Cockpit System Design for General Aviation Free Flight Using a Cognitive Engineering Approach

The realization of general aviation Free Flight requires advanced cockpit systems to assist pilots in managing information and decision-making. In this paper, the application of cognitive engineering concepts to cockpit system design for general aviation is discussed. The design of an Aircraft Approach and Landing Assistant is presented as an example of this method. Its purpose is to enhance pilot situational awareness, aid pilot decision-making, and reduce pilot workload during the approach and landing phase in an environment with complex weather, traffic and terrain conditions. The ongoing development of the system is based on the cognitive model of general aviation pilots. It is implemented into existing flight software and a real-time, pilot-in-the-loop flight simulation system is developed for its validation. The proposed approach appears to be a promising candidate for designing intelligent cockpit systems and decision-aiding tools for future general aviation Free Flight pilots.