Fitts' principles still applicable: computer monitoring of fighter aircraft emergencies

When examining the impact of automation in the cockpit, a careful distinction must be drawn between the role of a multi-crew civilian aircraft and a single-seat military aircraft. For the former, there are some concerns that automation can have a negative impact on the crew by reducing their proficiency. However, for a single-seat military aircraft on an attack mission, the role of automation is not only helpful to the pilot now but in the future may be necessary to achieve mission success. These distinctions must constantly be brought to mind in explaining the concepts of Fitts' principles. For a single-seat military aircraft, it is believed that these principles still apply, and that computer monitoring of system failures will further enhance their application. Three approaches to computer-augmented system monitoring are discussed.