Simulator Sickness in the AH-64 Apache Combat Mission Simulator

As technology has been developed to provide improved visual and motion systems in operational flight trainers and weapons tactics trainers, there have been increasing reports of the occurrence of simulator sickness. Simulator sickness here refers to one or more symptoms which can occur while in a simulator, immediately postexposure, or at some later time following exposure. Some pilots have reported while driving following postexposure, they had to pull off the road and wait for symptoms to subside. Instructor-operators have reported experiencing the room spinning when they went to bed. More critical is the potential for in-flight problems due to prolonged physiological effects. The U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory at Fort Rucker, Alabama, conducted a field survey to document the extent of the simulator sickness problems at operational AH-64 simulator sites. The simulator sickness incidence rates and the relative frequency of specific symptoms are presented and correlational factors such as flight experience, simulator experience, and flight mode also are presented. The study reinforces the need for continued research related to system design, training methods, and crew rest guidelines between simulator and actual flight.