Spatial Awareness Biases

Pilot performance models used for representing task demands with new display technology, such as Synthetic Vision Systems, should benefit from a module associated with spatial awareness. Such a module represents how the pilot understands his/her position and trajectory in the 4D space (X, Y, Z and time), with regard to the desired flight path and waypoints, and with regard to terrain, traffic and weather hazards. This paper reviews and integrates the biases that have been documented through research in how the pilot's representation is influenced by features of the display of visual-spatial information. These biases can then be incorporated into such a model.