ABSTRACT
This paper presents two competing flight deck design concepts developed based on different directions that flight deck designs may take in the future because of unpredictable forces and factors. Future operations envisioned in the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) involve more complex and precise operations, more available information for the flight crew and air traffic control, more highly automated and complex systems, and increased flight crew tasks and responsibilities. To mitigate these potential NextGen issues, it is necessary to identify the functions of a critical element of future aviation systems-aircraft flight decks, and to allocate those functions among the automated and human components of the flight deck. The first design path embodies pilot roles and responsibilities that represent the “pilot as pilot”. The second design path embodies roles and responsibilities that represent the “pilot as manager”. The two design concepts were used to generate high level human factors flight deck design guidelines that apply to both design paths in a future “NextGen” air traffic environment, focusing on those that are new or different from traditional human factors flight deck design guidelines.
