Development of a National Plan for Addressing Future Aviation Human Factors Needs

It is indeed a pleasure to participate in this historic symposium in the Soviet Union. My purpose here today is to provide you with an overview of human factors research and development efforts in the United States. Specifically, I will describe the major priorities, or research areas, that are the components a new, comprehensive national plan for human factors research. This national plan will include research aimed at the alleviation of human performance problems in all types of aircraft, in the air traffic control environment, and in the interaction of the two environments. Moreover, this work is intended to encompass both the operational and maintenance spheres of each environment. My job with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is to coordinate the development of the comprehensive plan, but it will be the product of a joint partnership between the FAA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Department of Defense (DOD), the operational and industry community, and the academic community.