Investigation of the Non-Distributed Flight Reference Ownship Status Symbology

Air Force tactical aircraft, such as the F-15, F-16, and future fighter/attack aircraft, will all be equipped with helmet-mounted displays (HMD) to maintain superior air combat capability in future conflicts. HMDs allow the pilot to point weapons and to quickly slew sensors at visual range targets in either an air-to-air or air-to-ground environment. Further improvements include combining HMDs with panoramic Night Vision Goggles to allow pilots to operate HMD displays in environments with increasingly degraded visual conditions (night/weather). Increased use of HMDs does have a downside, however. Because pilots spend more time with their "eyes outside the cockpit," the potential for spatial disorientation, a major cause of Class A mishaps, may increase significantly. Research studies have indicated that if flight and weapons parameters commonly displayed on a heads-up display (HUD) can be provided on HMDs, pilots can remain "heads-out" of the cockpit for longer time periods while maintaining better situational awareness. The Air Force Research Laboratory is currently developing a Non-Distributed Flight Reference (NDFR) symbology set to better support HMD operations in this environment by combining information traditionally distributed across the display into one compact display configuration. The purpose of the NDFR is to allow quick crosscheck of basic ownship information (heading, airspeed, altitude and attitude) while simultaneously providing for an uncluttered display, thus freeing up "display real-estate" for tactical weapons displays. The objectives of this project were to gather data to validate the usability of the NDFR for off-bore sight attitude information and collect qualitative data to determine pilots' opinions on the new symbology.