IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - September 2019 - 80

software applications installed on portable electronic
displays. Emerging technologies are embedded into the
operations of such a safety critical industry without training and with some technologies, e.g., tablets, not being
certified to be used in aviation in a similar manner as
certified avionic systems. In addition, emerging technologies, and any technology introduced into GA, should be
verified for their operational and safety benefits and
should be thoroughly examined with the engagement of
the pilot to monitor changes in flying performance. Such
assessment will not only improve the design of the technologies, but it will also inform policy makers with
respect to actions needed to ensure the safe use of
these technologies, including training schemes, minimum performance requirements and standards.

It is the time to review the context
in which new technologies are
used, leading to revisions of flight
rules accordingly.
As stated in [19], before any deployment, technologies should demonstrate, through carefully monitoring
trials on test flights, that the system will not degrade
safety. Of course, there is also the question of how to
evaluate such evolving technologies that are based on
algorithms that the human mind struggles to conceive,
but all these tests need to be completed in a timely
and reliable manner keeping the costs as low as possible. As explained earlier, GA pilots seek affordable
technologies and thus, the challenge is to determine
the meeting point between cost-effective and high-performance technologies that are safely integrated into
the conventional GA aircraft. At present, multi-purpose
devices, i.e., tablets, and subscriptions to software
applications have been widely accepted by GA pilots,
and this uptake of affordable off-the-shelf technologies
can only be seen as an action to reduce the costs
while making use of the latest technologies that seem
to improve pilots' flight experience. Hence, it is of vital
importance to ensure that cost-effective, high-performance technologies are safely integrated into conventional GA aircraft.
In the scenario where the technologies fail, e.g., tablets or GNSS, there is a concern of how the competency
of the pilots will be sustained after such a failure. By
law, pilots must carry paper charts. Such regulations
only allow that alternative navigational materials could

be available, but not the readiness of the pilot to switch
to an alternative mechanism. On the other hand, in the
scenario where technologies operate as intended, there
is an issue of the ability of the pilots to maintain control of the aircraft while relying on the technologies.
The availability of information in flight has changed the
decisions made in flight leading to low pilot situation
awareness [20]. In light of these issues, perhaps it is the
time to review the context in which the technologies
are used, leading to revisions of flight rules accordingly.
The role of policies and regulations on safe systems
in a technology- and data-driven society is an ongoing
topic discussed not only in aviation, but in other fastgrowing industries that are based on new technologies
and data. Adapting regulations for the modern era is
essential, but actions that do not necessarily involve
rule-making can also be beneficial. For example, information events, such as seminars and magazines, can
inform the GA community (e.g., pilots and flight instructors), with emphasis on what the emerging technologies
are, how they work, and how they can be used in operations. We assume that the public knows how to use a
tablet; however, this can be a biased assumption considering rapid technological evolution. The challenge is
to communicate science to a diverse audience, i.e., the
average GA population, which is of older age, has lower
expected overall familiarity with such devices, and low
understanding of the fundamental concepts the emerging technologies are based on.
Engaging with pilots who already have their licences can
be a challenge as only a portion of pilots are members of a
collective body, such as a flying club. Incentives are needed to encourage pilots to participate in seminars. Perhaps
action coming from the authorities can accelerate the
knowledge transfer. For instance, upon renewal of licences,
pilots should be required to review relevant emerging technologies. For student pilots, the content of the curriculum
could be expanded and include the topic of new technologies. These changes should also be reflected in the assessment for the licence. Fundamentally, this is a change that
needs to come from the authorities.

Safety Critical Sector
Aviation is a safety critical sector, with public safety at
stake for both those in the air and those on the ground.
What happens in the air is not only of concern to the
people flying, but those on the ground as well. New
technologies should enhance safety and thus, they need
to demonstrate that they can achieve safety. GA is currently is a transition period with portable electronic displays, i.e., tablets, software applications, and satellites
all being introduced into the conventional analog aircraft. With no formal training on how to use newer technology tools, pilots find themselves learning from

IEEE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY MAGAZINE

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SEPTEMBER 2019

IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - September 2019

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