Quantitative Method for the Evaluation of Pilots’ Performance to Enhance Training in Flight Simulators Applied to Vortex Ring State (VRS) Recovery Maneuvers

To address the need for an objective assessment and comparison of pilot performance, a structured evaluation method is developed and applied specifically to Vortex Ring State (VRS) recovery techniques in flight simulators. This method assesses three key aspects of recovery performance: correct application, effectiveness, and consistency across recovery techniques. Correct application is defined using simple threshold-based criteria for each control input, providing pilots with clear, actionable feedback. Recovery effectiveness is normalized across varying initial conditions using a predictive model of minimum achievable altitude loss. Consistency is measured through the variation of performance across repeated attempts. Results are communicated at three levels of observation: individual, comparative, and aggregated. In terms of experimentation, a group of pilots, including Captain Claude Vuichard, flew all three recovery techniques in an H125 flight simulator to support the development of the evaluation method. Then, a single pilot flew the same techniques in a Robinson R66 helicopter and an R22 simulator, enabling both testing of the method and a preliminary comparison between helicopter and simulator performance.