Establishing a Training Matrix

Once we've finished the three weeks of engineering studies, we establish a "training matrix" and begin bringing in pilots from the Astronaut Office back in Houston who fly the training matrix. At this point, the studies become a training exercise and not a research project. We give each pilot malfunctions as they are flying each run such as: taking their Heads Up Display (HUD) away, taking down two APUs (auxiliary power units)--which means they would make a single APU landing, blowing a tire, or taking away their landing system (MLS). We try not to put in too many failures on top of one another because by doing so we may be guaranteeing failure on the part of the pilot. We don't want to overload the pilot too much, but at the same time, we try to present realistic scenarios that could possibly happen in a real flight. During this next couple of weeks, we will probably have between 15 and 20 different pilots from the Astronaut Office out at Ames Research Center flying in the simulator.

There's not that much variability among the pilots conducting landings in the VMS. I think that is because they are all very experienced test pilots and therefore know how the Space Shuttle flies. Riding in the VMS cockpit with some of them, one can begin to see differences in their methodology. Each on has his or her own peculiar ways of doing things, but they still get the same job done with equal results.