EVALUATION OF A VISUAL DEPARTURE PATH INDICATOR

This report describes the technique used and presents the result of tests that were conducted to evaluate a visual departure path indicator in determining its suitability to prevent spatial disorientation when an aircraft, under visual flight rules, departs from an airport over land or water where no horizon and few visual cues exist. The work involved testing the system at the National Aviation Facilities Experimental Center (NAFEC) to determine if it is an appropriate type of system to use o After a satisfactory testing period at NAFEC the equipment was moved to an airport where spatial disorientation might be encountered and an in-service test was performed at that airport. The result of the tests indicates that the system is on the verge of being satisfactory for the site selected; however, after a critical evaluation it was determined that the system should not be considered for use at airports with similar problems, since a sufficient sampling of pilot comments from inservice testing has not been received. It is anticipated that the data should be available after an extended inservice operational period.