The U.S. Army has expanded the ICARUS Devices Airworthiness Release fleetwide to include every UH-60L and UH/HH-60M Blackhawk Helicopter, the company said.
The ICARUS Device is a smart, view-limiting device made of a PDLC film that the pilot wears in front of their eyes, either clamped onto a headset or clipped into a flight helmet. [Courtesy: ICARUS]
Key Takeaways:
The ICARUS Device is an innovative, smart view-limiting training tool that uses a PDLC film and an instructor-controlled app to realistically simulate gradual or sudden changes in visibility, unlike traditional static hoods.
It aims to combat the "startle effect" and spatial disorientation, which are significant factors in aviation accidents, by allowing pilots to experience dynamic transitions into Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) during training.
The device is currently utilized by major civilian flight schools and has recently received fleet-wide Airworthiness Release approval for use in U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopters to improve pilot safety and reduce IIMC-related fatalities.
With this phrase, my instrument instructor took me into the clouds for the first time. We were on an IFR flight plan on a Marginal VFR (MVFR) day. He warned me that going in and out of the clouds, with that frequent change from light to dark and back again would induce spatial disorientation. He was correct.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
