Skip to main content

Workload and the En Route Controller – An Overblown Issue?

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Advances in Human Aspects of Transportation (AHFE 2017)

Part of the book series: Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing ((AISC,volume 597))

Included in the following conference series:

  • 4719 Accesses

Abstract

This is the first in a series of papers on the mental process of the En Route Air Traffic Controller. These papers will explore Situational Awareness, Mental Models, Workload, and a variety of related issues in an attempt to both improve the research community’s understanding of the En Route Controller and to enable more productive and applicable future research activities. This paper will describe the learning process and experiences for a typical Developmental trainee.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 349.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 449.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    The fact that as of this writing there has never been a major accident in the En Route environment in the US attributable to controller error somewhat belies this concern, though one could argue that this a “Black Swan” statistic.

  2. 2.

    https://www.transtats.bts.gov/Data_Elements.aspx?Data=2.

  3. 3.

    http://www.eurocontrol.int/articles/statistics.

  4. 4.

    There are rare exceptions, the most famous being the crash-landing of UAL232 in Sioux City where an experienced fourth pilot was able to assist the three-man crew and most certainly prevented the results of the accident from being much worse.

  5. 5.

    One of many examples is here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rak2HldVp9M].

References

  1. Histon, J., Hansman, J.: Mitigating Complexity in Air Traffic Control: The Role of Structure-Based Abstractions. MIT ICAT, Cambridge (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Kopardekar, P., Magyarits, S.: Measurement and prediction of dynamic density. In: Paper Presented at the 5th USA/Europe ATM 2003 R&D Seminar, June 2003, Budapest, Hungary

    Google Scholar 

  3. D’Arcy, J., Della Rocco, P.: Air Traffic Control Specialist Decision Making and Strategic Planning—A Field Survey. FAA-DOT, March 2001

    Google Scholar 

  4. Hilburn, B.: Cognitive complexity in air traffic control: a literature review. In: EUROCONTROL. Brussels, Belgium (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Redding, R., Ryder, J., Seamseter, T., Purcell, J., Cannon, J.: Cognitive Task Analysis of En Route Air Traffic Control: Model Extension and Validation. Human Technology, Inc., McLean (1992)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Howell, D., Bennett, M., Bonn, J.: Estimating the en route efficiency benefits pool. In: 5th USA/Europe Air Traffic Management R&D Seminar. Budapest, Hungary

    Google Scholar 

  7. Myers, T., Brennan, M., Klopfenstein, M.: A new approach to analyzing airborne delay. J. Guidance Control Dyn. 31, 1793–1801 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Boeing: Statistical Summary of Commercial Jet Airplane Accidents, Worldwide Operations 1959–2015. Boeing, Seattle (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Airbus: A Statistical Analysis of Commercial Aviation Accidents 1958–2015 (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Hopkin, D.: The measurement of the air traffic controller. Hum. Factors, J. Hum. Factors Ergon. Soc. 22, 547–560 (1980)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Johnson, C.W.: Final Report: RFQ/137/04 Review of the BFU’s Überlingen Accident Report (2004). http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/~johnson/Eurocontrol/Ueberlingen/Ueberlingen_Final_Report.PDF

  12. Loft, S., Sanderson, P., Neal, A., Mooij, M.: Modeling and predicting mental workload in en route air traffic control: critical review and broader implications. J. Hum. Factors Ergon. Soc. 49(3), 376–399 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Corver, S.C., Unger, D., Grote, G.: Predicting air traffic controller workload: trajectory uncertainty as the moderator of the indirect effect of traffic density on controller workload through traffic conflict. Hum. Factors (2016). doi:10.1177/0018720816639418

    Google Scholar 

  14. Knorr, D., Walter, L.: Trajectory uncertainty and the impact on sector complexity and workload. In: SESAR Innovation Days, Nov–Dec 2011

    Google Scholar 

  15. Sperandio, J.C.: Variation of operator’s strategies and regulating effects on workload. Ergonomics 14, 571–577 (1971)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Oprins, E., Zwaaf, D., Eriksson, F., van de Merwe, K., Roe, R.: Impact of future time-based operations of situation awareness of air traffic controllers. In: ATM 2009

    Google Scholar 

  17. Manning, C.: Measuring Air Traffic Control Performance in a High-Fidelity Simulation. CAMI, FAA, January (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Kahneman, D.: Thinking Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, New York (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Zhang, C.: The Effect of Situation Presence Assessment Method on Air Traffic Control Students’ Workload and Performance in High-Fidelity Simulations. Arizona State University (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Wiener, E.L., Curry, R.E.: Flight-deck automation: promises and problems. Ergonomics 23, 995–1011 (1980)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Langweisch, W.: The human factor In: Vanity Fair, October (2014)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Richard W. Rohde .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG

About this paper

Cite this paper

Rohde, R.W. (2018). Workload and the En Route Controller – An Overblown Issue?. In: Stanton, N. (eds) Advances in Human Aspects of Transportation. AHFE 2017. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 597. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60441-1_11

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60441-1_11

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-60440-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-60441-1

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics