Qualitative Assessment Report. Portable Flight Planning Software (PFPS)

Abstract

With the exponential increase in computer capabilities in the last ten years, the Department of Defense and the Department of the Navy (DoN) has sought to equip Navy and Marine forces with more capable and compact Automated Mission Planning Systems (AMPS). Despite these efforts, there currently is no single AMPS which satisfies the AMPS requirements for all DoN aircraft. There are, however, numerous AMPS's being employed to fill the shortfall. One interim fix being explored by DoN is Portable Flight Planning Software (PFPS). PFPS is a PC based AMPS, developed by the Air Force and Georgia Tech Research Institute, which presents the Combat Flight Planning Software (CFPS) interactive time, distance, heading, and fuel card and the Falcon View mapping toolkit simultaneously. Other capabilities include the ability to interface with digital maps, imagery, terrain elevation data and aeronautical flight information files. Upon request from PMA 233, a Qualitative Assessment (QA) of PFPS was conducted by Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) during Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) Course 1-98. Approximately forty experienced aviators from the Marine Corps and Air Force participated in the assessment. The assessment consisted of classroom training, computer lab, and self-paced study. Respondent opinions were captured in a single survey administered three times during the course. Respondents were surveyed on their background information, their computer and AMPS experience, the adequacy of PFPS training received, the difficulty of using PFPS Human Machine Interfaces (HMI), the adequacy of PFPS documentation, the compatability of PFPS with various mission planning requirements, the reliability of PFPS, the maintainability of PFPS, and the tactical impact and time savings realized while using PFPS.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 25, 1998
Accession Number
ADA340821

Entities

People

  • Matthew T. Sampson
  • Robert S. Barr

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Aircrafts
  • Computers
  • Databases
  • Department Of Defense
  • Graphical User Interface
  • Hard Copy
  • Human-Machine Interfaces
  • Instructors
  • Job Training
  • Marine Corps
  • Operating Systems
  • Reliability
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Training
  • User Interface
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Civilian Systems Systems Program Capability Development and Upgrade Support Activity Expense and Pay Management.
  • Instructional Design and Training Evaluation.
  • Maritime Combat Support and Expeditionary Logistics.