Collins Aerospace

Team: Will Kuhlke, Suzie Wilson, Rebecca, Gyari, Luke, John Merrit

Industry: Aerospace | Duration: 10 Months

Flight Profile Optimization (FPO) is a tablet-based application developed in collaboration with Collins Aerospace to streamline the entire pilot workflow—from scheduling and preflight preparation to in-flight decision-making and post-flight analysis—by helping pilots make faster, safer, and more informed decisions. Designed to replace fragmented paper processes and disconnected tools, FPO brings critical flight data into one unified, intuitive interface.

  • Pilot journey mapping, the design process focused on understanding real pilot workflows: receiving routes and schedules, preparing and familiarizing with the route, planning flights while reviewing aircraft status, studying weather and navigation data, and adapting in-flight decisions based on dynamic conditions.

  • Project objectives centered on defining the core functionalities of the Electronic Flight Bag (EFB), identifying pain points for pilots and operations teams, prioritizing features aligned with real workflows and FAA regulations, and supporting a transition toward safe, efficient, and intuitive digital operations.

  • Initial research, we conducted in-depth interviews with pilots, engaged stakeholders from dispatch, flight ops, and engineering, mapped user pain points, and documented the limitations of current-state, paper-based processes.

  • Feature prioritization emphasized safety, clarity, and usability, with a deep focus on replicating and improving real-world pilot scenarios while meeting compliance standards.

The platform integrates multiple real-time data sources, including dispatch and flight operations (flight plans, schedules), meteorological systems (route-based weather), Jeppesen navigation charts (taxiways, departures, arrivals), aircraft systems (maintenance and fuel performance), and ground operations (gate data, passenger loads, cargo weight). By consolidating all this data into one intuitive, responsive interface, the Digitized Flight Plan enhances collaboration, reduces cognitive load, and empowers pilots to make faster, safer, and more informed decisions under pressure.

Overview

The Problem:
Pilots and dispatchers were navigating complex flight conditions using siloed tools, fragmented apps, and outdated paper logs. Each stage of the journey—from planning to post-flight—required switching between multiple interfaces, reducing efficiency and increasing risk.

Why It Matters:

  • Inconsistent data delivery mid-flight delays real-time decisions.

  • Paper-based nav logs and disconnected ground coordination tools increase error and workload.

  • Fragmented workflows prevent scalable operational improvements in safety, fuel, and efficiency.

Supporting Data:

  • Field interviews with pilots and dispatchers revealed high frustration with mid-flight airspace changes and lack of real-time collaboration tools.

  • Analysis of post-flight logs showed frequent discrepancies between planned vs. actual routes—impacting fuel estimates, safety assessments, and future route planning.

Team Composition

Role: Lead Product Designer

  • Oversaw the holistic user experience across the full flight journey—from scheduling and preflight preparation to in-flight interaction and post-flight analysis

  • Created low- to high-fidelity wireframes, interactive prototypes, and design systems tailored for cockpit usability and operational clarity

  • Conducted pilot interviews and usability testing to ground design decisions in real-world behaviors and needs

  • Led design sprints and facilitated weekly design-development syncs to ensure alignment, feasibility, and iterative feedback integration

  • Collaborated closely with aviation engineers, backend developers, and weather/data integration specialists to build a resilient, real-time platform

Team Composition:

  • 4 Product Designers

  • 1 Product Manager

  • 8 Backend Engineers

  • 1 Data Integration Specialist (SAA/TFR/VFR/Weather)

  • 4 SME pilots and 1 dispatcher

Collins Aerospace and partner airlines faced challenges in fragmented pilot workflows, inefficient data delivery, fuel consumption, safety optimization, and post-flight visibility. Addressing these was essential to streamline operations, reduce costs, enhance real-time decision-making, and support safer, more efficient commercial aviation.

Journey Mapping

We broke the flight experience into four temporal phases, designing tools and features for each:

1. Scheduling (Ground Team + Pilot Coordination)

  • Integrated pilot scheduling systems with aircraft availability

  • Waypoint recommendations and route prefill based on performance data

  • Fuel estimates calculated from aircraft profile, wind aloft, and projected routing

  • Built-in conflict detection using SAA (Special Activity Areas) and TFR (Temporary Flight Restrictions)

2. Preflight (Briefing and Route Confirmation)

  • Visual map + vertical profile for evaluating route safety

  • Overlay of VFR corridors, restricted airspace, and turbulence zones

  • One-touch adjustments to avoid conflicts—auto-renders alternative altitude bands

  • Weather and wind snapshot layered over time, synced with estimated arrival windows

3. In-Flight (Real-Time Optimization)

  • Dynamic vertical display from FL250–FL400 with real-time adjustments

  • Waypoint management: “Check-out” actions auto-disable post-passage to reduce clutter

  • Fuel estimates updated mid-flight using performance telemetry

  • Non-critical route segments greyed out for lower memory/caching demand

  • Pilot-tooltips for quick visual access to constraints (e.g. airspace closures, fuel margins)

4. Post-Flight (Logging + Analytics)

  • Nav Log shows planned vs. actual in side-by-side view

  • Auto-filled unless overridden by pilot

  • Flags discrepancies in fuel, time, or path for analytics team

  • Ground teams can extract insights on cost, mileage, and accuracy across fleets

Framework Used:

  • Service Design Thinking + Systems Mapping

  • Dual-track agile: discovery & delivery simultaneously

  • Real-time user testing with SME pilots during simulation flights

Digitized Flight Plan Overview

The Digitized Flight Plan is a dynamic, interactive document designed to consolidate all pre-flight essentials into a single, intuitive view—bridging communication between pilots, dispatchers, and operations teams.

At first glance, the user is presented with a summary of the full route, including:

  • Departure & Arrival Airports (ICAO/IATA codes)

  • Estimated Flight Duration

  • Assigned Aircraft Type

  • Tail Number (if assigned)

Core Flight Plan Elements

  • Crew Manifest:

    • Pilot and co-pilot names, roles, contact protocols

    • Optional inclusion of cabin crew roster

    • Certifications or medical reminders

  • Dispatcher Remarks & Notes:

    • Specific route instructions, airline procedures, or rerouting guidance

    • ETOPS (Extended Twin Operations) entry points and escape routes

    • Remarks about alternates, airspace coordination, or air-to-air contingencies

  • Weather Data Snapshots:

    • METARs and TAFs for departure, enroute, and destination airports

    • Integrated severe weather zones, convective forecasts, and SIGMET overlays

    • Dynamic updates synced with latest data pull

  • Aircraft Fuel & Payload:

    • Planned fuel load (block, taxi, contingency, alternate)

    • Estimated fuel burn

    • Payload/cargo notes, balance information

  • Waypoint Routing:

    • Full waypoint list with coordinates, altitudes, and time estimates

    • Conflict markers (e.g., proximity to restricted zones or NOTAM areas)

    • ETOPS entry/exit visual indicators for applicable routes

  • Deferred Items List (MEL/CDL):

    • Outstanding maintenance issues allowed under Minimum Equipment List

    • Dispatcher annotations or limitations that may impact operations

  • NOTAM Integration:

    • Filtered by relevance (departure/destination, enroute airspace, FIR zones)

    • Interactive markers allowing pilots to click for expanded descriptions

  • Operational Documents:

    • Digitally attached PDFs or links: airport briefs, company SOPs, safety bulletins

    • Timestamped dispatch sign-off and acknowledgment logs

Key Benefits

  1. Clarity & Control: All critical information is clearly structured and collapsible for quick scanning and deep inspection.

  2. Real-Time Sync: Data updates automatically with dispatcher revisions or regulatory changes.

  3. Flight-Crew Ready: Built for use in high-pressure pre-flight environments, the interface prioritizes readability, hierarchy, and fast cross-referencing.

The Vertical Flight Plan Map

is a core innovation of the FPO system, providing pilots with a real-time, altitude-aware visualization of weather conditions, route constraints, and atmospheric data from FL250 to FL400. Unlike traditional top-down maps, this vertical view allows flight crews to scan the sky as a layered environment—revealing how wind patterns, convective weather, turbulence, and restricted airspaces shift at different altitudes along the route.

Weather data is dynamically integrated from meteorological systems and visualized in an intuitive cross-sectional format, enabling rapid comparison across altitude bands. Pilots can quickly identify optimal flight levels to minimize fuel consumption, avoid turbulence, or bypass severe weather cells. Interactive elements—such as scrollable altitude selectors, visual markers for SIGMET zones, and dynamic wind arrows—enhance situational awareness and mid-flight adaptability.

This vertical visualization works in tandem with the main map viewport, allowing pilots to toggle between geographic and atmospheric contexts with ease. As conditions change, the system intelligently prioritizes and surfaces the most relevant information, supporting safer and more strategic in-flight decisions. By making complex meteorological data visually legible and altitude-specific, the Vertical Flight Plan Map transforms how pilots navigate the skies—replacing reactive rerouting with proactive, precision-based flight optimization.

Project Summary

The final solution was met with overwhelmingly positive feedback from pilots, dispatchers, and stakeholders. By integrating real-time data into a clean, intuitive interface, FPO significantly reduced cockpit workload, improved situational awareness, and restored trust in digital tools. Pilots especially appreciated the clarity of the vertical flight plan view and the ease of accessing route-critical information without toggling between systems.

In flight simulations and live demonstrations, users praised the system’s responsiveness, thoughtful design, and alignment with actual cockpit needs.

“This is the first digital tool that actually thinks like a pilot.” – SME Pilot

To support rollout and cross-team visibility, we developed a short product video that walked stakeholders through the pilot journey, showcased key interactions, and demonstrated how FPO supports real-time decision-making. The video was featured in an internal product showcase and helped align engineering, design, and operations teams around a shared vision for modernizing flight workflows.