Air Traffic Control Association
No. 12, 2016
www.atca.org
PRECISE APPROACHES
Boost JetBlue’s Performance at JFK
IN THIS ISSUE: »» ATCA’s Best Moments of 2016 »» 7 Ways SWIM is Changing Aviation Operations »» A Moment in Aviation History
PRESIDENT’S MESSAG E
No. 12, 2016 Published for
By Peter F. Dumont, President & CEO, Air Traffic Control Association
What is your Top 10 List for 2016?
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fall for it every year – reading the lists of the year in review. What is “in” and what is “out.” What is the top movie of the year? I think it was “Sully”. What is the most popular Google search in 2016? Turns out it was Pokémon Go. I then start looking at my year in review, and my top list is often intertwined with ATCA’s top list of the year. Getting ATCA a seat at the NAC table was a highlight for both ATCA and I. The NAC – or RTCA’s NextGen Advisory Committee – is a key group of aviation stakeholders who identify the top priorities in FAA’s air traffic management (ATM) modernization efforts. The NAC is the voice of the industry and helps guide the FAA in focusing and validating its NextGen investments. ATCA’s participation in the NAC will help FAA and the other stakeholders understand NextGen from the ATM provider perspective, which was a voice that was previously under-represented. ATCA is also participating with the RTCA Drone Advisory Committee (DAC) on their sub-committees.
Not surprising, drones appear on both my personal top 10 list as well as ATCA’s. For me, my favorite gift of the year was a new drone (or two). On ATCA’s list, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) continued to play the emerging ATM transformational agent. This year, working with NASA and the state of New York, ATCA organized the second UTM Convention. Building on the success of the UTM conference last year in California, UTM Convention 2016 was in Syracuse, N.Y., and included many more exhibitors, an unmanned vehicle demonstration at Griffiss Field, key NASA and FAA policy heads, a drone sense and avoid competition, and an announcement of the development of a $30 million drone corridor by Governor Cuomo. As the unmanned vehicle industry grows, so will ATCA’s need to keep pushing the discussions and research surrounding a sophisticated ATM system that incorporates all types of aviation. ATCA’s traditional conferences were also a success this year, making our top 10 list for 2016. ATCA’s Tech Symposium in
1101 King Street, Suite 300 Alexandria, VA 22314 Phone: 703-299-2430 Fax: 703-299-2437 info@atca.org www.atca.org President & CEO: Peter F. Dumont Director, Communications: Abigail Glenn-Chase Writer/Editor: Kristen Knott 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.
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March 7–9, 2017 World ATM Congress 2017 Madrid, Spain 2
ATCA Bulletin | No. 12, 2016
May 16–18, 2017 ATCA Technical Symposium Atlantic City, N.J.
© 2016 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 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 ATCA. Cover photo: Nieuwland/Shutterstock.com
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Atlantic City and ATCA’s annual conference at the Gaylord in the D.C. area continued to bring top government officials and technical experts to the table with key stakeholders discussing the direction of the global aviation system. World ATM Congress, which is a ATCA and CANSO event, for the fourth year attracted world-wide experts to Madrid, Spain, creating the largest ATM exhibition floor in the world. The exhibit hall floors at ATCA events are so exciting because they highlight the great ideas and accomplishments occurring in our industry. ATCA likes to encourage new ideas and innovative thinking, and we try to do that with our events and awards, which must be added to my year-end list. ATCA supports our Young Aviation Professionals (YAPs) with special events, unique speakers, networking events, and opportunities for speaking and writing. Our future is undeniably in the hands of the next generation,
so ATCA provides as many opportunities as possible to help our up-and-coming industry leaders. ATCA also appreciates our current leaders, so this year ATCA awarded the Glen A. Gilbert Memorial Award to National Air Traffic Controllers Association President Paul Rinaldi for his career-long leadership and vision in air traffic control. The award ceremony for Paul was certainly one of my top ten events of 2016. As the year comes to a close, I think I have to add one more thing to my top 2016 list –the members of the ATCA staff. My crew at ATCA is simply the best. Every event we managed this year was done with the utmost professionalism. I could not say thank you too many times to my ATCA team. Included in that team is my Chairman Emeritus, Neil Planzer, who has been a supporter of ATCA for over 35 years and has been a mentor and friend since I was named ATCA President over 10 years
ago. Obviously, part of the year-end review process is looking ahead, and I will have two of the most energetic and dynamic aviation thinkers in the business to work with in 2017 – ATCA’s current Chair, Charlie Keegan, and Chair-Elect, Cynthia Castillo. Both my top list for 2016 and my lookahead for 2017 are linked with the people ATCA attracts, some of the smartest and most innovative thinkers in the business. I am thankful for our accomplishments in 2016 and for our potential in 2017. Be safe over the holidays, enjoy the New Year, and rest up so we enter 2017 with great energy, optimism, and a desire to perpetually improve our aviation community and ourselves.
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ATCA Bulletin | No. 12, 2016
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ATCA Bulletin | No. 12, 2016
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7 WAYS SWIM is Changing Aviation Operations By Jonathan Fath, Harris Corporation (and YAP Member)
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n the realm of aviation, there is no shortage of information circulating. From flight plans to surveillance information to weather, the global air transportation industry is brimming with crucial data that can help change the way air traffic is managed — but only if it’s easily accessible by the stakeholders that need it most. Enter System Wide Information Management (SWIM), a way to place all of that data in the same place, be it within infrastructure or secure in the cloud. It is being used by the FAA to manage their flight data, and is available around the world through SkyFusion. Here are seven ways that SWIM is changing the landscape of aviation operations:
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More Reliable Information for Faster Decisions
Ever wondered about the accuracy of your next flight’s predicted arrival time? That information is usually managed by the airline or airport operations. Sometimes it’s incomplete. With SWIM, it’s all stored in the same place and can be more easily referenced. If you’re worried about a single source of information, check three or four instead!
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Collaboration When It’s Needed Most
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Decreased Carbon Emissions
In the event of an emergency, it is crucial that the right stakeholders are informed. If there’s a runway outage in Thailand, getting timely information to airlines inbound can prevent hours of delays. By having both Thailand and its incoming airlines getting access through the same system, it becomes easier to make real-time decisions like slowing down flights and utilizing the remaining runways. With the power of SWIM, this can be enabled between systems or on its own platform. Did you know that one round-trip flight from New York to Europe or to San Francisco creates a warming effect equivalent to two to three tons of carbon dioxide per person? Aviation alone is responsible for 12 percent of global carbon emissions!
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The longer a flight is delayed on the runway or is in holding airborne, the more fuel is consumed. This creates more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Through increased collaboration between stakeholders, the likelihood of a delay is significantly decreased. This means less fuel burned over time, and as a result, less carbon dioxide emissions over time.
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Less Infrastructure Costs
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Borderless Communications
It’s no secret that most aviation communications and optimization tools only share information for a single stakeholder. Because of this, multiple sources for the exact same information can arise. This leads to duplication of efforts and lots of dollars being spent on infrastructure. The FAA identified a need to reduce the high degree of interdependence among systems and move away from the proliferation of unique, point-to-point application interfaces. As a result of this, the FAA implemented SWIM. As infrastructure becomes more centralized, the ability to share information across borders becomes more available, especially with the aid of scalable technologies like cloud computing and data security. By implementing these technologies with SWIM, data can be accessed abroad more safely and easily, opening lines of communication that didn’t exist before.
The global air transportation industry is brimming with crucial data that can help change the way air traffic is managed, but only if it’s easily accessible by the stakeholders that need it most. 6
Implementing Cloud Computing and Other Leading Technologies
Speaking of technology, did you know that cloud computing is more readily available and scalable than ever? In their latest study, Cisco argues that global cloud traffic will hit 14 zettabytes (14 trillion gigabytes) by 2020. Information is becoming easier to access and the barriers to entry are getting lower. Information is becoming standardized. Because the cloud is so accessible and safe thanks to ISO standards, it is a great repository for aviation information. Instead of needing a robust system to access this data, all one needs is an Internet connection.
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The need for data governance brings with it a need for governing bodies. In response, groups like the International Airline Transportation Association and the International Civil Aviation Organization have begun putting together workshops, working panels, and more training to ensure that data, as much as possible, is being shared in similar formats. This creates an incubator for innovation in aviation and helps organizations work with more advanced air traffic management concepts like predictive weather and flight tracking.
Better Governance for Better Standards
Governance, or the process of governing, especially in the case of data, is crucial when it comes to sharing across audiences like airlines, air navigation service providers, and airports. Without standardization and governance of data, information would come in multiple formats and depending on the need, could be difficult to analyze.
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PRECISE APPROACHES Boost JetBlue’s Performance at JFK By Curt Biberdorf, NextGen Outreach and Reporting
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ir carriers already benefit when they fly Performance Based Navigation (PBN) procedures into runways 13L and 13R in clear weather at New York’s John F. Kennedy ( JFK) airport, but they notice even bigger benefits when the weather takes a turn for the worse. The precise, satellite-guided Required Navigation Performance (RNP) Authorization Required (AR) approach procedures enhance safety while reducing 12
ATCA Bulletin | No. 12, 2016
fuel consumption, engine exhaust emissions, and noise levels. Pilots also can delay or avoid taking a longer northerly route to use a conventional Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach when weather lowers visibility. Flying ILS procedures at 13L increases delays at JFK, as well as at nearby LaGuardia, Newark, and Teterboro airports. “It became a nightmare scenario to have to vector into Newark airspace, which
causes a horrible chain of events, and is a last-resort procedure,” said Capt. Joe DeVito, a regulatory and airspace technical pilot for JetBlue Airways. Holding and vectoring of aircraft can create a ripple effect of delays across many flights into and out of the airports due to the complicated nature and interconnectivity of the New York airspace. With JFK as its home base, JetBlue had several reasons why it joined the FAA
and MITRE Corporation to develop the new PBN procedures. The airline’s decision to equip its entire fleet and train all its pilots to fly the procedure – first used on June 20, 2012 – was influenced by three main factors: major runway construction that increased dependence on 13L and 13R, complying with the tarmac delay rule, and preventing unnecessary diversions. “[The RNP procedures] have lower minima [than conventional procedures],
so chances of getting in are much better,” DeVito said. “It is extremely helpful, especially in times of runway shutdowns.” During a five-month closure of runways 4L and 22R for construction in 2015, traffic was redirected primarily to 13L. As it became JFK’s primary arrival runway, usage increased from 30.6 percent in 2014 to 65.3 percent in 2015, according to PASSUR Aerospace. JetBlue pilots used the RNP procedure 97.8 percent of the time for 13L
and 13R, logging 5,939 RNP approaches, according to flight crew reports. Each approach saves about 11-18 gallons of fuel, depending on aircraft size. ILS, on the other hand, drops the airport’s acceptance rate from 54 to 28 flights per hour and conflicts with surrounding airspace. The RNP procedures and nonILS conventional procedures that use VOR or GPS follow nearly the same path along the coast to 13L and 13R. RNP is more accurate, however, and offers vertical and lateral guidance instead of just lateral guidance. “It is a boon for us from a safety standpoint to not fly a non-precision approach,” DeVito said. Aircraft can fly on a continuous descent with a precise curve to the runway with engines running at or near idle speed. This is more efficient than the step-down method, which requires multiple turns and engines running at high thrust settings to maintain altitude at each level. Pilots also can land at a lower altitude closer to the runway, minimizing the number of aborted landings, otherwise known as go-arounds. Making this procedure possible is the automatic Takeoff Go-Around to Navigation or “ToGa” to Nav function. This is a button or switch the pilot engages to tell the flight director and auto thrust system, if available, to execute a missed approach while the lateral navigation mode remains engaged. It’s this capability, which is not present on all aircraft, that allows pilots to use a decision altitude while in a turn to the runway instead of flying a lengthy straight segment. JetBlue was the first US air carrier to adopt this capability and use it on these unique procedures. JetBlue, the FAA, and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association signed a letter of agreement in April 2015 to approve consistent assignment of the RNP approach to Runway 13L for JetBlue pilots when the runway is in use and weather permits. This accounts for the compliance rate of nearly 98 percent. The FAA has also approved domestic carriers American, Delta, and Virgin America, as well as international carriers Cathay Pacific, Emirates, and Qatar Airways to use the procedures at runways 13L and 13R. This benefits more passengers and air carriers while making traffic more efficient in one of the world’s busiest airports. To see more NextGen success stories visit faa.gov/nextgen/snapshots. ATCA Bulletin | No. 12, 2016
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A Moment in Aviation History On December 29, 1948:
The Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA) revealed details of a US-UK agreement based on previous action by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The United Kingdom agreed to install an airway and traffic control system to use in the United States. The US would procure four low-frequency radio ranges to supplement the three already operating in the British Isles and assist in installing the facilities as requested. - FAA Historical Chronology
Officers and Board of Directors Chairman, Charles Keegan Chair-Elect, Cynthia Castillo President & CEO, Peter F. Dumont East Area Director, Susan Chodakewitz Pacific Area, Asia, Australia Director, Peter Fiegehen South Central Area Director, William Cotton Northeast Area Director, Mike Ball Southeast Area Director, Jack McAuley North Central Area Director, Bill Ellis West Area Director and Secretary, Chip Meserole Canada, Caribbean, Central and South America, Mexico Area Director, Rudy Kellar Europe, Africa, Middle East Area Director, Jonathan Astill Director-at-Large, Rick Day Director-at-Large, Vinny Capezzuto Director-at-Large, Michael Headley Director-at-Large, Fran Hill
Staff Marion Brophy, Communications Specialist Ken Carlisle, Director, Meetings and Expositions Theresa Clair, Associate Director, Meetings and Expositions Glenn Cudaback, Manager, Digital Media and Marketing Abigail Glenn-Chase, Director, Communications Ashley Haskins, Office Manager Kristen Knott, Writer and Editor Christine Oster, Chief Financial Officer Paul Planzer, Manager, ATC Programs Rugger Smith, International Development Liaison Sandra Strickland, Events and Exhibits Coordinator Tim Wagner, Manager, Membership