Integrating Datalink and Cockpit Display Technologies into Current and Future Taxi Operations

Two approaches for the implementation of a suite of cockpit navigation displays designed to increase the safety and efficiency of surface operations were developed and compared in NASA Ames’ high-fidelity Advanced Concept Flight Simulator (ACFS). Eighteen airline crews completed fourteen low-visibility (RVR 1000’) land-and-taxi scenarios at a simulated Chicago O’Hare airport. An evolutionary implementation approach integrated the new technologies into current operations. A revolutionary implementation approach proposed substantial changes to current operating procedures such as airborne, datalinked clearances. The impact of these implementation strategies on surface operations revealed that cockpit display technologies can provide substantial benefits for the efficiency and safety of surface operations, but further gains may be realized by revolutionary changes to current operations. This research highlights the importance of considering procedural and operational integration issues as part of a human-centered approach to cockpit technology design.