Industry Tackling Avionics Complexity Issues

In many accidents, confusion in the cockpit seems to have been a factor. This is not a new subject, but one that remains top-of-mind for pilots, regulators, safety experts and agencies and, of course, the companies that design and manufacture avionics.

As technology advances and offers greatly enhanced features, more and more capability is added to modern cockpits. But this apparent benefit can also add a burden for pilots, who must learn how to use these capabilities safely and effectively. If technology is so great, why can’t it be used to make pilots’ jobs easier instead of more complex? And if technology has advanced to the point that it can add significantly useful capabilities while at the same time reducing complexity, shouldn’t this reduce training times for pilots transitioning into modern cockpits? Alas, this does not appear to be the case, but it is something that aircraft manufacturers and avionics designers are working on, and ultimately technology should offer a roadmap to a future that helps pilots instead of confusing them with complexity.

AIN polled readers to identify their issues with avionics complexity and confusion, then asked avionics manufacturers how they are addressing them. While some of the pilots’ complaints are specific to certain avionics systems, this report is intended to focus less on such granular issues and more to highlight challenges and examine how to overcome them.