Developing a Pilot-Centered Autoflight Interface 2000-01-5598

Many of the problems associated with automation may be resolved by designing the user interaction and interface based on mental models and knowledge that the users already have. In this paper, I distinguish between user interaction and user interface and between functional complexity and conceptual complexity, describe the importance and application of metaphors to interaction and interface design, and illustrate the concepts using a new pilot interface to the autoflight system. In contrast to the weeks' worth of time required to learn to use a conventional flight management system, the new interaction concept can be learned by any pilot within ten to fifteen minutes, even though it supports more functionality than a conventional flight management system does.