast on the issue of measuring pilot performance under specific conditions of the cockpit or the flight simulator. The article is zooming in on the two selected and developed methods of pilot performance in terms of the defined indicators evaluated, conditions of compliance for conducting research and procedures of the methodology of pilot performance measurements

Simulator Verification of Cessna 172 RG Repeated Take-Off Runs in Extreme Temperature Conditions

The paper presents the results of the research of performance measurement of a selected aircraft type in the take-off phase under extreme temperature conditions. For this purpose, a flight simulator of the Cessna 172 RG aircraft from the ELITE Company was used. For the purpose of verifying the take-off run length, the article provides a measurement methodology that was developed using information obtained during experimental take-offs. The aim was to obtain a procedure that would allow for repeated take-off runs in the same conditions with the possibility of changing individual influencing factors. Considering the whole measurement chain, the article analyses the influencing factors and quantifies their impact on the uncertainty of the measurement result. The data obtained experimentally we compared with the data in the Flight Manual and at the end carried out the assessment of the impact of global warming on the take-off run of the Cessna 172 RG and generally on the safety of the take-off and on air transport.

Fall Testing of the Personal Airborne Equipment Backpack: Ground and Flight Testing

This article evaluated the functionality and reliability of the personal airborne equipment backpack TL-98 before its launch in military parachute operations. An objective of this project was the verification of the TL-98’s characteristics which could be important in terms of the safety of the operation of the parachute, i.e., its functionality and reliability during flight and fall tests. A major effort within this research was focused on the fall tests of the TL-98 in standard parachute operational conditions. The strength of the backpack’s anchorage points (by which the backpack is attached to the parachute harness) was verified by flight test, where it was dropped from the aircraft at the maximum operating speed and at the maximum operating weight of the backpack; the backpack’s maximum operating weight had been increased by multiplying the standard maximum operating weight by a safety factor of 1.2. During the fall tests of the backpack, after its disconnection from the parachute harness (during ground tests and the test during the test jump), the strength of the backpack’s anchoring eye and the strength of the rope with which the backpack is connected to the parachute harness were verified. Another objective of this research was the collection of information to define the TL-98’s rope lifetime, which serves for the dropping of the TL-98. To fulfill this goal, the impact forces on the rope during the backpack’s fall were measured using a force sensor. The values of the impact forces were then calculated and compared with the values from the experiment. Using experimentally obtained results and their comparison with the calculated results, the lifetime of the TL-98 rope for parachuting operations was determined on the basis of predetermined criteria

Rapid estimation of 3D ventricular activation from electroanatomic mapping

Purpose Heart failure patients are often affected by a ventricular conduction disorder. Accurate characterization of the tridimensional (3D) activation sequence of the ventricles is fundamental for an effective personalized therapy. Electroanatomical mapping provides the activation times at the endocardium, with limited coverage due to anatomical constraints. Our aim is to develop a robust tool to generate a complete 3D, biventricular activation map from a limited number of endocardial measurements.Method In 6 candidates to cardiac resynchronization therapy a high density endocardial activation map of the right and left ventricle was obtained. High resolution propagating activation was simulated in patient-tailored anatomical heart models using the anisotropic eikonal equation and realistic fiber orientation. Subsequently, the mean square error between the measured and simulated activation times was minimized by varying early activation site(s) and local anisotropic conduction velocities.Results. A close correlation was achieved between the simulated and measured activation time for a single patient (Panel A) while detailed 3D activation maps were achieved (panel B and C). In all cases, the optimal parameters were identified within few minutes and the full activation sequence was computed in less than 2 seconds. A 0.9 to 0.95 Pearson correlation between measured and simulated activation times was obtained in all cases. The mathematical formulation is flexible in terms of the number of activation sites and a possible delay between them, in order to mimic the presence of a partially working Purkinje network.Conclusion Our methodology is able to generate in a clinically affordable computational time (few minutes) reliable, patient-specific, fully volumetric activation map of both ventricles using a local workstation or a laptop