The Ground Station Operator in Single Pilot Operations. Active or Passive role?

Abstract

The introduction of single pilot operations (SPO) in commercial aviation for large passenger aircraft will require new operational procedures and the implementation of technical innovations on the ground and in the cockpit. Most concepts under investigation assume ground support at all times to monitor and support the onboard single pilot (SP). The question remains on the level of involvement of the ground station operator (GSO) in nominal situations in two phases of highest workload, departure and arrival. Current operational procedures of two-piloted aircraft assume a distribution of tasks and responsibilities between the pilot flying (PF) and the pilot monitoring (PM). In SPO the pilot will remain the pilot flying (arguably with more support from automation), but automation, the GSO or even the SP, will need to take over the tasks traditionally delegated to the PM. The extent of the support provided by the GSO depends on the chosen operational concept and the expected level of engagement. We present an analysis of the allocation of tasks for an active as opposed to a more passive role of the human operator on the ground during the departure and arrival phases, complementing the analyses conducted in previous research.