The Role of Mental Computations in Current and Future En Route Air Traffic Control

As air traffic control (ATC) becomes increasingly automated, software designers need to know how air traffic controllers process information as they manage operations in today's system. Extracting knowledge from today's controller workforce and representing that knowledge in the form of mental computations are essential steps toward needs assessment and development of advanced decision-aiding tools and technologies. A recent task analysis documented information derived by controllers from their cognitive integration of displayed information. This work envisions future, more detailed analyses of the controller's mental computations as essential to identifying needs for advanced software tools, including predictive displays