Pilot Performance Optimization
OVERVIEW
Have you ever been told that planes pretty much fly themselves and pilots are just there for the landing? If you believe that is the case, then how confident are you to take an automated flight from Los Angeles to Calgary over the Rockies at night? By the way, flights from LAX take off by flying over Manhattan Beach, whose airspace is being occupied by several seagulls and the local drones hobbyist meet-ups. Then at the other leg of the flight in Calgary, they have been dealing with a coyote infestation since 2010 that clogs up their runways forcing planes to brake to a full stop, abort takeoffs and cancel landings. Oh and did I forget to mention that in order to make up some time for your flight delay, your plane has been routed through two severe storm systems and will be flying at speeds that are on the edge of the safety limitations for the aircraft. Still interested in that flight?
Pilots are there to make sure everything goes smoothly on the flight and to ensure you safely get to your destination. They use their superior judgment to avoid those situations where they might have to use their superior skills.
For instance, if a dispatcher routes your flight through major turbulence without considering the consequences to the plane and it’s passengers, your pilot would advise them that the route is unsafe and the plane will not take off until a proper route has been planned. It’s in his best interest to do so because if you’re not going to make it safe and sound to the destination, neither is he. Without that voice of reason, passengers could possibly be put into dangerous situations. You’re in good hands because your pilot has got your back. But who has his?
Methodology
Since this is a sample of how I would tackle an industry problem, I didn't have access to interview users and stakeholders in person, as I would on a commissioned project. To get a better understanding of the issues pilots face and any constraints that would hinder solutions for them, I gathered information from interviews in corporate journals and from user's posts in online forums related to the aviation industry.
If I was to go further with this project, I would like to perform non-directed interviews with users, stakeholders, and subject matter experts as well as, ethnographic interviews with key individuals responsible for the flight of and airplane (pilots, air traffic controllers, flight dispatch, and management for the airline operators) in order to fully understand the day-to-day interactions of the users.
To look at this issue, I broke down the information into the following:
Who Is Involved
Subject Domains
Background
Possible User Goals
Possible Challenges
General Content Recommendations
WHO'S INVOLVED
USERS
STAKEHOLDERS
SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS (SME)
- Airline Pilots
- Flight Dispatcher
- Air Traffic Control
- Stakeholders of Airline Company
- SMEs will be chosen to advise on their subject of expertise
- See list below for possible related subject domains
SUBJECT DOMAINS
INDUSTRY
• Aviation Industry
• Aeronautics
• Avionics
USER PERFORMANCE
• Aviation Psychology
• Stress Effects on Performance
• Psychology of Unpredictability
• Sleep Science
PRODUCT
• Biomechatronics
• Sensors
• Wearables
• Materials Engineers
INFORMATION PRIVACY
• Risk Management
• Information Security
HEALTH ANALYTICS
• Internal Medicine
• Endocrinology
• Neuroscience
• Data Science
APPLICATION
• Technology Infrastructure
BACKGROUND
If someone is planning to take a trip by plane, people will generally wish them to have a good flight, but what does a "good flight" entail? Beyond creature comforts of there being enough legroom, decent inflight entertainment, and getting to your destination on time there tends to be one critical component above all else: Whether the flight arrives safely.
Though the majority of commercial plane flights deliver their passengers safely and on time to their destination, when an accident occurs it can either be the result of human intervention, equipment issues, or flight conditions.
Most aviation accidents involve human intervention, with pilot errors being the far most frequent cause at 60% of accidents. There are different types of pilot errors that can occur. They can be classified into four categories: Skill-Based Errors, Decision Errors, Perceptual Errors and Violations.
Skill-Based Errors occur when we can accurately recall or don’t know the correct skill action.
Most Common Skill-Based Errors:
- Directional Control
- Airspeed
- Stall/Spin
- Aircraft Control
- Compensation for winds
Decision Errors occur when a decision that is made is not appropriate for the situation.
Most Common Decision Errors:
- In-flight Planning
- Planning/Decision-making on the Ground
- Fuel Management
- Unsuitable Terrain Selection
- Go Around
Perceptual Errors occur when sensory input is degraded and deceives us into making incorrect actions.
Most Common Perceptual Errors:
- Distance
- Flare
- Altitude
- Clearance
- Visual/Aural Perception
Violations represent the willful disregard for the rules and regulations that govern safe flight.
Most Common Violations:
- VFR Flight into IMC
- Procedures/Directives Not Followed
- Operating Aircraft with Known Deficiencies
- Hazardous Maneuver
- Flight into Known Adverse Weather
On the surface it appears that the major faults lie with only the pilot. You may be asking, "Is the answer to just get rid of the pilot" and "With the use of automation do we even need a pilot?". The latter point seems to be a practical solution and very tempting to put into action, especially when factoring in that pilot's salary is a major expense for airline operators and that a machine's endurance means they can work longer hours than a human. Before we jump to conclusions on this topic, let's take a more broad look at this situation, starting with considering the chain of command for a flight.
