HEART-RATE RESPONSES TO REAL AND SIMULATED BA HAWK MK 51 FLIGHT

Background: The effects of psychological workload on inflight heart ra te were studied in five experienced (flight instructors) and five less experienced (cadets) military pilots of the Finnish Air Force (FAF). Method: The subjects performed the same flight mission twice; first wi th the BA Hawk MK 57 simulator with minimal G-forces and after that wi th the BA Hawk MK 51 jet trainer with Ct-forces below +2. The mission included: a) 2 min rest after seating; bi take-off; c) ILS approach in the minimum weather conditions (initial, intermediate and final appro ach); d) landing tour (visual approach); and e) landing. The heart rat es were continuously measured using a small portable recorder develope d at the University of Jyvaskyla, Fin[and. The R-R intervals were stor ed and analyzed with an accuracy of ? ms. The different phases of each flight were marked in the data by using codes given beforehand for ea ch critical event. Results: The take-off resulted in a significant inc rease in the heart rate from the resting levels both in the cadets and the flight instructors in both planes. In the simulator the heart rat e decreased during the initial approach and slightly increased after i t during the intermediate approach. Thereafter the heart rate decrease d during the landing tour which seemed to be the least psychologically demanding phase of the simulated flight. The heart rate increased aga in during the landing but did not exceed the heart rates measured duri ng the take-off and the ILS-approach. There were no statistical differ ences between the groups. In the jet trainer no decrease in the heart rate could be observed immediately after the take-off, unlike in the c ase of the simulated flight. The inflight heart rate increased during the final approach, decreased during the landing tour and finally incr eased during the landing. According to the heart rate analysis the fin al approach was the most loaded phase of the real flight. The changes towards the phases of final approach and landing were greater among th e flight instructors. Conclusion: There were no statistically signific ant differences between the mean heart rates during the real and the s imulated flight. It is suggested that the heart rate changes for most reflected the changes in cognitive workload.