Separation Monitoring with Four Types of Predictors on a Cockpit Display of Traffic Information

A clear and concise display format for use in later full mission simulator evaluation of the cockpit display of traffic information (CDTI) concept was studied. This experiment required airline pilots to monitor a CDTI and make perceptual judgments concerning the future position of a single intruder aircraft in relationship to their own aircraft (ownship). The main experimental variable was the type of predictor used to display future position of each aircraft. Predictors were referenced to the ground or to ownship and they either included turn rate information or did not. Other variables were the aircraft's separation distance when the judgment was required and the type of encounter (straight or turning). Results indicate that under these experimental conditions fewer errors were made when the predictor included turn rate information. There was little difference in overall error rate for the curved ground referenced and the ownship referenced predictors.