Task-specific simulator pretraining and in-flight stress of student pilots

Student pilots (n = 20) were assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received 80 min of high-fidelity, task-specific simulation prior to exposure to the initial power-on stall and spin recovery lesson unit in T-37 pilot training. Both experimental and control groups received orientation simulator experience not related to the aircraft spin series. Catecholamine excretion patterns indicated that the initial power-on stall and spin recovery lesson unit resulted in a pronounced stress response in both groups. A statistically significant difference in the norepinephrine/epinephrine ratio was found to exist between the experimental and control groups. It was concluded that task-specific simulator pretraining resulted in an altered stress response characterized by lower arousal and greater mental work than was evidenced in the control group.