Supporting shipboard helicopter flight testing with simulation and metrics for predicting pilot workload

Shipboard helicopter operations are much more challenging and complex than land-based operations due to many factors associated with the presence of the ship. To determine those conditions in which safe operations may occur, a First of Class Flight Trial (FOCFT) is conducted for every new ship–helicopter pair. This trial results in a Ship–Helicopter Operating Limit (SHOL) envelope that is used to document operational limits for regular operations. Conducting a FOCFT is a, expensive, and time-consuming task that requires testing all aspects of operations. Modeling and simulation efforts to support shipboard helicopter operations have been ongoing internationally for many years with the intention of de-risking FOCFT and introducing efficiency into the testing process. Canada will be accepting several new ship classes into its fleet over the next two decades. In support of FOCFT for these new ships, modeling and simulation tools are being developed by the National Research Council (NRC) Canada and Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) and significant advancements have occurred in the past decade. As part of this work, NRC and DRDC now use a framework and analysis approach that is intended to standardize SHOL testing with the use of modeling and simulation. This paper introduces that framework and gives details on the modeling and simulation tools that can be used to reduce risk and increase efficiency for Canada’s upcoming FOCFTs.