Browsing by Author "Lewis, Raymond"

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    Pilots’ cognition of airport movement area guidance signs
    (2010) Lewis, Raymond
    Movement Area Guidance Signs (MAGS) are designed to assist pilots when they manoeuvre or taxi an aircraft on the airport prior to take-off and after landing. MAGS are standardized by ICAO and are installed on most major airports. Nevertheless, accident and incident surveys indicate the continuing prevalence of runway incursions and incorrect taxi procedures. The current study extends the findings of work carried out by the University of Newcastle into pilot perception and comprehension of airport movement signs. 18 pilot candidates with a mean age of 20 years and a mean flying experience of 25 hours were tested on their interpretation of MAGS during three simulated taxi manoeuvres. The experimental paradigm was more realistic than the University of Newcastle study in that the simulated taxi manoeuvre was performed with reference to a specific aerodrome chart. Subjects were instructed to taxi from a nominated position at Canberra airport to another nominated position at Canberra airport and were tested on their understanding of MAGS encountered en route. Participants displayed an excellent knowledge of the meaning of the MAGS. The mean score was 56.5 out of a possible 60 points or 94.25%. These results contradict the Newcastle study and indicate that MAGS are effective as a navigation aid for ground-based aircraft operations. Further work is indicated where pilots are tested on their cognition of MAGS when they simultaneously taxi an aircraft whilst performing other tasks associated with ground manoeuvres (for example, reading a pre take-off checklist).
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    T-Visual Approach Slope Indicator System (T-VASIS) versus Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) – the debate revisited
    (2011) Lewis, Raymond
    Two visual approach slope indicator lighting systems are in use in Australasia. These systems are designed to ameliorate and overcome the visual illusions associated with the approach and landing manoeuvre of aircraft. Using a flight simulator, 14 student pilot candidates, with little actual flying experience, ‘flew’ 10 approaches using PAPI and 10 approaches using T-VASIS. The approaches were ‘flown’ in various flight conditions including low visibility. The visual approach slope indicator lighting system was randomly assigned to each experimental condition. Results indicated that overall, there was less deviation from a correct glidepath when the approaches were ‘flown’ using T-VASIS. A post-flight survey indicated that participants found T-VASIS to be more intuitive. The results are discussed with reference to the prevailing preference of PAPI over T-VASIS by aviation authorities.
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    Teaching an aviation course via video conference – comments and observations on the attainment of graduate attributes and learning outcomes
    (2010) Lewis, Raymond
    While the author was at the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs; Colorado, the author taught an Introduction to Aviation course at the School of Engineering and Information Technology located at the University of New South Wales at the Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra. This paper describes the method of teaching this course via video conference. In this instance, teaching via video conference is markedly different to the techniques employed in distance education. This paper will describe the experience of teaching via video conference as well as some of the perceived shortcomings and pitfalls of being a ‘talking head’. The paper also describes some of the techniques developed in order to ameliorate some of the perceived difficulties of teaching via video conference. The results of a student questionnaire and overall learning outcomes will be discussed with reference to University of New South Wales graduate attributes.