Human Factors Symposium

Airbus Industrie Automation

Philosophy
Automation Operation Guidelines
Introduction

 Ten high level design and operational rules

have dictated the resulting Airbus operational
philosophy
 Despite a high degree of acceptance from the
pilot community, airlines look for a practical set
of automation operation guidelines

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Automation Operation Guidelines
Automation design philosophy

 What to automate?
 How to automate in each field of application?

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Automation Operation Guidelines
What to automate?

 Automation is a complement to the crew

 Automated systems play to pilot strengths and
compensate for his weaknesses
 Automation does not challenge pilot’s role or
responsibility

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Automation Operation Guidelines
What to automate?
 Automation is better for tactical tasks
– For consistent and accurate operation
(manipulator or steering)
– For fast computations
– As a support for pilot’s situational and
system awareness
 The pilot is the decision maker to achieve
strategic tasks

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Automation Operation Guidelines
How to automate?
 Green : normal domain
 Amber : peripheral domain
risk or failure GREEN

 Red : forbidden domain AMBER

RED
danger and/or loss
of performance

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Automation Operation Guidelines
How to automate in the field of operation?

 Automation relieves partially or gradually the

crew from steering tasks : autopilot (AP),
autothrust (ATHR) or autoflight system (AFS).

 Automation assists the pilot in steering the

aircraft and its main systems for better
efficiency and safety.

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Automation Operation Guidelines
How to automate? AFS objectives

 AFS operates within the green domain

 AFS operating modes are interlinked
according to pilot’s natural operational logic
 AFS assists the pilot to properly
accommodate ATC clearances
 The choice of an AFS operating mode is a
strategic decision of the pilot

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Automation Operation Guidelines
How to automate?
Steering the aircraft and the systems
 High stability and maneuverability in the green
domain characterizes the handling
characteristics of Airbus FBW aircraft
 Protections built in main systems give full
authority to pilots to achieve the best possible
performance, with an intuitive procedure, while
minimizing the risks to violate the red boundary

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Automation Operation Guidelines
How to automate?
Fast computations : the FMS
 The FMS design goal is to be a support for the
crew to enhance his decision making ability
 The FMS achieves most operational
computation tasks : navigation, flight plan,
performance, optimization, prediction…
 The FMS is a member of the crew but cannot
be considered as a reliable and trustworthy
copilot.

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Automation Operation Guidelines
How to automate? Support for pilot’s
system and situational awareness
 Display units of the EFIS and ECAM systems
are driven by computers : DMC and FWC
 The EFIS and ECAM provide :
- The right selection of data best adapted to
a flight phase
- Synthetic information rather than analytical
ones when best suited
- Information consistent with the cockpit
environment (3 color domain)
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Automation Operation Guidelines
How to automate?
EFIS PFD and ND

 PFD : for steering tasks whether handflying

or “autoflying”
 ND : for navigation tasks, as well for
associated functions linked to aircraft
position (radar, TCAS, EGPWS…)

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Automation Operation Guidelines
How to automate?
EFIS PFD and ND

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Automation operation guideline
How to automate?
ECAM : E/WD and SD
 Displays parameters permanently needed, on a
dedicated field of E/WD, and those needed
intermittently (flight phase, failure…) on the SD
 In case of an “unexpected” event or failure, it
provides:
- all data required to analyze the situation on SD
- the recommended actions to be achieved by the
crew on E/WD
- the resulting limitations and specific procedures,
once the aircraft is reconfigured on SD
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Automation Operation Guidelines
How to automate?
ECAM : E/WD and SD

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Automation Operation Guidelines
In line feedback of crew behavior with
automation
 A vast majority of pilots do enjoy “FBW glass
cockpits”
 However there are still some concerns due to :
- increased level of reliability of the systems
- distrust in automation
- ATC clearances
- FMS concerns
- FMGC concerns

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Automation Operation Guidelines
Increased reliability of the systems
 Overconfidence in the automation
 Complacency leading to lack of vigilance or
overtolerance to errors
 Intimidation leading to non interference of the
pilot with automation

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Automation Operation Guidelines
Distrust in automation

 Getting “trapped” by automation

 Misunderstanding or lack of knowledge of
automation

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ATC clearances

 No standardization of ATC clearances

throughout the world
 Any FMS is unable to accommodate all types
of ATC clearances
 Pilots have developed workarounds and tricks

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Automation Operation Guidelines
FMS concerns
 An error at initialization may have
consequences several hours later
 Some revisions take time to be programmed on
MCDU
 Many revisions are done by the crew, very late
in time
 Revisions done under time pressure are not
properly crosschecked
 Communication is often registration or
consultation but not transfer of information
 Some peripherals linked to the FMS are not
used with proper precautions
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Automation Operation Guidelines

FMGS concerns (guidance)

 Mode confusion or mismanagement (high

number of modes available)
 Automation surprises (reversion, unnoticed
changes…)
 Lack of crew communication
 Passive attitude (authority delegation to AP)
 Lack of active monitoring (mere observation)

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Automation Operation Guidelines

Practical set of guidelines

Training considerations
 “Need to know” is not enough for automation
 Teach the “Why’s”
 Teach the interdependence between the
automated systems
 Teach the contributing factors to errors

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Automation Operation Guidelines
Guidelines for steering tasks: handflying

 Only one pilot at a time. Use the priority P/B if

necessary
 Do not fight with the stick in turbulence
 In emergency, react immediately,
instinctively without arguing

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Automation Operation Guidelines

Guidelines for steering tasks: “autoflight”

 Have in mind those 2 questions when acting on

AFS interfaces:
- What do I expect the aircraft to fly now?
- What do I expect the aircraft to fly next?
 Select the appropriate modes for a given task
 Use the appropriate interfaces at a given time
- The FCU for short term clearances
- The MCDU for long term clearances
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Automation Operation Guidelines
Guidelines for steering tasks: “autoflight”

 Apply proper task sharing and communication

 In case of malfunction, surprise etc...
- select the desired target (from managed
to selected)
- or handfly to the desired target
 In case of nearing the red boundary where AFS
goes OFF, handfly back into the green domain
as best suited.

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Automation Operation Guidelines

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Automation Operation Guidelines

Guidelines for FMS operation

 Apply three basic rules throughout the flight
- FMS navigation accuracy crosscheck
- monitor the TO waypoint on the ND
- keep a realistic flight plan
 Anticipate your action on the MCDU
 Establish proper crew communication including
FMS

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Automation Operation Guidelines
Guidelines for FMS operation

 Revise F.PLN to match an ATC clearance if

time permits
 Use FMS “managed modes” when best suited
to follow an ATC clearance
 Actively monitor the FMS using PFD and ND

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Automation Operation Guidelines
Guidelines for EFIS-ECAM operation
 Adopt a positive attitude to fly “ahead” of the
aircraft
- periodically crosscheck the FMS navigation
accuracy
- periodically check the ECAM SD essential pages
- periodically update the SEC-FPLN for anticipation
purposes
 In case of caution / warning
- first review ECAM SD to analyze the situation
- then proceed with ECAM actions
- then validate “if” conditions prior to next actions
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Automation Operation Guidelines

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Automation Operation Guidelines
Guidelines for ECAM
operation

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Automation Operation Guidelines

Guidelines for PFD operation

 Adapt the PFD scanning to the level of

automation selected
– Basic T
– Basic + FMA + Targets
 Adapt the PFD scanning to the flying reference
selected
– Attitude, headings, V/S ; Bird, Track.

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Automation Operation Guidelines
Guidelines for PFD operation

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Automation Operation Guidelines
Guidelines for ND operation
 Use ND display modes as a function of FMS
navigation accuracy
 Adjust the ND range and mode according to :
- flight progress
- peripherals (TCAS, radar, EGPWS…)
 Select the appropriate additional information on
the EFIS control panel according to flight
progress
 In case of a major doubt, revert to raw data

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Automation Operation Guidelines
Guidelines for ND operation

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Automation Operation Guidelines
Conclusion
 The pilot is the “goalkeeper” of the team
 The pilot is ultimately responsible for the safe
operation of the aircraft
 The automation operation guidelines are
summarized within the
8 Airbus Operational Golden Rules
••• and what next with FANS •••

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