An observation tool to study air traffic control and flightdeck collaboration.

Area of Science:

• Human Factors Engineering
• Aviation Systems Analysis
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Complex interactions exist within flight deck (FD) and air traffic control (ATC) systems.
• Current air traffic management strategies aim to increase air traffic volume through technological and procedural changes.
• Investigating the human factors impact of these changes is crucial for system safety and efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of technological and responsibility changes within the ATC-FD system on human factors.
• To specifically examine the introduction of datalink and the move towards freeflight.
• To develop and apply an observation tool for analyzing information propagation within the ATC-FD system.

Main Methods:

• A systems approach was adopted, incorporating field studies.
• Domain experts, including air traffic controllers (ATCOs), participated in field-based observations.
• An observation tool was developed to examine information propagation through the ATC-FD system.

Main Results:

• Field-based observations provided insights into human-system and human-human interactions.
• The developed observation tool successfully examined information propagation.
• Models of possible information trajectories through the ATC-FD system were generated.

Conclusions:

• The research provides a framework for understanding human factors in evolving air traffic management systems.
• The findings support the investigation of datalink and freeflight impacts on system performance.
• The developed observation tool is valuable for analyzing complex communication pathways in aviation.