"Early fixed wing research demonstrated that potential cost and training benefits could be derived from simulation-augmented primary flight training. Unfortunately, more recent research in this area has been the exception, not the rule. This is especially true in the case of rotary wing (helicopter) aircrew training research. The present report reviewed the research literature on military aviation transfer of training (TOT) research, and examined the current U.S. Army Initial Entry Rotary Wing (IERW) Program of Instruction. An in-depth review was also conducted on the recent IERW simulation research performed by the Army Research Institute (ARI) Rotary Wing Aviation Research Unit (RWARU). Review of the IERW TOT research showed that a combination of synthetic flight simulation and criterion-based training had the potential for saving training time and costs in the aircraft. Adaptive training aids such as the ARI RWARU Intelligent Flight Trainer, also showed promise. A research program, focusing on revising the current IERW program to optimize the use of simulation, was proposed. This program would include (a) criterion-based instructional strategies, (b) low cost simulation, and (c) investigation of different combinations of simulator vs. aircraft training events, in order to determine the optimal simulator/aircraft training mix."--DTIC.

Early fixed wing research demonstrated that potential cost and training benefits could be derived from simulation-augmented primary flight training. Unfortunately, more recent research in this area has been the exception, not the rule. This is especially true in the case of rotary wing (helicopter) aircrew training research. The present report reviewed the research literature on military aviation transfer of training (TOT) research, and examined the current U.S. Army Initial Entry Rotary Wing (lERW) Program of Instruction. An in-depth review was also conducted on the recent lERW simulation research performed by the Army Research Institute (ARI) Rotary Wing Aviation Research Unit (RWARU). Review of the lERW TOT research showed that a combination of synthetic flight simulation and criterion-based training had the potential for saving training time and costs in the aircraft. Adaptive training aids such as the ARI RWARU Intelligent Flight Trainer, also showed promise. A research program, focusing on revising the current lERW program to optimize the use of simulation, was proposed. This program would include (a) criterion-based instructional strategies, (b) low cost simulation, and (c) investigation of different combinations of simulator vs. aircraft training events, in order to determine the optimal simulator/aircraft training "mix."

Early fixed-wing research demonstrated that potential cost and training benefits could be derived from simulation-augmented primary flight training. More recent research in this area has been the exception, not the rule. This is especially true for rotary-wing aircrew training research. Currently, the U.S. Army does not use simulation in the primary "contact" phase of initial entry rotary-wing "IERW" training. Research performed by the Army Research Institute showed that a combination of synthetic flight simulation and criterion-based training during the primary phase of IERW had the potential for saving training time and costs in the aircraft. This research was performed using a low-cost simulator based upon the UH-1 helicopter. In the 4 quasi-experiments reported, positive transfer effectiveness ratios "TERs" were observed for most flight maneuvers pretrained in the simulator; student pilots in the simulator group required fewer iterations than control participants to reach proficiency on most flight maneuvers in the UH-1 training aircraft. As the visual display and flight modeling systems were upgraded, greater TERs were observed, and differences among groups tended to become significant.

This report presents results of an evaluation of the Army's 175/40 Initial Entry Rotary Wing (IERW) training program. The program consists of 175 flight and 40 simulator hours. In the last training phase of the program, students are divided into two training tracks, i.e., Utility Helicopter and Aeroscout. Data were gathered from IERW training files and through questionnaires administered to instructors at the Army Aviation Center and to unit instructors, supervisors, and program graduates at aviation field units world-wide. Data were gathered on graduates of both the 175/40 program and the 180/20 program that preceded it, and comparisons between the two programs are made. Results and conclusions are presented with reference to nine specific evaluation objectives. Major conclusions are: (1) the 175/40 IERW course is accomplishing its objectives; (2) the 175/40 course is an improvement over the 180/20 course; and (3) proficiency progression and individualized training can play an effective role in IERW training. (Author).

The Army Research Institute (ARI) has developed and demonstrated the UH-1 Training Research Simulator (TRS), and shown it to be effective in providing low-cost, effective simulator-based basic training of initial-entry rotary wing (IERW) maneuvers. The system integrates technologies of distributed computational processing and computer image generators in a configuration that has the potential for minimizing dependence on a dedicated instructor pilot. Six empirical studies have demonstrated the system's effectiveness in delivering positive transfer-of-training to the UH-1 helicopter, and further studies are planned to expand the evaluation effort's scope. A need has existed, however, to improve the instructional portions of the system by incorporating instructor pilot (IP) domain knowledge, and by providing the student pilot (SP) with appropriate tutorial feedback regarding proficiency progress. By doing so significant savings in IP hours could be realized to complement the savings already achieved through the low-cost hardware configuration. Of perhaps greater significance was the potential of demonstrating how intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs) could be hybridized with flight training simulators to support the development of a new generation of low-cost intelligent flight trainers (IFTs). The potential thus existed far beyond the UH-1 TRS, and may have significant impact on several other existing and planned flight trainers.