Integration of Advanced Technology in Initial Flight Training

As virtual reality and artificial intelligence technologies continue to advance, the United States Military is quickly integrating these capabilities into initial flight training through efforts like the Air Force's Pilot Training Next (PTN) program. A persistent issue, however, has been a lack of data guiding (1) the ideal degree of integration into traditional pilot training and (2) the optimal amount of structure for student pilots' training experience. The goal of this study was to evaluate the aforementioned PTN model when applied to the U.S. Air Force Academy's flight training program with special emphasis on the ideal degree of structure for airmanship success. To this end, a quasi-experimental approach was utilized, which included 60 USAFA cadets enrolled in the Powered Flight Program who were pseudo-randomly assigned to three independent groups with varying degrees of structure. The groups (i.e., High Structured, Scaffolded, and Low Structured Groups) represented a spectrum of VR-training curriculum structure ranging from a rigid, lineal objective-completion model (akin to traditional flight training) to an unguided, Montessori-like model. With group assignment as the independent variable, live-flight performance was used as the dependent variable, which was quantified using flight grade cards, number of “landing tabs” (i.e., modified solos) awarded, and a subjective Instructor Pilot rating. Subjective feedback was also obtained from students in each condition. Initial effectiveness data indicated an increased level of perceived self-efficacy in coordination with increased virtual reality simulator time as well as an accelerated rate of positive transfer to real aircraft from the strictly structured and scaffolded groups. The results of this study allow for initial recommendations for forthcoming airmanship training and undergraduate pilot training augmentation efforts across the Department of Defense.