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 pilot training tool that uses a smart, view-limiting film to simulate realistic, gradual changes in visual conditions, providing a dynamic alternative to traditional static hoods.
Its primary purpose is to counter the dangerous "startle effect" and spatial disorientation, which are major accident factors when pilots unexpectedly encounter Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC).
Controlled by an instructor's app, the device enables dynamic visibility adjustments for immersive training, leading to its adoption in flight schools and an expanded U.S. Army fleetwide release for Blackhawk helicopters to 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.
CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT
Sign up to keep reading
Create a free account to continue. Already a member? Sign in below.
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.
