Instrument Pilots Needed For Equipment Tests

RTI International, a research firm in Hampton, Va., needs pilots to help in a NASA-funded experiment to evaluate the use of new display concepts in a general aviation cockpit. The results will help produce procedures and guidelines for the design and use of such display concepts, RTI said. The experiment will replicate a typical general aviation flight in a simulator that has flight characteristics similar to a Piper Malibu. Pilots must have a current instrument rating. The tests begin next month and continue through April 16. Pilots receive a $50 stipend. Volunteers will be asked to fill out a pilot-knowledge questionnaire. They will then be briefed and trained on the operation of the simulator and experimental display system, and they will be asked to plan a cross-country flight according to IFR procedures. Pilots will be connected to a heart-rate monitor, which RTI says is used to determine workload as they fly the planned route in the simulator. The test will be followed up with another questionnaire and a debriefing. All results are confidential. To volunteer, contact Doree Fitzhugh at 757-827-8450.