The Effect of 'Party Line' Communication on Pilots' Situation Awareness in a Multiple-Airport Control Scenario

摘要

In a future remote airport traffic control centre, a single air traffic controller will be responsible for the management of several small airports at the same time during times of low traffic volume. Such a multiple-airport control scenario certainly requires major changes on the part of the air traffic controller. However, alterations of well established routines and procedures may also affect other traffic participants like pilots or ground handling staff. An example is the communication via voice radio. Today, controllers and pilots within a given sector exchange information over a shared radio frequency. The so-called 'Party Line' allows pilots to overhear both their own conversations as well as those of the other aircraft tuned to the same frequency. Several studies suggest that pilots use this 'Party Line' information to enhance their situational awareness of the surrounding traffic situation (e.g. Boehm-Davis et al., 2010; Pritchett & Hansman, 1995; Midkiff & Hansman, 1992). However, evidence shows that the presence of a 'Party Line' may also lead to a decrease in pilot flight performance due to a higher cognitive workload and distraction (e.g. Hodgetts et al., 2005; Hoogeboom et al., 2004; Navarro & Sikorski, 1999).