Path-Oriented Control/Display Augmentation for Perspective Flight-Path Displays

Flight-path predictor display augmentation and flight-path vector control augmentation concepts have been developed to improve pilot performance and reduce workload with a perspective flight-path display. A recent comparison study conducted at the Delft University of Technology showed a preference for control augmentation, although some improvements could still be made. Pilots command the direction of the aircraft motion and, because in curved trajectories the direction must constantly change, they are required to hold the stick deflected during turns. It is also not clear how much stick deflection is needed during a particular turn. This paper discusses an augmentation concept that addresses these issues. A path-oriented control and display augmentation is described in which the pilot commands the curvature of the aircraft future trajectory, shown as a perspective wireframe on the display. Results of an experiment, conducted in a fixed-base simulator, indicate that although pilot performance improved with this path-augmentation concept, pilot workload and control activity increased. A surprising result of the path-augmentation concept was the relatively large improvement in vertical pilot performance; its primary goal was to improve lateral pilot performance.