ABSTRACT
Deregulation, democratization of air travel, public expectations for flight safety, airline requirements for operational efficiency and technological progress are strategic factors that led Airbus Industrie to offer an upgraded cockpit working environment to adequately address today’s pilot’s needs. New standards evolved with regard to Flight Control, Automation and Man-Machine Interfaces. New demands developed to integrate Human Factors in this evolution. This paper reviews several system design evolutions explaining that functional objectives have duly considered:
the commonality concept for the benefit of aircraft handling,
the rational use of automation, complementary to man, tailored and adjusted to his/her strengths and weaknesses,
the careful implementation of adequate tools for achieving operationally sound interfaces.
Human factors and automation are being progressively integrated into contemporary aircraft design and flight management.
Airbus set up a Human Factors Operational Croup to ensure that such a process will also contribute to establish the standards of the future.
