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Author Background

Juan R. Merkt is an associate professor of Aeronautical Science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. His areas of interest include energy management as a best practice to enhance aviation safety and efficiency. He teaches a one-of-a-kind course on Safety Principles of Aircraft Energy Management at Embry-Riddle. He earned his PhD from Harvard University and possesses FAA Commercial Pilot and Gold Seal Flight Instructor certificates.

Matthijs H. J. Amelink received his PhD in Aerospace Engineering from Delft University of Technology (2010), specializing in aircraft energy management and human factors. In 2014, he obtained his Private Pilot License which further shaped his idea of the role energy management could play during flight training. Currently he works for a highly innovative scale-up in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

David G. Sizoo received his Master’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a highly decorated Test Pilot having served in the US Air Force as well as Gulfstream and the FAA. He is the co-lead test pilot for all FAA certification projects involving electric Vertical Take Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. He is also the FAA sponsor of research in aircraft energy management as well as safety enhancing technology such as Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance Systems. He holds ATP and flight instructor certificates and is current in jets, helicopters, and gliders.

Abstract

Failing to properly manage an airplane’s energy state can be unforgiving. Mismanagement of mechanical energy (altitude and/or airspeed) is a contributing factor to three common types of fatal accidents in aviation: loss of control in flight, approach and landing accidents, and controlled flight into terrain. Recognizing the importance of energy management, the Federal Aviation Administration has incorporated new elements into the Airman Certification Standards, emphasizing knowledge of energy management concepts and the consequences of mishandling an airplane’s energy state. Unfortunately, no adequate guidance has been available in terms of defining key energy management concepts or suggesting how these should be taught to the average pilot and applied to everyday flying. This article introduces energy safety management (ESM) as a best practice for incorporating energy management into pilot training. First, ESM integrates three well-tested energy management theories developed independently in engineering, military science, and biology. Second, ESM relies on the power of simple analogies and a pilot-oriented approach to make energy management principles accessible and practical to any airplane pilot operating standard propulsion/flight control systems and existing cockpit displays. Third, to organize and optimize learning, ESM incorporates a well-known human performance framework that establishes how humans learn to perform new tasks. In sum, this article offers both the rationale and the road map for an outside-the-box instructional approach illustrating how established complex scientific concepts can be taught to any pilot. The ESM training model has successfully been applied to design a new college course and, in collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration, is being used to support and develop new energy management guidance materials for pilots.

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