Practice Makes Perfect or Does It? Practice Effect in Flying HUD Localizer-Guided Low Visibility Takeoffs

Abstract

This research highlighted an interesting aspect of the relationship between practice, flight technical error (FTE), workload, and safety margin. The results showed that with practice, the FTE values were not affected and no practice effect was observed. However, practice did affect the reported perceived workload levels, where the NASA-TLX ratings significantly decreased as the research study progressed. Based on these results, we proposed that the observed significant decrease in the subjective measure of crew workload could result in an increased safety margin even though the objective measure of performance remained relatively unchanged. Specifically, the subjective assessment of workload level could be characteristic of the pilot’s assessment of the size of safety margin across different operational conditions where the perception of reduced workload levels could be considered as a form of cognitive capacity “capital.” We assert that practice affords an added sense of optimized levels of workload and increased confidence. With that, it could virtually increase the size of safety margin.