Affordable, Reconfigurable Aerial Refueling Part-Task Trainer

Aerial refueling (AR) is a critical component to the success of the Navy’s air military operations, enabling modern combat aircraft to greatly maximize their mission capabilities. The Navy’s use of a probe for AR allows refueling from a wide variety of tanker aircraft, yet this type of refueling does place the burden of establishing a contact squarely on the receiver pilot. Flight simulator time is limited, so using a full flight simulator to practice in-flight refueling is often not the most efficient use of resources. The performance requirements associated with a full flight simulator are not tailored to support the unique requirements of the aerial refueling mission. Limited field of view, inability to accurately display objects close to the aircraft, and simplified tanker flow field modeling are some of the major factors that affect the quality of training. A Part Task Trainer (PTT) designed to support aerial refueling mission requirements would supplement this critical training. By optimizing the performance of the Part Task Trainer to support the unique requirements of the AR mission, the simulator can provide more effective training at lower overall cost.