Increasing Participation in the Pilot Weather Reporting (PIREP) System Through User Interface Design

Although pilots regard pilot weather reports (PIREPs) as valuable flight planning resources, the number of PIREPs that pilots submit is relatively small. In a previous survey, pilots indicated that submitting PIREPs sometimes requires too much effort, and that they are often unable to recall the information fields required to complete a report. Pilots also indicated that the idea of submitting a PIREP often does not occur to them, and that they feel that other pilots are mainly interested in receiving reports about severe weather. In this study the authors attempt to address obstacles to submitting PIREPs by proposing two alternative designs of a cockpit PIREP interface that: (1) provides pilots with the PIREP form, (2) reduces the process of filling it out to a few button presses, and (3) includes a feature by which pilots can request specific weather reports from other pilots. The request feature reduces the decision to submit a PIREP to deciding whether or not to assist another pilot with a specific request. A series of survey questions probed pilots about how such a system would affect the volume and quality of PIREPs that are submitted.