UK MOD Aircrew Clothing and Issued Equipment- Initial Findings of an Aircrew Perception Survey
Vivienne Lee
Maintaining aircrew efficiency and effectiveness in high tempo operational and non-operational environments is dependant, in part, on the provision of clothing and items of personal survival equipment, (collectively referred to as Aircrew Equipment Assemblies (AEA)), that meet the specific demands of the environment and the mission. In order to optimise future design and procurement of currently supplied AEA it is important to understand from the user, the usage rates, durability, comfort and its function and purpose within the context of operational and training use.
As part of the MOD Aircrew Protection and Survival (APS) research programme undertaken by QinetiQ, an AEA perception questionnaire has been developed with the aim of achieving an understanding of the usage and perceived shortfalls of all core items of AEA and issued equipment.
The questionnaire covers all aspects of current in-service AEA (operational, non-operational and environment specific). Information collected includes the usage of this equipment within the previous twelve months and its acceptability. It also establishes where, and why AEA has been supplemented so that an understanding can be gained of where potential improvements may be made.
Rotary wing and multi-engine aircrew from eight UK Stations were asked to complete an anonymous AEA questionnaire. The initial findings from the analysis of the data will be presented and discussed.
Benefit to audience
The presentation will discuss the initial findings from the UK Aircrew clothing perception questionnaire, identifying common themes, which could be used to inform future designs.
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