Human Systems Integration Division @ NASA Ames

Researchers from NASA Ames Research Center's Flight Cognition Lab and the FAA's Flight Deck Human Factors Research Laboratory at the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) examined task and workload management by single pilots in very light jets (VLJs), also called entry-level jets (ELJs). Fourteen certificated Cessna Citation Mustang (C510-S) pilots flew an experimental flight with two legs involving high workload management under instrument flight rules (IFR) in a Cessna Citation Mustang ELJ level 5 flight training device4 at CAMI. Eight of the pilots were Mustang owner-operators and the other six flew the Citation Mustang as part of their jobs as professional pilots. In addition to the Cessna Citation Mustang simulator, data collection included the use of a non-invasive eye tracker (mounted to the glare shield), instantaneous self-assessment of perceived workload, NASA Task Load Index (TLX) workload measures, researcher observations, final debriefing interviews, and three questionnaires: Cockpit Set-up Preferences; Demographics; and Automation Experiences and Perceptions.