Facility Requirements for Cockpit Traffic Display Research *

There is a great deal of research being conducted on the efficacy of a cockpit display of traffic information (CDTI). The facilities used in this research vary from elaborate combinations of simulators to one piloted simulator with additional aircraft controlled by a person at a keyboard. This study examined the facility requirements to adequately research the implementation of CDTI's in terms of simulator fidelity and the number of CDTI-equipped simulators. The facility was used in two configurations. There were three air carrier simulator cabs and four general aviation (GA) pilots with continuous analog autopilot control. In the lower-fidelity configuration, there were two single-piloted simulator cabs and five GA aircraft controlled by one keyboard operator. The number of CDTI-equipped simulators was zero, two, or seven. All aircraft flew an instrument approach in terminal airspace under full control of an air traffic controller. Comparisons across conditions of simulator fidelity and the number of CDTI-equipped aircraft were made.

Differences were found due to the presence of a CDTI. With a CDTI in their aircraft, there were more pilot/controller communications, the variance of intercrossing times at the middle marker was greater, and GA pilots made more speed and altitude changes. The horizontal flight path was longer without CDTI. The number of communications went up as the number of CDTI-equipped aircraft increased. However, this was the only measure showing a difference due to the number of aircraft with CDTI. Measures showing a difference due to simulator type were: altitude and localizer error at the outer marker, intercrossing time at the outer and middle marker, horizontal path length, number of communications, aircraft separation violations, and GA pilots' speed, heading and altitude changes. Differences due to the facility simulation configuration were the number of GA pilot speed, heading and altitude changes and the aircraft intercrossing times at the outer and middle marker. The latter suggests a difference in the air traffic control of the simulators and may have an inplication in CDTI research.