Pilot-centered evaluation of flight-deck interval management control laws using an a320 simulator

Recent research on flight-deck interval management technology, including the findings of a flight-test demonstration conducted by NASA, led to the development of an alternative control logic for flight-deck interval management, termed as “interval management–speed planning.” As this logic demonstrated promising results in numerical simulations, for the first time, test pilots and airline pilots were invited to evaluate the system in an Airbus A320 simulator, using an avionics setup similar to the one employed in NASA’s flight test, on an approach for the Tokyo International Airport. A qualitative and quantitative survey was conducted in which the pilots’ opinions pertaining to their acceptance of the interval management operation and comprehension of the system behavior using both the original and alternative control logic, as well as a modified graphical user interface, were sought. The results indicated that the new control logic was well accepted by the pilots, confirming some of the results and hypotheses from the numerical simulation; nevertheless, it was indicated that further research on the user interface is needed to make full use of the logic’s capability.