By Lesley de Repentigny, President and CEO of KnowledgeSurge

I started my journey in the world of virtual reality simulation in 1987 as a wannabe air traffic controller (ATC) in the Canadian Forces. Virtual Reality simulation was introduced into the training to try and reduce the extremely high failure rate both on the initial course and in the field qualification. Overall simulation reduced the initial failure rate from 85 to 35 per cent.

My personal experience on this course hooked me on the value of simulation training for life. I embraced simulation as part of my learning experience immediately. We had multiple simulators that taught different aspects of air traffic control. 

The first one I embraced and spent many hours utilizing was the radar vector simulator. Radar vectors are used by ATC to assign heading assignments or left write turns in degrees, for example, “turn right heading 250.” Correctly understanding what turn and vector to assign is instrumental to safe, expeditious control of an aircraft. By utilizing the radar vector simulator, which simply flashed a situation, and you had to correctly assign an aircraft a heading or left/right turn with heading within three degrees of correction within a limited time frame, I became highly efficient at radar vectoring. By the time my course ended, and field placement began, I could instantaneously vector an aircraft within one degree. Not having to think about what vector or turn to assign relieved me to focus on my higher-level strategy and decision making to control my traffic. In the world of commercial truck training, I would equate this skill with learning my control systems, shifting, or set-up positions (turns, backing). Simulators are perfect for learning shifting. Just like my radar vectors, knowing when and where to shift can become a reflex seamless action, freeing your mind to focus on higher level cognitive skills.

As our training progressed so did the complexity of simulators we utilized. The more advanced simulators facilitated the control of multiple aircraft in varying situations of complexity. This developed our cognitive and decision-making abilities. My successful development of core capabilities on the radar vector simulator, freed my mind to focus on situational awareness, risk recognition and decision making. As with the radar vector simulator, I embraced these simulations with great enthusiasm. By the end of the course, I could control traffic with high competency and confidence. The average time to qualify as a fully qualified operational controller (work without supervision) once you started field training was six months. I qualified in 31 days. Similarly in commercial trucking, a high-fidelity simulator can be used to help build an engaged and thinking driver. The simulator can expose the new driver to multiple driving conditions, situations and traffic patterns in a short period of time. The driver can be exposed to highly complex driving and weather situations. High end simulators have highway, freeway, city, rural, suburban and mountain environments. They will support over 100 moving entities in a simulation (enabling the simulation of high-density freeway traffic) and support inclement weather with accompanying loss of visibility and road friction.

The end of my course focused on emergency situations management of your airspace and crew. Sadly, when an aircraft declares an emergency or crashes, the other aircraft does not disappear. As well as controlling the aircraft in distress, a controller must also ensure the safety of other aircraft in his/her/their control. The stakes are extremely high with quite often the threat of loss of human life on the line. Controlling your emotions, thought patterns and panic is imperative to achieving the best possible outcome. I must admit the first time I had a major simulated emergency; I panicked and stuttered my way through it. No one was really going to be injured if I made a mistake, but the fear I felt was real. As we practiced for possible emergencies and learnt stress management techniques, my performance drastically improved. Unfortunately, as a controller at a very busy airbase I had multiple emergencies and a few crashes. I never panicked in the moment nor felt my cognitive skills were compromised. 

I remember one particularly bad situation I had. During the incident review I heard myself on the recording calmly and professionally assist the pilot, manage my other air traffic, crew and position emergency response crews. I received a commendation for my handling of the emergency. However, I also remember getting home that night and being unable to hold a teacup as my hands were shaking so badly. I am positive the simulator training enabled me to control my acute stress in the moment and remain highly competent to perform. My responses to the acute stress had been conditioned. I believe this to be one of the least explored areas of the use of simulators for commercial truck driver training and one where it could be most beneficial. Learning to think and perform in unexpected circumstances is vital for the best outcome in all high-risk occupations. The simulator can assist in putting a trainee into multiple high-risk situations and training one to control their attitudes and physical response to the stress of the moment. Everyone has indicators when reaching different stress levels. The simulator will help you recognize your “tells,” such as getting tunnel vision, reducing noise, change in breathing pattern, loss of ability to multitask, gripping steering wheel and leaning forward, increasing speed “to get out of danger,” or slowing to a dangerously slow speed. These tells can be identified and your response modified in a simulator. 

The intense use of simulation in aerospace and the military is why in operational situations our motto is “rely on your training”. Simulators are not a replacement for live training. For technicaland fundamental skills, they are a bridge between the classroom and real-life experience. However, for emergency situations and acute stress management training, simulators enable the trainee to experience situations outside the normal confinements of a “safe environment.” I hope that one day commercial trucking will be able to adopt the military and aerospace motto of “rely on your training.”

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