ATCA Journal | Q1 2014 Preview

Spring 2014 | VOLUME 56, NO. 1

International Perspectives:

Global Collaboration Integral to Air Traffic Modernization

Plus

• Perspectives on Block Upgrades • Together, the Right Team for NextGen • ATCA 58th Annual Conference Proceedings: Winning Papers

www.atca.org

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Contents

Photographer: gjp311/Photos.com

Spring 2014 | Vol. 56, No. 1

ATCA members and subscribers have access to the online edition of The Journal of Air Traffic Control. Visit lesterfiles.com/ pubs/ATCA. Password: ATCAPubs (case sensitive).

Air Traffic Control Association 1101 King Street, Suite 300 Alexandria, VA 22314 Phone: 703-299-2430 Fax: 703-299-2437 info@atca.org www.atca.org Published by:

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International Perspectives

72

Global Air Navigation Plan

75

International Harmonization

Global Planning; Local Delivery

The Key to Air Traffic Modernization

Articles

10

Airport Automation Focus Shifts from Safety to Efficiency

18

Together, the Right Team for NextGen

22

Evidence-Based Training

28

Securing Airline Information

32

Fleet™

42

A Period of Significant Technological Innovation

Methods for Integrating Safety Analysis and Curriculum Architecture Data Managing Information System-Related Security Risks A Distributed Information Gathering and Processing System for the Alleviation of Commercial Air Travel Anxiety

A Global Operational Picture of Weather Impact Through Collaborative Decision Making Introducing Modern Weather Monitoring Systems

52

Voice Communications Solution for UAS Integration in the NAS

57

An Unmanned Aircraft Systems Task Force

62

The Requirement for a High Availability System Now is the Time

What are the Challenges and Payoffs for UAS to Operate in the National Airspace?

Unmanned Aircraft Use Has Grown Considerably, as have Benefits

© 2014 Air Traffic Control Association, Inc. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the ATCA. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the authors of the editorial articles contained in this publication are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the ATCA. Printed in Canada. Please recycle where facilities exist.

Cover image by MarcelC/Photos.com

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Safety and Efficiency Improves with CPDLC in Place Over Canadian Domestic Airspace

NAV CANADA Successfully Implements Controller Pilot Data Link Communications

Departments

3 From the President 5 From the Editor’s Desk 7 Member Benefits

78

Directory of Member Organizations

80

Index to Advertisers

& Application

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FROM THE PRESIDENT

We can all attest to the fact that 2013 was a difficult year for the U.S. and the aviation and air traffic industry from a government funding perspective. We saw sequestration, furloughs, government shutdown, the threat of air traffic control tower closings, and a general fear of spending.

The start of 2014 looks a lot brighter, at least from a funding perspective. Sequestration will be leveled for the year, avoiding additional cuts. The Omnibus Spending Bill passed both the House and Senate, becoming law on January 17, 2014.

The Omnibus Spending Bill has some far-reaching effects on our industry. Some of the applicable language includes: The funding for JPDO was zeroed out and this language was added: “The agreement does not include funding for the Joint Planning and Development Office. Funding is provided in the operations account to absorb personnel and activities from this office into the ‘NextGen and operations planning’ activity.”

Bill language also addressed Unmanned Aircraft Systems to include: “The agreement includes funding in the ‘Unmanned Aircraft Systems’ activity to complete the establishment of a UAS center of excel-

By Peter F. Dumont President & CEO, ATCA

lence to provide recommendations for airspace designation for manned and unmanned flight operations, conduct research to support UAS interagency requirements, coordinate research and development activities with other agencies, and provide recommendations on aircraft certifications.”

The bill also provides for $140 million in full, dedicated, and statutorily protected funding for the contract tower program.

The President’s budget will be released on March 4. Subsequently, ATCA is coordinating for this year’s Budget Briefing to industry. This briefing will present the budget in detail to our members so that they have a clear picture of what it means to us.

This issue of the Journal is hitting the streets days before the World ATM Congress in Madrid, Spain. The event is in its second year of a partnership between ATCA and CANSO to bring the world an ATM event for industry and by industry.

Last year’s World ATM Congress was a tremendous success and this year promises to be bigger and better.

We have already secured the honor of being the largest ATM event in the world; but in 2014, the number of exhibitors, speakers, panels, educational content, partners, exhibit space,

and registrants have all increased.

ATCA and CANSO are partners in the organizing of this global event.

This partnership made perfect sense from the beginning. Our organizations bring more to the table than was ever available before for such an event.

One of the purposes of this partnership, aside from benefitting the industry, is to extend ATCA’s reach and influence globally. As a result of this partnership and other current efforts, ATCA’s membership is growing and becoming much more diverse.

Since ATCA’s formation 58 years ago, we have provided the platform for discussion of the most relevant ATC/ ATM issues and provided exhibitions of the most current and future technology, services, and products. We have brought this expertise to the world stage at World ATM Congress.

We look forward to seeing you and bringing you benefits of membership throughout 2014.

Peter F. Dumont President & CEO Air Traffic Control Association

Photography: BrasilNut1/Photos.com

A New Year for ATC

The Journal of Air Traffic Control

3

from the editor’s desk

ATCA

Air Traffic Control Association

Air Traffic Control Association 1101 King Street, Suite 300 Alexandria, VA 22314 Phone: 703-299-2430 Fax: 703-299-2437 info@atca.org Air Traffic Control Association www.atca.org

ATCA

Formed in 1956 as a non-profit, professional membership association, ATCA represents the interests of all professionals in the air traffic control industry. Dedicated to the advancement of professionalism and technology of air traffic control, ATCA has grown to represent several thousand individuals and organizations managing and providing ATC services and equipment around the world.

Editor-in-Chief: Steve Carver Publisher: Lester Publications, LLC

Officers and Board of Directors Chairman: James H. Washington, B3 Solutions Chairman-Elect: Neil Planzer, The Boeing Company President & CEO: Peter F. Dumont, Air Traffic Control Association Treasurer, Director-At-Large: Rachel Jackson, ASRC Research & Technology Solutions Secretary, East Area Director: Jeff Griffith, Washington Consulting Group Nortrh Central Area Director: Bill Ellis, Midwest ATC Northeast Area Director: Mike Headley, Apptis South Central Area Director: William Cotton Southeast Area Director: Robert Coulson, Harris Corporation Western Area Director: Mike Lewis, Jeppesen Canada, Caribbean, Central and South America, Mexico Area Director: John Crichton, NAV CANADA Europe, Africa, Middle East Area Director: Steve James Pacific, Asia, Australia Area Director: Bob Gardiner, ACMAT Consultants Directors-At-Large: Rick Day, CSC Charlie Keegan, Raytheon Sandra Samuel, Lockheed Martin

By Steve Carver Editor-in-Chief, The Journal of Air Traffic Control

Change, Not a New Frontier Some may remember the days when the Civil Aviation Administration moved from bonfires and directional signs on the side of barns to electronic directional beacons. Some may remember the operational requirement changes needed when the Federal Aviation Administration moved from tracking aircraft using primary RADAR to automation capability showing aircraft transponder information. If you don’t remember or haven’t read about these changes, don’t be concerned – you are about to experience this generation’s own aviation change, or should I say paradigm shift. The changes required to regulate, technically architect, and operate Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) have already made their primer in some theaters and will be in an airspace near you in the not-so-distant future.

Change is always difficult; not just due to its technical or operational challenges, but also to the uncertainty it brings. The UAS industry is biting at the bit for the FAA to open U.S. airspace to its part of the sky. It is estimated the industry will generate hundreds of millions of dollars within a few years once the FAA does give the “go ahead.”

So why hasn’t the FAA moved fast-

Staff Marion Brophy, Director, Communications Ken Carlisle, Director, Meetings and Expositions Jonathan Fath, Manager, New Media Christine Oster, Chief Financial Officer Paul Planzer, Manager, ATC Programs Claire Rusk, Vice President of Operations Mindy Soranno, Office Manager Rugger Smith, Senior Account Manager Sandra Strickland, Events and Exhibits Coordinator Tim Wagner, Membership Manager

er in getting such a promising industry in the sky? Well, it’s not as easy at it would seem. Safety continues to raise its hand, information security occasionally gets some attention, and that uncertainty of change remains. There are thousands of people in the sky at any one time and their safety cannot be placed in harms way.

In December, to start working operational safety challenges, the FAA minted six UAS test sites. These test sites will be the proving ground for UAS flights in U.S. airspace. I just hope that as the FAA test operational safety at these sites, they also use the time as a proof of concept for technical capabilities related to command and control and pilot-to-controller voice communications. Oh, and please, please, please Continued on next page

Photography: PaulFleet/Photos.com

Spring 2014 | Vol. 56, No. 1

The Journal of Air Traffic Control (ISSN 0021-8650) is published quarterly by the Air Traffic Control Association, Inc. Periodical postage paid at Alexandria, VA and additional entries.

EDITORIAL, SUBSCRIPTION & ADVERTISING OFFICES at ATCA Headquarters: 1101 King Street, Suite 300, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. Telephone: (703) 299-2430, Fax: (703) 299-2437, Email: info@atca.org, Website: www.atca. org. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Journal of Air Traffic Control, 1101 King Street, Suite 300, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. © Air Traffic Control Association, Inc., 2014 Membership in the Air Traffic Control Association including subscriptions to the Journal and ATCA Bulletin: Professional, $130 a year; Professional Military Senior Enlisted (E6–E9) Officer, $130 a year; Professional Military Junior Enlisted (E1–E5), $26 a year; Retired fee $60 a year applies to those who are ATCA Members at the time of retirement; Corporate Member, $500–5,000 a year, depending on category. Journal subscription rates to non-members: U.S., its territories, and possessions—$78 a year; other countries, including Canada and Mexico—$88 a year (via air mail). Back issue single copy $10, other countries, including Canada and Mexico, $15 (via air mail).

Contributors express their personal points of view and opinions that are not necessarily those of their employers or the Air Traffic Control Association. Therefore The Journal of Air Traffic Control does not assume responsibility for statements made and opinions expressed. It does accept responsibility for giving contributors an opportunity to express such views and opinions. Articles may be edited as necessary without changing their meaning.

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5

from the editor’s desk

Photo by Hemera Technologies/Photos.com

zon with the test sites, and the industry continues to move toward a different look in the sky. As one person said to me many years ago, “if you reach for the sky you don’t come up with a hand full of mud” and we all are looking forward to that change in the sky.

We continue receiving outstanding papers on many different topics.

Thank you for the contribution and we encourage you to take the time and write an article concerning a subject close to your heart. Believe me when I say that it is both rewarding to you and the readers of this Journal. Contact Marion Brophy [Marion.Brophy@atca. org] or myself if you have questions or interest in being published in your Journal of Air Traffic Control.

use this opportunity to integrate information security into the UAS/NAS architecture. We don’t want to implement a new infrastructure without

including the three keys of information security: management, technical, operational mitigation and response.

So there is good news on the hori-

When the industry’s biggest names rely on you, it’s easy to pull ahead.

With the ability to detect aircraft and targets at all levels while avoiding wind turbine clutter, innovative LightWave Radar from C Speed is taking radar to places it has never been before. The technology is the first to provide air traffic controllers with a clear picture over wind farms – making it a big breakthrough for the industry from one powerful little company. For more information, visit www.lightwaveradar.com

6

Spring 2014

Steve Carver, Editor-in-Chief, The Journal of Air Traffic Control

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

The Names & Faces of Air Traffic Gather at The Names & Faces of Air Traffic Gather at

The Names & Faces of Air Traffic

ATCA Members are part of the global air traffic dialogue. Your access to ATCA committees, publications, and meetings will increase your awareness of the current aviation landscape ATCA Members areATC part of the global airAirtraffic and current work towards improving safety, Trafficdialogue.

Control Association access toand ATCA committees, publications, and meetings will increase your awareness efficiency, capacity.

ATCA Members are part of the global air traffic dialogue.

#6%#

Your ofYour the access currenttoaviation landscape and current work improving ATC safety, efficiency ATCA committees, publications, andtowards meetings will increase your awareness and capacity. of the current aviation landscape and current work towards improving ATC safety, efficiency

What do you get an ATCA Member? andas capacity.

What you get as an ATCA Member What you get as an ATCA Member

• PARTNERSHIPS. ATCA collaborates with • CONNECTIONS. Meet with other industry Connections. Meet with other industry professionals at networking events throughout the year. the U.S. Department of Defense, Federal professionals at networking events Expert Opinions.

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Airport Automation Focus Shifts From Safety to Efficiency A Period of Significant Technological Innovation

By Todd Donovan and Frank Matus, Thales

The Ever-Changing State of Airport Automation The development and evolution of airport traffic management automation systems started in earnest after the 1977 collision between Pan Am and KLM jumbo jets on the runway at Los Rodeos airport on Tenerife in the Canary Islands.

An examination of the 35 years since this accident shows that technologies, systems, and procedures to enhance safety and efficiency have progressed through distinct development waves driven by technological innovation. We expect this trend to continue for the foreseeable future with additional waves of safety enhancement as well as airport efficiency improvements.

As foreshadowed by the article title, much of the airport automation focus and investment is currently aimed at efficiency enhancement. Today, safety is viewed as a critical part of any air traffic control solution and no longer the primary driver behind technology enhancements. Those significant technological innovations that drove safety advancements over the past decade are now common-place in the day-to-day operational usage at many of the world’s major airports. The next wave of innovations that will lead to further advancements in safety enhancements are still in their infancy and may not be implemented as baseline 10

Spring 2014

requirements in ATC systems for another five to 10 years.

Today we are in a period of significant technological innovation – particularly in the fields of computing, communication, and consumer technologies. Just as these innovations are impacting our personal lives, they are equally impacting airport operations. This is particularly true at hub airports with aircraft operators seeking to reduce operating costs, improve predictability, and reduce disruption when irregular operations impact the otherwise normal flow.

This paper will explore the two past airport automation development waves, which were heavily focused on safety enhancement. The current wave is primarily driven by efficiency improvement, and the next wave should resume the focus on safety enhancement. Error: Reference source not found provides an overview of the maturation of key technologies and systems that contribute to airport traffic management in the past, now, and in the future.

The ’80s and ’90s: Safety Focus (Wave One) Following the accident at Tenerife with considerable loss of life, a means of monitoring aircraft movement on the airport surface became mandatory at major airports. Electronic surveillance methods had advanced significantly and were

Airport Automation

Following the accident at Tenerife with considerable loss of life, a means of monitoring aircraft movement on the airport surface became mandatory at major airports.

Surface Movement Radar Thales was an instrumental player in these early days as a leading developer of the Surface Movement Radar (SMR).

These non-cooperative sensors radiated energy through a rotating antenna typically installed on top of the air traffic control tower (ATCT) and processed reflections to identify objects around the airport. The technology tracks fixed and moving objects providing accurate positional information for targets located within line-of-sight from the ATCT on the runways and taxiways.

While considerable improvements in the size, cost, performance, and reliability of the SMR have been realized during the past decades, this technology remains largely unchanged and is still a fundamental, and somewhat critical, element of the modern airport automation system.

Early Situational Awareness The output of the surface movement radar was displayed to air traffic controllers overlaid on an airport map. While

dramatically improving situational awareness for air traffic controllers during low-vis operations, the early displays could not accurately identify or place labels on objects.

Additionally, SMRs tend to detect rain and other non-aircraft objects (blowing grass, hangers, etc.), which can clutter the display with “false” targets.

Therefore, these early systems, an example of which is shown in Error: Reference source not found, were often difficult for controllers to use effectively and had only limited impact in improving airport safety.

The ’00s: Safety Focus (Wave Two) Many airports installed SMR and display systems during the first wave of airport automation technology in the 1980s and 1990s. Additional accidents highlighted the shortcomings of this basic technology and led to innovations that fueled the second wave during the decade starting from the late 1990s.

Cooperative Surveillance Emerges The development of transponder multilateration (MLAT) as an effective cooperative surface surveillance system was the key innovation that enabled significant improvements in airport automation as a safety system. The combination of

The Journal of Air Traffic Control

Photography: Jan Tyler/Photos.com

now being viewed as an essential element to enhance the air traffic controller’s situational awareness during low visibility operations (darkness, precipitation, fog).

11

Airport Automation

Figure 1. Vintage surface surveillance display of airport traffic1

MLAT and SMR data enabled effective tracking and identification of aircraft while blocking false target display.

During this period, aircraft-derived surveillance (ADSB) developed, global standards were set, and several t mandates were issued, although widespread deployment was not achieved for five to 10 more years.

Enabling Effective Runway Safety Alerting The combination of both cooperative and non-cooperative sensors led to the refinement of data fusion technology.

Tracking algorithms continued to improve and the need to “fuse” data from disparate sensors became a focus of many of the world’s leading aerospace companies. Data fusion technology coupled with increased accuracy of the surveillance sensors enabled effective automatic conflict/incursion prediction, detection and alerting. Conflict prediction and detection is performed by analyzing track reports while considering airport layout and operational data (airport procedures). After a conflict or incursion is detected or predicted, an alert is generated and broadcast to the controller as both an aural sound and a visual indication.

The systems deployed during this second safety-focused wave of tower automation development have delivered substantial safety enhancements with many “saves” reported by controllers. Furthermore, this new standard for tower automation sets a strong foundation upon which to build additional applications for airline and airport user efficiency improvement.

Today: Efficiency is the Focus (Wave Three) Today, airports continue to deploy tower automation systems to enhance safety. Smaller airports without this technology deploy it for the first time and large airports upgrade and enhance their systems. In spite of this, it is clear much of the safety improvements enabled by the last wave of technological innovation are already recognized. The next wave of safety improvements requires aircraft-centric technologies that won’t be broadly matured and installed until 2020 or beyond.

In the interim, many airlines and airports recognize that the same foundation of surveillance and processing which 12

Spring 2014

Figure 2. Thales TopSky Tower System with advanced safety alerting

enabled the last wave of safety enhancements can also contribute to a wave of efficiency improvements when combined with the modern computing, communication, and data processing techniques driven by the Internet revolution.

Information Technologies: The Next Wave Until recently, the high cost of communication and computing capabilities meant that sensors, processing systems, and data storage and management systems were largely localized to each airport or aviation facility. It was economically prohibitive to distribute data to all aviation stakeholders in spite of the high demand. Since data was generally not shared between facilities, and rarely shared beyond national borders, proprietary data standards within industry solutions were commonplace as there was no driving need for common standards.

Over the past decade, there has been a radical technological transformation resulting in inexpensive and accessible communication and computing capabilities. These technologies were developed specifically for commercial applications and drove advancements in internet-enabled businesses such as e-commerce and digital media distribution. Four key innovations drove this transformation.

The continued impact of Moore’s Law, which predicts that computing power doubles every 18 months, has resulted in inexpensive miniature electronic devices with more computing power and memory than supercomputers of just two decades ago The advent of fiber optic communications and the subsequent investment in deployment of fiber optics enabled inexpensive and plentiful communication between fixed sites Advancement in wireless communication technologies enable electronic devices and users to untether from the fixed infrastructure but remain connected to the highspeed backbone at all times and locations.

Early agreement on global standards for the Internet has resulted in efficient development of technologies and tools that enable distributed computing and collaboration As commercial technology advanced at an extremely fast pace, aviation technology advancements remained rel-

Airport Automation

Figure 3. Progressive advancements in airport automation are closely tied to maturing of technological innovations enabling new capabilities, applications, or user interaction

atively conservative largely in part to the safety-critical applications that took years to perfect and implement. Technology that largely advanced the Internet and e-commerce were quick to go to market and did not face the scrutiny and levels of testing that aviation systems face. Legacy infrastructure both on the ground and aboard aircraft is expensive to change due to safety and certification requirements. Over this time, we have seen more robust designs and focus on security and data protection for users of platforms and applications casting a wider net for use beyond traditional e-commerce. Today, application of these concepts in aviation is gaining momentum. Development and use of System Wide Information Management (SWIM), which is described as an aviation-specific internet, as well as the growing availability of various air/ground connectivity systems, provide ample evidence that the aviation information revolution is upon us.

The following sections explore aviation applications and the resulting efficiency improvements that are enabled by these developments.

incoming traffic to managed airports and runways, thus minimizing aircraft delays and reducing fuel consumption.

Maestro recently entered service as the world’s first operational departure manager at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport. Controllers use the tool to optimize taxi queues at the runways by managing departure pressure (or queue length) at each runway. The system integrates data from multiple sources and provides the users with relevant departure information for each flight (runway, holding Figure 4. Thales’ Maestro arrival and departure management systems play a critical role in optimizing aircraft movements and keeping airline’s capital assets productive

Images courtesy of Thales

Arrival & Departure Management Coordination between adjacent ATC facilities is one of the first areas to benefit from this information revolution. By sharing information upstream and downstream, aircraft can be sequenced and coordinated to enable more efficient traffic flows and reduce fuel burn.

Thales’ Maestro, an integrated arrival and departure management (AMAN/ DMAN) tool, has been developed, deployed, and operationally tested to increase capacity and efficiency at airports around the world. Error: Reference source not found depicts the role of AMAN and DMAN in coordinating between ATC facilities in order to optimize flows and improve conformance with traffic management initiatives.

First deployed for arrival management in 1996, Maestro significantly reduces airborne holding and increases runway throughput. AMAN systems integrate data from multiple facilities and coordinates en route and approach controller’s workload by proposing control actions that expedite the The Journal of Air Traffic Control

13

Airport Automation

Figure 5. Thales TopSky Tower System in use for dcl service at mem and EWR

point, and SID) allowing a specific departure strategy to be implemented. Early results show substantial reduction in taxi time and fuel burn plus increases in punctuality, traffic management initiative adherence, and airport capacity use.

Increasingly, arrival and departure management functions will be integrated in order to enable unified management of the terminal maneuvering area, including the configuration of runways, for both individual airports and multiple airports (multiplex). This integrated AMAN/ DMAN capability will enable various control schemes to be efficiently implemented depending on traffic flows (arrival or departure domination), airport configuration (runways in use), and environmental factors (storms, wind direction and noise abatement).

Figure 6. An ATCT controller manipulating electronic flight strips using the Thales TopSky Tower Display System

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Spring 2014

Data Link Improves Coordination Between Pilot, Controller, and Airline Operations Voice communication is a pillar of air traffic management throughout all phases of flight – but nowhere is it as important as during surface operations. Finding space on the frequency to communicate can often be a challenge, especially when operations become irregular during weather events or peak traffic periods. To alleviate saturation, many airports around the world are using Pre-Departure Clearance (PDC) data link as a means to provide route and clearance instructions to the cockpit without using voice communications.

Typically, the ATC system generates a PDC message and sends it to a dispatcher working in the Airline Operations Center (AOC). The dispatcher then forwards the PDC directly to the cockpit of equipped aircraft and the pilot via ACARS. PDCs are issued 20 to 30 minutes prior to departure and once issued, revisions cannot be issued by data link. If a revision is necessary, the pilot and controller revert to voice communication to issue and accept the clearance instructions.

Implementation of an enhanced service for issuing clearances is under way using the Departure Clearance Message (DCL) service. DCL offers many advantages including the ability to issue revised clearances and pilot instructions. DCL messages are generated up to one hour prior to departure and are sent by the controller (Error: Reference source not found shows the Thales system currently used by the FAA) to the cockpit of suitably equipped aircraft and simultaneously to the AOC so dispatchers and pilots can review route changes in tandem. The messages can be amended and revised when re-routing occurs due to unforeseen circumstances without having to revert to voice communications.

Airport Automation

The DCL service, as well as other similar services such as taxi clearance via data link, increases efficiency by enabling route changes to be coordinated more quickly and enhance safety by reducing hearback/readback errors.

Electronic Flight Data Management Enables Controller Safety and Efficiency Gains ATCT controllers historically manage flights using paper flight progress strips, which are passed from controller to controller, placing notes on the strips for coordination and memory aids. Implementation of departure clearance by data link as well as arrival and departure management tools requires increased collaboration between controllers in the same facility and adjacent facilities. Therefore, more robust and flexible tools are needed to adapt to this more dynamic flight management scheme and keep all users coordinated.

Error: Reference source not found shows the use of a modern touch screen display configured to enable electronic flight data management.

The main requirement is to reduce the communication and coordination effort between different ATC positions and ensure all users have current and accurate information. In order to achieve this, traditional paper flight strips are replaced by an interactive electronic flight data system.

These systems leverage many of the information technologies discussed earlier to enable each user’s inputs/changes to be distributed to all users accurately and nearly instantaneously. These systems also incorporate information from multiple sources to provide users intuitive access to weather and aeronautical information, which may have an impact on the flights they are managing.

Airport Collaborative Decision Making The tools discussed so far are primarily accessible to and used by air traffic controllers. While each is important on their own, they offer even more benefit when utilized in an integrated way. The airport represents the most complex part of the aviation system where a dynamic choreography among many independent stakeholders is required to

Automated Taxi Routing and Surface Management Begins To Mature Automated taxi routing, airfield lighting control, and taxi conformance monitoring development started many years ago but an efficient and reliable means of managing taxi routes has eluded researchers. The implementation of electronic flight data management and A-CDM results in more choreographed airport operations. In this environment, the majority of taxi operations will be pre-determined and standard, which will allow them to be machine-generated and delivered to the aircraft via data link. This new approach to communicating clearances will reinforce the benefits of A-CDM through further airport surface operational efficiency improvement. Furthermore, it will enable significant safety improvements through both ground-based safety system enhancements and aircraft-centric safety improvements.

The Future: Emerging Aircraft-Centric Safety Enhancements (Wave Four) The timeline for new technology development in the consumer space is measured in months or a few years, as opposed to nearly a decade in ATC. Rarely are new safety-related aircraft technologies brought to market in less than 20 years. Significant development of aircraft-centric capabilities has been running in parallel with the development and deployment of ground-based airport automation tools. The next major wave of airport operations enhancements will be driven by the maturation and widespread deployment (2020+) of aircraft-centric capabilities including: Aircraft RNAV/RNP capabilities coupled with groundbased augmentation systems (GBAS) that will allow complex approach and departure paths that safely increase airport capacity while reducing fuel burn; The Journal of Air Traffic Control

Images courtesy of Thales

Figure 7. Airport collaborative decision making aims to facilitate collaboration and optimize operations at the airport – the location with the highest number of stakeholders

receive an arriving flight, service the aircraft, and launch a departing flight. Error: Reference source not found depicts a simplified diagram of the key airport operations stakeholders and key information that needs to be coordinated for the airfield side of this process.

The application of information technology tools and standard management to this process is called Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM). The key element of A-CDM is the active participation of the airlines and airport operator into the management process, enabling closer coordination between all major stakeholders in the decision making process.

Implementation of A-CDM requires agreement on standards, processes, and governance as well as the deployment of the types of computing and communication technologies, which have fueled Internet commerce. These technologies typically serve as a bridge to link existing stakeholder systems such as electronic flight data management systems, departure management systems, airline flight planning systems, and airport gate management systems. Once connected, the systems communicate with each other automatically and users can leverage standard communication tools (audio, video, chat) to collaborate effectively to resolve difficult airport capacity and operational issues in a transparent and equitable manner.

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Airport Automation Cockpit-based surface situational awareness which will expand from today’s own-ship position displayed on an airport map to full surface traffic situation displays based on surveillance data from ADS-B; Cockpit-based runway safety alerting will leverage this integrated situational awareness to provide pilots with information and alerts that allow them to identify and react to safety threats in the complex airport environment; and Aircraft piloting/landing applications which will plan and execute optimal aircraft braking given aircraft, airport, and environmental factors will monitor aircraft energy/momentum to alert pilots to potential unsafe landing conditions and will share this information with the ground-based systems to allow them to improve arrival/departure management.

These new tools and capabilities, coupled with those already in use and those being deployed now, will result in substantial benefits for all aviation stakeholders.

Thales invests heavily in these current and coming technologies for airport operations, building on our 70-year history in airport technology. Today’s innovations build upon prior ones to progressively improve operations and enable airport users to meet continued growth in demand and expectations.

About the Authors Todd Donovan, vice president & general manager, Thales Aviation Solutions, has more than 20 years experience in a variety of technical and leadership roles in the defense and aviation industry, including more than 15 years focused on air traffic management concepts and systems.

As vice president and general manager, Donovan leads U.S. business development and growth strategy for commercial aviation including air traffic management systems and commercial avionics. In this role, he is responsible for forging and capturing new business opportunities, shaping and executing strategy, fortifying relationships with civil business partners and executing the resulting projects. He also contributes to Thales’s global aviation strategy and business execution.

Donovan serves as Thales’s Key Account Manager for the US Federal Aviation Administration.

Prior to his role at Thales, Donovan was vice president of strategy and development for Saab Sensis Corporation where he managed the company’s growth strategy, investment in research and development, and involvement in standards groups such as RTCA and EUROCAE. Donovan also oversaw many ATC-related projects funded by NASA and the FAA, focused on emerging technologies.

Donovan has been involved in a variety of industry development activities including frequent publication of articles in leading publications such as ICAO Journal and The Journal of Air Traffic Control; presentation and speaking opportunities at conferences and workshops hosted by IEEE, ATCA, RTCA, NASA, and Eurocontrol; and participation in working groups and industry forums.

Donovan received a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College, a Bachelors of Engineering from Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, and a Masters of Business Administration from Emory University.

Frank Matus, director of strategic planning, Thales ATM U.S., has 13 years of experience in the aviation industry, engaging in and leading business development in both the international and domestic air traffic management markets. Matus currently serves as a director of strategic planning for Thales ATM U.S., where he is responsible for successfully engaging with the industry to understand NextGen and provide targeted solutions to address the growing challenges of air traffic management. In addition to his role in strategic planning, Matus addresses legislative affairs initiatives.

Prior to joining Thales ATM U.S. in 2010, Matus was manager of business development at Saab Sensis Corporation. While at Saab Sensis, Matus was responsible for leading the team that secured air traffic surveillance and automation contracts in Asia, Australia, and Canada. He also orchestrated a collaboration agreement between the company and NAV CANADA to jointly develop next generation, integrated air traffic control tower solutions. Additionally, Matus participated in the growth and capture strategies that allowed Sensis to secure its position as a primary air traffic surveillance solutions provider for the U.S. FAA. Matus received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the Maxwell School of Citizenship, Syracuse University.

References http://lessonslearned.faa.gov – US Air Flight 1493 runway collision with Skywest Flight 5569

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Spring 2014

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TOGETHER,

the Right Team for NextGen NextGen’s Foundation Will be in Place in 2015

By Michael G. Whitaker, Deputy Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration The FAA faced some financial headwinds recently but remains on course to complete NextGen’s critical foundation by 2015. NextGen was buffeted by cutbacks and uncertainty in the federal government budget and a twoweek government shutdown. Now the winds are easing a bit with a two-year government budget in place.

Since this imperative modernization planning effort began, our primary focus has been on a much-needed upgrade of the basic infrastructure that supports airspace operations. This phase is moving us from a system dependent on ground-based radar to one that relies primarily on satellite-based technology. This initial stage necessarily

This initial phase of NextGen – replacing the systems that support operations in our airspace – gives us the ability to add new technologies and capabilities moving forward.

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Spring 2014

included the introduction of new automation platforms we use to conduct operations high above the United States, near airports and over the oceans.

• Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) — We have deployed nearly 600 of about 650 ADS-B ground stations planned for the United States.

ADS-B avionics transmit aircraft location to controllers and other ADS-B equipped aircraft with a dramatically faster update than radar. This improved surveillance enhances safety while saving operators time, fuel, and money. We expect our full complement of ground transceivers to be in place this year. We are also broadcast-

NEXTGEN designed from the start to accommodate many NextGen operational concepts. For example, ATOP has a conflict probe that looks ahead two hours to see if the flight path of an aircraft might conflict with any other traffic. The FAA provided airline dispatchers access to this tool during a NextGen trial in 2013. Using a web-based link, dispatchers could check to see whether a proposed route was clear. If so, they could instruct pilots to request the new route knowing it was likely to be approved by a controller. NextGen is funding other upgrades to ATOP, which enables the FAA and stakeholders to realize NextGen efficiency benefits throughout 24 million square miles of oceanic airspace.

All of this software and equipment sets the NextGen stage for what is to come in the years ahead. This initial phase of NextGen – replacing the systems that support operations in our airspace – gives us the ability to add new technologies and capabilities moving forward. Think of this foundation as an iPad on which NextGen “apps” can be loaded to provide additional benefit in the National Airspace System (NAS).

Upon this foundation, the FAA will continue to implement the transformational technologies that provide operational benefits to users throughout the NAS. Even as we build toward the future, the NextGen improvements we’ve already deployed are generating benefits for operators today. The FAA has implemented an extensive network of thousands of Performance Based Navigation (PBN) procedures, providing operators with new departures, new low- and high-altitude routes and new arrivals and approaches nationwide. These highly efficient procedures consume less fuel and produce fewer aircraft exhaust emissions. In the Denver area alone we have published 51 new PBN procedures, including 21 Standard Terminal Arrival procedures with Optimized Profile Descent capabilities and 16 new area navigation Standard Instrument Departures.

Reports of NextGen success are coming in from all across the United States. I encourage you to read these

Michael G. Whitaker Deputy Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration

As FAA Deputy Administrator, Michael G. Whitaker is responsible for helping to ensure the safe and efficient operations of the largest airspace system in the world, with more than 50,000 daily operations. He also serves as the Chief NextGen Officer and is responsible for the development and implementation of FAA’s Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen).

Whitaker is a seasoned aviation executive with extensive business, regulatory, legal, and international experience at United Airlines and, before that, Trans World Airlines. He is well versed in general and commercial aviation and has led collaborative efforts and joint ventures to promote aviation safety, enhanced performance, and profitability.

“success stories” at our NextGen Performance Snapshots website, www. faa.gov/nextgen/snapshots.

For a comprehensive view of what NextGen has achieved so far and where it is headed, I also recommend the latest update of the NextGen Implementation Plan (www.faa.gov/ nextgen/implementation). The Plan is our annual NextGen report to industry, the public and Congress. You can read the executive summary for a brief overview or drill down to greater levels of detail in the Plan’s two technical appendices.

The FAA relies heavily on stakeholders in the United States and its international partners to help foster the development and deployment of NextGen. The agency recently asked the NextGen Advisory Committee (NAC) to have stakeholders, including airlines and other aircraft operators, list their top NextGen priorities in light of the current budget environment. The FAA will respond to the NAC priorities in February 2014.

If you have thoughts on how to improve the NextGen effort, please feel free to contact my office at nextgen@faa.gov.

The Journal of Air Traffic Control

Illustrator: Peshkova/Photos.com

ing traffic and weather information from the ground to the cockpits of properly equipped aircraft at no charge to the user. Operators have begun equipping their aircraft with ADS-B Out avionics and the FAA has mandated that aircraft flying in most controlled airspace must have ADS-B Out by 2020.

• En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) — We are in the final stages of replacing the HOST computer system that has been supporting operations in our nation’s high-altitude airspace since the 1970s. The new ERAM system provides the platform for many future NextGen technologies, including ADS-B, and will increase the efficiency of the system and the predictability of operations. To date, 17 of our en-route centers have been upgraded and by the end of fiscal year 2015, 24 centers in the United States and its territories will be operating with ERAM. • Terminal Automation M o der n iz at ion a nd Replacement (TAMR) — We have also made progress upgrading the computer systems that run our terminal airspace near airports. The TAMR program will provide a common platform for terminal automation called the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS). This massive project requires switching out computer processors, screens and software, and re-training controllers in more than 150 Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facilities as daily operations continue without interruption. The FAA expects the 11 TRACONs that process 80 percent of U.S. air traffic to have STARS by 2016. All terminal facilities will be equipped by 2020.

• Advanced Technologies and Oceanic Procedures (ATOP) — The FAA’s ATOP program office has already completed the upgrade of our oceanic centers in New York, California, and Alaska with the ATOP system. While the installation of ATOP began just as the FAA’s NextGen effort was getting underway, the system was

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NEXTGEN

NextGen’s Steady Improvements

By Edward L. Bolton, Jr., Assistant Administrator for NextGen Federal Aviation Administration During the more than three decades I spent with the U.S. Air Force, I recognized a common thread across all the successful activities I was involved with in program management, engineering, and budget work. Success relied much more on teamwork than on individual achievement. In spacelift, for example, there was no such thing as individual success. If the launch failed, everybody failed. If the launch was successful, everyone was successful; there were no superstars. I liked that.

The same is true at the FAA. I am working with a team, implementing one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects ever – the Next Generation Air Transportation System. With NextGen, we are making improvements to our airspace that will yield efficiency, safety, and environmental benefits for decades to come. I can assure you I can’t do it alone. This is a team effort.

We will continue to focus on delivering early benefits using the systems and equipment already in place, and more improvements will come with additional FAA and aviation community investments.

NextGen relies on our colleagues at the FAA in air traffic, safety, airports, environment – it is a priority in every corner of the agency, and it will impact every phase of flight. We are working together on ways to improve what matters most – how to deploy NextGen capabilities as safely and efficiently as possible without unnecessary delays. We think we can do that through improved management of our programs and by being more responsive to customers.

Equally important, NextGen’s con20

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tinued success relies on sustained support from our partners in the aviation community – in the United States and abroad. We regularly seek the input of our closest stakeholders and consider their priorities in our spending and implementation decisions. We rely on these partners to demonstrate the benefits of our new procedures and technologies, and we are already seeing improvements from Alaska to Atlanta, from the Gulf of Mexico to Lake Michigan.

In the few months I’ve spent with the FAA so far, I’ve noticed that some want to judge NextGen’s progress by its expected end state. “Is the switch turned on yet? When will it be done?”

Of course, like our airspace, NextGen is more complex than that.

We’re modernizing a system we use every day. With more than 50,000 flights a day, we can’t afford to have an off day.

Safety will always come first and we have a superior record that every passenger counts on us to maintain every time. So integrating new initiatives can be a challenge when no two airports or centers are exactly alike and require varied procedures. Equipage is mixed, and we work with several generations of pilots and controllers from domestic and foreign carriers.

NextGen has achieved initial successes one increment at a time, and future progress will continue to be gradual. Not every aircraft, airport, or air traffic control facility will get every NextGen improvement at the same time. But we can promise steady improvement. Every year, we will integrate and deploy additional advances in more locations and with additional capabilities that will build on the foundation we already have put in place.

We will continue to focus on delivering early benefits using the systems and equipment already in place, and more improvements will come with additional FAA and aviation community investments. We also want to improve how we measure benefits so

Edward L. Bolton Assistant Administrator for NextGen, Federal Aviation Administration

As Assistant Administrator for NextGen, Edward L. Bolton, Jr. is responsible for leading the transformation of the National Airspace System. His office oversees the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), a multibillion initiative to enhance the safety and efficiency of aviation into the future. Bolton started his career in the U.S. Air Force in the enlisted ranks as a cost and management analyst, and after being commissioned as an officer in 1983, he rose rapidly in rank. Prior to joining the FAA, he logged more than 20 years of executive-level experience in acquisition, program management, systems engineering, requirements development, policy development, strategic planning, financial management, and congressional engagement. As Commander of the 45th Space Wing, and Eastern Range Director based at Patrick AFB, Fla., he supervised 24 successful spacelift, shuttle, test, and range missions. He retired as Major General in 2013.

we can all be sure that our investments are paying off.

I am excited about this opportunity to be part of something so important. I have spent time in the FAA’s state-of-the-art research labs at the William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, at our training facilities in Oklahoma City, and at a variety of FAA facilities that manage air traffic in all phases of flight. My familiarization visits have also included a wide array of our aviation partners, including airlines, manufacturers, and researchers.

Their contributions, coupled with the technical expertise and experience of my own team, inspire great confidence in our ability to get the job done.

It’s with certainty I can say that we have the right team in place, we are doing the right things and making tremendous progress, and together we will succeed.