• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.37-44
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• 2008

To design the cockpit of Korean helicopter, anthropometric data for Korean helicopter pilots as a target population is necessary. The present study measured the body sizes of Korean helicopter pilots to design the cockpit of Korean helicopter, and compared the measurements with those of Korean civilian and the US Army. The sample size was 100 which determined by a statistical analysis. Anthropometric measurements were collected for 100 samples (male = 94, female = 6; age group = 20~40) of Korean helicopter pilots by applying standard measurement protocol. To compare three anthropometric data, Korean civilian and US Army data were controlled by considering age group (20~40) and gender ratio (male: female = 9:1) of Korean helicopter pilots. The average body sizes of Korean helicopter pilots were mostly similar to those of Korean civilian, however, lower limb related variables (hip breadth, popliteal height and thigh clearance) and shoulder-to-elbow length were significantly greater (1~7%) at α=0.05. Furthermore, the average body sizes for Korean helicopter pilots regarding lower limb length and thickness were significantly smaller than those of the US Army (1~12%); however, the average body sizes for Korean helicopter pilots regarding upper body related variables (sitting height, sitting eye height, and acromial height) and hip breadth were significantly greater (0.7~1.9%). Lastly, size variability for Korean helicopter pilots was significantly smaller than those of Korean civilian and the US Army. Anthropometric data for Korean helicopter pilots of the present study was applied to design and evaluate a Korean helicopter cockpit.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.29-36
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• 2024

Pilots are indispensable and central to the aviation industry, with the relevance of their psychological stress and resultant human errors increasingly recognized as critical. This study aims to meticulously explore the interrelations between psychological stressors and associated factors among helicopter pilots, assessing the consequent effects on potential accidents and incidents. The study comprised active pilots from domestic helicopter airlines, with data collated through both focus group interviews (FGI) and comprehensive surveys. These data were subsequently analyzed using SPSS and AMOS for structural equation modeling. The results reveal that heightened psychological stress in helicopter pilots correlates with an increased incidence of human errors, which in turn, elevates the likelihood of potential safety incidents. Based on these findings, it is proposed that interventions designed to mitigate psychological stress among pilots could significantly reduce human errors and enhance overall aviation safety. This research provides crucial insights into specific ways to improve the operational conditions for helicopter pilots and strengthen the safety protocols within the aviation industry.

• Journal of Advanced Navigation Technology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.8-15
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• 2023

According to the results of a survey of pilots, 92% or 230 out of 252 respondents said they had experienced flight errors during flight. As so many pilots are experiencing Spatial Disorientation, and this is one of the main causes of aircraft accidents and loss of life, so it is important to understand accurately. However, in Korea, training equipment for fixed-wing pilots has already been developed and trained, or recently developed, and some equipment for helicopter pilots is available in the Korea Air Force, but there is no environment for helicopter pilots to receive training in Spatial Disorientation prevention. Therefore, we intend to produce a helicopter-only simulator, present a program to prevent possible Spatial Disorientation during flights for helicopter pilots, and propose legal and institutional measures based on future training data.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.30-37
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• 2021

This study wanted to confirm whether the DiSC behavior types of student pilots and instructors in the training course of Helicopter pilots affect the flight training achievement. The results of the study are as follows. First, in the distribution of DiSC behavior types of student pilots and instructors, student pilots had the largest number of Dominance with 40.2 percent, while Instructors had the highest number of conscientiousness with 46.5 percent. Second, it was analyzed that the flight training achievement was influenced by the behavior type of student pilots. In basic flight and aircraft type conversion flight, Steadiness had the highest achievement in flight training, and in tactical flight, conscientiousness was the highest. Third, the behavior patterns of student pilots and instructors have been confirmed to have interaction effects in tactical flight.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.74-83
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• 2020

Securing excellent pilots is not only directly linked to the military's improved combat capabilities, but also a way to minimize human and property losses from aircraft accidents. Therefore, a scientific method is needed to diagnose pilot aptitude from the pilot selection process and select those with high accident potential, those who are dropped out of the flight training process, and those who are not suitable for pilot life in advance. Developed countries have implemented pilot aptitude tests to solve these problems early on, but so far, the Korean Army has not introduced a pilot aptitude test system that uses diagnostic tools in the helicopter pilot selection process. Therefore, in this study, scientific diagnostic tools are developed for selecting helicopter pilots, and through this, it is predicted that the number of people who are likely to be dropped out of the training course and who have the potential for accidents will be selected in advance and eliminated in the selection process. In this context, prior research examined the key factors involved in the pilot aptitude test. Through this, the aptitude test items were developed and aptitude tests were conducted on student pilots currently in flight training, and the results of flight training were analyzed.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.44-54
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• 2022

An empirical analysis was conducted on the workload of helicopter pilots flying in high-risk flight environments such as ground obstacles and weather effects at low altitudes. To evaluate the workload, an independent sample t-test was performed using the NASA-TLX evaluation method most suitable for the aviation field, and the workload score was calculated by applying the analytical stratification method (AHP) to compare and analyze private and commercial pilots. There is a significant difference in mean between private and commercial pilots and the result of work load was obtained over 70%. This paper studied the 'surprise and startle effect' on the helicopter field for the first time. In the future, it is intended to contribute to the safe operation of helicopters by presenting a method for effective safety management by utilizing it in the field of education and training for helicopter pilots and providing basic data for preventing accidents caused by human error.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.28-36
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• 2021

Surprise and Startle are often cited as potential or contributing factors in the cause of aircraft accidents because they can negatively affect pilots' situational awareness and decision-making. Accordingly, it is necessary to more clearly understand the effect on flight safety through the psychological and physiological reactions that occur to the pilots. Therefore, this study empirically analyzed the effects of Surprise and Startle on the pilot's psychological and physiological responses using a helicopter flight training device for the first time in Korea. As a result of the analysis, the ratio of recognition of Startle and Surprise, heart rate, and respiration rate showed a high difference between private pilots and commercial pilots. This is analyzed as the difference between long-term flight experience and flight time. In addition to presenting effective information for improving the education and training field of helicopter pilots in the future, it is intended to provide basic data for related research.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.21-31
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• 2020

There are two to three helicopter accidents every year in Korea, representing 5.7 deaths per 100,000 flights. In this study, an analysis was conducted on helicopter accidents that occurred in Korea from 2005 to 2017. The accident analysis was based on the aircraft accident and incident report published by the Aircraft and Railway Accident Investigation Board. This Research analyzed the characteristics of accidents occurring in Korea caused by human error by pilots. Accident analysis was done by classifying the organization, flight mission, aircraft class, flight stage, accident cause, etc. Pilot's huan error was classified as Skill-based error, decision error and perceptual error in accordance with the HFACS taxonomy. The accidents caused by pilot's human error were classified into five categories: powerlines collision, loss of control, fuel exhaustion, unstable approach to reservoir, and elimination of tail rotor.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.46-54
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• 2023

Helicopter pilots are required to perform many visual workloads in topographical avoidance, flight path modification and navigation, because helicopters operate at very low altitudes. The helicopter-specific instability also require the pilot to have precise perception and control. This has caused frequent human error in helicopter accidents. In Korea, two to three cases have occurred annually on average over the past 10 years, and this trend has not decreased. The purpose of this study was to identify human error risks in advance to prevent helicopter accidents and to help develop measures for missions and mission phases with high risk of human error. Through the study, the tasks and mission phases where accidents occur frequently were classified and the risk of human error was calculated for each mission phases. To this end, the task of frequent accidents during helicopter missions was first identified, detailed steps were classified, and the number of accidents was analyzed. Next, the AHP survey program was developed to measure the pilot's risk of human error and the survey was conducted on the pilots. Finally, the risk of human error by helicopter mission and by mission phases calculated and compared with the actual number of accidents.

• Journal of Advanced Navigation Technology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.60-67
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• 2024

The majority of civil aviation accidents are caused by human factors, and especially for rotary-wing aircraft, accidents often occur in situations where pilots unexpectedly or unintentionally enter into instrument meteorological conditions (IIMC). This research analyzed the error rates of rotary-wing aircraft pilots under low visibility conditions from various angles to gain insights into flight characteristics and to explore measures to reduce accidents in IIMC situations. The occurrence rate of errors by pilots under low visibility conditions was examined using a flight simulator equipped with motion, with 65 pilots participating in the experiment. Flight data obtained through the experiment were used to aggregate and analyze the number of errors under various conditions, such as reductions in flight visibility, the presence or absence of spatial disorientation, and the pilot's qualifications. The analysis revealed peculiarities in flight characteristics under various conditions, and significant differences were found in the rate of error occurrence according to the pilot's qualification level, possession of instrument flight rules (IFR) qualifications, and during different phases of flight. The results of this research are expected to contribute significantly to the prevention of aircraft accidents in IIMC situations by improving pilot education and training programs.