NASA's Traffic Aware Planner (TAP) is a cockpit decision support tool that has the potential to achieve significant fuel and time savings when it is embedded in the data-rich Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) airspace. To address a key step towards the operational deployment of TAP and the NASA concept of Traffic Aware Strategic Aircrew Requests (TASAR), a system evaluation was conducted in a representative flight environment in November, 2013. Numerous challenges were overcome to achieve this goal, including the porting of the foundational Autonomous Operations Planner (AOP) software from its original simulation-based, avionics-embedded environment to an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) platform. A flight-test aircraft was modified to host the EFB, the TAP application, an Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) processor, and a satellite broadband datalink. Nine Evaluation Pilots conducted 26 hours of TAP assessments using four route profiles in the complex eastern and north-eastern United States airspace. Extensive avionics and video data were collected, supplemented by comprehensive inflight and post-flight questionnaires. TAP was verified to function properly in the live avionics and ADS-B environment, characterized by recorded data dropouts, latency, and ADS-B message fluctuations. Twelve TAP-generated optimization requests were submitted to ATC, of which nine were approved, and all of which resulted in fuel and/or time savings. Analysis of subjective workload data indicated that pilot interaction with TAP during flight operations did not induce additional cognitive loading. Additionally, analyses of post-flight questionnaire data showed that the pilots perceived TAP to be useful, understandable, intuitive, and easy to use. All program objectives were met, and the next phase of TAP development and evaluations with partner airlines is in planning for 2015. Nomenclature

Traffic Aware Strategic Aircrew Requests (TASAR) is a NASA-developed on-board automation concept intended to identify trajectory improvement opportunities clear of known traffic, weather, and airspace restrictions prior to the aircrew initiating a trajectory-change request to Air Traffic Control (ATC). The software implementation of the TASAR concept is the Traffic Aware Planner (TAP). A flight trial was conducted with commercial airline pilots flying in a Piaggio Avanti flight test aircraft, with the TAP software installed onboard. This paper focuses on the results of the subjective assessments of pilots collected during this flight trial, specifically, pilot workload, situation awareness, and system usability. These data were subjected to statistical analyses, and the results generally indicate the following: there were no statistical differences for any measure as a function of pilot position in the aircraft; pilot cognitive workload was reported as low; and system usability ratings were reported as high. Generally, ratings of comprehensibility, usefulness, and usability of TAP’s human machine interface (HMI) and features were high. These results will be used to further refine and improve the capabilities and features of the TAP HMI in preparation for operational use with NASA partner airlines.

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