FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute
PUBLICATIONS
AVIATION MEDICINE REPORTS

Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-00/31

Title and Subtitle: Impact of aviation highway-in-the-sky displays on pilot situation awareness

Report Date: 2000

Authors: Williams, K.

Abstract: Thirty-six pilots were tested in a flight simulator on their ability to intercept a pathway depicted on a highway-in-the-sky (HITS) display. While intercepting and flying the pathway, pilots were required to watch for traffic outside the cockpit. Additionally, pilots were tested on their awareness of speed, altitude, and heading during the flight. Results indicated strong practice effects for a pilot's ability to intercept the pathway and that the presence of a flight guidance cue significantly improved performance. The ability to spot traffic was more affected by task difficulty than by display appeal. New display concepts are needed for supporting secondary flight information present on the HITS display. Recommendations for training and use of HITS displays are given, along with recommendations for display enhancements to support situation awareness.

Key Words: Situation Awareness, Pathway Displays, Highway-in-the-Sky Displays, Cockpit Displays, Perspective Displays, Applied Psychology

No. of Pages: 13