Preview and Practice: Effects on Scheduling Behavior in a Simulated Flight Task

Abstract

The present study examined pilot scheduling behavior in the context of simulated instrument flight. Over the course of the flight, pilots flew along specified routes while concurrently performing three different flight-related secondary tasks. Seven pilots flew the simulation with no preview of future workload conditions, while another seven received preview information in the form of both written instruction and practice. The results show evidence for both macro and micro scheduling strategies. Specifically, those pilots with preview of future workload demands adopted an efficient macro strategy of scheduling more of the difficult secondary tasks during the low workload phase of flight. Subjects in both groups engaged in micro scheduling strategies as a function of flight path workload and secondary task workload.