ASTG reaches 400 members
As we step into the new year, we want to take a moment to thank our incredible members for their continued trust and support. Back in October 2022, we were 211 strong, and today, we are thrilled to share that our community has grown to over 400 members! This milestone is a testament to the vibrant engagement and passion each of you brings to the ASTG. We remain committed to giving back, creating meaningful opportunities, and upholding the trust you have placed in us. Together, let’s continue to elevate our field and inspire innovation!
Election Results
By Arjun Rao
ASTG held its election from Dec 13 to Dec 31st, 2024, for the roles of TG vice-chair and Program vice-chair. HFES hosted the voting website and tallied the results.
We are pleased to announce that Nayara De Oliveira Faria has been elected as TG Vice-Chair and Rodrigo Lopes as Program Vice-Chair. The leadership team thanks all the other candidates and our membership for their participation during this election cycle.
ASPIRE ‘25 - Call for papers is open
The next HFES conference will be held in Chicago, IL on October 13 - 17, 2025.
The call for papers is now open and you can submit your extended abstract up to February 13.
You can submit one of the following communications:
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Lecture (research paper that describes recent empirical, theoretical, or practitioner work)
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Industry Practitioner Case Study (real-world applications, experiences, and lessons learned from the industry)
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Poster (unique opportunity to interact one-on-one with attendees in an open, dynamic setting)
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Discussion Panel (talk up to six panelists followed by discussion involving the audience and panel members)
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Demonstration (brief oral presentation followed by a live demonstration of a tool or product)
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Workshop (3h or 6h training session on Monday)
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Alternative Format (ex. debates, on-site experiments, simulations, and other innovative approaches)
Learning from last year, ASPIRE adopts a 2-step submission process for presentation at the conference and then publication in the conference proceedings. The first step requires an extended abstract for most submission types. Acceptance at this stage grants authors the opportunity to present at ASPIRE. Then, authors may decide to optionally submit either a revised extended abstract or a 5-page paper for consideration for publication in the proceedings. Acceptance for presentation does not automatically grant acceptance for publication in the proceedings.
To present as part of the Aerospace track, make sure to select Aerospace Systems as your primary technical area in the list.
New Publications
By Philippe Doyon-Poulin
Handbook of Aviation Neuropsychology: A Practical Guide for the Clinician
Edited by: Robert Bor, Carina Eriksen, Randy J. Georgemiller, Alastair L. Gray
Hogrefe has just realised this new handbook with an unique perspective on aviation human factors. The book compiles 32 chapters written by world-leading scientists on the latest progress on neuropsychology applied to aviation. It covers the background of neuroscience, mental health issues, cognitive training, neuropsychological tests and assessments, accident investigation from a neuropsychology perspective (ex. memory, attention, fire and fumes) and how to deal with attention deficit / ADHD in the aviation industry.
An experimental comparison on the effectiveness of various levels of simulator fidelity on ab initio pilot training
By Naomi Paul, Bradley Moncion & Shi Cao
The study compared the effectiveness of three different training devices to learn the basic flying skills: a virtual reality simulator (Oculus Quest 2), desktop simulator (3x24-in monitors, with Logitech controls), or flight training device (ALSIM AL250). The study used a between-subject design by training 10 ab-initio pilots over 5 days on each device (total n=30 pilots). An instructor rated pilots on day 1 and day 5 on three ICAO competencies while flying the flight training device.
Their findings showed that pilots’ competencies improved with all simulators, which is good news. However, improvements were the strongest using the flight training device compared to VR for competencies 1 - Application of checklist and 4 - Manual flight path management. There was no significant difference with the desktop simulator, nor have they found a difference in the level of improvement between devices for competency 7 - Situational awareness. It suggests that virtual reality and desktop simulators have good potential for training procedural tasks but highlight their limitations regarding aircraft handling tasks.
Competency-Based Peer Support in Aviation: A Framework for Training Peers Within Peer Support Programs
By Andrew Forbes, Robert Bor, and Aedrian Bekker
In the last few years, civilian aviation has seen dramatic accidents led by pilots with mental disorders (Germanwings Flight 9525, Alaska Airlines Flight 2059, Horizon Air Q400). This has renewed discussion on pilot mental health issues and how to address the more subtle worries that can impact daily life e.g., financial burden, divorce and burnout. The European Pilot Peer Support Initiative (EPPSI) produced the second edition of their Guide on peer support, with specifics on how to organize, intervene and show compliance for such a program. Since 2021, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) requires all commercial air transport operators to have a support program for their pilots and last year it released a report evaluating the effectiveness of their implementation across operators. Although EASA requires a support program, it does not tell operators how to provide it.
In this work, Forbes, Bor and Bekker present how to develop a competency-based training for peer support. This means that all peers are trained to face a variety of issues common in the aviation workplace (ex. fear of flying, depression, performance anxiety), that they are ready to listen to a fellow pilot sharing his or her mental health concerns, and are equipped to address the concerns raised.
Their training program develops 9 competencies required to become a good peer supporter:
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Confidentiality not to fear of losing one’s licence when speaking out
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Empathy for the peer to keep a positive regard toward the pilot being helped
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Rapport building to gain trust and confidence for the pilot being helped
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Listening actively to the pilot seeking help
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Understanding and questioning carefully the pilot seeking help to understand the problem
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To be knowledgeable of Resource and Procedures available to support the pilot seeking help
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Signposting to put a plan forward with the pilot seeking help
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Threat assessment to ensure the pilot seeking help and people around are safe
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Follow-up to ensure continuity in the support
The authors also provided a list of observable behavioral indicators to assess the quality of peer support (i.e., what should a good peer do? And how should it be done?). Read the full paper for the complete description of competencies and their assessment.
The authors highlight that the skills and attitude of peer support are contrary to a pilot’s training. For years, pilots have been trained to put their “emotions in a box” before stepping in the airplane to remain mission-focused. When faced with a problem, pilots have learned and practiced to recognize the symptoms and execute the procedure to solve it. Peer support relies on listening, empathy, rapport building, and understanding one’s problems before being able to support the pilot in finding a solution. By developing such peer-support competencies, all peers would be better equipped to face life hurdles and be able to offer support to their fellow pilots, making their environment a safer place.
A big thank you to researchers Forbes, Bor and Bekker for this renewed discussion on pilot mental health and for their thoughtful contribution.
Webinar
By Rodrigo Lopes
Catch the recording of our past webinar on Multiple airport route separation (MARS) and our 500-word text summary.
In this webinar, Divya Chandra and Andra Sparko from the U.S. DOT Volpe National Transportation Systems Center presented a study on flight deck human factors considerations for Performance Based Navigation (PBN) departure procedures (DPs). This work focused on issues relevant to the Multiple Airport Route Separation (MARS) concept, a proposed air traffic control initiative by the FAA aimed at improving traffic flow in busy terminal areas with multiple airports.
In the news
By Srishti Rawal
JPL completes investigation of Ingenuity’s final flight
Ingenuity Mars helicopter crashed on January ‘24 and leaders at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory recently published the results of what is likely the “first aircraft accident investigation on another world”. The helicopter used a downward-facing camera to track terrain features and it worked fine, until recently when the helicopter arrived in a sandy environment that provided few features to lock on to. On flight 71, it experienced a hard landing at 2.5 m/s, x5 what it was designed to sustain. On flight 72, a similar hard landing occurred, and the helicopter plowed through sand. The high lateral velocities experienced on both landings caused damage on all four blades that broke off at a weak structural point, about one-third from the tip of the blade.
Boeing charts ‘aggressive’ 737 Max production ramp-up in 2025
Following the 53-day strike of its unionized workers that ended on Nov. 5, Boeing prioritized training and workforce recertification before going back to production. Now, the plane maker seeks a steep production acceleration and plans to build 38 737 Max per month by May 2025, and multiply by 3 this output in 2027.
FAA Takes Steps to Modernize Flight School Regulations
The FAA is updating its Part 141 pilot school regulations, some of which date back to the 1940s. This modernization will address certification challenges, integrate new technology, and enhance safety in aviation training. Public input is encouraged, with the first meeting on March 6, 2025, and comments due by March 21. This initiative could redefine the future of pilot training.
NASA’s Mars Sample Return: Two Paths to Bringing Martian Samples Home
NASA is advancing its Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission by exploring two innovative approaches: a "sky crane" design or commercial heavy landers, both aimed at retrieving samples collected by the Perseverance rover. Key updates include a redesigned lander powered by an RTG, enhanced planetary protection systems, and a focus on cost-efficient solutions. With potential returns starting in 2035, this mission could unlock groundbreaking insights, including evidence of ancient Martian life.
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Srishti Rawal
Montreal QC
+1 4383659334
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