Spatial Disorientation CLS

SD training is currently required and conducted in United States Air Force (USAF) pilot training as part of Air Education & Training Command (AETC) classroom-based training and in-flight demonstrations using the T-6 aircraft.  USAF Pilot training is conducted at Columbus AFB MS, Laughlin AFB OK, Sheppard AFB TX, JBSA Randolph TX and Vance AFB OK.  Currently, each student experiences basic SD illusions by training in the Gyro Integrated Physiological Trainer (IPT), Generation II (GYRO IPT II), which is a commercially available product, support the Spatial Disorientation (SD) training requirements in the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) Student Undergraduate Pilot Training syllabus. SD training systems expose undergraduate pilots and aircrew to typical vestibular and visual illusions found in aviation, allowing them to recognize, confirm, prevent, and recover from SD.

The Program Requirements can be summarized per the list below:

• CLS, Mods, Upgrades, Testing, and other support for 5 devices located at 5 sites.
• Ability to replicate past/recent accident scenarios as a demonstration training event.
• Set environmental parameters prior to flight and use flight data (aircraft data as well as instrument data) ability to replay while maintaining the ability to transfer control of fight to the pilot at one time.
• The SD Trainer will be maintenance friendly, enabling routine maintenance tasks to be accomplished within 24 hours (by properly trained personnel), to ensure the SD Trainer can support training for 10 hours/day, 5 days/week.