A comparison of pilot navigation performance using conventional instrumentation, head-down, and head-up highway-in-the-sky primary flight displays

Abstract

A study was conducted to compare pilot eye movements and flight performance attainable using highway-in-the-sky (HITS) format displays in both head-up display (HUD) and head-down display (HDD) configurations and conformal (with outside world) and compressed forms within the HUD, with a baseline conventional-instruments condition. Results were mixed, and the HUD was not clearly superior to the equivalent HDD when comparing flight technical error. Workload appeared to be comparable for the HITS formats but slightly elevated for specific tasks in a baseline condition using conventional instrumentation. The need for a conformal HUD for general aviation operations was not supported for most flight operations, and pilots preferred the HUD over the HDD and the compressed HITS format over the conformal HITS or conventional instruments.