From serious gaming to full flight simulator: a proposal for a shared conceptual framework for training simulation trainers

Abstract

These days, almost 40% of flights in the French Army Light Aviation (FALA) are done on simulators. Military helicopter pilots train for the qualification instrument flight rules with Microsoft Flight Simulator ; they practise team building techniques thanks to the distributed simulation system EDITH and they revise their check-lists in a full flight simulator. Yet, the multiplicity of simulation technologies, being always changing, causes some negative effects. As a consequence, instructors only get the technical knowledge of the tools instead of really thinking about their teaching methods. Consequently, the purpose of our research as insider is twofold. First, we have planned to conceive a normative guide, intended for instructors of the FALA and, more generally, for all skateholders of simulation in order to improve communication within training, industrial and research projects about simulation. Then, our work provide new elements for a better understanding of the issues and the restrictions of the training through simulation.