Pilot workload management is recognized as an important subject in initial and recurrent training, as is crew resource management (CRM). Improvements in pilot workload management over the years have been supported by constantly upgraded automation solutions in flight decks. Aircraft OEMs are continuing this trend towards flight deck automation with the aim of improving the efficiency of flight operations and the level of business aviation safety.
Gulfstream’s newest aircraft, the G700, will feature active control sidesticks on its Symmetry Flight Deck and also offer a runway overrun awareness and alerting system (ROAAS), as well as a predictive landing performance system (PLPS). Symmetry lessens the workload for pilots, thereby improving their ability to fly efficiently through an increasingly complex global airspace system.
“The flight deck includes active-control sidesticks and an extensive amount of touchscreen technology, which make it easier and more intuitive for pilots to interface with the aircraft systems. Also standard to the Gulfstream G700 is the PLPS. This system gives pilots advanced warning of potential runway excursions so they can adjust approaches or go around,” said Gulfstream.
From a pilot workload management point of view, Symmetry, which is based on the Honeywell Primus Epic avionics platform, allows aircraft start-up and taxi in less than 10 minutes on the G700. In addition to active control sidesticks (ACS) and 10 touchscreen interfaces, it features EVS III and synthetic vision, pedestal-mounted cursor control devices, dual wide-format and full-time standby displays, auto-brakes with multiple settings, RDR 4000 3-D weather radar, and new ergonomic crew seats, according to Gulfstream.
“With the ACSs, active force feedback provides classic airplane control feel and cueing, and the simulation of mechanically linked sticks prevents simultaneous pilot input. The ACSs are back-driven by the autopilot to provide visual indication of control inputs and surface position, and they are ergonomically placed and oriented for natural pilot arm resting position,” said Gulfstream.
Symmetry also streamlines the interface with the flight deck by significantly reducing the number of switches with 10 touchscreen interfaces. Touchscreen redundancy improves dispatch reliability, while intelligent input-recognition software filters out erroneous inputs with intuitive phase-of-flight capability, according to Gulfstream.
Airbus Explore Autonomous Tech
Meanwhile, Airbus is engaged in studies on operational patterns for flight crew on long-range flights. These studies are ongoing and based on a minimum of two operating crew per flight, and they are being undertaken in conjunction with the regulatory authorities and airline partners.
“With safety and social acceptance being top priorities, our mission is not to move ahead with autonomy but to explore autonomous technologies alongside technologies in materials, electrification, connectivity, and more,” an Airbus spokesperson said. “In doing so, we are able to analyze the potential of these innovations to enhance future operations, and at the same time, leverage these opportunities to further improve aircraft safety while ensuring today’s unprecedented levels are maintained.”
According to Airbus, although fully autonomous aircraft are still many years away, urban air mobility vehicles are proving to be a valuable option to start the rollout of self-piloting aircraft operations.
“New urban air mobility vehicles like Vahana have been designed to integrate self-piloting functionalities from the start. This is because flying taxi missions involve short, point-to-point flights along a restricted selection of routes using limited landing infrastructure, thus making urban air vehicles ideal for testing self-piloting operations in aircraft. Although the technology is still not mature enough to transport passengers, autonomy in aircraft operations will undoubtedly be shaped by self-piloting, flying taxi demonstrators like Vahana,” said Airbus.
No precise calendar exists for these new technologies, which are not fully mature, according to Airbus. “Based on technology availability and maturity, the first potential application of autonomous technologies might be single-pilot operations and only during the cruise phase,” the Airbus spokesperson said.