Human Centered design of an In-Trail Procedures (ITP) system

This paper provides an overview of a development program to design and certify an In-Trail Procedures (ITP) system for the Boeing 747-400 aircraft. ITP offers aircraft broader flexibility to change flight levels during oceanic flight. The classical elements of a Human Centered Design (HCD) process were integrated within a commercial systems engineering process to develop the system. Previously reported user difficulties in formulating ITP clearances, design challenges posed by touch screen user interfaces and retrofit avionics architecture, as well as the associated certification challenges were addressed during the program. Data from both simulator and in-flight evaluations confirm that pilots are able to perform the intended function under a broad range of operational conditions. The ITP system has undergone successful certification and is operational on a Convair 580 and Boeing 747-400 aircraft.