Ulf Ahlstrom, PhD.


Ulf Ahlstrom is an engineering research psychologist with the FAA Human Factors Branch. He received his Ph.D. in experimental psychology from Uppsala University, Sweden, in 1994. His research interests are in broad areas of air traffic control user interface design, operator workload, and information displays. He is currently investigating weather information needs for air traffic controllers and optimal display formats for weather related information. Ulf is a member of the Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA).

Contact Information

Ulf Ahlstrom, PhD.
Federal Aviation Administration
William J. Hughes Technical Center, Building 28
Atlantic City International Airport, NJ 08405
Phone: (609) 485-8642
Fax: (609) 485-6218
Ulf.Ahlstrom@faa.gov

Publications

Ahlstrom, U., Ohneiser, O., & Caddigan, E. (2016). Portable Weather Applications for General Aviation Pilots. Human Factors, 58(6), 864-885.

Ahlstrom, U., Caddigan, E., Schulz, K., Ohneiser, O., Bastholm, R., & Dworsky, M. (2015). The effect of weather state-change notifications on general aviation pilots’ behavior, cognitive engagement, and weather situation awareness (DOT/FAA/TC-15/64). Atlantic City International Airport, NJ: Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center.

Ahlstrom, U., Caddigan, E., Schulz, K., Ohneiser, O., Bastholm, R., & Dworsky, M. (2015). Initial assessment of portable weather presentations for general aviation pilots (DOT/FAA/TC-15/42). Atlantic City International Airport, NJ: Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center.

Ahlstrom, U. (2015). Weather Display Symbology Affects Pilot Behavior and Decision-Making. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 50, 73-96.

Ahlstrom, U., Caddigan, E., Schulz, K., Ohneiser, O., Bastholm, R., & Dworsky, M. (2015). Initial assessment of portable weather presentations for general aviation pilots (DOT/FAA/TC-15/42). Atlantic City International Airport, NJ: FAA William Hughes Technical Center.

Ahlstrom, U. (2015). Experimental Evaluation of the AIRWOLF Weather Advisory Tool for En Route Air Traffic Controllers. Aviation Psychology and Applied Human Factors, 5(1), 18-35.

Ahlstrom, U., & Suss, J. (2015). Change Blindness in Pilot Perception of METAR Symbology. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 46, 44-58.

Ahlstrom, U., & Suss, J. (2014). Now you see me, now you don’t: Change blindness in pilot perception of weather symbology (DOT/FAA/TC-14/16). Atlantic City International Airport, NJ: Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center.

Harrison, J., Izzetoglu, K., Ayaz, H., Willems, B., Hah, S., Ahlstrom, U., Woo, H., Shewokis, P., Bunce, S., & Onaral, B. (2014). Cognitive Workload and Learning Assessment during the Implementation of a Next Generation Air Traffic Control Technology Using Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy. IEEE Transactions on Human-Machine Systems, 44(4), 429-440.

Ahlstrom, U., & Dworsky, M. (2012). Effects of weather presentation symbology on general aviation pilot behavior, workload, and visual scanning (DOT/FAA/TC-12/55). Atlantic City International Airport, NJ: Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center.

Ahlstrom, U., DiRico, J. T., & Stephenson, K. (2010). The AIRWOLF tool to support en route controller weather advisories (DOT/FAA/TC-10/09). Atlantic City International Airport, NJ: Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center.

Ahlstrom, U., & Jaggard, E. (2010). Automatic Identification of Risky Weather Objects in Line of Flight (AIRWOLF). Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, 18(2), 187-192.

Ahlstrom, U. (2008). Human factors requirements for en route controller weather displays (DOT/FAA/TC-08/01). Atlantic City International Airport, NJ: Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center.

Ahlstrom, U. (2007). Availability and operational use of weather information by en route and terminal controllers (DOT/FAA/TC-TN-07/01). Atlantic City International Airport, NJ: Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center.

Ahlstrom, U., & Dury, T. G. (2007). Weather information for en route controllers (DOT/FAA/TC-07/08). Atlantic City International Airport, NJ: Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center.

Ahlstrom, U. (2007). An eye for the air traffic controller workload. Journal of the Transportation Research Forum , 46(3), 103-108.

Ahlstrom, U., & Friedman-Berg, F. J. (2006). Using eye movement activity as a correlate of cognitive workload. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 36(7), 623-636.

Ahlstrom, U., & Friedman-Berg, F. (2006). TRACON controller weather information needs: III. Human-in-the-loop simulation (DOT/FAA/TC-06/10). Atlantic City International Airport, NJ: Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center.

Ahlstrom, U., & Friedman-Berg, F. (2006). Controller scan-path behavior during severe weather avoidance (DOT/FAA/TC-06/07). Atlantic City International Airport, NJ: Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center.

Ahlstrom, U. (2005). Work domain analysis for air traffic controller weather displays. Journal of Safety Research, 36(2), 159-169.

Ahlstrom, U., & Friedman-Berg, F. (2005). Subjective workload ratings and eye movement activity measures (DOT/FAA/CT-05/32). Atlantic City International Airport, NJ: Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center.

Friedman-Berg, F., & Ahlstrom, U. (2005). Evaluating controller use of advanced weather products by evaluating user interaction patterns. In Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 49th Annual Meeting (pp. 30-34). Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Ahlstrom, U. & Arend, L. (2005). Color usability on air traffic control displays. In Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 49th Annual Meeting (pp. 93-97). Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Ahlstrom, U. (2005). Advanced weather displays for TRACON controllers. Journal of Air Traffic Control, 47(2), 29-36.

Ahlstrom, U., Keen, J., & Mieskolainen, A. J. (2004). Weather Information Display System (WIDS). Journal of Air Traffic Control, 46(3), 7-14.

Ahlstrom, U. (2004). TRACON controller weather information needs: II. Cognitive work analysis (DOT/FAA/CT-TN04/09). Atlantic City International Airport, NJ: Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center.

Ahlstrom, U. & Della Rocco, P. (2003). TRACON controller weather information needs: 1. Literature review (DOT/FAA/CT-TN03/18). Atlantic City International Airport: Federal Aviation Administration Technical Center.

Ahlstrom, U. (2003). Current trends in the display of aviation weather. Journal of Air Traffic Control, 45(3), 14-21.

Ahlstrom, U., & Hadley, G. (2001). Limited dynamic resectorization (LDR) (DOT/FAA/CT-01/11) [CD-ROM]. Atlantic City International Airport, NJ: FAA William Hughes Technical Center.

Ahlstrom, U., Rubinstein, J., Siegel, S., Mogford, R., Manning, C. (2001). Display concepts for en route air traffic control (DOT/FAA/CT-TN01/06). Atlantic City International Airport: Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center.

Blake, R., Ahlstrom, U., & Alais, D. (1999). Perceptual priming by invisible motion. Psychological Science, 10, 145-150.

Ahlstrom, U., Borjesson, E., & Ahlstrom, V. (1999). Perceptual interference in the processing of superimposed motions.Visual Cognition, 6 (2), 129-144.

Johansson, G., & Ahlstrom, U. (1998). Visual bridging of empty gaps in the optic flow. Perception & Psychophysics, 60 (6), 915-925.

Ahlstrom, V., Blake, R., & Ahlstrom, U. (1997). Perception of biological motion Perception, 26 (12), 1539-1548.

Ahlstrom, U., & Borjesson, E. (1996). Segregation of motion structure from random visual noise. Perception, 25, 279-291.

Ahlstrom, U. (1995). Perceptual unit formation in simple motion patterns. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, Vol. 36, 343-354.

Lappin, J. S., Ahlstrom, U., Craft, W. D., & Tschantz, T. S. (1994). Spatial primitives for seeing 3D shape from motion. In T. Papathomas, C. Chubb, E. Kowler & A. Gorea (Eds), Early vision and beyond. MIT Press. pp. 145-153.

Lappin, J. S., & Ahlstrom, U. (1994). On the scaling of visual space from motion - in response to Pizlo and Salach-Golyska. Perception & Psychophysics, 55 (2), 235-242.

Borjesson, E., & Ahlstrom, U. (1993). Motion structure in five-dot patterns as a determinant of perceptual grouping. . Perception & Psychophysics, 53 (1), 2-12.