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The paper describes the evolution of a terrain awareness display as a component of an Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS). From being an ‘optional extra’, the display has come to be recognized as a key element in the potential for the EGPWS to prevent Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT) accidents. In order to arrive at a production configuration it has been necessary to satisfy the requirements of engineers and line pilots from customer airlines, and engineers and test pilots from airframe manufacturers and from the FAA and the JAA. Constrained by engineering limitations and economic necessities, the display is inevitably a compromise. However, the present configuration has been widely accepted, and is being installed on a variety of jet transport and business aircraft.

This paper presents the results of a human factors flight test evaluation of a display of Enhanced Traffic Situational Awareness on the Airport Surface with Indications and Alerts (SURF IA). The study is an element of the FAA-sponsored Surface Conflict Detection and Alerting with Consideration of Arrival Applications program. The objective of the flight test was to conduct a comparative evaluation of two candidate SURF IA displays: a detailed Airport Surface Situation Awareness (ASSA) display and a runways-only Final Approach Runway Occupancy Awareness (FAROA) display. Six pilots with a current Air Transport Pilot Certificate each completed 18 scenarios. A Beechcraft King Air C-90 and a Cessna Citation Sovereign aircraft were deployed for the flight tests. The scenarios were conducted at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and at Snohomish County Paine Field Airport, with each aircraft acting as ‘traffic’ for the other aircraft.