We describe two experiments that examine 3D pathway displays in a head-up location for aircraft landing and taxi. We address both guidance performance and pilot strategies in dividing, focusing, and allocating attention between flight path information and event monitoring. In Experiment 1 the 3D pathway head-up display (HUD) was compared with a conventional 2D HUD. The former was found to produce better guidance, with few costs to event detection. Some evidence was provided that attentional tunneling of the pathway HUD inhibits the detection of unexpected traffic events. In Experiment 2, the pathway display was compared in a head-up versus a head-down location. Excellent guidance was achieved in both locations. A slight HUD cost for vertical tracking in the air was offset by a HUD benefit for event detection and for lateral tracking during taxi (i.e., on the ground). The results of both experiments are interpreted within the framework of object- and space-based theories of visual attention and point to the conclusion that pathway HUDs combine the independent advantages of pathways and HUDs, particularly during ground operations. Actual or potential applications include understanding the costs and benefits of positioning a 3D pathway display in a head-up location.

Costs and benefits associated with head-up display (HUD) use were assessed by analyzing data obtained from studies in the aviation domain. Eighteen studies investigating the use of HUDs, head-down displays, and conformal displays were included in analyses of flight path tracking and event detection performance. HUD and conformality benefits consisted of faster detection responses to changes in symbology and presentation of traffic, as well as increased flight path tracking accuracy. Further investigation into the HUD data revealed a heterogeneous component, suggesting that factors other than display location were contributing to pilot performance. One factor modulating performance was the relative expectancy of the event. HUD use was advantageous if an event in the environment was expected. However, when an event was unexpected, detection was degraded with the presence of HUD instrumentation. This finding reveals a potential cost due to HUD use when confronted with anomalous situations.

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