How controllers compensate for the lack of flight progress strips.

Abstract : The role of the Flight Progress Strip, currently used to display important flight data, has been debated because of long range plans to automate the air traffic control (ATC) human-computer interface. Currently, the Fight Progress Strip is viewed by many as an indispensable tool needed for the safe and expeditious separation of air traffic. Long term plans to automate the American system have initiated a debate on the impact of modifying, or even removing, the Flight Progress Strip. We looked at the viability of a stripless environment by using the Atlanta Center dynamic simulator to compare standard ATC operation with an experimental condition that removed the strips completely. Performance and perceived workload did not differ between conditions. Controllers compensated for the lack of strips by requesting more flight plan readouts. Without strips controllers took significantly longer to grant requests, and spent significantly more time looking at the plan view display.