Pilot Performance: Round Dial and Vertical Tape Altimeters

This paper addresses pilot performance with regards to a glass cockpit and an analog cockpit. Specifically, it looks at pilots ’ abilities to hold altitude with a vertical tape and round dial altimeters. Past research has concluded that a vertical tape altimeter has a more accurate altitude read out, but trends are easier to detect with the analog altimeter. This study looked at 24 participants who were split into three groups of eight. One group had no flight experience, one group had flight experience with only an analog cockpit, and one group had flight experience with only a glass cockpit. Participants filled out surveys that asked about their preference of altimeters, and with which altimeter they believed they achieved their best performance. Overall, the results showed that altitude was held better with a round dial altimeter even though the vertical tape altimeter was preferred. Research Problem and Question With the introduction of glass cockpits in not only commercial aviation, but also general aviation, pilots are now flying equipment with different presentations of information critical to the flight. The traditional cockpit has six main instruments: airspeed indicator, attitude indicator