Kathy AbbottFederal Aviation Administration24 February 2015

Operational Use of Flight Path Management Systems: Status of Recommendations of the Performance-Based Operations Aviation Rulemaking Committee (PARC)/ Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) Flight Deck Automation Working Group 

Eighteen Recommendations
        - Activity on most recommendations
        - Developing Action Plans for specific recommendations – in work

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Recommendation 1 – Manual Flight Operations.

Develop and implement standards and guidance for maintaining and improving knowledge and skills for manual flight operations that include the following:
        - Pilots must be provided with opportunities to refine this knowledge and practice the skills;
        - Training and checking should directly address this topic; and
        - Operators’ policies for flight path management must support and be consistent with the training and practice in the aircraft type.

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Recommendation 1 – Manual Flight Operations: Implementation Status
        - SAFO 13002 Manual Flight Operations
        - Notice to Inspectors 8900.xxx
        - POIs review of air carrier policies regarding the use of autoflight systems and verification those the policies encourage pilots to exercise manual flight operations when appropriate.  (Spring 2015)

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Manual Flight Operations

Manual flight operations include more than “stick and rudder” motor skills

There are many cognitive skills needed for manual flight operations.

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Factors that Influence Manual Flight Operations

Airline policies for use of automated systems 

Pilot (lack of) confidence in their knowledge and skills for manual flight operations

Type of operations (e.g., some airspace procedures require the use of the autopilot; long haul ops)

Perception that automating the operation is safer/more efficient

Transition from automated to manual operations is not practiced or trained

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Challenges for Maintaining Proficiency

Not addressing the cognitive aspects of Manual Flight Operations

Training

Policies (operator and regulatory) 

Airspace design

Lack of opportunity to practice (e.g., long haul ops)

Lack of development of such knowledge and skills (e.g., low time pilots put into highly automated operations may not develop the skills in the first place)

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Recommendation 1 – Manual Flight Operations: Implementation Status
        - SAFO 13002 Manual Flight Operations
        - Final Rule on 121 Subpart N&O maneuvers, manually flown loss of reliable airspeed, manually flown slow flight, manually flown arrivals and departures 
        - MITRE research 
        - Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Certification Training Program (CTP) required by the Pilot Certification and Qualification Requirements for Air Carrier Operations final rule
        - Guidance to be recommended by the Air Carrier Training Aviation Rulemaking Committee

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Air Carrier Training (ACT) Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) Charter

The ACT ARC will provide a forum for the United States aviation community to discuss, prioritize, and provide recommendations to the FAA concerning operations conducted under parts 121, 135, and 142. The general objectives and scope are to:
        - Develop and recommend to the FAA new or updated guidance material, notices, handbooks, and other related materials for air carrier training and qualification.
        - Make recommendations, including necessary rulemaking and additional tasking, to the Administrator through the Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety.
        - Discuss global air carrier training issues and develop strategies for international harmonization.
        - Provide documentation and technical information to support recommendations.
        - Form and provide committee oversight of specialized work groups to research, document, and make recommendations on specific, assigned topics.

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Co-Chairs

Robert Burke	Designated Federal Official 

		        	Manager, Air Carrier Training Systems 				and Voluntary Safety Programs Branch, 				(AFS-280)

Don Dillman 	ARC Industry Chair 

		            (Federal Express)

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Membership

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| Aerospace Industries Association (AIA)               | Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA) |
|------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| Airline Dispatchers Federation (ADF)                 | Flight Safety International (FSI)               |
| Airline Pilots Association (ALPA)                    | National Air Carrier Association (NACA)         |
| Airlines for America (A4A)                           | National Air Transportation Association (NATA)  |
| Association of Flight Attendants (AFA)               | National Business Aviation Association (NBAA)   |
| Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) | Regional Airline Association (RAA)              |
| CAE                                                  | Regional Air Cargo Carrier Association (RACCA)  |

ACT ARC Working Groups
        - Flight Path Management
        - Industry chair: Lou Nemeth, CAE 
        - FAA Subject Matter Expert (SME): Kathy Abbott
        - Alternative Training Pathways to ATP Certification
        - Industry chair: Jon Tovani, Delta and Chuck Hogeman, ALPA
        - FAA SME: Barbara Adams, AFS-280
        - Air Carrier Contract Training 
        - Industry chair: John McGraw, NATA 
        - FAA SME: Mark Valette, AFS-280
        - Cross-Functional Crew Resource Management
        - Industry chair: Kelly Skyles, APFA
        - FAA SMEs: Doug Farrow and Sherry Miller, AFS-280

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Flight Path Mgt WG: Priority Topics
        - Autoflight Mode Awareness training and procedures
        - Flight path monitoring, including intervention

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Old View			New View
        - Automation
        - Give the human operator what s/he does best, give the automation what it does best
        - Automation causes degradation of basic skills
        - Automation should be another “crewmember”
        - Automation policy
        - More automation reduces risk
        - Automated systems
        - Human-system integration to enable the human operator  
        - Lack of practice causes degradation of basic skills
        - Automated systems are tools to help the responsible human
        - Flight path management policy
        - More automation introduces different risks

Monitoring and Intervention

New Tasks and Errors

A systems view of monitoring
        - Monitoring is a complex and dynamic, on-going process that creates understanding, expectation and action 
        - Pilots use their knowledge to formulate an understanding (mental model) of where they are in the world and what is happening
        - Their understanding (mental model) is used to create a set of  expectations that drive what they pay attention to and their perception of events
        - When an expectation is violated, pilots use their knowledge to direct what they pay attention to in order to seek new cues to fill in gaps in their understanding that are detected by the violations. 
        - Actively seeking more information is part of the monitoring process 

Example for Point 1 Weather, MELs, Logbook, Route, Crew, Airplane, Destination, etc. are examples of inputs into that understanding.

Example for Point 2:  If you are expecting to level off you are likely to monitor parameters associated with level off. 

Example for Point 3:  Monitoring other parameters, manipulating the display information, and talking with the co-pilot are ways to get more information from the environment.
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Both pilots monitor and manage flight path

PF

PM

PNF

Non Technical

Technical
        - CRM / NTS
        - Aircraft Systems
        - Flight Path
        - a/c + ATC 
        - Modes
        - Rules of thumb
        - Manual
        - Recovery
        - Malfunction
        - Intent / Challenge

Flight Path Monitoring - Intervention
        - Assumes that a flight path issue has been detected and requires actions
        - Implications for pilot training
        - Implications for operational policies

Intervention and Communication
        - Advisories
        - Displays
        - X-check?

Information Automation
        - Uploads
        - Crossfills
        - Mode Changes
        - Reconfiguration
        - Knowledge
        - Program
        - Modes
        - Levels
        - Intent
        - Challenge
        - “Help”
        - “Unable”
        - Take-Over

Human – Human

Human – Machine

Machine – Human

Machine – Machine

Recommendation 2 - Autoflight Mode Awareness.

For the near term, emphasize and encourage improved training and flightcrew procedures to improve autoflight mode awareness as part of an emphasis on flight path management. 

For the longer term, equipment design should emphasize reducing the number and complexity of autoflight modes from the pilot’s perspective and improve the feedback to pilots (e.g., on mode transitions) while ensuring that the design of the mode logic assists with pilots’ intuitive interpretation of failures and reversions.

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Recommendation 2 - Autoflight Mode Awareness: Implementation status
        - AFS:
        - Revision to AC 120-71A, Standard Operating Procedures for Flight Deck Crewmembers. Anticipated completion Dec. 2015
        - Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Certification Training Program (CTP). Guidance Complete. Course required as a prerequisite for taking the ATP knowledge test after Aug. 2014.
        - AIR:
        - 25.1302 Installed Systems and Equipment for Use by the Flightcrew
        - 25.1329 Flight Guidance Systems sets requirements for the performance, safety, failure protection, alerting, and basic annunciation of flight guidance systems. The rule responds to a series of incidents and accidents that have highlighted difficulties for flightcrews interacting with the increasing automation of flight decks.

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Recommendation 3 – Information Automation.
        - Develop or enhance guidance for documentation, training, and procedures for information automation systems (e.g., Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs), moving map displays, performance management calculations, multi-function displays) or functions
        - Describe what is meant by Information Automation and what systems, equipment are included
        - Define terms associated with Information Automation
        - Develop guidelines concerning the content and structure of policy statements in Flight Operations Policy Manuals for Information Automation
        - Develop operational procedures to avoid information-automation-related errors.

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Recommendation 3 – Information Automation: Implementation Status
        - Advisory Circular (AC) 120-76C Guidelines for Certification, Airworthiness, and Operational Use of Electronic Flight Bags is currently published and provides up to date guidance on EFB implementation. 
        - Multiple R&D studies are in progress by Honeywell, MITRE, and Volpe concerning information automation systems.
        - Revision to AC 120-71A Standard Operating Procedures for Flight Deck Crewmembers is underdevelopment.

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Recommendation 4 – FMS Documentation, Design, Training, and Procedures for Operational Use.

In the near term, develop or enhance guidance for flightcrew documentation, training and procedures for FMS use. 

For the longer term, research should be conducted on new interface designs and technologies that support pilot tasks, strategies and processes, as opposed to machine or technology-driven strategies.

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Recommendation 4 – FMS Documentation, Design, Training, and Procedures for Operational Use: Implementation Status
        - Augment existing guidance in AC 90-105 Approval Guidance for RNP Operations and Barometric Vertical Guidance in the U.S. National Airspace System and Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) 
        - PARC Vertical Navigation (VNAV) Action Team 
        - RTCA Special Committee 227
        - Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Certification Training Program (CTP)
        - Revision to AC 120-71A Standard Operating Procedures

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Recommendation 5 – Verification and Validation for Equipment Design.

Research should be conducted and implemented on processes and methods of verification and validation (includes validation of requirements) during the design of highly integrated systems that specifically address failures and failure effects resulting from the integration. 

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Recommendation 5 – Verification and Validation for Equipment Design: Implementation Status
        - AC 20-174 Development of Civil Aircraft and Systems
        - Aircraft Electronic Hardware National Plan
        - Software and digital systems research requirement

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Recommendation 7 – Guidance for Flightcrew Procedures for Malfunctions.

Develop guidance for flightcrew strategies and procedures to address malfunctions for which there is no specific procedure.

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Recommendation 7 – Guidance for Flightcrew Procedures for Malfunctions: Implementation Status
        - MITRE research 
        - Guidance to be developed under the ACT ARC – timeline TBD

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Recommendation 8 – Design of Flightcrew Procedures.

For the near term, update guidance (e.g., Advisory Circular (AC) 120-71A) and develop recommended practices for design of SOPs based on manufacturer procedures, continuous feedback from operational experience, and lessons learned. 

This guidance should be updated to reflect operational experience and research findings on a recurring basis. 

For the longer term, conduct research to understand and address when and why SOPs are not followed. The activities should place particular emphasis on monitoring, cross verification, and appropriate allocation of tasks between pilot flying and pilot monitoring.

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Recommendation 8 – Design of Flightcrew Procedures: Implementation Status

Revision to AC 120-71A  Standard Operating Procedures for Flight Deck Crewmembers, revision under development, publication late 2015.

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Recommendation 9 - Operational Policy for Flight Path Management.

Operators should have a clearly stated flight path management policy as follows:
        - The policy should highlight and stress that the responsibility for flight path management remains with the pilots at all times. Focus the policy on flight path management, rather than automated systems.
        - Identify appropriate opportunities for manual flight operations.
        - Recognize the importance of automated systems as a tool (among other tools) to support the flight path management task, and provide operational policy for the use of automated systems.
        - Distinguish between guidance and control. 
        - Encourage flightcrews to tell Air Traffic “unable” when appropriate.
        - Adapt to the operator’s needs and operations. 
        - Develop consistent terminology for automated systems, guidance, control, and other terms that form the foundation of the policy.
        - Develop guidance for development of policies for managing information automation.

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Recommendation 9 - Operational Policy for Flight Path Management: Implementation Status
        - ACT ARC – Flight Path Mgt WG
        - Research to determine possible implementation of this recommendation through other sources of FAA guidance. 
        - SAFO 13002 on Manual Flight operations. Published Jan. 2013
        - Notice to Inspectors on Manual Flight Operations, Spring 2015 publication
        - Updates to AIM will be drafted as necessary.  Plan to engage with industry operations and training groups concerning good practices.
        - Updated 121.579 Minimum Altitudes for Use of Autopilot 

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Recommendation 13 - Pilot Training and Qualification.

Revise initial and recurrent pilot training, qualification requirements (as necessary) and revise guidance for the development and maintenance of improved knowledge and skills for successful flight path management. As part of the implementation of this recommendation, improve the oversight of air carriers and Part 142 Training Centers.

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Recommendation 13 - Pilot Training and Qualification: Implementation Status
        - Guidance to be developed under the ACT ARC - TBD
        - Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Certification Training Program (CTP). Guidance Complete. Course required as a prerequisite for taking the ATP knowledge test after Aug. 2014.
        - MITRE research underway

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Notes about Recommendations
        - Recommendations are interdependent in some cases
        - Many of the recommendations support work that is already underway 
        - No new rulemaking recommended
        - Recommendations should be communicated and implemented /harmonized internationally

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