Cliff Noble

Hi. My name is Cliff Noble. My research involves discovering how well single–task and dual–task testing methods can predict novice, nonnative-English-speaking pilots' ability to understand and comply with instructions in English while piloting aircraft in American airspace. I am interested in how much effort is required of pilots to attend to various levels of language and flight-task difficulty during flight emergencies and in other non-routine situations(unexpected communications from ATC, unexpected turbulence, and so forth).

While operating an aircraft, the accuracy and efficiency of the spoken English of pilots and air-traffic-controllers is often critical for safety. Modern technology allows for hidden costs of language performance to be measured and studied. Desktop technology is useful in assessing language performance under dynamic loads that simulate actual flight conditions.

General Education

Doctor of Education in Technology and Learning--United States International University
MS in Human Factors Systems Engineering (In progress)--Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
MA in TESOL
MBA National University, San Diego CA
BA in English--Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA
AS in Education--Tidewater Community College, Portsmouth, Virginia

Technical Education

Multimedia Instructional Design Certificate, San Diego State University
Naval Aviator (Rotor head) Milton, Florida Naval Air Training Command
United States Marine Corps Officer's Course, The Basic School, Quantico, Virginia
Graduate Secure Communications Specialty, Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas
Graduate USAF Electronics Principals Course, Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas
Smith-Barringer Model 400-B Explosive Trace Detection Training Certificate, 21 September 2002
Smith-Barringer Model 400, 400-B and Iontrack Itemiser ETD Trainer Certification April 10 2003
Supervisor Security Screener Course, Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security

Background

Born in Portsmouth, Virginia
Primary interests in human relations, language and flying
Helicopter Pilot and Adjutant in USMC
English Instructor for Special Purposes (ESP)
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
- Flight Safety Academy, Vero Beach
- Hesperia Airport
- San Diego State University (American Language Institute)
- University of CA Riverside
- California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB's American Language Institute
- Grossmont Community College
- Palomar Community College
- Victor Valley Community College
- Barstow Community College
- Nagasaki Wesleyan Junior College
- Okuda Gaukin
Taught in Japan for five years in Nagasaki
TSA Airport Manager and Equipment Custodian, San Diego International Airport

Areas of Focus; Research/Project Interests

Language Issues

I analyzed English-language performance data on novice, international-airline-pilots-under-instruction (International PUIs) using some interactive tests that I developed for measuring pilots' ability to understand and speak English while they operate aircraft in American airspace. I developed the Noble Part-Task Flight Simulator (NPTS)program ©1997, which is a voice generator that fires digitized and simulated air traffic control commands while allowing the researcher to fly simple heading and altitude changes, set transponder codes and change radio frequencies. The researcher, who simulates a flight instructor or flight examiner, flies NPTS (developed in SuperCard) while sitting alongside the participant, who is flying Microsoft Flight Simulator 98 or 2000. This allows the researcher practical opportunities to observe the actions of the participant, while allowing the researcher a safe and non-obtrusive means to input altitude and heading changes that the participant flies on a Microsoft Flight Simulator experience. Noble's Part-Task Flight Simulator automatically records and measures flight performance based on this non-obtrusive collection of flight variables. How does it work?

The researcher and the participant wear headsets with boom-mikes attached, which are plugged into a video/audio mixer. The mixer carries the ATC background noise form the researcher's lap top, the voices from the researcher and participants' boom mikes, and the converted video signal from the computer screen of the participant's Microsoft Flight Simulator experience--to a VCR, where the video and audio are captured in real time. A data sucker software program runs simultaneously with Microsoft Flight Simulator to record flight-performance data into an Excel file. The purpose of recording the sounds and screen action on VCR is to measure and document the efficiency and accuracy of the participants' verbal responses and manual flight responses to the verbal commands initiated by the Air-Traffic Controller (ATC), or by the "flight examiner.".

NPTS calculates and fires FAA certified ATC commands that are realistic for the participant's current flight situation while he or she is flying Microsoft Flight Simulator scenarios. The part-task flight simulator's programming code was designed and developed by the researcher using interpretive code and SuperCard, a multimedia authoring tool.

The basic theoretical framework of the new testing technology is Kahneman's (1973) limited capacity model of attention and the dual-task technique, which is a time-shared task. Tracking performance, which is the secondary task of interest, indexes language performance, which is the primary task of interest. It is assumed that the participants will direct their attention to the primary task to the best of their ability while dedicating remaining effort to the tracking task whenever possible.

Note: Michael Gibbs of Honeywell built the HSI XCOMMAND component that is used with the Noble Part-Task Flight Simulator program. Dr. Richard Feifer helped me build a production stack to manage the memory of the program. You can contact Mike at Michael.Gibbs@Honeywell.com and Dr. Richard Feifer at feifer@loveandlearn.com

Book Reviews

Noble, C.E. (2000). Fast Spoken English in a Fast Moving World: A book review of Whaddaya say by Nina Weinstein, Prentice Hall, 1982. In Internet book review at http://www.amazon.com
Noble, C.E. (2000). A book review of Stanley Roscoe's Aviation Psychology (1980). In Internet book review at http://www.amazon.com.

Resume

Publications

Noble, C.E. (2003), unpublished manuscript). Avianca Flight 052: Safety implications that address communication problems in English using the SHEL and Reason models.
Noble, C. E.(2003, unpublished manuscript ). Is there really “no such thing as a risk-free lunch” for post-911 passengers on FAR Part 121 aircraft, or is Dr. Allen Sanderson off the mark?
Noble, C.E. (2002). The Relationship of Fidelity and Learning in Aviation Training and Assessment. The Journal of Air Transportation, 7(3), University of Nebraska at Omaha, pp. 33-54.
Noble, C.E. (2002). Predicting the language proficiency of Chinese student pilots within American airspace: Single-task versus dual-task English-language assessment (Dissertation). UMI microform 3045266. ProQuest Information and Learning (300 North Zeeb Road, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor MI 48106-1346.
Noble, C.E. (2002). An interview with the Operations Manager of McClellan-Palomar Airport: Normal Airport Operations and Security Concerns. Unpublished manuscript.
Noble, C.E. (2001). An Assessment of the Language Performance of Chinese Pilots Operating Single-and Multiengine Aircraft in American Airspace. IATS, FAA Academy, Oklahoma City,
Noble, C.E (1999). Nonnative English-Speaking Pilots' Workload in L1 and L2 Airspace. International Aviation Training Symposium (September 28-30, 1999) FAA Academy, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; pp. 401-419.
Noble, C.E. (1997). The Aviation English Problem in America: Can a Real-Time Based Flight Simulator Help? Annals 3, Nagasaki Wesleyan College; pp. 100-125.
Noble, C.E. (1997, May 26). Japanese Grandparents Make Good Teachers. The Japan Times.
Noble, C.E. (1997). Language and Technology: Back to the Bicameral? Annals, 2, Nagasaki Wesleyan College; pp. 89-100.
Noble, C.E. (1997, April 13). Private Schools Waste Public Funds. The Japan Times.
Noble, C.E. (1996). In search of spirit to write in English. Annals 2, Nagasaki Wesleyan College; pp. 60-70.
Noble, C.E. (Unpublished manuscript). Cliff's Job Aid for flying a PA28RT-201 high performance aircraft from Hesperia to Chino Airport .
Noble, C.E. (Unpublished Manuscript). A Manual for Airport Safety at Fixed Based Operations.
Noble, C. E. & Li, S. (unpublished manuscript). A Model for Language Teachers and Educators: An Interview with Dr. Li-Rong Lilly Cheng.
Noble, C.E. (Unpublished manuscript). Pilot in Command: A critique of Digital Perceptions Inc., Multimedia Cessna Emergency Trainer.

Links of interest

E-Mail: cliffnoble@mac.com