· · · Institutional Repository

A study is performed analyzing the behavioral adaptation of pilots in skill based ramp tracking tasks performed with pursuit display. From data analyses of previous ramp tracking experiments an indication is found that pilots who repeatedly perform the same ramp tracking task show a high level of adaptation to characteristics of the control task in their behavior. From the theory of Successive Organization of Perception it is expected that this development progresses towards precognitive behavior. To get to a better understanding of the transition between pursuit behavior and precognitive behavior, a pursuit ramp tracking and disturbance rejection experiment is performed to further study this. For this four conditions with a different ramp steepness are used in blocks of ten runs, with eight similar ramps in each run. Two sessions are performed, one ordered session where the same condition is performed ten times consecutively and a random session, where conditions are presented in random order. After each block of ten ordered runs also a surprise run with a different condition is presented. The behavior is analyzed using performance metrics and by performing a time-domain parametric identification of a combined compensatory and feedforward pilot model. The behavior is analyzed in three ways: first by using the averaged data of the final five runs as steady-state behavior, then by using the data per run to investigate the development over the runs and finally the data per ramp is analyzed to investigate developments within a run. The surprise runs are analyzed over the entire run and per ramp. From performance and behavioral metrics no difference in ramp tracking behavior is shown when conditions are presented consecutively as opposed to randomly. From the model parameters though, it was found that the difference in behavior is predominantly visible in the feedforward pilot gain, and it is shown that the difference in behavior is mostly apparent in the first ramps of each tracking run. After the first two ramps, the pilots are found to already have adjusted their behavior towards their optimal control setting. From the surprise runs strong indications were found that pilots need more time to adjust after being conditioned in the previous ten runs to a different condition. This suggests that pilots use precognitive control strategies when they are more experienced in the task performed and think they know what to expect. Novel research should be performed to extend existing pilot models by modeling precognitive pilot behavior

In a free-flight airspace environment, pilots have more freedom to choose user-preferred trajectories. An onboard pilot support system is needed that exploits travel freedom while maintaining spatial separation with other traffic. Ecological interface design is used to design an interface tool that assists pilots with the tactical planning of efficient conflict-free trajectories toward their destination. Desired pilot actions emerge from the visualization of workspace affordances in terms of a suitable description of aircraft (loco)motion. Traditional models and descriptions for aircraft motion cannot be applied efficiently for this purpose. Through functional modeling, more suitable locomotion models for trajectory planning are analyzed. As a result, a novel interface, the state vector envelope, is presented that is intended to provide the pilot with both low-level information, allowing direct action, and high-level information, allowing conflict understanding and situation awareness.

The thesis describes the algorithms design required to perform in-trail self-spacing during continuous descent approaches. Both distance-based and time-based spacing is treated. The CDA-procedure that is investigated is the Three-Degree Decelerating Approach (TDDA). The results of various off-line and simulator experiments as well as test flight data are presented and discussed. Both distance-based and time-based self-spacing are proven to be feasible solutions to the problem of introducing CDAs while maintaining realistic runway throughput numbers.