Credit: NASA Ames Research Center
The goal of DAG-TM was to propose a prototype of an air/ground system with a human-centered approach. That is, the research team reevaluated the roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders to enhance user flexibility and user efficiency with, for example, user-preferred routing to increase airspace capacity without impeding upon safety or airspace accessibility.

Within the concept elements tested, pilots flew desktop simulators and were responsible for the following tasks:

1) maintaining separation
2) meeting their assigned RTA (Required Time of Arrival)
3) modifying flight path for traffic and RTA compliance
4) sending and acknowledging trajectory changes
5) self-spacing behind a designated lead aircraft.

Several tools were provided to aid pilots in accomplishing these new tasks and to meet their responsibilities in the simulations. The Flight Display Research Laboratory team contributed the Ames 3D CSD which provided pilots with the ability to achieve the tasks outlined above.