Proof-of-concept part-task trainer to enhance situation awareness for instrument approach procedures in aviation domain

The terminal environment in the aviation domain is referred to as the region within close proximity of airports. Performance in this environment leaves little room for error and requires that pilots are fully aware of their situation and surroundings. This is especially true when conducting an instrument approach (IA). Currently, United States Marine Corps (USMC) KC-130J units do an exceptional job of training their pilots in this environment. However, the emergence of new technologies affords the opportunity to address shortfalls of legacy training approaches. To this end, this thesis uses a quasi-instructional systems design approach to develop a prototype IA part-task trainer (PTT) using commercial off-the shelf (COTS) systems to enhance current training methods to allow for training opportunities that are not limited by schedules or location. After the development of the PTT, subject-matter experts evaluated the prototype training system. Their feedback suggests that the system reliably re-created necessary cues (cockpit displays, environmental conditions, communications, time, and space) to build on users' existing knowledge and support situation awareness training for IA. Ultimately, the proof-of-concept prototype created for this thesis is envisioned to be part of a family of solutions capable of addressing existing training gaps in a cost-effective manner.http://archive.org/details/proofofconceptpa1094555508Captain, United States Marine CorpsApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited