Datalink Communication in Flight Deck Operations: A Synthesis of Recent Studies
Claude Navarro, Stéphane Sikorski · International Journal of Aviation Psychology · 1999
Current datalink technology provides alphanumeric messages to aircrews using an air-ground digital link. This system produces a procedural change by modifying the way pilots and air traffic controllers interact. During the last 10 years, many studies have sought to understand and improve pilots' activities and the relationships among controllers and pilots. This article presents the salient advantages and drawbacks of such a system for pilots along several dimensions: air-ground and intracockpit communication, party line and situational awareness, and human-machine interaction. It also suggests areas that require more work to remove or reduce the main drawbacks.