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Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-02/2

Title and Subtitle: POWER: Objective Activity and Taskload Assessment in En Route Air Traffic Control

Report Date: February 2002

Authors: Mills, S.H., Pfleiderer, E.M.2, and Manning, C.A.

Abstract: Two computer programs, the National Airspace System (NAS) Data Management System (NDMS) and the Performance and Objective Workload Evaluation Research (POWER) program, have been developed to provide a platform for quantifying en route air traffic controller activity and taskload. The NDMS program extracts data produced by en route mainframe computers and encodes the information into database files that provide efficient storage and access. The POWER program calculates specific measures using aircraft positions and controller data entries. The development and use of such measures is important for establishing baseline activity measures and for evaluating modifications to ATC systems.

NAS System Analysis Recording (SAR) data were collected from the Jacksonville en route air traffic control center between 8:30-10:30 a.m. and between 12:00-2:00 p.m. (local time) for each of four consecutive days. POWER measures were computed in 30-minute intervals for all active sectors. A Principal Components Analysis (PCA) was conducted to evaluate the current set of POWER variables and provide guidelines for the addition of new measures or the modification of existing ones. PCA with Varimax rotation converged in seven iterations and produced five components with eigenvalues > 1.

Cumulatively, the four components accounted for 68.18% of the variability in the data set: Component 1 (Activity) accounted for 26%, Component 2 (Flight Path Variability) accounted for nearly 13%, Component 3 (Objective Workload) accounted for 11%, Component 4 (D-side Activity) accounted for 9%, and Component 5 (Overload) accounted for approximately 8%. Variables comprising the five extracted components provided valuable information about the underlying dimensions of the NAS data set. Additions or modifications that might improve the ability of POWER to describe ATC activity and taskload were identified.

Key Words: Air Traffic Control, Taskload Measures, Activity Measures, Principal Components Analysis, System Analysis Recordings, Data Analysis Reduction Tool, National Track Analysis Program, NAS Data Management System

No. of Pages: 22