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\u201cThis lab has studied pilots of all ages since about 2007,\u201d she told Skies<\/em>. \u201cWe\u2019re interested in everything to do with cognition and safety.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n In her previous career as an occupational therapist, Van Benthem studied older driver safety. As a PhD student joining the ACE Lab in 2008, she brought much of that knowledge with her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe gravitated to aviation immediately,\u201d recalled Dr. Chris Herdman, director of the ACE Lab. \u201cWe thought, maybe we can develop a safety tool to help assess when cognitive changes have occurred, to the extent where a pilot needs support. We began by looking at a study of older versus younger pilots with a desktop Cessna simulator. Then, we built a full-scale Cessna 172 simulator.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Since then, many students have conducted their undergraduate and graduate work in association with CANFLY. Presently, Masters student Emily Larkin is working with Van Benthem and Herdman on a large-scale validation study. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The ACE Lab is housed in the VSIM Centre, an 80,000-square-foot building on the Carleton University campus. The CANFLY program has access to equipment ranging from desktop simulators to virtual reality simulators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There is even a remote testing option for pilots who can\u2019t come to the Ottawa facility \u2013 all designed to evaluate pilot safety using a human factors approach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Herdman said the CANFLY study examines a pilot\u2019s situational awareness on three levels: immediate detection; understanding and interpreting; and being able to project that information into the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Researchers are very interested in a concept called prospective memory \u2013 which involves remembering to follow through on planned actions, such as making a radio call. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen most people think about memory ability, they are thinking about retrospective memory, where we recall something that has already happened,\u201d explained Herdman. \u201cProspective memory is when you rely on your brain and environmental cues to remind you to do something important later on. We need these cues. When a normal SOP (standard operating procedure) is interrupted, a pilot could forget to do something crucial.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n While medical incapacitation is a common concern in the cockpit, researchers say cognitive incapacitation is also a threat, especially if weaknesses are exacerbated by a challenging environment. Both situations can be equally devastating. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Accordingly, CANFLY evaluates how pilots prioritize known tasks and how they physically perform those activities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are interested in gauging how cognition is changing along the lifespan,\u201d said Herdman. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Calling all pilots<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n CANFLY invites all fixed-wing pilots across the country \u2013 no matter their age or what they fly \u2013 to participate in the study. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Those in the Ottawa area are encouraged to visit the ACE Lab, where they will participate in a free survey followed by a scenario-based virtual reality evaluation. In total, the in-person visit takes about two hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For those who are further away, a 45-minute online assessment is an option. Van Benthem clarified that while a debriefing is provided, \u201cwe are still at the validation stage, not at the stage where we can tell anyone how they did on the assessment.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n For this phase of the study, researchers are looking for about 60 additional pilots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Herdman said the ultimate goal is for CANFLY to be validated and packaged for GA pilots within two years. It is designed to be a self-administered tool, one \u201cthat is proactive in terms of assessment across a pilot\u2019s lifespan.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n He said the ability for a pilot to evaluate their cognition in the cockpit gives them more confidence and control over their own destiny. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Van Benthem added that pilots who participate in the study are participating in their own safety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCognition is the big thing we like to put forward \u2013 it is critical. The whole idea is, it puts the idea of cognition on the front burner and gets pilots involved. They always tell us they\u2019ve learned so much after completing all the study tasks.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n She said researchers have had tremendous support from aviation stakeholders, including pilots themselves and Transport Canada \u2013 although their work is independent and is not funded by any government agency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ve had hundreds of pilots come to our study over the years,\u201d concluded Van Benthem. \u201cIt\u2019s the longest running and largest GA-focused study in the world.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Are you a fixed-wing pilot who would like to participate in the CANFLY study on cognition in the cockpit? <\/em>Click here<\/em><\/a> to learn more about the study and to contact the ACE Lab.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/assets.skiesmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/IMG_4571-1024x768.jpeg\")
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