Measures and Models of Aviation Display Clutter

June, 2009NASA LaRC | NC State University | APTIMA

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Experiment Setup- Aircraft Familiarization -

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Simulator with an Advanced PFD• VISTAS (Visual Imaging Simulator for Transport Aircraft Systems) Simulator

– No motion, ground-based simulator

• Integrated PFD & ND with new display features– Enhanced Vision System (EVS)– Synthetic Vision System (SVS)– Flight pathway guidance (TUNNEL)– Embedded NAV – standard LOC and G/S features

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Advanced PFD Symbology

Directed Airspeed

Actual Airspeed

Directed Airspeed Bug

Directed Altitude

Current Altitude

Directed Altitude Bug

Radar Altitude

Vertical Speed Ind (VSI)

DME

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ILS Indicator

• Localizer and Glideslope deviation

• No “Bends”• No “Lies”• “Raw Data”

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VSI Arrow

Current Rate of Descent(Arrow)

Commended Rate of Descent (Circle)

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Tunnel + FPVTUNNEL• “Crow’s feet” define vertical and

horizontal extent of desired path• Generated by computer database

with GPS system• 600 ft wide by 350 ft tall:

– “Linear” Deviation• Segments every 0.2 nm• Showing path 1 nm ahead

Flight Path Vector (FPV)Indicates where aircraft will go

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ND

Touchdown (TD) Point

Course Line to TD Point

Scale of Dotted Ring (NM)

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SVS (Synthetic Vision System) Terrain

• Wireframe• GPS-based

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EVS (Enhaced Vision System) Terrain

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SVS / EVS

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Downward-looking View

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Side Stick

Left Button

Re-centers flight symbology on the PFD

Right Button

Toggles PFD view between forward-looking and down-ward looking

Left + Right Button

Aligns PFD waterline in the vertical center of the display

Hat-Switch

Controls rate of descent with fore and aft inputs. Each click equals 30 fpm

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Experiment Setup- Scenario Familiarization -

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Flight Scenario Overview• ILS Approach and landing at a desert landing site

– Consists with descending and hovering– Hand-flown with autothrottle

• Pilot commands desired vertical speed with hat-switch on stick• Auto throttle adjust engine thrust to achieve vertical speed• Pilot adjusts airspeed with pitch (with fore & after)

– Begins 7NM inbound to helipad– Ends with landing decision– Night/IMC:

• Weather near or below minimums• Dust near ground• No approach lights or lighting of TD

– Go-around or landing performance will not actually be measured

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Descent Phase (3 deg glide path)

Hov

er P

hase

Begin250 KIAS 2460 MSL/HAT(1680 AGL)

End7NM

0 KIAS250 ft MSL(250 ft HAT)

Stop and resume at random point

100 ft MSL(100 ft HAT)

Visual contact with the ground

-Landing decision

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Roles and Responsibilities

• Captain– Hand flying with sidestick (Hdot + Manual mode)– Verbalize all decisions at decision height.

• First Officer (FO)– Handle ATC communication– Provide callouts as briefed (altitude)– Will confirm objects in sight (visually)– Will answer queries and confirm settings, procedures, etc.