How do you "teach" SA?
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How do you "teach" SA?
Licence holder wanting to do a CPL (EASA) struggles with situational awareness.
Have tried the usual stuff to develop an understanding of his environment, but still falling short. He's not stupid, quite the opposite in fact.
Any thoughts?
Have tried the usual stuff to develop an understanding of his environment, but still falling short. He's not stupid, quite the opposite in fact.
Any thoughts?
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Probably stuff you have tried, but emphasise keeping ahead of the aircraft - know what airspace is coming up, picking up things like airfield information from other calls before needing to ask yourself, knowing in advance and setting the next frequency before you need it, get calls in nice and early and use what you hear on the r/t as another set of eyes to build a picture of where other aircraft are.
A good example to quote of just what SA is is the one of the racing driver Fangio - he was leading in a race when he slowed right down, came round the corner and there was a big crash that he would have piled into if still at racing speed, when asked how he knew, he said that he noticed the crowd faces were not where they should have been - looking for him coming round the course, but facing the other way - now that is SA!
A good example to quote of just what SA is is the one of the racing driver Fangio - he was leading in a race when he slowed right down, came round the corner and there was a big crash that he would have piled into if still at racing speed, when asked how he knew, he said that he noticed the crowd faces were not where they should have been - looking for him coming round the course, but facing the other way - now that is SA!
Last edited by foxmoth; 22nd Jun 2013 at 19:53.
More time chatting about stuff in the coffee room, classroom, broom room etc. An informal setting is often the best place to pick stuff up.
Best avoid the Pprune room....
Best avoid the Pprune room....
SA, Situational Awareness or Spacial Awareness is something that some people have in abundance whilst others have very little, it has no correlation with intelligence. It is effectively one of man's primeval instincts. Teaching it is exceedingly difficult; you can point out factors that the student needs to be aware of, but if they fail to conclude anything useful from the information received, then there is not much you can do. You cannot conceive what you cannot perceive.
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In a Big Airline they talk about three levels of Situational Awareness:
NOTICE - UNDERSTAND - THINK AHEAD
In the example above, Fangio first achieved the lowest level of Situational Awareness by NOTICING that the crowd were not watching him.
He then UNDERSTOOD that, because they weren't watching him, there must be something else drawing their attention around the next corner.
He then THOUGHT AHEAD; if he continues at this speed he is likely to hit whatever the crowd are looking at so he decides to slow down to give himself more time.
There is actually a level below NOTICE level which is ... NOT NOTICING. Had Fangio not noticed the crowd in the above example he would have continued at speed around the corner and had an accident.
ifitaint...
NOTICE - UNDERSTAND - THINK AHEAD
In the example above, Fangio first achieved the lowest level of Situational Awareness by NOTICING that the crowd were not watching him.
He then UNDERSTOOD that, because they weren't watching him, there must be something else drawing their attention around the next corner.
He then THOUGHT AHEAD; if he continues at this speed he is likely to hit whatever the crowd are looking at so he decides to slow down to give himself more time.
There is actually a level below NOTICE level which is ... NOT NOTICING. Had Fangio not noticed the crowd in the above example he would have continued at speed around the corner and had an accident.
ifitaint...
Last edited by ifitaintboeing; 23rd Jun 2013 at 11:02.
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I think this is what you need to analyse with this student - which of the three stages mentioned here is he falling down on, once you have identified that it might be easier to sort out.
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Good pilots will use periods of low workload to build SA. An example I use is:
You decide to tune in early to your destination airfield whilst in the cruise (LOW WORKLOAD). They provide the surface wind to another aircraft - you write it down (gathering information - NOTICE).
You look at the wind direction in relation to the landing runway and see that it provides you with a 17 knot crosswind - the aircraft's maximum demonstrated crosswind (UNDERSTAND).
You plan ahead - HOW will you carry out a go-around if required, where might you divert more into wind and review your fuel required and weather for alternate (THINK AHEAD).
Since this has been carried out during a period of low workload, this will allow more capacity later on. You can identify periods of low workload before you go - where are you going to build your SA?
Duchess driver, you can use practical examples in flight of how you utilise periods of low workload in this manner to build your own SA.
ifitaint...
You decide to tune in early to your destination airfield whilst in the cruise (LOW WORKLOAD). They provide the surface wind to another aircraft - you write it down (gathering information - NOTICE).
You look at the wind direction in relation to the landing runway and see that it provides you with a 17 knot crosswind - the aircraft's maximum demonstrated crosswind (UNDERSTAND).
You plan ahead - HOW will you carry out a go-around if required, where might you divert more into wind and review your fuel required and weather for alternate (THINK AHEAD).
Since this has been carried out during a period of low workload, this will allow more capacity later on. You can identify periods of low workload before you go - where are you going to build your SA?
Duchess driver, you can use practical examples in flight of how you utilise periods of low workload in this manner to build your own SA.
ifitaint...
Last edited by ifitaintboeing; 23rd Jun 2013 at 12:30.
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That's quite low level SA though.
I don't know how you would teach though for example.
A FO says just before you ask them to increase the rate of decent.
Just increasing rate of decent so they don't shaft us with that heavy coming in from the North.
The being able to build up a mental picture of the traffic around on frequency and even to have a listen to the next sector as well to start playing the "approach game of chess" just by listening I haven't found a way to teach. They either have it or they don't some you only have to do something once and they get what you doing and the reason why you do it and others never get it.
Same with asking for daft things in certain situations. They don't realise why you can ask for them one day and not another. And why you get a thankful ATCO one day, and a
off he hinted tone of voice the next. With exactly the same thing said.
I don't know how you would teach though for example.
A FO says just before you ask them to increase the rate of decent.
Just increasing rate of decent so they don't shaft us with that heavy coming in from the North.
The being able to build up a mental picture of the traffic around on frequency and even to have a listen to the next sector as well to start playing the "approach game of chess" just by listening I haven't found a way to teach. They either have it or they don't some you only have to do something once and they get what you doing and the reason why you do it and others never get it.
Same with asking for daft things in certain situations. They don't realise why you can ask for them one day and not another. And why you get a thankful ATCO one day, and a
off he hinted tone of voice the next. With exactly the same thing said.
What a fascinating question. I've not yet had to face this problem in a big way, but can make some suggestions from how I think that I developed adequate SA myself.
I suggest that this might be developed by setting a series of exercises, where possible ground based, designed each to develop individual aspects of SA. Then, in a similar manner to teaching basic flying, eventually aim to combine them into creating a bigger picture. So, here are some suggestions...
- Sit at an airfield with a scanner and photocopied local chart, sketching paths of aircraft based upon their radio calls.
- Whilst flying or driving monitor trees / clouds / smoke / crops... to try and maintain a continuous knowledge of wind direction.
- Watching other airceaft, keep trying to guess what they'll do next, and why?
I've not tried this, but it seems to be an emulation of how I learned SA.
G
I suggest that this might be developed by setting a series of exercises, where possible ground based, designed each to develop individual aspects of SA. Then, in a similar manner to teaching basic flying, eventually aim to combine them into creating a bigger picture. So, here are some suggestions...
- Sit at an airfield with a scanner and photocopied local chart, sketching paths of aircraft based upon their radio calls.
- Whilst flying or driving monitor trees / clouds / smoke / crops... to try and maintain a continuous knowledge of wind direction.
- Watching other airceaft, keep trying to guess what they'll do next, and why?
I've not tried this, but it seems to be an emulation of how I learned SA.
G
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Actually an advanced driving course might help with a technique.
They make you go through a speaking while you drive thing which to be honest is a right pain in the backside but does getting you vocalising all the risks.
I do find myself thinking what we used to have to say.
They make you go through a speaking while you drive thing which to be honest is a right pain in the backside but does getting you vocalising all the risks.
I do find myself thinking what we used to have to say.
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MJ beat me to the punch on that one but I concur whole-heartedly,
Advanced driving is an excellent way of developing SA through vocalising what you are seeing before you get to a potential hazard and what you are doing about it.
Reading the road well in advance puts you in the position of avoiding potentially hazardous situations.
You may sound like a nutter but it is a good way of applying NUTA.
Advanced driving is an excellent way of developing SA through vocalising what you are seeing before you get to a potential hazard and what you are doing about it.
Reading the road well in advance puts you in the position of avoiding potentially hazardous situations.
You may sound like a nutter but it is a good way of applying NUTA.
Duchess Driver
Ask the student "What should you be doing next" every time nothing is happening. Lack of SA is really a lack of anticipation. It means the student is not thinking ahead. So ask the question lots and pretty soon he/she will start anticipating things without prompting.
Ask the student "What should you be doing next" every time nothing is happening. Lack of SA is really a lack of anticipation. It means the student is not thinking ahead. So ask the question lots and pretty soon he/she will start anticipating things without prompting.
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Without the formality I've tried all of these at some stage or another. Yes, he is low experience but meets requirements for CPL flight test and has been given the "minimum" training requirements by others but is still falling short of what I assess as CPL standard.
It seems to be a more common problem lately that 'hour building' is undertaken with little thought to the development of the pilot, confidence and skill set.
Thanks all
DD
It seems to be a more common problem lately that 'hour building' is undertaken with little thought to the development of the pilot, confidence and skill set.
Thanks all
DD
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In military flying training, CFS looked at SA and and how to score it correctly on debrief. It used to be called airmanship as well. It is so difficult to assess and, more importantly, teach. Everyone has some SA, JUST ON DIFFERENT LEVELS!
As an instructor, you can do one useful thing for a student:
Teach good workload management as described above, pre select radios, do cruise checks at times of low workload etc etc. This releases vital brain cells, leaving the maximum amount for SA. It works, I was that man.
Otherwise, if a person cannot hack it, you have to accept another career may be needed. Not everyone can be a pilot, intelligent or not.
As an instructor, you can do one useful thing for a student:
Teach good workload management as described above, pre select radios, do cruise checks at times of low workload etc etc. This releases vital brain cells, leaving the maximum amount for SA. It works, I was that man.
Otherwise, if a person cannot hack it, you have to accept another career may be needed. Not everyone can be a pilot, intelligent or not.
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The OP asked, 'How Do You Teach SA'?
Not one of the above posts has really addressed that so far, in terms of practical teaching.
A starting point could be to find an instructor who knows what SA is, can define it and fully understands how and when to teach it.
Not one of the above posts has really addressed that so far, in terms of practical teaching.
A starting point could be to find an instructor who knows what SA is, can define it and fully understands how and when to teach it.
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The trouble with vocalising everything is that they can't be listening whilst talking.
Having spent an hour in the circuit listening, in excruciating detail, to blogs not actually 'nailing it' and not really listening to me or other traffic.
Having spent an hour in the circuit listening, in excruciating detail, to blogs not actually 'nailing it' and not really listening to me or other traffic.
How would you teach it?
G
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I don't know how much experience your CPL student has in the type of aircraft (s)he is learning in.
My own personal experience is that as I got more "stick time" I had to think less about flying the aircraft - which freed up more slots in my brain for situational awareness.
Don't know if this has any relevance to your student - just my 2p worth.
OC619
My own personal experience is that as I got more "stick time" I had to think less about flying the aircraft - which freed up more slots in my brain for situational awareness.
Don't know if this has any relevance to your student - just my 2p worth.
OC619
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Flying experience definitely improves SA, but only to a certain degree. As I alluded to above, one way to TEACH it (or teach a person not to overload, same thing), is to use repetitive checklists that cover all the trivial issues. The timing of the execution of said checklists is the bit that you can teach. For me, at turning points we used to carry out bloody millions of checks and increase the workload. I would split those lists and get lower grade students to do them halfway down navigation legs. Radio calls or weather gathering would be done then as well.
I would try and produce a consistent workload, rather than a fluctuating one.
This doesn't always work, throwing more hours at the student sometimes helps, there has to be a point where you say STOP. In the military we did it earlier, because there were 10 more whizkids waiting to take up the place. In the civvie world it can be difficult to turn away money from your school.
I would try and produce a consistent workload, rather than a fluctuating one.
This doesn't always work, throwing more hours at the student sometimes helps, there has to be a point where you say STOP. In the military we did it earlier, because there were 10 more whizkids waiting to take up the place. In the civvie world it can be difficult to turn away money from your school.
ACJcentral
I await your explanation. I'm no expert but having gone through a command course, which is mostly about SA, I'd say keep reviewing the situation. Gather info from whatever sources you have available. Always be ready to reassess what you believe to be true. I had a student who attempted a rejoin onto the wrong airfield and I debriefed him that he should not jump to conclusions ie just because you want it be the destination doesn't make it so! Relating back to the OP this particular was highly intelligent and a lovely old school chap to boot.
It's a nebulous concept in some respects and I think the Advanced Driving test is a good analogy although I've never taken the course myself.
Of course, one hopes that as a student becomes proficient that will free up spare capacity so that he/she can take in the big picture. As others have said discuss with him various scenarios. Anyway, I hope the student referred to by the OP makes it with suitable training.
I await your explanation. I'm no expert but having gone through a command course, which is mostly about SA, I'd say keep reviewing the situation. Gather info from whatever sources you have available. Always be ready to reassess what you believe to be true. I had a student who attempted a rejoin onto the wrong airfield and I debriefed him that he should not jump to conclusions ie just because you want it be the destination doesn't make it so! Relating back to the OP this particular was highly intelligent and a lovely old school chap to boot.
It's a nebulous concept in some respects and I think the Advanced Driving test is a good analogy although I've never taken the course myself.
Of course, one hopes that as a student becomes proficient that will free up spare capacity so that he/she can take in the big picture. As others have said discuss with him various scenarios. Anyway, I hope the student referred to by the OP makes it with suitable training.
