Determining the effectiveness of data link communications in the terminal environment

In the airspace environment voice transmission has been the primary means of communication between flight crews and air traffic control. Increased frequency congestion and blocked transmissions are giving way to a new communication medium called Data link. This technology will likely have an impact on flight crews procedural processes and timing within the different airspace environments. Data link communication requires increased transaction time and longer heads-down time. Both of these constraints may decrease time available for other more critical crew duties. In the enroute environment, time constraints are not as restrictive as they would be in the terminal area. With the assistance of human performance modeling, this research examined the impact of Data link communication in terminal airspace. Simulation research was conducted in order to replicate a flight through terminal airspace. Results indicated an interaction between the number of interrupts and activity segment. Some of the implications of these findings are discussed.