Advantages and Disadvantages of Automated Aircrafts Cockpit - Essay Example

Student Name: Topic: ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF AUTOMATED AIRCRAFTS COCKPIT Course: Tutor: Department: Institution: Date Due: Running head: Advantages and disadvantages of automated aircrafts cockpit. Introduction Automation can be understood in different perspectives as illustrated by two groups of theorists. One, it can be understood as a replacement of functions that were originally human operated, by mechanical or computerized features. There is another perspective that extricates computerization from automation. In this regard, it asserts that in automation, functions do not permit or need any sort of direct human intervention, whereas computers assist human’s work. Whichever is the case, it stands out that automation generally implies improved efficiencies and accuracy as relates to reduced time and cost, while there is increased capacity and safety. ‘Automation in air traffic control in the non-manual includes; semi-manual; semi-automated; automated and fully automated functions” (Cardosi & Murphy, 1995). The main aim of implementing automation in air traffic management is to help the aircraft controller to perform the air traffic control task. Automation has enveloped the aviation field and has become an important addition to this dynamic industry. There have been several automations in the aircraft cockpit. A glass cockpit is an aircraft cockpit that is built with huge computerized screens, which display information relating to flight. The main reason behind the automation of aircraft cockpit is to improve the nature, efficiency and safety in the Flight information Management Systems (FMS) that assists in monitoring and control of the aircraft. This kind of cockpit replaced analogue instruments found in the commercial aircrafts, military aircrafts and GA aircrafts. The automated cockpits display GPS navigation, weather information, and Traffic Collisions Avoidance Systems. It also increases the automation ability and integration of controls. This automation was designed to enable flight crew to delegate routine skill-based and rule based functions to automated systems so that certain aspects of the work, which require human knowledge and intelligence, could be provided with a greater attention. Large section of the crew’s work can be finished before take-off when devising the flight plan. During the flight plan, details are entered into the mission management computer as the waypoints coordinates and airspeeds for every leg. The pilot then, enters the automation into an appropriate mode at the unfolding of the flight, and confirms the system status by selecting appropriate mode of the multi-function displays and controls. This system has however been revised by the cockpit designing team to reduce the functions of the pilot as a system manager to enhance flight plan revision and/or to bypass some functions performed by intelligent automation. Glass cockpit which is an automated aircraft cockpit presents with it, certain impacts which are both important and catastrophic, hence the advantages and disadvantages. Advantages of automated aircraft cockpit in the aircraft control and technology The glass cockpit combines several instruments into many easy to read displays, which reduce the pilot workload and fatigue. This ensures that no important gauge is remains unidentifiable to the scan. The concept imitates that of the original T-scan that enables the transition between cockpit styles (glass versus analogue). In this case, information given is more precise and can be displayed more ergonomically hence improving flight safety. The computer processing power can integrate more features into the screens allowing the display of more information. For instance, the GPS navigation, TCAS, GPWS and weather information have also increased the flight safety. These systems can also be pictorially presented making the pilots to have an instant mental pictures opposed to having to interpret the information themselves. Pilots can be alerted of the impending dangers and problems through feedback loops and self-checking programmers. This will make the pilot to solve the problem through checklists. It controls certain elements of the flight, which makes the pilot to concentrate on tasks that are more important especially during situations of high stress. The automation of the aircraft’s cockpit has seen significant improvement on flight safety instruments. For instance, it has enabled the automation of Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS). It has been designed to reduce the cases of mid-air collision between aircrafts. Its functions have provided possibilities of monitoring the airspace around an aircraft. This is possible for those aircrafts in which active transponders, independent of air traffic control. It alarms the pilots of any other transponder-equipped aircraft, which poses dangers of midair collision. The international civil aviation organization has mandated aircraft designers to install TCAS in aircrafts with maximum take-off mass of above 5700 kg (12586 Ibs) or with maximum passenger capacity of 19 persons. Its (TCAS) application is based on Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) transponder signals that have independent operation from the ground-based equipment to enhance pilot advice on potential confusing aircraft with SSR transponders. In the glass cockpit TCAS is designed to display signals integrated Navigation Display or the Electronic Horizontal Situation Indicator (EHSI). It issues aural annunciations, which include Traffic Advisory (TA), Resolution advisory, and clear of conflict. TA triggers pilots’ to begin visual traffic search that causes the TA. RA requires ‘pilots to initiate an immediate response to its issue to avoid risking the safety flight operation. This will make the aircrafts to maneuver as opposed to ATC instructions. TCAS equipment has the ability to process Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) messages, enhance its performance, using hybrid surveillance. The hybrid surveillance uses reception of ADS-B messages from an aircraft to decrease" the rate at which the TCAS equipment interrogates that aircraft. This reduction in interrogations reduces the use of the 1030/1090 MHz radio channel" (Adam G.L., 1995) and will extend the life of operationally important TCAS technology. Low costs for aircraft technology is enhanced by the ADS-B messages, which provide real time traffic in the cockpit for small aircraft. In the traditional commercial aircrafts, the occurrence of flight flames was becoming common. There was a need to address this to improve on flight safety and security. The automation of the aircrafts cockpit provided a necessary solution on this hazard. It made it possible to reduce such cases. The traditional cockpits were prone to being flame-field. This was very dangerous especially when the crafts’ electrical system faulted. This resulted in electrical load and tripped circuit breakers. Failure to act properly within the shortest possible period would orchestrate the situation leading to full flame blast or a flame-triggered crash. The computerization of the cockpit, improved the identification of such mishaps enhancing quick, appropriate and accurate response in conjunction with the directives from the Aircraft’s Traffic controller. The pilot would inform the ATC of the detection of a possible fire breakout. Generally, TCAS has improved aircraft safety it has mechanical features that increase the accuracy, reliability and the costs of maintenance of equipment. In cases where mechanical gyroscopes exhibit movable parts that are subject to wear and tear, inertial movement resistance and high sensitivity to vibration, shock and acceleration, fiber optic gyros and ring laser gyros, enhance accuracy and reliability, showing minimal vulnerability to hostile operating environments and have no moving parts. The glass displays of the glass cockpit have made it possible to install autopilots that used to be very expensive for small aircrafts. The autopilots are quite helpful in easing the pilots’ fatigue. The primary Flight Display (PFD) enhances high levels of accuracy, confidence, reliability and readability. This help to handle problems of inadvertent IMC conditions that may be experienced. In other aircrafts that do not have glass cockpits, the instrument scan that is needed with a typical analog six-pack, which includes large panel area, forcing the pilot to do a lot of focus, instrumental reading and information absorption for an effective instrument scan. All these to be done by the pilot require a lot of concentration, which results in mental fatigue. In the automated aircrafts cockpit, the general analog uses six-pack 3-inch instruments with approximate measurements of 9 inches × 12 inches. This and even the large 12-inch PFD give a smaller scanning area than many of the instrumental panels. Indicators, markings, and symbols are all similar in the glass display enhancing easier focus while minimizing exhaustion and mental fatigue, hence improving pilot’s operation and effectiveness providing more attention to other more important areas of the flight. To summarize, the glass cockpit reduces fatigue, increases situational awareness, can display a multitude of data in a smaller, more easily discernable area and increases multitasking capability when needed most. Where navigation data may only be obtainable by scanning a particular instrument, the PFD provides several navigation references in the navigation display area. With available instrument panel area a valuable commodity, the glass cockpit displays can be of various sizes (six-, eight- and 10-inch displays can be mixed and matched), depending on the size of the aircraft panel. In addition, displays can be mounted in the portrait or landscape configuration, providing unmatched versatility. Finally, there is a cosmetic element to the glass cockpit that displays an embracement of current technology and progressive training. The glass cockpit supports the airborne law enforcement, professional as America’s first line of defense (By Daniel Johnson, Sagem Avionics Inc., Vice President, Commercial Affairs, 2007). Negative implications of automated aircraft cockpit Despite the fact that introduction of glass cockpits has improved safety in aviation in general, certain considerations on the pilots' side are necessary to counteract the human factor contributing to certain mishaps. This include among other things, active maintenance of situational awareness. Some of the negative implications include: in the recent past, there have been a few cases in which pilots have gotten confused by messages that are generated by computers installed in the glass cockpit. For instance, Aero Peru flight 603 succumbed to this problem. Another case involved the Boeing 757, which took off with its static ports covered with duct tape. In the wake of this, the pilots obtained contradictory messages which included Rudder ratio, Mach trim, Over-speed, and Under-speed. This rendered most of the aircraft’s instruments inoperable, and the eventual result was a massive fatalistic crash into the Pacific Ocean a few minutes after. In this regard, confusion over computer-generated messages was felt not to have caused the accident, but they may have interfered with the attentiveness to the pilots leading to crash. Information generated from the built-in computers requires effective instrumental functions. The physical nature of this type of information depends on the general operation of the integrated system. For instance, the GPS navigation should remain functional during the flight, as is the TCAS. Any default in this system, which is likely to occur, results in a catastrophe, which have been seen consuming lives of hundreds of people entangled in the flight. This electronic fault causes blackout in the screens, which leaves pilots with limited information to fly with. In this case, United Airlines is a perfect example. Just few moments after takeoff, a blackout occurred in the glass cockpit. It lost almost half of its display panels, Traffic Collision Avoidance System, all its radios and transponders. However, the pilots tried harder until they landed in their departure aerodrome, though only due to the then prevailing good weather conditions and would have crushed should there have been IFR conditions. Due to technicalities in the use of user interfaces, incorrect knobs and buttons can be unconsciously pressed. Large-sized fingers are prone to this slight human fault. This problem may present itself in either of the two ways. First, there are few knobs and buttons in the glass cockpit. In case of little controls, each knob or button performs multiple functions leading to overloading. in situations of little controls , overloading occurs as the knobs and buttons are subjected to multiple tasks. Should there be any form of emergency or turbulence, there is a likelihood of the pilot pressing and activating wrong buttons due to their large numbers in a very small area. The flight engine management systems may be set in various modes which gives pilot the perception that aircraft is performing a single task when in fact it has engaged another task altogether. Because of this, the glass cockpit produces a problem of a mode awareness, which requires the pilot to be consistently aware of all the time during the flight. To prevent this from taking place, pilots should continuously engage the aircrafts mode in the scan of the flying instrument to ensure awareness of the performance of the aircrafts every flight. Most of the traditional commercial aircrafts’ cockpits are being converted to glass cockpits. Traditional commercial aircrafts are fitted with hundreds of individual instruments while the glass cockpit aircrafts with just a few displays, need intensive learning. Flying the glass cockpit jets demand a different style of cognitive thinking as compared to the other traditional ones. It has been a practice where pilots used to the commercial aircrafts assume flying those automated jets. Due to insufficient knowledge in operating every technical instrument of the glass cockpits, the result often turns to be unlikeable with looming dangers and eventual crashes. Due to the demand of cognitive experience while using cockpit flown jets, pilots are subjected to frequent fatigue that can hinder their attention and focus, “which may trigger a lot of aviation related problems” (Roscue, 1992). Automation bias refers to situations in which, autopilots as substitutes to gathering information. This results in hindrance of situational awareness as what they ought to do to maintain their awareness and focus is assumed by the computers hence they may end up failing to check on the reliability of the system. The pilots begin to trust the systems absolutely with no thoughts of possible defections and desist from worrying about the system integrity. This is very dangerous as the computers are subject to errors and mechanical failures. Over-confidence is also another problem cause; as the computers tend to decrease the workload of the pilot hence giving more time to wind-up certain complex tasks during the flight time. This has a negative impact of creating illusions of good piloting resulting in errors that would have been evaded, should caution would have been sought. All these shift reliance to the automation system subjecting the pilots’ skills to spontaneous erosion hence accumulating ignorance in place. This is also to an extent enhance computer supervision, reducing human intervention in the process and the subsequent labor redundancy which is not economically friendly. “Dependency in automated cockpits has made it difficult for some drivers to fly an aircraft without the aircraft computerization” (Sikta, 2000). Students of aviation are likely to get dependent on the computerized systems. They should be instructed and encouraged to effectively undertake manual navigation. Despite the fact that GPS navigation showing track, heading and time to destination, endurance, range, which hence reduce the pilots’ workload, pilots may be emboldened by the glass cockpits thereby assuming risks that otherwise they would not dare. The weather and navigation information provided in the glass cockpits leads to pilots pressing on into the poor atmospheric conditions. This increases the rate of accidents (Croft, 2010). ADS-B protocol integration has a problem of added verbosity of providing even information that is not required in traffic collision avoidance. Extra data transmitted from one aircraft in line with system designs, reduce the number of aircrafts working within the same period in a given system. "This is due to the fixed and limited channel data bandwidth" (Bailey et al, 2007). It is also believed that at times TCAS may cause midair collisions because it is dependent on the altitude in which the threat aircraft is navigating and the expectation that it fails to initiate a maneuver that beats TCAS resolution Advisory (TA). There is also the possibility that the TCAS recommended avoidance maneuver may issue a directive to the flight crew to descend terrains below safe altitudes. In these cases, collisions and crash may not be easy to prevent. Automation induced complacency and reliability has been a major setback in the avionics. This results from the pilots’ assumption that the information transmitted through aircrafts traffic management is actually correct and accurate. Due to this, there are many chances that wrong cockpit information probably due to instrumental fault, will cause disharmony between the exact situation and the information relayed to ATC. Consequently, the ATC response will not provide the right information for the pilot to take the next suitable course of action. Another problem is that, little adjustment has been done to make the automation operate without human factor. The glass cockpit system and the pilot system awareness must work in tandem for effective flight safety. It should be understood that where human factor is involved, errors are likely to occur. The human error in dealing with system automation is in itself a security problem. When extensive training of aircrafts’ crews is not done to enhance efficiency in how they handle every aspect of automation in the aircraft, serious mistakes will be made which will increase navigation problems. Because of this, it proves expensive to train the pilots and other aircraft crew on how to understand the system operation of the new automation. In conclusion, it is significant to acknowledge the advances that have been made in the aviation field. Aircrafts Traffic Control has been to a great level advanced too. This has enhanced good communication and information conveyance between the ATC and the flight crew hence increasing safety. This ranges from increased aircrafts navigation surveillance that enables the detection of faulty satellites and removing them from positions of calculation and improving on the efficiency of ground-based monitoring stations. The efficiency of GNNS became exemplified in the wake of NavStar GPS. The glass cockpit enables the integration of the GPS with maps to provide moving map GPS or with synthetic vision system to enhance aircraft awareness to poor visibility and terrain. This system operates in association with ground users such as search and rescue and the ATC to help in controlling the aircraft by providing position information. However the use of GPS has proved unreliable in times of crisis and there have been several efforts put in place to counteract this problem. As a result, the USA has turned on selective availability, which has seen many places build DGPS to maintain a level of service in case of GPS unavailability. Some human factors have also contributed to aircraft oriented problems. These include; load on memory, adverse key-strike properties, difficult-to-read displays, non-intuitive logic, non-standardization of models, and database irregularities. These originate from the availability of amount of information and the possibilities of designing ergonomic units for pilots. Glass cockpits have become indispensable assets in aerodynamics. Their potentiality in improving civil aviation is no doubt; aircraft safety improvement is indeed attributable to the automation of cockpit and its accompanying instruments. However, vigilance in the part of pilots and how to harness that deserves an intensive redress. 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