Quantifying Some Information Processing Aspects of the Pilot's Instrument Crosscheck.
Abstract
An aircraft instrument panel contains a multitude of data sources from which a pilot gathers the information needed to safely and efficiently control and navigate the aircraft during flight. In order to insure that instrument indications remain within specified tolerances, pilots switch their attention among/between the various displays by employing a visual scanning technique called crosscheck. While most studies of the pilot's eye movements attempt to model the crosscheck under ideal conditions in an effort to describe an optimal scan, this study approaches the issues from a training perspective to identify a potential cause of and to propose a possible solution to non-optimal scanning. I've divided this analysis into eight chapters. To provide the context for this research, the first describes the task environment in which the pilot uses the crosscheck. In the second and third sections, I review pertinent literature to establish the crosscheck as a skill and use the Multiple Resource theory of attention (Wickens, 1984) as a base to present my rationale for teaching this visual scanning behavior in a part-task scenario. I speculate as to the potential benefits of teaching and developing crosscheck skills using a graphics-capable computer training-aid in the fourth section. In the final four chapters, I analyze the experimental data gathered by one such training-aid and describe the implications of the results in terms of the present methods of crosscheck instruction.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1987
- Accession Number
- ADA186114
Entities
People
- Joseph L. Bunecke
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology