{"682845":{"#nid":"682845","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Defense by Eleni Sotiropoulos","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEleni Sotiropoulos\u003Cbr\u003E(Advisor: Prof. Mavris)\u003Cbr\u003Ewill defend a doctoral thesis entitled,\u003Cbr\u003EMethodology for the Fidelity Assessment and Use of Helicopter Flight Simulators in Vortex Ring State (VRS) Accident Prevention Training\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EOn\u003Cbr\u003EWednesday, June 25th at 8 a.m.\u003Cbr\u003ECollaborative Design Environment (CoDE)\u003Cbr\u003EWeber Space and Technology Building (SST II)\u003Cbr\u003Eand\u003Cbr\u003EMicrosoft Teams\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAbstract\u003Cbr\u003EFrom 2008 to 2021, 48 helicopter accidents in the United States likely involved Vortex Ring State (VRS) encounters. The helicopter community has set ambitious rotorcraft safety improvement objectives for the current decade, which will therefore require mitigating VRS-induced accidents. However, due to the risks involved, training for fully developed VRS during actual flights is discouraged. Thus, simulators could offer a safer alternative for pilot training, provided they accurately replicate helicopter flight dynamics during this phenomenon.\u003Cbr\u003ETo enable effective VRS accident-prevention training in flight simulators, their ability to represent VRS onset and recovery must be assessed. However, current qualification standards for VRS simulation remain subjective, raising uncertainties about the simulator\u0027s suitability for pilot training and the potential risks associated with negative transfers of skills from the simulator to the helicopter. This underlines the need for an objective fidelity assessment framework specific to VRS. \u0026nbsp;To that end, evaluation criteria are defined based on the results of a dedicated flight test campaign performed on a Robinson R66, as well as flight test data from the literature. \u0026nbsp;Methods are then developed to evaluate three simulation models against these criteria: the H125 reduced motion platform VR simulator from Loft Dynamics, and two H125 FLIGHTLAB simulation models implemented for this research, one with the Viscous Vortex Particle Method (VVPM) inflow, and the other with a dynamic inflow model.\u003Cbr\u003EOnce equipped with tools to determine the accuracy of a given simulator, this work designs VRS-inducing scenarios based on accidents and adapted to the simulator\u0027s fidelity and capabilities. \u0026nbsp;A group of pilots then tests this set of scenarios. To demonstrate its use in VRS accident prevention Scenario-Based Training, we evaluate pilots\u0027 VRS awareness, avoidance, detection, and recovery during the simulations. In addition, to enhance the simulator flight training experience of both pilots and instructors, a framework is developed to evaluate pilots\u0027 performance in VRS recoveries.\u003Cbr\u003EThe outcomes of this research provide methods for evaluating simulator fidelity in VRS and improving VRS accident-prevention pilot training. The findings aim to advance simulation technologies and training strategies for enhanced rotorcraft safety.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommittee\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Prof. Dimitri Mavris \u2013 School of Aerospace Engineering (advisor)\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Prof. Daniel P. Schrage \u2013 School of Aerospace Engineering\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Prof. Marilyn Smith \u2013 School of Aerospace Engineering\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Dr. Richard Brown \u2013 Sophrodyne Aerospace\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Dr. Alexia Payan \u2013 School of Aerospace Engineering\u003Cbr\u003E\u2022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Mr. Charles C. Johnson \u2013 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMethodology for the Fidelity Assessment and Use of Helicopter Flight Simulators in Vortex Ring State (VRS) Accident Prevention Training\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Methodology for the Fidelity Assessment and Use of Helicopter Flight Simulators in Vortex Ring State (VRS) Accident Prevention Training "}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2025-06-23 18:20:55","changed_gmt":"2025-06-23 18:21:33","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2025-06-25T08:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2025-06-25T10:00:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2025-06-25T10:00:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2025-06-25 12:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2025-06-25 14:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2025-06-25 14:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"Collaborative Design Environment (CoDE) Weber Space and Technology Building (SST II) and Microsoft Teams","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"100811","name":"Phd Defense"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}