Human Engineering Analysis of Airport Lighting Control Panels and a Proposal for a New Design

The purpose of this project was to design an improved airport lighting control panel for use in airport traffic control towers. Data on the physical 'characteristics of in-use panels and operational experience of users were collected at nine control towers in the Eastern Region. The need for a cleanly designed, compact, and easily read and activated lighting system display/control panel was documented. In response to this requirement, a new design was proposed. An important feature of this design is that the operation of the auxiliary systems is contingent upon the activation of the main runway lights in such a manner as to minimize the number of control ·units. Rather than have one control unit for each combination of runway and auxiliary lighting systems (the number being equal to the product), there is one control unit for each main runway lighting system and one control unit for each class of auxiliary lighting systems (the number being equal to the sum). As the number of runways I and lighting systems increases, the adoption of the proposed design should result in a striking reduction in control panel complexity and an increase in efficiency and economy. Because of the variety of regulator switches employed in the several different approach lighting and runway lighting systems presently in use, electrical engineering effort would be required to adapt this human engineering design of the tower cab control panel to actual field installations.