Alsim Co-Operates In Flight Deck Human Factors Research

Alsim Co-Operates In Flight Deck Human Factors Research  Investigation Into Decision-Making In Complex, Unforeseen and Ambiguous Situations.

France’s well-established simulator manufacturer, Alsim, announces its participation in an ongoing study into variable human factors in pilots’ decision-making processes, using its ‘pan-fleet’ training devices.
With Alsim’s co-operation, Dr Lise Megret, a graduate of the University of Paris Ouest Nanterre La Defense, is continuing her work carried out while an intern with the Company as part of her thesis on variability of pilots’ cognitive and emotional processes in complex and dynamic situations  Teaching decision-making is a difficult but nevertheless essential task and  as part of the study into human factors in flight safety, pilots are  confronted with demanding in-flight decisions. Typical are, ‘Should I go-around?’ and ‘Should I divert?’, as well as the even more difficult problem of correctly interpreting improbable information.

Dr Megret says, “Allowing pilots to explore those types of situations can be very revealing. In conjunction with the instructor, the pilots analyse the way they perceived and handled safety-dependant information, and so become aware of the cognitive mechanisms that guide them in their decision-making.”  By deepening self-knowledge, Alsim training is aimed at increasing the pilots’ control of their own behaviour so as to engender more effective responses, specifically in unforeseen and ambiguous situations.”
Through this innovative use of their simulators and training staff, Alsim’s purpose is to bring a new and crucial advancement to conventional pilot training in dealing with complex procedures and in rare breakdowns.

Dr Megret’s Thesis is of great significance to safety in the airline industry and is available to other interested parties upon application to Alsim. Committed to the science of teaching flying skills, Alsim has recently acquired Airways Formation, a French ATO, to enable them to develop further their research and theory about ever more effective ways of training flyers of the next and subsequent generations.