Analysis of aircrew decision-making

A study of aircrew behaviour and work-load was carried out as part of the MOD Defence Research Agency (Aerospace Division) Advanced Panoramic Helmet-mounted Integrated Display System (APHIDS) programme; this programme has the aim of conducting research into the design and evaluation of advanced display systems for future combat aircraft. The initial study was concerned with the design of an experimental system, which would be used to explore various display options and examine their impact on aircrew performance. It was considered important that the design of the experimental system should be based on an accurate and detailed model of aircrew behaviour and requirements; in consequence, the adaptive decision-maker (ADM) model was selected to provide a formalism for representing aircrew expertise and estimating work-load and information requirements. Application of this model provided a basis for exploring the factors contributing to aircrew work-load, for identifying opportunities for the use of advanced display systems to reduce the work-load, and for estimating the potential reduction in work-load. The authors describe the approach used in developing the model of aircrew behaviour, outline the work-load analysis and discuss some of the conclusions reached in the analysis