Enhanced Audio for NextGen Flight Decks

Implementation of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) will require shifting more roles to the flight deck. The proposed tools and displays for facilitating these added tasks primarily deliver information through visual means. This saturates an already loaded channel while perhaps underutilizing the auditory modality. This paper describes audio enhancements we have developed to compliment NextGen tools and displays, and reports on preliminary observations from a simulation incorporating these enhancements. Pilots were generally receptive to the broad concept, but opinions diverged regarding specific features, suggesting potential for this strategy, and that user defined settings may be important.