Alternative Method For Displaying Cockpit Information

By David Juwel

Emerald Sky Technologies (eSky) has introduced a pilot aid that the company says reduces instrument scan time and increases performance in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). They have done that by using technology dubbed "OZ" in the Grand Rapids Technology Horizon EFIS.

OZ was developed by scientists at the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (FIHMC). According to the FIHMC website, OZ is an alternative method of presenting cockpit information which capitalizes on what the human eye was designed to see best, quickest, and easiest. OZ replaces cockpit gauges with a single computer screen that uses lines, circles and streaming stars to graphically show spatial orientation, aircraft location, flight performance, aircraft configuration, and engine status all in a single glance.

eSky married the OZ program with the GRT Horizon EFIS, and because OZ is a simplistic graphical layout that is proven superior to both conventional and digital instruments, this marriage of technology solves the fundamental problems of high scan times and pilot workload to maintain situational awareness. Pilots using the program are more quickly able to analyze their flight parameters. It is also beneficial to student pilots.

You can download OZ and try it on your home PC for free, providing you have Microsoft's FSX or X-plane 9.

FMI: www.fly-eSky.com