Ever wonder how today’s incredible digital flight displays and simulators developed?
Well as a relatively new private pilot back in 1975, I was enlisted to participate in a new-technology experiment to test the feasibility of using electronic flight displays for instrument flight and training.
The technology of the day allowed me to “fly” a simulator employing an ~8″ CRT (read “old-TV set”) driven by a roomful of computers delivering half a dozen moving lines to convey flight data.
I was intrigued by the experience, and as a University of Illinois Industrial Design grad student, applied to my grad committee to participate as a display designer on the project, which was being conducted by U of I’s Aviation Research Lab (ARL) under US Office of Naval Research (ONR) sponsorship. My assignment was to address symbology and human factors design for the future time when computers became compact and powerful enough to drive more sophisticated displays like today’s.
Well yesterday I came upon my following 1976 presentation slides from that project, which I predict you’ll find interesting. (Click the first image to see it full-size, and then advance using the left-right arrows.)
Let me know what you think!
Greg
PS: That simulator pilot appears to be my fellow grad student, Bruce Artwick. You may be familiar with a personal side-project he was working on at the time, now known as MS Flight Simulator.




























































