Airspace and Traffic Samples March 20, 2002 · Overview • (my soap-box) – General Approach – Measures • Generic Airspace • Levels of Traffic ... • Go study automation

Airspace and Traffic Samples

March 20, 2002

Ben WillemsEngineering Research Psychologist

NAS Human Factors GroupFAA William J. Hughes Technical Center

Overview• (my soap-box)

– General Approach– Measures

• Generic Airspace• Levels of Traffic• Scripts• Traffic Samples• Learning Effects

General Approach

To maximize our gain:

• Repeated Measures Design• Many experiments folded into one.

– Several aspects of controller behavior and performance

– Analyses of different aspects independently to form a “profile”

General Approach (continued)

Measures• Questionnaires and Self-Ratings• Subject Matter Expert Observer Ratings• Workload• Audio-Video Recordings• Communications• Standard Simulation (System) Measures• Efficiency• Situational Awareness• Visual Scanning

Fidelity

• How real for realism?• Operational systems or something

with the look and feel of the real thing?

• Existing airspace or something with the look and feel of real airspace?

DSAR1 ImplementationDSAR TGF/HOST/DSR/URET

Peripheral Adapter Module

Replacement Item

HOST

HOSTInterfaceDevice

UserRequest

EvaluationTool

URET Controller Station

URET Supervisor Station

LANInterface

Unit

DSRController

Station

DSRController

StationDSRTokenring

Sniffer

Middleware

DESIREE

NAS

URET

SAVANT

DSR

TargetGeneration

Facility

SimulationPilot Station

ExerciseControl

XPVD

RadarBox

RadarBox

RadarBox






TGF

SABET Implementation

DESIREETGF

TargetGeneration

Facility

SimulationPilot Station Exercise

Control

XPVD

DSRController

Station

DSRController

Station









DSRController

Station

DSRController

Station

DESIREE

Generic Airspace

• Not a new concept– Aerocenter High as used at the FAA

Academy– ZCY or Universal Data Set (UDS) for

Operational Test and Evaluation (documentation dated 1973)

– Initiated in our laboratory as separate enroute and terminal airspace in 1994/95

Generic Airspace: Advantages

• Easy to learn• Controllers from any airspace• Controllers start at level playing field• Results generalize to NAS

Generic Airspace: Disadvantages

• All participants have to learn• Specific airspace related habits may

not be transferred to the generic airspace

• No airspace specific results

Generic Airspace: When to Use

• Concept Research– Change in systems– Change in procedures

• Do not use it when you are about to implement a facility specific system procedure

Generic Enroute Sector

• Used with ZJX controllers– tested on own airspace and generic

airspace to determine if using generic airspace affected controller behavior

– to determine time needed to train on generic airspace

• Naming convention based on compass rose

Generic Enroute Sector

Atlantic City TRACON

Generic TRACON Airspace

• Four Corner Post Layout• Naming convention based on

compass rose

Generic TRACON Airspace

What Happened Next...

• Go study automation– User Request Evaluation Tool (URET)

• Not connected to our simulator• Available with Display System

Replacement (DSR) • How to get a good sample size of non-

URET-trained controllers

• Create a Generic Center

Generic Airspace for DSAR1

GEND2

GEN

IOW INDIN COLUM OHO

BOSTN

MAS

DETRO

MIC

M INSP

MIN

NEB

LINCO

MONIDA

NEV

NMX

ARK

PEN

BWINT

MARLOUIV

KTYWVAILL

BUTTE

DESMN

CHIGO WHEEL

J 26

J 22

J 25

J 12

J 1

J 15

J 23

J 24

J 21

J 13

J 1

J 23

J 26J 13

GENERACENTER (ZGN)

1/10/00

KANCY

Southwest High

FL240 & above

127.0 / 327.0

Northwest High

FL240 & above

128.0 / 328.0

Northeast High FL240 & ABV

124.0 / 324.0

Southeast High FL240 & above

125.0 / 325.0

Genera Low

160 -FL230

126.0 / 326.0

North High

FL240 & above

123.0 / 323.0

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Controller chart - not drawn to scale

DSAR1 Implementation (continued)

J22

J1

J12

J12J30

J15

MID

DWN

J13

J1UPT

NTH

OZARK

BAITSR1002

R1003

R1005

R1001

OZARKR1006

DROPZONE

GEN

ILL

GEND2

WVA

KANCY

CHIGO

NWNWT

WHEEL

EST

SGFMAIT

LAKES

PONDS

Genera Genera LowLow

High126.0

En Route127.0

Approach 125.0

IND

Generic Airspace for DARC Study

Generic Airspace for SABET

02

J23

J100

J12

J15

J110

J10J120

J70

J60 J15

J23

J13

J21

J22

J30

JAX

KTY

J21

J70

WVA

MAR

NEV

NMX

CAL

ARK

BUTTE

J26

J26

MIC

KANCY

FLA

J15

27

28

OHO

MINSP

MONWAS

3303

30

05

04

14

07

GEN

CRW

ESTWST

IOW

GEND2

BOSTN

06

31

J50

J11

STH

ILL

LINCO

J50

J100

J120

120.06

120.03

120.04

120.30

120.28

120.33120.02

120.03

120.14

120.27

120.07

120.05DODGE

CIN

SPL

J11

08

22

16

J23

J23 J23

J100

J15

J10J120

J70

J60J15

J13

J21

J22

J25

J70

CAL

J26

J26

FLA

J30

TEX

MIS

JAX

LIT

GEND2

ILL

GEN

SPL

J110KTY

WVA

MAR

BOSTN

IDA

NEV

NMX ARK

BUTTE

MIC

KANCY

NJY

OHO

VIR

TEN

ORE

MAI

MINSP

MIN

MONWAS

EST

WST

IOW

CRW

OHN

MAS

LINCOPEN

STH

NTH

WHEEL

J13

J1

J1J11 J11

J20

J24

J15

SET J50

J10

GEO

J12

J100

CAR

J21

J20

Genera Center3-Sector Configuration

02J23

J23

J100

J12

J15

J110

J10J120

J70

J60 J15

J23

J13

J21

J22

J30

JAX

KTY

J21

J70

WVA

MAR

IDA

NEV

NMX

CAL

ARK

BUTTE

J26

J26

MIC

KANCY

NJY

FLA

J15

27

28

OHO

VIR

TEN

TEX

MIS

ORE

MAI

MINSP

MINMON

WAS

3303

30

05

04

1429

07

GEN

CRW

ESTWST

IOW

GEND2

BOSTN

MAS

06

31

J10

J50

J24

J20

J11 J11

J25

GEO

STH

ILL

LINCO

J50

J100

J120

Genera Center2-Sector Configuration

Levels of Traffic

• We use an “operational” definition, a.k.a. “ask the experts”

• Personally I prefer to train controllers on “moderate” traffic and use levels that are “low” and “high” for experimental scenarios

• It would be a lot better if we could better define/characterize our scenarios in a more objective way

Scripts

• ...or stuff happens• when using scripts, bring in some

“naive” controllers in a pilot study to see if the scripts actually work

• make sure that you have your measures in place that capture the essence of the script

Traffic Samples• Real airspace

– Sampling Strategy– Data Collection– Data Screening– Scenario Generation– Scenario Shakedown

• Generic airspace– Define Traffic Requirements– GYOT (generate your own traffic)– Scenario Shakedown

Learning Effects• Control for order effects

– counter balancing– rotation of scenarios under experimental conditions

• Sometimes (in my opinion often) you cannot get away with using multiple scenarios to prevent learning effects:– if you are interested in local events or situations, e.g.:

• with this enhancement, are aircraft better spaced over a fix?• With change in procedures, will aircraft fly more efficiently?

Documents

Airspace and Traffic Samples March 20, 2002 · Overview • (my soap-box) – General Approach – Measures • Generic Airspace • Levels of Traffic ... • Go study automation