1.0 IntroductionAlthough air travel is one of the safest and fastest means of transportation, there are still some problems associated with it. Although aircraft systems have developed so far to assist the pilot, there are still major problems to be solved. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) defines situational awareness as “the accurate perception and understanding of all factors and conditions within the five fundamental risk elements (flight, pilot, aircraft, environment, and type of operation that comprise any given aeronautical situation) which affect safety before, during and after the flight” (Aeronautics). With all of these factors playing a role in every flight, there is a risk that something will happen during the flight that will result in a negative outcome. For a pilot, situational awareness begins long before the flight itself takes place. Unlike boarding a car, where the driver approaches and leaves, special and sometimes meticulous planning must be required to take a flight. There are many phases that occur other than just the part of the flight itself that needs special attention. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is responsible for investigating airplane accidents in the United States and compiles statistics on each accident. Part 135 is classified as air taxi operations, i.e. airlines. This data shows crashes of fixed-wing planes, which most people fly on. Airline pilots have accumulated the most flight time of most pilots in any other category. According to the NTSB, "the pilots involved in these accidents had an average total flight time of 5,459 hours, with a range of 611 to 16,010 hours, and an average time in the accident aircraft type of 2,502 hours, with a range of.. .... middle of document......://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/reports/2012/ARA1201.pdfRisk Factors Associated with Condition-Related General Aviation Accidents meteorological. (2005). In the National Transportation Safety Board. Accessed March 22, 2014, from https://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/safetystudies/SS0501.pdfSaini, M. (May 2010). Get ready for ADS-B. In the FAA safety briefing. Retrieved February 21, 2014 from http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/implementation/programs/adsb/broadcastservices/view/media/MayJun2010-ADS-B.pdfSpirkovska, L. and Lodha, S. (2003, May 30 ). AV situational awareness for general aviation pilots. In the SPIE digital library. Retrieved February 17, 2014 from http://proceedings.spiedigitallibrary.org.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/proceeding.aspx?articleid=755892XM WX Data Products. (2014). In XM WX Satellite Weather. Accessed February 21, 2014 from http://www.xmwxweather.com/xmwx-data/data-products.php