New feature: Virtual pilot controls the take-off

[Hardy Heinlin]

Good morning,

as requested by an airline, I'm planning to implement this feature in one of the next PSX updates. This feature is usually provided in CBT software (Computer Based Training), i.e. in classrooms where no reasonable flight controls are available to the students, and where the focus lies on system training rather than flight training.

Here's my plan:

• Add a pushbutton "Initiate" on Instructor > Situation > Human > Pilot page.

• Enable this button when the systems are in take-off configuration and the aircraft's location and heading are such that they approximately agree with the nearest runway threshold and heading.

• Button label changes to "Disable" when virtual pilot has control.

• In every pilot audio folder, take the audio fragment "Check" from "Check your rudder" and the ending "d" from "Check your speed" to create another audio file for the call-out "Checked!".

• Where necessary, make another audio file "Gear up!" if the existing call contains more words than just "gear up" (e.g. "positive rate").

• Virtual pilot will make no call-outs except "Checked!" shortly after 80 or 100 KIAS (as per existing scripts) and "Gear up!" when the rate is positive.

• Virtual pilot will move the thrust levers to vertical position when "Initiate" is pushed.

• Virtual pilot will push TOGA button when thrust is stable.

• Virtual pilot will keep the aircraft on the centerline.

• Virtual pilot will turn the aileron wheel 45° into the wind if the crosswind component is >5 knots.

• Virtual pilot will set idle thrust if any EICAS warning, caution, or advisory message occurs before V1 minus 5.

• Virtual pilot will set idle thrust if more than 2 engines fail.

• Virtual pilot will fully depress the brake pedals if autobrake RTO fails.

• Virtual pilot will set a pitch rotation rate of 2.5° per second when passing VR.

• Virtual pilot will no longer have control after passing 400 ft AGL, or before when the software user moves any flight control or any switch on the MCP, or when the "Disable" button is pushed. Whenever the virtual pilot stops having control, the A/P engages.


During this virtually controlled take-off the software user may call out the V speeds aloud or in the head.


Regards,

|-|ardy

[emerydc8]

Sounds like a helpul addition, Hardy.

Jon

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

Two honest questions.

1. Why "Initiate"?  I can think of so many button labels that would be more intuitive.

2. Is it really required to go this far and provide a truly auto-takeoff? I have a CBT thing here (to drive a real GE FMC) that just requests you to hit the throttles. Not realistic, but apparently sufficient.


Hoppie

[Hardy Heinlin]

1. For example?

2. It's PSX, and I'm currently in the mood to develop something more interesting, something that is useful for crew coordination training as well.


|-|ardy


GUI layout plan:


Initially:


Virtual pilot controls the take-off:

[ Initiate ]



When in progress: (Don't rename the button to "Stop", it won't stop the take-off roll!)


Virtual pilot controls the take-off:

[ Disable ]

[cavaricooper]

Hardy-

2. Forgive the ignorance this question might illuminate.... but why all this programming time for this?  Would not a .SITU at 400agl, perhaps even with MOTION stopped, allow for the "student pilot" to then take over?  I believe a half dozen .SITUs with stipulated Wx. would cover the airline's major hubs worldwide.

Fully understanding the appeal of the airline request, if the object is to assume control of an aircraft configured for climb at THR REF, would this not do the trick?  Besides, if CRM is the goal, there is much to be learned before 400'.

Your elegant solution of a pause, followed by a DIRECT to desired WP to eliminate the need for Pause at TOD got me thinking here.... just thinking out loud in response to your post... feel free to ignore.

Best- C

[Hardy Heinlin]

1. Perhaps name it AUTO T/O & DISABLE

I don't use the word "auto" here because it could be confused with the term "autopilot" which is not involved in this feature.


Regards,

|-|ardy

[cagarini]

Alternative tags:

"Your Airplane"

"My Airplane"

[Hardy Heinlin]

It's not only "your airplane", it also starts the take-off procedure.

Also, it's not clear whether the software user is "You" or "Me".

[cagarini]

Ok,

anyway "INITIATE" and "DISABLE" look good to me.

[martin]

Moi!

Would it be a good idea to also have a visual indication (for the student) while the VP is in charge?
Nothing fancy or explanatory; rather something in "alignment hairs" look, e.g four small dots (in "dice" configuration) in the uppermost leftmost corner of the windshield, below the MOTION/PAUSE indication.


.. Cheers,
.. Martin

[Will]

How about changing the color of the control wheel deflections in the miniature controls indication (upper left)? It could be red or green when the virtual pilot has the controls.

[Will]

Hardy, I think this is a great idea. Very useful addition.

A dream would be for the virtual pilot to also taxi the aircraft from the gate to the runway... Don't bother with following the concrete taxiways since they don't exist in PSX. Have the aircraft drive to the midpoint of the runway, and then drive parallel to the runway on a close-in "downwind" leg, followed by a turn to "base," and then a tight 90-degree turn to line up for takeoff, followed by the takeoff itself. The aircraft could delay the turn onto "final" until the human being taps a button (represents getting cleared for takeoff). Then hold in position until the button is tapped again, and then the takeoff commences. Or if ATC is talking to us, then the virtual pilot could follow the commands of ATC as far as lining up and taking off.

That's probably too much.

But I wonder if the "Initiate" and "Disable" button could be mapped to a key press in addition to being a button on the Instructor Page? It would be nifty if you could initiate the PNF activities without jumping into the Instructor Page.

[Hardy Heinlin]

That's certainly too much :-)

But I'll think about an additional visual indication ...

Don't forget that it will end at 400 ft already, or as soon as the software user intervenes. So before you get the chance to be confused the VP is already disabled.

The keyboard is fully occupied, unfortunately. Or maybe F11 ...?


|-|ardy

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

I thought about [Cleared for T/O] and [My Aircraft].

The first one definitely is up for discussion and [Initiate] will do.

But the second one, in my opinion, is better than [Disable] as it very clearly states what is going to happen: F/O goes hands off "Your aircraft" and you are now responsible even if the plane is inverted.


Hoppie

This is actually one of the few things where I feel that Airbus got it dead-on right with their push/pull interface knobs. Push (imagine four fingers stretched up, your handpalm outwards) = "your airplane", pull = "my airplane". What do other people feel about this? Is it engineer thinking or do pilots also eat it?

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

How about changing the color of the control wheel deflections in the miniature controls indication (upper left)? It could be red or green when the virtual pilot has the controls.

Silly suggestion from me: can you paint the F/O's "hands" on the miniature yoke, with two segments coloured differently? Still Picasso schematic, but quite intuitive.


Hoppie

[Hardy Heinlin]

In my opinion, [My Aircraft] does not clearly state whether it's mine or yours because it's unclear who says this text -- the virtual pilot or myself.

Also, [My Aircraft] is not a verb, it's a status. Is it the active status or the offered status? "Initiate" is a verb; and to be consistent, the other text should be a verb too, which does the opposite action.

Symbolic "hands" is a nice idea, I agree :-) But way too complicated, too small, too unclear. I just make the whole square background dark magenta. I think that looks good.


|-|ardy

[cagarini]

The best practice, taught to student pilots, is a three-stage handoff procedure:
Pilot A: You have the flight controls.
Pilot B: I have the flight controls.
Pilot A: You have the flight controls.

I've always used it ( for more than 35 yrs flying for real ), and seen it being used this way, most of the time skipping the last sentence.

Since this feature is about passing control to the Virtual Pilot, as opposed to the "User" pilot being in control, having a button tagged "Your Aircraft" couldn't possibly generate any sort of confusion IMO.

When the user wants the control back, the user presses the button tagged "My Aircraft".

I can't think of this as misleading ... Anyway, whatever it is will do, AFAIC....

[Hardy Heinlin]

I'm planning to make another call-out "Your control!" using fragments of "Check your rudder" and "Fuel control switches". This call should sound when the virtual pilot is disabled.

[Will]

Hmmm, I'll need to update my additional pilot... I'll just record those de novo probably. Will you add the wav files as the last ones in the existing list?

[Will]

Also, Hardy, I know it's too much work, but having the virtual pilot taxi the plane from the gate to the runway would have some utility. The non-taxying pilot would be free to configure the aircraft and work the checklists and radios, while the virtual pilot steers. Too much to ask, I know, but it would be useful.

It's interesting to think of how the aircraft would get from the gate to the runway. Probably go directly to the midpoint and then taxi along a downwind leg, base, and final. But what if the "gate" is close to the midpoint? Hmmm, gets complicated.