Pilot Performance During Instrument Landings in a Flight Simulator is Affected by the Magnitude of Aircraft Control Forces

There is evidence that the force required to control an aircraft in flight might exceed the capability of some pilots, particularly during manoeuvres of long duration (McDaniel, 1994). Furthermore, investigations of both static and dynamic force production have reported higher variability in force production at both high force levels and at very low force levels (Newell and Carlton, 1988; Sherwood and Schmidt, 1980). Inaccurate movement at very low force levels may have particular relevance to aircraft with ‘fly-by-wire’ control systems, which require little force to operate. Thus, the ability of pilots to accurately control an aircraft at both high and low force levels might be compromised. The aim of this study was to measure the landing performance of pilots during instrument landings (ILS) in a flight simulator, over a range of force levels.