Designing a Flight Deck Predictive Weather Forecast Interface Supporting In-flight Trajectory Planning

It is envisioned that in the near future predictive weather forecasts will be available and assimilated into decision making processes for in-flight trajectory planning on the flight deck. However, there has been limited discussion on how in-flight trajectory planning for weather avoidance is to be made and executed. The present study examined three prototype methods by which predictive weather forecasts can be viewed in conjunction with tools to modify flight trajectories. Eighteen transport pilots participated in a part-task experiment where they were asked to modify flight trajectories using one of the three methods. Subjective evaluations by the pilots showed overall acceptance of the concepts behind all of the methods, with room for improvement in the implementation of each. No single method was found to be the clear winner based on performance results. Implications on designing interfaces to support weather decisions on the flight deck will be discussed.