Gaugeless, Computerized Cockpits

CriX writes "There's been some work on creating a more intuitive airplane cockpit. The idea is to use graphics and symbols instead of gauges and numbers to enhance a pilot's awareness. The data shows that these are a lot easier to read under turbulence and the information easier to interpret for less experience pilots. Sweet, I love human factors engineering."

Comments

Fighting inertia?

[GuyMannDude]

"The system is designed to preserve the status quo as opposed to bringing forward innovations," Temme said. "We're fighting inertia."

Well, the system is designed to maintain the status quo because it works pretty darn well. All the statistics indicate that flying is the safest form of transportation. Perhaps if (a) Temme was able to show that cockpit confusion was a problem serious enough to warrant a solution and (b) they showed with scientific studies that their new-fangled system improved the situation by a significant amount, perhaps people would listen to them. But just to claim that the reason everyone doesn't drop a system that has worked well for decades and adopt a radically new instrumentation panel is due to bureaucracy is pretty presumptuous of them.

GMD