Measurement of Environmental Data in Passenger Aircrafts

In co-operation with airlines and air-services, experimental set ups for airborne data acquisition (e.g. sound and vibration, air-quality) were developed and enhanced, e.g. during preparatory experiments inside a grounded Airbus A-310 and certification of the equipment after RTCA-DO160 Section 21. Using this variety of set-ups, airborne measurements were carried out in different types of passenger aircrafts, such as e.g. Fokker 50, Airbus A319, A320. More...

Experiments in Simulators

Tests were carried out in two different simulators. First tests (duration: 2 weeks) with a total of 4 pilots, 16 flight-attendants and 180 passengers have been carried out in co-operation with the FACE-Project in the A320-emergency trainer of Austrian Airlines (AUA) in Vienna in October 2002. Each of the tests had a duration of 3.5 hours with one climate condition and four sound and vibration conditions in random sequence. Within each vibro-acoustic condition, one complete service had to be supplied by the flight attendant subjects. At the end of each twenty minute condition, a questionnaire had to be filled in and the crew subjets had to undergo physiological and performance testing before, during and after each "flight".

Further tests in simulators were carried out in aircraft test facility "ACE" of BRE in Garston (UK) from June to July 2003 (duration 7 weeks). The multifactorial test design was slightly altered to 3 temperature conditions, 3 relative humidity conditions and 3 noise conditions. Noise was varied within the three levels during each experimental session, while temperature and humidity were kept constant for the particular session. Subjects had to complete one questionnaire before, three questionnaires during, and one questionnaire after the simulated flight, and also undergo physiological and performance testing before, during and after the "flight".

A total number of 70 flight attendants and 18 pilots participated in this second experiment. As a co-operation with the FACE-Project tests on 364 passengers have been carried out simultaneously. More...

Experiments on Long-haul Flights

In co-operation with Austrian Airlines, measurements took place during six longhaul flights in November and December 2004. The routes were Vienna-Delhi-Vienna (8 h duration per direction) and Vienna-Tokyo-Vienna (12 h duration per direction). The Aircraft-types during these experiments were Airbus A330 and Airbus A340. Data (climate, air-quality, sound, vibration and physiological data of the crew) were measured in cockpit, galleys, cabin, and crew-rest compartments at various locations. Data from the crew concerning their appraisal of environmental conditions, appraisal of health status and psychological status were also collected by quesionnaires and computer-based tests (e.g. vigilance-tests). Participating partners in this test-campaign were Oldenburg University, Medical University Vienna, EADS-CRC, itap GmbH and Paragon Ltd. More...