Evaluating Voice and Data Link Air Traffic Control Communications for General Aviation

Abstract

This study examined the effects of data link and voice air traffic control commands on pilot recall and execution. Instrument-rated pilots (N = 26) were tested on both a series of data link command tasks and a series of voice command tasks. The researchers predicted that participants would have a significant difference in overall errors in pilot recall and execution in the data link ATC command condition as compared to the voice ATC command condition. Also predicted was that there would be a greater gap in errors in pilot recall and execution at the ATC command blocks that contained higher parameters of ATC instructions. Our results indicate that pilots had significantly fewer errors in recall and execution in the data link condition compared to the voice condition at the moderate and high load ATC command levels. There was little or no difference in errors in pilot recall and execution in the data link condition compared to the voice condition at the low load ATC command levels.