Flyawake
Encyclopedia
Sustained wakefulness within military combat operations has long been an issue directly related to safety and its impact on those who enter battle. Fatigue
remains a formidable enemy in theater operations due to its pervasive impact on cognitive effectiveness during flight. Incidents of fatigue-related errors continue to affect the stability and effectiveness of pilots engaged in 24-7 operations: approximately 20% of all Air Force
/Air National Guard
aviation mishaps have fatigue as either a causal or contributing factor.
(DoD) sought to find a way to identify and quantify potential danger zones related to fatigue. In 1996, the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
(WRAIR) began work on the Sleep Performance Model (SPM), in order to perform analysis related to sleep deprivation and its effects on human performance. It led to the development of the SAFTE (Sleep, Activity, Fatigue, and Task Effectiveness) model – a model which calculates effectiveness based on the human sleep/work cycle.
In 2001, the Air Force Research Laboratory
(AFRL), through a Small Business Innovation Research
(SBIR) grant, sponsored the development of the Fatigue Avoidance Scheduling Tool
(FAST), a user interface on the SAFTE model. The outputs rendered through FAST identify time intervals represented through work and sleep durations.
FAST was used in safety investigation boards to model mishap pilots; however, usability issues prevented it from widespread adoption for routine operational use. In 2007, the Air National Guard Safety Division, led by Lt Col Edward Vaughan, funded development of a new, Warfighter-centric application based on the WRAIR Sleep Performance Model / SAFTE algorithm.
In 2007-08, the Air National Guard
(NGB/SEF) and MACROsystems, Inc. developed the FlyAwake.org interface in order to provide an application usable at the squadron level. Many ANG Wings participated in development of the initial application, to ensure a product which met end user needs.
The FlyAwake interface contains its own individual set of controls particular to each type of aircraft and mission flown by the ANG. In an effort to ease the burden of data entry, the FlyAwake graphical user interface
(GUI) is pre-populated with default data based on aircraft type, relating directly to specified flight duties. Through this method of capture, schedulers and pilots are able to identify familiar controls that are specific to the military’s individualized mode of operations. In addition, an intelligent sleep algorithm is in progress, based on surveys of active duty and ANG units.
(CTC) on behalf of OSD’s Defense Safety Oversight Council (DSOC). Anticipated launch of the new joint military application is set for mid-2009.
(DSP); a process which invests small amounts of resources in many innovative ideas from the field and develops those that show success and return on investment. This process has led to other successful DoD-wide safety programs such as seeandavoid.org, Maintenance Resource Management, Low Level Deconfliction and RideANG. DSP’s inventor, Lt. Col. Edward Vaughan, has recently been inducted into the Air Force Safety Hall of Fame for his revolutionary, entrepreneurial approach to safety program management.
Fatigue (safety)
Fatigue is a major safety concern in many fields, but especially in transportation, because fatigue can result in disastrous accidents. Fatigue is considered an internal precondition for unsafe acts because it negatively affects the human operator's internal state...
remains a formidable enemy in theater operations due to its pervasive impact on cognitive effectiveness during flight. Incidents of fatigue-related errors continue to affect the stability and effectiveness of pilots engaged in 24-7 operations: approximately 20% of all Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
/Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
aviation mishaps have fatigue as either a causal or contributing factor.
History
One solution to the issue of fatigue within sustained operations came when the United States Department of DefenseUnited States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
(DoD) sought to find a way to identify and quantify potential danger zones related to fatigue. In 1996, the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
This article is about the U.S. Army medical research institute . Otherwise, see Walter Reed .The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research is the largest biomedical research facility administered by the U.S. Department of Defense...
(WRAIR) began work on the Sleep Performance Model (SPM), in order to perform analysis related to sleep deprivation and its effects on human performance. It led to the development of the SAFTE (Sleep, Activity, Fatigue, and Task Effectiveness) model – a model which calculates effectiveness based on the human sleep/work cycle.
In 2001, the Air Force Research Laboratory
Air Force Research Laboratory
The Air Force Research Laboratory is a scientific research organization operated by the United States Air Force Materiel Command dedicated to leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable aerospace warfighting technologies; planning and executing the Air Force science and...
(AFRL), through a Small Business Innovation Research
Small Business Innovation Research
The Small Business Innovation Research program is a United States Government program, coordinated by the Small Business Administration, in which 2.5% of the total extramural research budgets of all federal agencies with extramural research budgets in excess of $100 million are reserved for...
(SBIR) grant, sponsored the development of the Fatigue Avoidance Scheduling Tool
Fatigue Avoidance Scheduling Tool
Fatigue is a major human factors issue in aviation safety. The Fatigue Avoidance Scheduling Tool was developed by the United States Air Force in 2000–2001 to address the problem of aircrew fatigue in aircrew flight scheduling. FAST is a Windows program that allows scientists, planners and...
(FAST), a user interface on the SAFTE model. The outputs rendered through FAST identify time intervals represented through work and sleep durations.
FAST was used in safety investigation boards to model mishap pilots; however, usability issues prevented it from widespread adoption for routine operational use. In 2007, the Air National Guard Safety Division, led by Lt Col Edward Vaughan, funded development of a new, Warfighter-centric application based on the WRAIR Sleep Performance Model / SAFTE algorithm.
In 2007-08, the Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
(NGB/SEF) and MACROsystems, Inc. developed the FlyAwake.org interface in order to provide an application usable at the squadron level. Many ANG Wings participated in development of the initial application, to ensure a product which met end user needs.
The FlyAwake interface contains its own individual set of controls particular to each type of aircraft and mission flown by the ANG. In an effort to ease the burden of data entry, the FlyAwake graphical user interface
Graphical user interface
In computing, a graphical user interface is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices with images rather than text commands. GUIs can be used in computers, hand-held devices such as MP3 players, portable media players or gaming devices, household appliances and...
(GUI) is pre-populated with default data based on aircraft type, relating directly to specified flight duties. Through this method of capture, schedulers and pilots are able to identify familiar controls that are specific to the military’s individualized mode of operations. In addition, an intelligent sleep algorithm is in progress, based on surveys of active duty and ANG units.
Current status
As of FY09, MACROsystems has embarked on v2.0 of the FlyAwake application, partnering with WRAIR and Concurrent Technologies CorporationConcurrent Technologies Corporation
Concurrent Technologies Corporation is a nonprofit organization that performs scientific research and development. CTC operates a number of Department of Defense programs such as the National Defense Center for Environmental Excellence and the Navy Metalworking Center .-External links:*...
(CTC) on behalf of OSD’s Defense Safety Oversight Council (DSOC). Anticipated launch of the new joint military application is set for mid-2009.
Safety Programs
The FlyAwake application was developed through ANG Safety’s Disruptive Solutions ProcessDisruptive Solutions Process
The Disruptive Solutions Process is a concept applied to the mishap prevention part of the combat operations process, often at tactical or operational level, primarily in Air National Guard applications. However, it has been used successfully in other government agencies and in the private sector...
(DSP); a process which invests small amounts of resources in many innovative ideas from the field and develops those that show success and return on investment. This process has led to other successful DoD-wide safety programs such as seeandavoid.org, Maintenance Resource Management, Low Level Deconfliction and RideANG. DSP’s inventor, Lt. Col. Edward Vaughan, has recently been inducted into the Air Force Safety Hall of Fame for his revolutionary, entrepreneurial approach to safety program management.
See also
- Maintenance Resource Management
- Disruptive Solutions ProcessDisruptive Solutions ProcessThe Disruptive Solutions Process is a concept applied to the mishap prevention part of the combat operations process, often at tactical or operational level, primarily in Air National Guard applications. However, it has been used successfully in other government agencies and in the private sector...
- Fatigue Avoidance Scheduling ToolFatigue Avoidance Scheduling ToolFatigue is a major human factors issue in aviation safety. The Fatigue Avoidance Scheduling Tool was developed by the United States Air Force in 2000–2001 to address the problem of aircrew fatigue in aircrew flight scheduling. FAST is a Windows program that allows scientists, planners and...
- Fatigue