Creating Data-Rich Learning Environments

Compared to XR, AI and other high-profile, emerging technologies, data is prominent but remains largely unheralded as an enabler in broad programs throughout the aviation industry. But that current situation is changing.

This is the first in a series of short articles to raise the civil aviation training enterprise’s awareness of the importance of data in the digital forms it may take – be it text, numbers, audio and even video – to provide information. While data is an underpinning in safety and other overarching industry-wide programs, it has becoming solidified as a foundation in the continuum of learning for pilots, cabin crew members, maintainers and other community members.

Data for Safety

Let’s first validate data’s importance and relevance in community-wide purposes, safety in this case.

D. Richard Meikle, Executive Vice President for Safety, Courseware and Compliance at FlightSafety International, initially noted his company’s use of data focuses on industry trends to focus on hazards which represent risk to safe operations.

Meikle, who, this March, also joined Air Charter Safety Foundation’s board of directors, recalled after partnering with GE Aerospace in 2021, FlightSafety’s courses now include insights gained from their Corporate Flight Operations Quality Assurance (C-FOQA) data. “Threats to safe flight operations are identified in this robust collection of flight data, and tailored content is developed to provide to our clients. The data clearly identifies the top contributing factors to runway excursions, the leading cause of aircraft accidents. Through detailed analysis it became obvious that the prevalence of displaced thresholds was high for runways with the above average rates of near runway excursions.”

Expanding Data’s Use Cases

FlightSafety then expanded the agreement to include GE Aerospace conducting assessment of data from simulators using the same analysis protocols as employed in the C-FOQA program. Meikle said as the deployment of this program increases across FlightSafety’s simulator network, it provides the ability to compare real world flight operations to virtual world training performance and identify any improvement opportunities.

Enhanced pilot performance through data use was also on the mind of Mickael Herard, Qualification & Product Manager at ALSIM.

The corporate manager emphasized Alsim recognizes the immense potential of data in enhancing pilot training and the company has integrated this dimension its long-term vision. “Our flight training devices serve as excellent data collection platforms to support pilot training. Our strategy involves two key elements: first, we’re enhancing connectivity with existing data-driven applications like Clouahoy; second, we’re developing proprietary tools, such as our debriefing station and our pilot selection and performance tool, to provide greater support to the training.”

Putting data to work: ATOs can create specific patterns to measure pilot handling skills on the Alsim “Pilot Selection and Performance Tool” (above screen capture). Source: Alsim

Relevant Data – Sooner not Later

One development to optimize data’s use for learning finds training organizations and their simulation and training industry partners compressing the timeline in which data can be used by instructors and their learning audiences, sooner not later.

FlightSafety’s Meikle noted, “Data is collected from our simulators using a data acquisition unit and transmitted to GE Aerospace for processing. Within 10 minutes of transmission, the data is available for review by FlightSafety personnel,” and added, “Examination of the data allows for training related trends to be compared to trends derived from C-FOQA data. As necessary, training program changes can be made to target specific focal points.”

Herard said when using third-party applications, customers can connect compatible apps to Alsim’s devices via the instructor operator station, which enables automatic data generation and broadcasting towards these cloud-based solutions. More on cloud computing later in this article.

The Alsim manager added his company’s proprietary applications, such as its pilot selection and performance tool, are seamlessly integrated. “Customers can effortlessly initiate and terminate the recording of flight data and visualize results into individual reports generated automatically,” with Alsim customers having the flexibility to export all flight data in a standard CSV [comma-separated values] file format, which can then be utilized by third-party products.”

Alsim offers two distinct solutions relevant for data collection and interpretation:

Data from Additional Sources

FlightSafety is casting an ever-wider net to capture and use data from multiple sources. Beyond the GE Aerospace partnership, FlightSafety has built a comprehensive dashboard of industry events using multiple sources including both flight related events and maintenance service difficulty reports to ensure trends are incorporated in course content. The executive added, “Updated daily, the database provides insight to trends in business aviation and scheduled airline operations.”

Striking a Balance and Other Challenges

While FlightSafety and Alsim are expanding training quality with more data, challenges remain on the community’s path to best optimize this enabler.

Meikle first cautioned that as with any data collection and analysis, the risk of misinterpretation is always a concern. The executive pointed out context can be very influential on the assessment, so it is important to have a robust collection of events before drawing conclusions. “For example, the variation in normal performance during an initial course for an aircraft can be relatively wide, and objective measurements require some interpretation to ensure accurate assessment. In another instance, operation of the aircraft within standards by using the full range of tolerances prescribed for the maneuver can be assessed objectively as meeting standards, however the instructor may view the procedure differently if it is not apparent the crewmember has mastery of the aircraft. Similarly, a momentary deviation from tolerances which has an immediate correction by the crewmember may be subjectively assessed by the instructor as meeting standards, however an objective assessment could see the deviation, albeit transient as unsatisfactory. Finding the balance is important, so the use of these tools will be supplemental to instructor assessment, not primary.”

The FlightSafety executive also added the comparison of simulator to aircraft flight data required some adjustments to the processing protocols as simulators do things aircraft don’t do such as “freeze in flight” or reposition from normal flight to stationary on the ground in seconds. Meikle continued, “The GE Aerospace team was quick to develop methods to identify these nuances in the data and create automatic identification of the procedure being flown using a combination of inputs from the simulator instructor operation system and the avionics setup in the flight deck.”

And then there is the privacy issue with organizations and students alike looking for strengthened protocols as data usage expands.

Meikle explained that to ensure data privacy, all identifying information is excluded from the source information, and only month and year are associated with the retained information. This allows for trending over time without association with any individual pilot. The executive significantly added, “Future releases will include the ability for companies and pilots to opt in to identified data retention with the appropriate consent.”

Increased Relevance of Cloud Computing

Another major technology thrust within the data space is the use of cloud computing, as introduced earlier by Alsim’s Herard.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) notes cloud computing is the on-demand delivery of IT resources over the Internet with pay-as-you-go pricing. Instead of buying, owning, and maintaining physical data centers and servers, you can access technology services, such as computing power, storage, and databases, on an as-needed basis from a cloud provider such as AWS.

This capability and business model are gaining users throughout the civil aviation training market. Indeed, Stacy Mitchell, spokesperson for AWS, noted her company is working with CAE “to help some of our customers like Ryanair and Emirates with the scheduling and planning of pilot training.”

AWS is working to further advance cloud computing across its customer base, including with airline customers. Programs such as AWS Training and Certification help provide cloud skills enablement to employees to promote fluency in cloud.

Data for AI

As this author has illustrated in articles on learning in adjacent high-risk sectors AI and data are inextricably linked – thus, the imperative to briefly discuss AI in this initial article.

While airlines are evaluating how to integrate AI across their enterprises, from customer relations to flight operations, the simulation and training industry is taking measured, deliberate approaches to introducing AI in their programs.

Herard declared AI is undoubtedly “a game-changer for the training industry.” As such Alsim views AI as a powerful tool to analyze and extract value from the vast amount of data generated by simulators. “AI will offer ATOs the possibility to better monitor and adapt training to individuals, fully embracing the concept of CBT,” the corporate manager said and concluded, “At Alsim, we closely monitor AI advancements and engage in discussions to select the optimal partner for integrating AI into our solutions. Recognizing that AI is still a relatively new technology, we prioritize thoughtful integration to provide mature, reliable, and relevant product and not only gimmicks claiming ‘AI inside’!”

Similarly, the development of AI is something FlightSafety is closely monitoring, however to date, no specific installation of AI is in use for its programs. Meikle concluded, “In the future, machine learning and AI tools will be adopted as appropriate, particularly given their ability to identify things humans may take far longer to identify, however we are focused intently on ensuring we have the right capture mechanisms and data points to ensure correct conclusions are drawn from valid data rather than risk a misinterpretation caused by a data flaw.”

Provide Your Insights

With the rapid maturation of AI as a learning tool, and the expansion of cloud computing and other technologies as enablers, the commercial aviation training market is developing nothing less than an insatiable appetite for data.

We look forward to gaining other insights on data from the broad civil aviation learning enterprise – going direct to the author at  marty.kauchak@halldale.com.