Airdrop Guidance Display Format for Precision Airdrop Application on an Auxiliary Display Equipped Aircraft

Objective: To evaluate a new display format for Airdrop Guidance intended to enhance precision-flight capability for high-altitude single-pass airdrop profiles. Background: Operational military environments are demanding that airdrops are increasingly precise while simultaneously protecting Air Force assets through high-altitude drops. Efforts are underway at the Air Force Research Laboratory to minimize the negative effect of human performance variability on high-altitude airdrop accuracy. Precision guidance to the calculated air release point, as presented through the new display, offers potential reduction in flight performance variability. Method: Four U.S. Air Force pilots, current in the C-17, participated in a within-subjects evaluation of the airdrop guidance display. Each pilot was scheduled to fly a total of 16 trials. The out-the-window scene (presented or blanked) effects were also assessed. Results: Results suggest improved performance over existing methods of airdrop guidance as measured by both aircraft position at green light and the comparison between actual and optimal flightpaths. Conclusion: The airdrop guidance display format, tested for precision flight, could significantly reduce flight performance error associated with high-altitude airdrop missions. Additionally, implementation of the display shows potential for increasing overall airdrop accuracy.