Cockpit
Updated:02:58 PM March 20, 2009
The history of powered human flight began on December 17, 1903 when the Wright brothers made four flights. The first lasted only 12 seconds. The fourth ended in the first pilot loss of control and subsequent crash. Flight deck human factors has been a major area of study and application, especially as aircraft have become faster and more complex, and the volume of traffic has grown until the airspace has become highly congested in many places. The tasks required of pilots are very demanding and the consequences of failure can be catastrophic. Pilots must control the trajectory of the aircraft (which can move in six directions simultaneously and at high speeds), navigate, monitor the condition of the aircraft and especially the powerplants, search the external environment or onboard systems for other traffic and dangerous weather, perform calculations, complete checklists, communicate with controllers and other pilots, and respond quickly and effectively to any emergency. They frequently perform these tasks without good visibility. Today, most modern, high-end cockpits have sophisticated computer systems onboard that assist the pilots, but when they are not well designed or understood by the pilots, they can lead to pilot errors and accidents. Human factors research is conducted to address the causes of accidents and to ensure that new technology and procedures will be beneficial and not detrimental.
Projects
- NEXCOM
- AGIE
- CPDLC
