An Evaluation Methodology for Traffic Awareness Displays

An evaluation methodology for traffic awareness displays for helicopters and other vertical/short takeoff aircraft was developed. Pilots of vertical/short takeoff aircraft will require more traffic information than would pilots of conventional aircraft to avoid both other vertical/short takeoff traffic and conventional traffic. The BF Goodrich Skywatch® traffic advisory display was used as a candidate display to develop a procedure for evaluating the usefulness of such displays. Four high-time helicopter pilots participated in a 16-hour flight evaluation. They flew a closed circuit in the San Francisco Bay Area. In one-half of the flights the evaluation pilot had the traffic advisory display as an aid in detecting and locating traffic. In the other half of the flights the traffic advisory display was not available to the evaluation pilot. Data examined include measures of traffic advisory display performance and pilot performance in detecting traffic, as well as subjective workload and situation awareness data. The traffic advisory system did not help the pilots to detect more traffic. The importance of detection to traffic awareness is discussed.