The Operator Performance Laboratory is developing a new flight training method called Live-Virtual-Constructive (LVC) that combines real airplanes with flight simulators. In the LVC system, a real airplane carries a simulator in its backseat that allows a pilot to train in simulated environments anywhere, making training more flexible and safer than solely using real planes. The LVC project connects real planes, simulators, and simulated environments through data links, allowing pilots to train collaboratively. The lab measures pilots' physiological responses to evaluate training effectiveness and help design systems around pilots' needs. While still a research project, LVC shows promise for the future of flight training by harnessing benefits of both real planes and simulators.

1. From Big Ten Network: The Future of Flight Simulation (5:20)
Link to finished video:
http://www.youtube.com/uimediaproduction#p/c/5F95EA7506DABD1B/3/1dXx97J7rPA
CONTENT VISUALS
Flight training is a complicated science, and a field
that is constantly evolving. Flight training images
To train pilots, you can do it in a flight simulator, or
you can do it in a real airplane;
Flight simulators with humans operating
Where a flight simulator is safe, flexible and
relatively inexpensive to deploy, it is lacks in
realism. Real airplane footage in-air
On the other hand live training, while ideal for
many reasons, has greater risk, is expensive, and Pilot mid-air footage
time consuming.
For Tom Schnell's team at the Operator Establishing shots of Operator Performance Lab.
Performance Laboratory, the future of flight training
may lie in harnessing the best of both worlds. Jets, vehicles, simulators, etc.
Tom Schnell, Director:
“We actually don’t try to make simulators be Tom Schnell at OPL hangar
more and more like the airplane, in fact we are
trying to make airplanes become- in addition Tom’s research Jet L-29 flying across Iowa
being airplanes- also flight simulators.” landscape
The system Tom's group is developing uses a
relatively new model known as "Live-Virtual- LVC montage-
Constructive."
Jet in midair;
"Live", in that is a real airplane; "virtual" referring to
the simulators; and "constructive" to describe the Simulator in operation;
game-like environment in which these components
interact. Simulated environment on screen
Tom Schnell, Director:
“This airplane flies around in airspace here in
Iowa. In the backseat of that airplane is a Tom Schnell at OPL hangar
cockpit cruise station that is essentially a
simulator- a flight simulator that flies along
with the real airplane.” Visual illustrations of LVC system
In conjunction with this "flying flight simulator", the
lab has a control station and several ground-based
flight simulators.
Depictions of various LVC assets
All of the assets are connected by data link,

2. 2
allowing them to collaborate in unison in a
simulated mission. LVC system in-use
Tom Schnell, Director:
“What we’re trying to accomplish is mimic
everything you would see in a real airplane, as Tom Schnell at OPL hangar
you would fly it in the theater. So you might be
in the real airplane flying in Iowa, but actually
what the pilot operating the backseat controls Jet flying across Iowa
would see would be a scenario in California,
flying through the Mojave desert or mountain Pilot in cockpit with controls
ranges out there.”
Pilot POV- mountain ranges in simulated
The Live-Virtual Constructive project is supported environment
by Rockwell-Collins, who partner with the Operator
Performance Lab for research and development.
LVC research jet leaving the hangar
Alex Postnikov, Rockwell-Collins:
“We need to balance how much traditional Flight simulator with Rockwell-Collins logo
development we do, how much traditional
science we do, and how much disruptive
technologies we investigate- and that means Alex at OPL hangar
we go and look for something
very…untraditional.” Images of OPL projects
Schnell's simulation research is innovative in that it Various scientific paraphernalia
focuses on quality of training, using various human
metrics.
Tom Schnell, Director: Tom working with the research Jet, preparing for
“We’re not just trying to build a fancy takeoff
simulator involving a real airplane, but we’re
actually unique in that we measure
physiological and neuro-cognitive signals on Tom at OPL hangar
the pilot while that pilot is performing a
simulated mission in the real airplane.”
Mike Keller, Research Engineer:
“With those we’ve developed algorithms that
take that information and give us a sense of
how high the pilot’s workload is, how stressed,
how fatigued the pilot is, and with that we have
a better sense of what’s going on with the pilot Mike at OPL hangar
and we’re able to better design the machine
around that to better suit the pilot’s needs.” Mike working on laptop- taking measurements of
pilot during training
Live-Virtual-Constructive is just one of many
innovative projects at the Operator Performance
Lab, which applies human-factors research to Various metrics on screen of computer software
2

3. 3
design & evaluate a wide array of transportation
systems.
Establishing shot of OPL, glimpses of other
Tom Schnell, Director: projects (Car outfitted with sensors, 737 simulator,
“Academically, I think this is a very unique night-vision goggles, tactor flight suit, etc.)
program in that involves undergraduate
students, graduate students, and staff, all
working on a relatively challenging goal. We Tom at OPL hangar
have to learn how to work with some real
serious constraints, and students who perform Tom working with grad students preparing for a
well in this type of environment will have no flight
problem finding positions that will satisfy them
for a lifetime of engineering-related work.” Tom working with a staff person on mechanical
work
While Live-Virtual-Constructive is promising,
Schnell says their research is still evolving. Tom working with a student on an electrical
problem
Tom Schnell, Director:
“There’s a lot of work ahead of us- clearly the LVC jet in-use
systems that we have are research systems-
they are not necessarily based on real avionics- Tom at OPL hangar
and as we start to learn how you make a flying
flight simulator in essence, that will eventually
be migrated to real avionics that can be Various details of OPL’s VLC system in use-
installed in real airplanes, and of course that’s controls, monitors,
why we collaborate with Rockwell-Collins.”
cockpit,
flight gear,
Alex Postnikov, Rockwell-Collins:
“The world is becoming more virtual- and helmet outfitted with electronics,
our next step is to create this virtual
environment, this game-like environment, not Jet in flight over Iowa
just for single pilot- but to create a complete
solution so you can train multiple people. You
can close the gap between the real world and Alex at OPL Hangar
the simulated world.”
Rockwell’ simulators at OPL
Tom Schnell, Director:
“I would say we’re at the very beginning of an
emerging subject matter area called ‘live-
virtual-constructive’ simulation and training.”
Tom on screen
While the Operator Performance Lab is a
hardworking group, it's clear these engineers and
pilots enjoy what they do.
Mike Keller, Research Engineer:
“I really enjoy the scientific aspect, being able Montage of OPL staff and engineers at work in
3

4. 4
to develop something new, that hasn’t been OPL hangar and offices
done before; I find that to be quite exciting.
Obviously the jet’s an awesome platform- how
many people get to work on something like
that- so we have many different aircraft that we Mike and Tom in the OPL hangar
use, and it’s been a very exciting research area
for me.”
Mathew Cover, Graduate Student: Mike working at computer and research stations-
“As much as it’s a research platform it’s also a
lot of fun to sit in the back. Getting to go fly in
this jet is a unique opportunity that you don’t
get to do anywhere else.”
Matt preparing for flight, getting in jet with Tom as
pilot
Tom Schnell, Director:
“I’m a pilot, so to me, anytime spent in a
cockpit is sort of not deducted from your
lifespan.” Tom flying old-fashioned biplane over Iowa
landscape
END CREDITS
4