Features of fighter aircraft staff training in the flight schools of the Red Army air force during the 2nd period of the Soviet-Axis war

The article highlights the main features of the training of flight personnel in fighter aviation schools during the period of radical change in the World War II East Front. The main components of the training of pilots are considered and analysed, such as – the system of recruiting the teaching and instructor staff, statistics of aviation accidents, the state of the airfield network and the material and technical base of educational institutions of fighter aviation, etc. The general patterns of fighter aviation schools were revealed, which manifested themselves in the loss of training time spent on overcoming everyday difficulties in places of evacuation. The factors that negatively influenced the training of flight personnel in the second period of the Soviet-Axis war and the methods of overcoming them by the personnel of aviation schools are established. It is concluded that it was necessary to timely eliminate the most significant shortcomings – interruptions in the supply of fuel, spare parts and assemblies, untimely renewal of the aircraft fleet, imperfections in the organisational and staff structure.

Improving Airline Pilots’ Visual Scanning and Manual Flight Performance through Training on Skilled Eye Gaze Strategies

Poor cockpit monitoring has been identified as an important contributor to aviation accidents. Improving pilots’ monitoring strategies could therefore help to enhance flight safety. During two different sessions, we analyzed the flight performance and eye movements of professional airline pilots in a full-flight simulator. In a pre-training session, 20 pilots performed a manual approach scenario as pilot flying (PFs) and were classified into three groups according to their flight performance: unstabilized, standard, and most accurate. The unstabilized pilots either under- or over-focused various instruments. Their number of visual scanning patterns was lower than those of pilots who managed to stabilize their approach. The most accurate pilots showed a higher perceptual efficiency with shorter fixation times and more fixations on important primary flight instruments. Approximately 10 months later, fourteen pilots returned for a post-training session. They received a short training program and performed a similar manual approach as during the pre-training session. Seven of them, the experimental group, received individual feedback on their own performance and visual behavior (i.e., during the pre-training session) and a variety of data obtained from the most accurate pilots, including an eye-tracking video showing efficient visual scanning strategies from one of the most accurate pilots. The other seven, the control group, received general guidelines on cockpit monitoring. During the post-training session, the experimental group had better flight performance (compared to the control group), and its visual scanning strategies became more similar to those of the most accurate pilots. In summary, our results suggest that cockpit monitoring underlies manual flight performance and that it can be improved using a training program based mainly on exposure to eye movement examples from highly accurate pilots.

FORENSIC SCIENCE POSIBILITIES WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS WHILE AVIATION ACCIDENTS

The article analyzes conceptual framework for specific expertise use while conducting forensic examinations related to aviation accidents. Foundations of such activities have been developed. In particular, it is stressed that effective implementation of criminal proceedings depends to a greater extent on the results of expert researches, especially if it is a complex process of aviation accident investigation. Similarly, the quality of expert researches depends on organization of research institutes activity regarding creation of effective methodologies for the analysis of different physical evidence obtained at the aviation accident scene. By using specific expertise, employees of forensic institutions independently or jointly with employees of other specialized institutions, law enforcement agencies, specialists-doctors can advance methods of expert research and, consequently, combat criminal offenses or ensure timely detection of the offender whereabouts. The possibility of expanding the compulsory appointment of forensic examinations in aviation accident criminal proceedings is being considered. Factual and legal grounds for the appointment and conduct of a forensic examination in this case are outlined. Scientifically substantiated recommendations on directions of counteraction to attacks on the aviation industry facilities are suggested, as well as the algorithm for developing innovations for the needs of law enforcement agencies is proposed. It is emphasized that the use of forensic science possibilities within the framework of a criminal proceeding related to aviation accidents is quite influential, since it helps to perform a multidisciplinary professional analysis of evidence, facilitate organization of forensic experts’ work, protect the rights of citizens and contribute to fulfillment of justice tasks in general.

Identifying and Categorizing Positive Behaviors in Unexpected Events in Aviation

Unexpected aviation events pose a challenge in training for aviation safety. Since unexpected events, by definition, cannot be specifically trained, one suggestion is to train pilots for the skills necessary to respond to unexpected events. We attempted to better understand positive behaviors in unexpected events in aviation through post hoc analysis of aviation accidents with good outcomes. We conducted a pilot study—an open card sort—with human factors experts to (1) evaluate the utility of the method and (2) create the category names to be used in the full-scale study. Upon completion of the pilot study, we propose a full-scale study with a closed card sort methodology. Understanding what behaviors led to positive outcomes in the past will help in designing training programs to maximize positive outcomes in the future.

Aviation Safety in South Sudan

Africa contributes only 3.9% in air traffic, but records 19% of aviation accidents, in terms of fatalities. High accident rates are attributed to poor compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs). This study analyzed the prevalence of aircraft accidents in the youngest African country, South Sudan, which obtained independence in July 9, 2011. The quantitative study examined aviation accident databases to determine the number of aircraft accidents in South Sudan, the aircraft manufacturers and aircraft models, number of fatalities, and causes of accidents, categorized as pilot error, technical failure, air traffic control, or weather-related events. The accidents were collected from the Aviation Safety Network (ASN) database, which is maintained by the Flight Safety Foundation. A total of 83 accident cases were examined, with 32 satisfying the criteria of accidents covering the July 2011 to May 2021 period. The findings show that Antonov aircrafts account for a majority of the accidents (31.25%), followed by Cessna (21.88%) and LET (15.63%). The 32 aircrafts involved in the accidents were carrying 378 occupants, 72 occupants died, representing a fatality rate of 19.5%. Antonov (66.67%) and LET (27.7%) contributed the greatest fatalities. In terms of accident causes, technical failures (46.9%) and pilot errors (43.8%) were the most dominant causes. Weather-related conditions only contributed to 9.4% of all the cases investigated. These results show that South Sudan continues to suffer from poor aviation infrastructure, poor compliance to internationally recognized SARPs.

Situational Awareness and General Aviation Accidents

Situational awareness is a concept increasingly used in aircraft accident investigation reports. We analyzed 94 general aviation accidents in which situational awareness was mentioned by the National Transportation Safety Board investigator to determine factors that are significantly more often associated with fatality. We found a consistent use of the situational awareness concept, mainly applied to situations in which aircraft inadvertently collided with each other, with other man-made objects, and with various kinds of terrain. A significantly higher proportion of fatal accidents occurred during nighttime, in instrument meteorological conditions, or low visibility conditions. In addition, flights occurring during the cruise phase or in combination with spatial or geographical disorientation proved most often fatal.