Distance in Multifunction Displays

Abstract : Three forms of distance metrics are defined between entries in a multifunction display: navigation distance (defined by key presses), organizational distance (defined by the hierarchical structure), and subjective distance, defined by the Pilot's mental model of items similarity. These three distance metrics are contrasted in an experiment in which pilots must travel between 290 screens of an MFD containing flight information. Travel time was greater with longer navigation distance and longer subjective distance, but was actually shorter between screens that were more organizationally distant (i.e., in different branches of the structure). This effect is attributed to the role of pilot in navigation. The introduction of the computer into the flight deck has led to several uses. One of the most critical of these has involved using computers to support information access and availability. Two noteworthy examples here are the Electronic Library System (ELS, Curran, 1991), and the Multifunction Display (MFD, Raising and Curry, 1987).