This text discusses the skills and abilities that air-traffic controllers need. Its approach is international as air-traffic control practices throughout the world have to be mutually compatible and agreed.

The study of human factors has progressed greatly in the past 10 years, particularly with regard to the literature available in applied areas. The authors of this text focus on the most important aspects of this literature--the increasing concern over the deregulation of airlines and the increase in aviation accidents. The book covers general system safety, human perception, information processing, and cognitive load capacity during air traffic control performance, as well as team coordination, selection and training of personnel, work station and software design, and communication issues.

From the Foreword by Captain Daniel Maurino, ICAO: '...Air Traffic Control...will remain a technology-intensive system. People (controllers) must harmoniously interact with technology to contribute to achieve the aviation system’s goals of safe and efficient transportation of passengers and cargo...This book...considers human error and human factors from a contemporary and operational perspective and discusses the parts as well as the whole...I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did.' The motivation for writing this book comes from the author’s long standing belief that the needs of Air Traffic Service personnel are inadequately represented in the aviation literature. There are few references to air traffic control in many of the books written for pilots and about pilots and this is also observed at the main international conferences. In line with the ICAO syllabus for human factors training for air traffic controllers, the book covers the main issues in air traffic control, with regard to human performance: physiology including stress, fatigue and shift work problems; psychology with emphasis on human error and its management, social psychology including issues of communication and working in teams, the environment including ergonomic principles and working with new technologies and hardware and software issues including the development of documentation and procedures and a study of the changes brought about by advanced technologies. Throughout the text there are actual examples taken from the air traffic control environment to illustrate the issues discussed. A full bibliography is included for those who want to read beyond these issues. It has been written for all in air traffic services, from ab initio to the boardroom; it is important that the men and women in senior management positions have some knowledge and awareness of the fundamental problems that limit and enhance human performance.

Despite the strong safety record of the national airspace system, serious disruptions occasionally occur, often as a result of outdated or failed equipment. Under these circumstances, safety relies on the skills of the controllers and pilots and on reducing the number of aircraft in the air. The current and growing pressures to increase the capacity to handle a greater number of flights has led to a call for faster and more powerful equipment and for equipment that can take over some of the tasks now being performed by humans. Increasing the role of automation in air traffic control may provide a more efficient system, but will human controllers be able to effectively take over when problems occur? This comprehensive volume provides a baseline of knowledge about the capabilities and limitations of humans relative to the variety of functions performed in air traffic control. It focuses on balancing safety with the expeditious flow of air traffic, identifying lessons from past air accidents. The book discusses: The function of the national airspace system and the procedures for hiring, training, and evaluating controllers. Decisionmaking, memory, alertness, vigilance, sleep patterns during shift work, communication, and other factors in controllers' performance. Research on automation and human factors in air traffic control and incorporation of findings into the system. The Federal Aviation Administration's management of the air traffic control system and its dual mandate to promote safety and the development of air commerce. This book also offers recommendations for evaluation the human role in automated air traffic control systems and for managing the introduction of automation into current facilities and operations. It will be of interest to anyone concerned about air safetyâ€"policymakers, regulators, air traffic managers and controllers, airline officials, and passenger advocates.

Despite the strong safety record of the national airspace system, serious disruptions occasionally occur, often as a result of outdated or failed equipment. Under these circumstances, safety relies on the skills of the controllers and pilots and on reducing the number of aircraft in the air. The current and growing pressures to increase the capacity to handle a greater number of flights has led to a call for faster and more powerful equipment and for equipment that can take over some of the tasks now being performed by humans. Increasing the role of automation in air traffic control may provide a more efficient system, but will human controllers be able to effectively take over when problems occur? This comprehensive volume provides a baseline of knowledge about the capabilities and limitations of humans relative to the variety of functions performed in air traffic control. It focuses on balancing safety with the expeditious flow of air traffic, identifying lessons from past air accidents. The book discusses The function of the national airspace system and the procedures for hiring, training, and evaluating controllers. Decisionmaking, memory, alertness, vigilance, sleep patterns during shift work, communication, and other factors in controllers' performance. Research on automation and human factors in air traffic control and incorporation of findings into the system. The Federal Aviation Administration's management of the air traffic control system and its dual mandate to promote safety and the development of air commerce. This book also offers recommendations for evaluation the human role in automated air traffic control systems and for managing the introduction of automation into current facilities and operations. It will be of interest to anyone concerned about air safety--policymakers, regulators, air traffic managers and controllers, airline officials, and passenger advocates.

Since the 1950s, a number of specialized books dealing with human factors has been published, but very little in aviation. Human Factors in Aviation is the first comprehensive review of contemporary applications of human factors research to aviation. A "must" for aviation professionals, equipment and systems designers, pilots, and managers--with emphasis on definition and solution of specific problems. General areas of human cognition and perception, systems theory, and safety are approached through specific topics in aviation--behavioral analysis of pilot performance, cockpit automation, advancing display and control technology, and training methods.

This edited textbook is a fully updated and expanded version of the highly successful first edition of Human Factors in Aviation. Written for the widespread aviation community - students, engineers, scientists, pilots, managers, government personnel, etc., HFA offers a comprehensive overview of the topic, taking readers from the general to the specific, first covering broad issues, then the more specific topics of pilot performance, human factors in aircraft design, and vehicles and systems. The new editors offer essential breath of experience on aviation human factors from multiple perspectives (i.e. scientific research, regulation, funding agencies, technology, and implementation) as well as knowledge about the science. The contributors are experts in their fields. Topics carried over from the first edition are fully updated, several by new authors who are now at the fore of the field. New material - which represents 50% of the volume - focuses on the challenges facing aviation specialists today. One of the most significant developments in this decade has been NextGen, the Federal Aviation Administration's plan to modernize national airspace and to address the impact of air traffic growth by increasing airspace capacity and efficiency while simultaneously improving safety, environmental impacts and user access. NextGen issues are covered in full. Other new topics include: High Reliability Organizational Perspective, Situation Awareness & Workload in Aviation, Human Error Analysis, Human-System Risk Management, LOSA, NOSS and Unmanned Aircraft System. Comprehensive text with up-to-date synthesis of primary source material that does not need to be supplemented New edition thoroughly updated with 50% new material and full coverage of NexGen and other modern issues Instructor website with test bank and image collection makes this the only text offering ancillary support Liberal use of case examples exposes readers to real-world examples of dangers and solutions