Liu Chuang, Zhang Chenyang, Zhu Wenbing, Jiao Shuaitao, Zhang Yu, Xu Rongbing, Liang Yaowei
Xinjin Flight College, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
School of Transportation and Logistics, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2025 Jul 7. doi: 10.1007/s10484-025-09729-7.
Measuring pilot mental workload during flights without Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) lights is crucial for enhancing flight safety. This study aimed to investigate the impact of the absence of PAPI lights on pilot mental workload during approach and landing. Sixteen cadet pilots with real flight experience participated in simulated flight scenarios with and without PAPI lights, using a Polar Verity Sense to monitor cardiac activity. The statistical analysis results indicated that the absence of PAPI lights significantly increased pilot mental workload. Instructor ratings confirmed that the absence of PAPI lights adversely affected the accuracy of the descent trajectory, leading to greater deviations. Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis revealed that specific features-SDNN, CVNNI, STD_HR, MIN_HR, and SD2-were particularly sensitive to changes in pilot mental workload. Increased mental workload was associated with a significant increase in MIN_HR and a significant decrease in the other four HRV features. Correlation analysis further identified TOTAL_POWER and RATIO_SD2_SD1 as effective indicators of pilot mental workload. These findings underscore the impact of visual guidance cues on pilot mental workload and demonstrate the value of HRV-based monitoring for assessing pilot mental workload in challenging flight scenarios.
在没有精密进近航道指示器（PAPI）灯光的情况下测量飞行过程中飞行员的心理负荷对于提高飞行安全至关重要。本研究旨在调查在进近和着陆过程中缺少PAPI灯光对飞行员心理负荷的影响。16名具有实际飞行经验的学员飞行员参与了有和没有PAPI灯光的模拟飞行场景，使用Polar Verity Sense监测心脏活动。统计分析结果表明，缺少PAPI灯光会显著增加飞行员的心理负荷。教员评分证实，缺少PAPI灯光会对下降轨迹的准确性产生不利影响，导致更大的偏差。心率变异性（HRV）分析表明，特定特征——SDNN、CVNNI、STD_HR、MIN_HR和SD2——对飞行员心理负荷的变化特别敏感。心理负荷增加与MIN_HR显著增加以及其他四个HRV特征显著降低有关。相关性分析进一步确定TOTAL_POWER和RATIO_SD2_SD1是飞行员心理负荷的有效指标。这些发现强调了视觉引导线索对飞行员心理负荷的影响，并证明了基于HRV的监测在具有挑战性的飞行场景中评估飞行员心理负荷的价值。
