Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T12:34:21.892Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Estimating the required number of Harbour Pilots to support airline operations of a single pilot commercial aircraft at a UK regional airport

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 February 2022

D. Harris Open the ORCID record for D. Harris [Opens in a new window]
D. Harris*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Engineering, Environment and Computing, Coventry University, CoventryCV1 5FB, United Kingdom
*
Email: don.harris@coventry.ac.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Single pilot passenger aircraft concepts are being developed by several manufacturers. Various technological approaches are being explored: One concept is to use a Harbour Pilot dedicated to providing support for departures and arrivals. The Harbour Pilot has comprehensive knowledge of the terminal area airspace, procedures and operations. If a single pilot aircraft is to be viable, however, the number of supporting personnel needs to be significantly smaller than the number of First Officers normally employed for a two-crew aeroplane, but the number such staff has yet to be determined. This study models operations by a UK low-cost operator at a regional airport to determine the optimum number of Harbour Pilots required to support operations throughout the day. The model uses a simplified timeline analysis with task data incorporated into a dynamic discrete event modelling system allowing for multiple replications using various configurations. Results suggest that for this operation six Harbour Pilots per shift used flexibly to support both departures and arrivals would be required.

Keywords

Single pilot operationsModellingGround support
Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 126 , Issue 1303 , September 2022 , pp. 1497 - 1509
Check for updates
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Royal Aeronautical Society

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

United States House of Representatives. H.R. 4 and H.R. 302: FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. Available at https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr4 [Accessed 27 September 2021].Google Scholar
FlightGlobal. EASA open to relaxation of single-pilot rules for commercial aviation (20 January 2021). https://www.flightglobal.com/safety/easa-open-to-relaxation-of-single-pilot-rules-for-commercial-aviation/142031 [Acces- sed 27 September 2021].Google Scholar
Cleary, A. BA leaves door open for Qantas. The Australian Financial Review, 2010, Tuesday 7 September 2010, p 21.Google Scholar
International Air Transport Association. Outlook for the global airline industry April 2021 update, 2021. Available from: https://www.iata.org/en/iata-repository/publications/economic-reports/airline-industry-economic-performance---april-2021---report/#:~:text=On%20average%20in%202021%20we,we%20had%20forecast%20in%20December.&text=2019%20level-,Source%3A%20IATA%20Economics%20Airline%20Industry%20Financial%20Forecast%20update%2C%20April%202021,Data%20is%20seasonally%20adjusted[Accessed 23 September 2021].Google Scholar
Ryanair. Financial Results FY 2018. 2018. Available from https://investor.ryanair.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Ryanair-FY2018-Results.pdf [Accessed 23 September 2021].Google Scholar
easyJet PLC. Annual report and accounts 2018, 2018. Available from https://corporate.easyjet.com/~/media/Files/E/Easyjet/pdf/investors/results-centre/2018/2018-annual-report-and-accounts.pdf [Accessed 27 September 2021].Google Scholar
Dart Group PLC. Annual Report, 2018. Available from: https://www.jet2plc.com/en/company-reports [Accessed 23 September 2021].Google Scholar
Airbus. Cities, Airports and Aircraft: Global Market Forecast 2019–2038. 2019. Available from: https://www.airbus.com/aircraft/market/global-market-forecast.html [Accessed 23 September 2021].Google Scholar
Boeing. Commercial Market Outlook 2020–2039, 2020. Available from: https://www.boeing.com/commercial/market/commercial-market-outlook/ [Accessed 23 September 2021].Google Scholar
Higgins, J., Lovelace, K., Bjerke, E., Lounsberry, N., Lutte, R., Friedenzohn, D. and Craig, P. An investigation of the Unites States airline pilot labor supply, J. Air Transp. Stud., 2014, 5, (2), pp 53–83.Google Scholar
Duggar, J.W., Smith, B.J. and Harrison, J. (2011). International supply and demand for U.S. trained commercial airline pilots, J. Aviat. Manag. Educ., 2011, 1, (1), pp 1–16.Google Scholar
Boeing. Pilot And Technician Outlook 2021–2040, 2021. Available from https://www.boeing.com/resources/boeingdotcom/market/assets/downloads/BMO_2021_Report_PTO_R4_091321AQ-A.pdf [Accessed 27 September 2021].Google Scholar
Keinrath, C., Vašek, J. and Dorneich, M. A cognitive adaptive man-machine Interface for future Flight Decks. Performance, Safety and Well-being in Aviation Proceedings of the 29th Conference of the European Association for Aviation Psychology (20–24 September 2010, Budapest, Hungary), Droog, A. and Heese, M. (Eds) European Association of Aviation Psychology, Amsterdam, NL., 2010.Google Scholar
Tokadli, G., Dorneich, M.C. and Matessa, M. Evaluation of playbook delegation approach in human-autonomy teaming for single pilot operations, Int. J. Hum.–Comput. Int., 2021, 37, (7), pp 703–716. doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2021.1890485 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harris, D. A human-centred design agenda for the development of a single crew operated commercial aircraft, Aircr. Eng. Aerosp. Technol., 2021, 79 (5), pp 518–526.Google Scholar
Harris, D., Stanton, N.A. and Starr, A. Spot the difference: Operational event sequence diagrams as a formal method for work allocation in the development of single-pilot operations for commercial aircraft, Ergonomics, 2015, 58, (11), pp 1773–1791. doi: 10.1080/00140139.2015.1044574 Google ScholarPubMed
Huddlestone, J.A., Sears, R. and Harris, D. The use of operational event sequence diagrams and work domain analysis techniques for the specification of the crewing configuration of a single pilot commercial aircraft. Cogn. Technol. Work, 2017, 19, (2–3), pp 289–302. doi: 10.1007/s10111-017-0423-5 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Comerford, D., Brandt, S.L., Lachter, J., Wu, S-C., Mogford, R., Battiste, V. and Johnson, W.W. NASA’s Single-Pilot Operations Technical Interchange Meeting: Proceedings and Findings (NASA/CP—2013–216513). National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA. 2013. Available from https://human-factors.arc.nasa.gov/publications/20140008907.pdf [Accessed 27 September, 2021].Google Scholar
Neis, S.M., Klingauf, U. and Schiefele, J. Classification and review of conceptual frameworks for commercial single pilot operations, 2018, Proceedings of 2018 IEEE/AIAA 37th Digital Avionics Systems Conference (DASC), pp 1–8, 2018. doi: 10.1109/DASC.2018.8569680.Google Scholar
Bilimoria, K.D., Johnson, W.W and Schutte, P.C. Conceptual framework for single pilot operations, 2014, Proceedings of International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction in Aerospace (HCI-Aero 2014), Article No: 4, p 1–8, July 30 – August 1, Santa Clara, California, USA, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1145/2669592.2669647 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Koltz, M.T., Roberts, Z.S., Sweet, J., Battiste, H., Cunningham, J., Battiste, V., Vu, K.-P.L. and Strybel, T.Z. An investigation of the Harbor Pilot concept for single pilot operations, Procedia Manuf., 2015, 3, pp 2937–2944. doi: 10.1016/j.promfg.2015.07.948 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kearney, P. and Li, W-C. Multiple remote tower for Single European Sky: The evolution from initial operational concept to regulatory approved implementation, Transp. Res. Part A Policy Pract., 2018, 116, (October), pp 15–30. doi: 10.1016/j.tra.2018.06.005 Google Scholar
Croft, J., NASA Advances Single-Pilot Operations Concepts. Aviation Week & Space Technology, 2015, January 12, 2015. Available from https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/nasa-advances-single-pilot-operations-concepts [Accessed 27 September 2021].Google Scholar
Brouquet, J. Example of single on-board pilot. Presentation to Commission Aéronautique civile de l’AAE: Will Air Transport be Fully Automated by 2050? June 1st, 2016. Available from: http://www.academie-air-espace.com/upload/doc/ressources/ATA/slides/Session%203/4-Broquet.pdf [Accessed 27 September 2021].Google Scholar
Kurke, M.I. Operation sequence diagrams in system design, Hum. Factors, 1961, 3, (1), pp 66–73. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872086100300107 Google Scholar
Kirwan, B. and Ainsworth, L.K. A Guide to Task Analysis, Taylor and Francis, 1992, London, UK.Google Scholar
Sanders, M.S. and McCormick, E.J. Human Factors in Engineering and Design, McGraw-Hill Publications, 1993,New York, NY, USA.Google Scholar
Stanton, N.A., Salmon, P.M., Rafferty, L.A., Walker, G.H., Baber, C. and Jenkins, D.P. Human Factors Methods: A Practical Guide for Engineering and Design (2nd Edition), Ashgate, 2013, Aldershot, UK.Google Scholar
London Luton Airport. Annual Monitoring Report 2019, 2019. Available from: https://www.london-luton.co.uk/LondonLuton/files/e3/e3474dde-5dce-4980-8bc2-81c5e683c5fe.pdf [Accessed 27 September 2021].Google Scholar
Aerospace Technology Institute. INSIGHT: The Single Pilot Commercial Aircraft. Aerospace Technology Institute, 2019. Available from: https://www.ati.org.uk/media/uwzcemps/ati-insight_12-single-pilot-commercial-aircraft.pdf [Accessed 27 September 2021].Google Scholar