THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER'S PICTURE AS AN EXAMPLE OF A MENTAL MODEL

Abstract Air traffic controllers refer to the ‘picture’: their overall appreciation of the traffic situation for which they are responsible. In particular, great importance is attached to the controller's maintaining an appropriate picture when control and decision making responsibilities are shared between man and computer. We are making three initial approaches to elucidating the nature of the picture. (1) Interviews with controllers have defined some major characteristics. (2) Operational controllers have given ‘verbal protocol’ accounts of establishing the picture before taking over a sector position from a colleague. (3) Controllers working within a real-time simulation later observe a complete replay of radar display, flight plans, and speech communications for particular sessions, during which replay they record verbal protocols and provide further explanation. Initial results are presented, and the potentialities, limitations, and future development of the techniques are discussed.