Abstract Background: Spatial disorientation (SD) remains a critical safety concern in aviation, particularly for military fighter pilots operating in high-performance environments. While effective aeromedical training is essential to mitigate SD incidents, research quantifying the efficacy of simulator-based programs using advanced analytical methods remains limited within the Indian military context. Aims “SD susceptible” pilots (IAS <30) demonstrated substantially higher mean IAS gain (54.39%) compared to “well-aware” pilots (16.24%; P < 0.001). Perceived simulator realism and prior experience with illusions were significantly associated with positive outcomes. The machine learning model achieved high predictive accuracy (correlation coefficient 0.9569), confirming baseline awareness, simulator fidelity, and prior exposure as the most influential predictors of success. Conclusion: A single-day simulator-based SD training program effectively improves illusion awareness, particularly among pilots with lower initial knowledge. The study confirms that training success depends heavily on baseline knowledge, simulator fidelity, and prior illusion experience. These findings underscore the necessity for realistic simulation environments and personalized strategies—enhanced by AI-driven insights—to improve flight safety and reduce dangerous SD-related accidents.
Mohapatra et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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