Examining Minimum Information Requirements for Electronic Aeronautical Charts

ABSTRACT

New concepts for aeronautical charting technology are being proposed, in which pilots would brief with a fixed chart but then fly with a user-configurable aeronautical chart, which may not include all the information elements that were briefed. We conducted a study to identify a set of minimum information requirements for this concept. Two hundred twenty-nine pilots rated the importance of information elements shown on four different types of aeronautical charts. We analyzed the data using one-way chi-square tests and consulted with subject matter experts to identify a criticality level for each information element. We classified 85% of the information elements into one of four “importance” levels to identify a “minimum set” and depicted what such a concept might look like. The results of this research provide insight into one framework for defining configurable electronic charts and highlight other human factors considerations in the design of these charts.

Acknowledgments

The research was conducted under the Flight Deck Program Directive/Level of Effort Agreement between the Federal Aviation Administration NextGen Human Factors Division (ANG-C1) and the Aerospace Human Factors Research Division (AAM-500) of the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI). The authors would like to thank Katrina Avers (our program manager); Dan Jack, Shijing Liu, Inchul Choi, and Suzanne Thomas of Cherokee Nation Businesses; and Danielle Hiltunen of the US DOT Volpe Center for their contributions. We would also like to thank the feedback received from two anonymous reviewers, which helped to improve this paper. Finally, we would like to thank all the pilots who participated in our study.

Notes

1. An IAP chart shows pilots the information needed to descend and land when they are flying using the instruments on the flight deck. An IFR chart is used when the aircraft is enroute. A SID chart shows the path for departing the airport, whereas a STAR chart shows the path into the airport.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Michelle Yeh

Michelle Yeh is a Human Factors Flight Test Engineer with the Federal Aviation Administration in Ft. Worth, TX. She has supported the Office of Aircraft Certification in human factors for flight deck systems for the past six years. She has a PhD in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Joseph Jaworski

Joseph Jaworski is a Human Factors Flight Test Engineer at the Federal Aviation Administration. Joseph has a background in research, supporting the Aviation Human Factors Flight Deck Research Lab at the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute. He holds a BS in Air Traffic Management and an MS in Human Factors and Systems.

Cathy Swider

Cathy Swider is a Human Factors Engineer at the Federal Aviation Administration in Washington, DC. She works in Aircraft Certification, specializing in human factors for flight deck systems. She is a coauthor of Human Factors Considerations in the Design and Evaluation of Flight Deck Displays and Controls, Version 2.

Stephanie Chase

Stephanie Chase is an Engineering Research Psychologist at the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center. Stephanie has a background in Human Factors, supporting research from the Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Railroad Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. She holds a PhD in Psychology with a focus in social cognition.