En Route Air Traffic Control Center Lab

The En Route Laboratory is a real-world environment where Air Traffic Management students learn and practice critical communications and aircraft handling skills required during the en route phase of air traffic control.

The lab is a high-fidelity simulation of an ATC En Route Center, integrating ATC interactions. This includes the capability to simulate air traffic, radar, and non-radar actions, pseudo pilot control of aircraft and adjacent sectors, and interphone communications.

Potential research topics include spatial and temporal perception and attentional allocation, workload management, biometric analyses, in-flight emergency management, communication errors, cognitive biases, knowledge sharing processes and errors, fatigue, shared situation awareness, airspace design, and decision-making.

Equipment

• 8 En Route suites that includes positions for the controller and radar associate, one supervisor position