The NASA research involves a high fidelity flight simulation experiment designed to address four objectives 1 raise the technology readiness level for selected new technologies via testing across a…

This federal contract award, valued at $92,223.37, was issued by NASA's Langley Research Center to the National Institute of Aerospace Associates (NIA), a non-profit research organization, to conduct a high-fidelity flight simulation experiment. The experiment aims to: 1) raise the technology readiness level for selected new technologies, 2) discover contributing factors to loss of airplane state awareness, 3) assess the usability and acceptability of new technologies, and 4) advance test infrastructure capability for subsequent experiments. The contract has no set-aside designation and is structured as a cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order. NIA has previously conducted research and engineering services for NASA, including work on electrified aircraft propulsion, urban air mobility, and advanced air transport technologies. For this experiment, NIA has subcontracted with Shipping Solutions Inc., a for-profit, woman-owned, and veteran-owned company, to provide consulting services prior to the simulation.

The NASA research involves a high fidelity flight simulation experiment designed to address four objectives 1 raise the technology readiness level for selected new technologies via testing across a span of conditions that emulate those encountered in previous incidents involving loss of airplane state awareness 2 discover previously unknown contributing factors to loss of airplane state awareness 3 assess the usability and acceptability of the new technologies and 4 advance test infrastructure capability for subsequent tests including validating test platform performance given several modifications to create boeing 787 like flight deck interfaces and supporting systems. A prior automation and information management experiment aime 1 was conducted to address many of these research goals. This follow on experiment designated as aime 2 is being planned now. In IT commercial airline pilots will fly specific scenarios and provide feedback on the flight deck technologies employed in the scenario. As part of the experiment development scenarios need to be designed that will exercise those test conditions that can resolve the experiment objectives. Aime 2 will evaluate the new technologies VIS a VIS current flight deck displays and technologies on the boeing B787. Aime 2 will use the john f kennedy JFK international airport instead of memphis international that was used in aime 1. This change will require revised test environment variables weather air traffic approach and arrival patterns etc. Depending on the results of these initial experiments additional requirements may be added in the future to support additional automation and information management experiments.