Using operator event sequence diagrams to assess the integration of new technology within the flight deck

Abstract

Growing interest in ‘connected services’ is set to revolutionise the design of future transport systems. In aviation, connected portable Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs) would enable some of the traditional and more arduous pre-flight activities (e.g., route planning) to be conducted away from the flight deck. While this offers the opportunity to improve efficiency, any potential changes to the performance of the system need to be considered alongside the possible negative outcomes. The impact of EFBs on flight operations is assessed using Operator Event Sequence Diagrams (OESDs), which allow the operator interactions with technological systems to be mapped across different scenarios. This paper presents two OESDs; one focussing on current practise and one representing a ‘future’ scenario whereby connected EFB are commonplace. Our analysis predicts a 44% reduction in flight crew operational loading due to increased connectivity in the flight deck. Not only does the analysis highlight the reduction in operations it also presents the utility of OESDs in the development of the connected EFBs of the future as well as their broader use in
understanding the impact of new technologies on performance.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Katie Parnell: orcid.org/0000-0002-5962-4892

ORCID for Katherine Plant: orcid.org/0000-0002-4532-2818

ORCID for Neville Stanton: orcid.org/0000-0002-8562-3279

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