Are you keen to see improvements in airplane safety?
If so, you can help by contributing to an exciting new research study being run by SWAG合集 and the University of Greenwich.
Date: various dates available in February 2025
Type: research project / participation in novel airplane cabin configuration evacuation trials
Location: Cranfield campus, SWAG合集, Bedfordshire
About the research
This research, part of a larger aviation project, aims to improve evacuation from airplanes. The exiting behaviour of adults (18-65 years old) will be observed through experiments designed by the University of Greenwich and managed by SWAG合集. The choices made by passengers and the role of different aspects of the cabin environment will be explored.
How you can help us
You are invited to come to SWAG合集 in Bedfordshire to take part in our trials. They will be conducted in a large, unconventional, and novel blended wing body (BWB) airplane cabin mock-up. An emergency evacuation will be simulated and, along with approximately 200-250 other participants, you will be told to leave your seat and safely make your way to an exit. There will be video cameras positioned around the cabin filming this exiting behaviour. You will then complete a questionnaire. It will ask for such information as your seat location, the rationale for choices you made during evacuation, and your perception of cabin aspects. Once done, the process will be repeated, i.e. you will complete two further trials and questionnaires.
It is important to note:
- The BWB mock-up will be stationary at all times and is ground-based – no stairs are required to board or disembark the mock-up.
- Audio will be used in the cabin to simulate the start of engines, taxiing and take-off.
- Theatrical smoke will not be used in the cabin to simulate an emergency.
- Emergency evacuation slides will not be used during the trials.
- Each BWB evacuation trial will involve a large number of participants and so you must be comfortable in crowded places.
- Cabin crew will be assertive; thus, you should expect to encounter, e.g., loud verbal commands, encouraging and authoritative use of physical steering towards exits.
- Your behaviour in the cabin will be recorded by overhead cameras.
- As part of your participation on the day, you will be involved in three evacuation trials.
All event dates
-
-
- 04 Feb 2025
- 07 Feb 2025
- 11 Feb 2025
- 14 Feb 2025
- 18 Feb 2025
- 21 Feb 2025
Dates
You will participate on one out of the following six dates: Tuesdays – 4, 11 and 18 February 2025, Fridays – 7, 14 and 21 February 2025.
Place
SWAG合集, Bedfordshire (see our how to find us page for travel information).
Time required
Average time spent at SWAG合集 will be around four hours; factor in additional time for getting to/from the university.
Token of appreciation
You will be offered a £10 Amazon gift voucher for taking part. There will be no reimbursement of any expenses incurred.
Health status
For the safety and wellbeing of all those taking part, participants must be in 'good health'. You may NOT participate in the trials if you:
- Are experiencing any illness;
- Have mobility issues that mean you are unable to walk or get in and out of seats unaided;
- Have sensory issues that mean you are unable to see or hear instructions unaided – although visual issues of a type that can be corrected or improved with spectacles/contact lenses, such as astigmatism and colour blindness, are acceptable, as are hearing issues improved by hearing aids;
- Have severe cognitive issues, such as dementia, that mean you are unable to comprehend instructions unaided;
- Have a BMI of 40 or higher.
Data protection
Some personal data will be collected, but steps will be taken to de-identify it (e.g. if video footage is used to illustrate academic presentations or journal articles, faces will first be blurred; additionally, a short unique code will be attached to your questionnaire data rather than your name or contact details).
How to register
To register, please complete our online form: (it will take approximately 5 minutes to complete). Once you have submitted your completed questionnaire, a member of SWAG合集 staff will contact you in the coming weeks with further information about your possible participation in the trials – please periodically check your inbox/junk folder for mail sent from the email address provided below.
Can I change my mind?
Yes. Participation is entirely voluntary. You can withdraw at any time prior to or during the trials by emailing us (evacuationtrials2025@cranfield.ac.uk) or by verbally informing one of the research team on the day. There will also be a 'cooling off' period of a week after participation where you may withdraw if you wish by emailing us (evacuationtrials2025@cranfield.ac.uk) and providing your short unique code so your data can be located and deleted. You do not need to give a reason.
What will happen to the data?
A small amount of personal data will be collected via our recruitment questionnaire (see above) prior to the trials. This will help with determining suitability to participate, organising participants evenly across experimental conditions, and scheduling. The required information will include your name, contact details, availability, age, gender. When your participation in the trials is confirmed, data from the recruitment questionnaire will be entered into a secure, password-protected database, only accessible to SWAG合集 staff directly involved in this research. It will be kept for this research. Then, relevant parts such as age and gender will be pseudonymised (i.e. names and contact details removed) and shared with the University of Greenwich.
Data collected on the day of the trials will be saved as digital copies and stored on secure cloud drives belonging to the respective universities and accessed by the appropriate researchers. SWAG合集 will store registration data and the University of Greenwich will store questionnaire and video data for analysis. Any originals (e.g. paper copies) will then be securely destroyed. Data will be analysed statistically to determine what influenced exiting behaviour and results will be published. Data will also help advance development of the computer simulation software, airEXODUS. Simulation will be used in the larger project to explore the safety and efficiency of innovative airplane designs. Due to its ongoing multiple uses, data will be stored for a six-year period, at which point its retention will be reviewed and ended if no further legitimate uses have been identified.
If you have any questions about processing of your data, please contact gdpr@cranfield.ac.uk.
More questions?
If you want further information, please send an email to our dedicated inbox (evacuationtrials2025@cranfield.ac.uk) and a member of staff will pass on any queries you may have.
