ATCA Bulletin #6

Air Traffic Control Association

No. 6, 2016

www.atca.org

NAS DATA: THE HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS

IN THIS ISSUE: »» Where in the World is ATCA this Summer? »» Sharing a Common Picture to Enhance Aviation Safety and Efficiency »» Nominate Someone for an ATCA Award »» A Moment in Aviation History

PRESIDENT’S MESSAG E

No. 6, 2016 Published for

By Peter F. Dumont, President & CEO, Air Traffic Control Association

More Data, More Problems?

I

n May, we had an extremely successful Technical Symposium event in Atlantic City, N.J. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) organized an impressive Tech Center Tuesday, with displays of research programs, a drone cage, and six different track tours including the new Cybersecurity Test Facility. The subsequent two-day symposium included panels on how to best use data, the future of the National Airspace System (NAS) beyond 2025, and completing the transition to performance-based navigation (PBN). One of the benefits of the Tech Symposium is the opportunity to look into the future and make sure we are doing everything we can today to prepare for a safer and more efficient NAS tomorrow. Right now, many opportunities to improve the NAS seem to be rooted in the ability to harness the power and knowledge of big data. The aviation industry produces a lot of data, but that doesn’t always mean it’s all useful information.

As we get closer to a fully operational system wide information management (SWIM) program, the demand for accessing the information is high. The FAA is equipped to share the data with anyone – currently free of charge – in hopes of improving the overall system. Chris Pressler, the systems engineering lead of

SWIM, told Tech Symposium attendees that anyone can connect to the SWIM interface after a vetting process. PASSUR and other companies are taking advantage of this air traffic data, adding airline specific information, and packaging it for real-time data-based decision making. Boeing’s Dr. Chip Meserole said, in another panel on what the NAS might look like in 2025 and beyond, that pushing power and information to the edge – or to front line decision makers – enables a data rich environment to run most efficiently and effectively.

Dr. Chris Codella from the IBM Watson program (the computer that crushed the Jeopardy champions several years ago) also spoke on data and the NAS. Watson is transitioning us from our current era of programmable computers to a cognitive computing era. With this transition, computers will learn from experience and from interacting with people and, through understanding language, can draw a conclusion or – in our case – a recommendation.

Dr. Codella, who has been studying decision-making in air traffic control, sees this dynamic profession as one dependent on data, collaborative decision-making, complex scenarios, and fast-paced decisions.

Due to the very nature of the NAS itself, he said decisions that all the players in the NAS make are often based on experience and

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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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Upcoming Events Flight Global Safety Symposium London, UK Sept. 13-14, 2016

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Oct. 16-19, 2016

ATCA Bulletin | No. 6, 2016

© 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.

61st ATCA Annual Conference & Exposition National Harbor, Md.

Drone World Expo San Jose, Calif.

Nov. 15-16, 2016

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: McIek/Shutterstock.com

lytics is not something that just happens.

An organization — or a group of organizations in the case of our NAS — has to be committed to looking at their data and using it to make system-wide improvements. Some call it the DIKW Hierarchy – Data becomes Information, which becomes Knowledge, which becomes Wisdom (or in controllers’ cases, decisions). Sometimes you have to work through the DIKW process many times before you are satisfied with the result. But an entity that is not willing to focus on the data and work with the data until it becomes wisdom will instead maintain a state of data deluge and ambiguity.

I’ve got a couple questions: Are we ready for the data deluge that SWIM will bring to us? Are we ready to walk that data through the DIKW process so that we are operating our air traffic management (ATM) system better? Do we have the metrics in place to measure any improvement?

I don’t think we are there yet.

Wherever we are, big data is coming and we may not be ready to use it to improve the air traffic system. The airlines may be ready to use the big data coming

out of SWIM because they employ third party data managers and interpreters like PASSUR. These companies engage airlines to operate more efficiently with the use of big data directly from both FAA systems and their own operations as well. If these third party data analytic tools are successful, the airlines could have a better knowledge base about the air traffic management system than FAA. The key to big data management is to identify and narrow your use of the most important information for your mission. These third party firms may be able to help FAA run their systems in a more efficient, informed manner.

There was a question from the audience during one of the Technical Symposium panels asking if FAA might start charging for the SWIM data. An FAA panelist simply answered, “We are not charging for data at this time.” We shall see.

I don’t know how we will manage the path from data deluge to data-based wisdom, but we need to build that path quickly so we are ready to take advantage of the benefits of SWIM. Otherwise, we will start sounding like Yogi Berra – “The future ain’t what it used to be.”

ATCA Bulletin | No. 6, 2016

asharkyu/Shutterstock.com

nonrecurring scenarios that have not been seen previously. So in this environment, one of Watson’s best capabilities would be to read enormous amounts of data, tease out only the most important information, and provide that information to make a well-informed decision. Dr. Codella also said working with a power similar to Watson in air traffic might be akin to having a pause button on life, so when a decision had to be made you could pause, review all of the relevant information, make a decision, and then implement it.

We have just begun to discuss the ways to better use the tremendous amount of data in the NAS. Using metrics and goals to change the way FAA does business is a milestone we have yet to meet. The NextGen Advisory Committee (NAC) is working hard to identify metrics and goals on which the industry and FAA can agree. Currently, the leap from basic metrics-based management to a cognitive computing era seems enormous. In the meantime, we can share information via SWIM and DataComm to improve our day-to-day operations.

Taking the steps from data sharing and number crunching to information ana-

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NAS Data

The Haves and the Have Nots

By Kristen Knott, ATCA Writer and Editor

D

ata is king. The NAS has no shortage of it. It’s one of its greatest assets. However, utilizing that data is akin to drinking from a firehose.

It begs the question: who is data’s second-in-command? Who’s calling the shots in this data game?

The FAA has been a leader in the process – especially with the release of SWIM, the real-time data-sharing backbone of NextGen – but with so many data stakeholders in the game, it’s not that simple.

Several of those stakeholders were rep-

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ATCA Bulletin | No. 6, 2016

resented at ATCA’s Technical Symposium this spring. The event’s opening panel brought together both publishers and subscribers of NAS data, including FAA, IBM Watson, airlines, and PASSUR. Building these relationships into partnerships is a key part of building the data infrastructure.

Integration is happening beyond airlines, said Natesh Manikoth of the FAA, the event’s moderator.

“As we peel back the onion, there’s so much data out there and so much traffic, we want predictability for our customers,” said

Bernie Davis of American Airlines.

“With computers, someone has to be in charge,” said Chris Pressler, SWIM’s lead engineer at the FAA. “I have the easy job – I build the infrastructure. The hard thing is what everyone else has to do.”

“I would love nothing more than to have non-FAA data published into SWIM and have it published elsewhere,” said Pressler. “I would love SWIM to be the central traffic cop of it but it’s more a policy question.”

“Most of the time when we reach out

data, but we’re pushing the envelope to get X-Band data to get into prediction to match up with airline throughput rate.”

“A lot of airport data is focused on de-icing and the surface [data] cannot manage that,” said Davis. “We need to have more predictable tools to say this weather event is coming.”

“SWIM technology will help us see the scope of a problem and fill that gap, but we’re still dependent on flight operators providing information,” said Tony Tisdall of the FAA. Delays are part of our system but we need to focus on managing those delays better with surface data and Terminal Flight Data Manager, he added.

“We’re very limited with Traffic Flow Management System on how to manage that – we don’t have the capability to manage down to individual carrier capability,” he continued. “From traffic flow management, we always start from zero.”

We’re trying to answer what is the right metric, he added.

In the end, we’re all operators, said Crites. “We’re all trying to get the job done to the best of our abilities.”

While the possibilities are endless with NAS data, taking the next step in building the data infrastructure – and deciding who should take the reins – is no easy task.

ATCA Bulletin | No. 6, 2016

Photos courtesy of ATCA

to Tony [Tisdall of the FAA] and his team, we’re hitting the panic button,” said Davis.

“SWIM helps alleviate that.”

“In order to deal with complexity, often the ‘good-enough’ decision is made,” said Chris Codella of IBM Watson, whose uses now extend well beyond answering questions on Jeopardy. “It’s partly about making the most relevant data immediately available.”

The panelists agreed there has to be a better way. One thing is clear: big data’s potential goes way beyond simply serving flight, suveil-

lance, weather, and aeronautical purposes.

“As we’re working on the crystal ball and making it more clear, understanding the controller intent is important,” said Keith Wichman of PASSUR, an early SWIM customer that provides unique data and an established integrated platform. Focusing on commercial forces and data generation is important, he added.

The future of data, it seems, is already on the horizon. “Somebody please connect up to SWIM and create a virtual reality simulator,” said Pressler, who is on the forefront as the lead engineer of SWIM. “Cognitive computing is a new era of computing – it’s on the opposite end of the data food chain,” said Codella. “We’re exploring use cases with federal government and industry. It’s about consuming as much as we can and making sense of it.”

“Programmable systems are the current era,” said Codella. “[What if ] you’re in a decision-making role and you don’t have time to think about a decision, imagine hitting pause to research and make a better decision. We’re hoping to build a prototype.”

Airline operational performance data is also key, said Jim Crites of Dallas/ ForthWorth International Airport (DFW), noting the FAA needs more data down to the gate. “We are getting great weather

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Sharing a Common Picture

TO ENHANCE AVIATION SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY

By Bill Gordon and Julie Holley, FAA NextGen Performance and Outreach

A

s the FAA works to modernize air transportation in harmony with its global partners, sharing aviation data in a SWIM environment using common standards and technology is vitally important. The Mini Global II demonstration, an FAA-led event in April at the agency’s Florida NextGen Test Bed in Daytona Beach, Fla., offered a look at what’s now operationally possible with data exchange using global standards.

Mini Global II is the second in a series of demonstrations showing how aeronautical, weather, and flight information can be shared to enhance global aviation. The first Mini Global event in 2014 demonstrated to the FAA’s industry partners that technology makes data sharing possible across regions and boundaries.

This year’s event showcased the potential operational benefits of international data sharing through real-world scenarios.

By working together, the FAA and its counterparts in Europe and other regions are leading the International Civil Aviation 6

ATCA Bulletin | No. 6, 2016

Organization (ICAO) strategic vision of a globally connected, seamless ATM system, said Jim Eck, the FAA’s assistant administrator for NextGen. “Ultimately, our goal is to support seamless interoperability and harmonization and to provide a mechanism for air navigation service providers and airspace users to make ATM systems more efficient,” Eck said.

The event, a culmination of 15 months of work and collaboration with more than 20 international and aviation industry partners, validated the ICAO SWIM Concept of Operations through global SWIM service development.

“This is an opportunity for us to understand how we can move NextGen forward together with our international partners,” said Thien Ngo, Mini Global project manager in the FAA’s NextGen organization.

Using near real-time data through the aeronautical, weather, and flight information exchange models, Mini Global II

demonstrated: • More efficient planning and rerouting of international flights in response to evolving weather and other constraints.

• The airlines’ abilities to effectively collaborate with ATM from pre-departure through the flight.

• The ability to share flight information about aircraft and to identify aircraft through automation instead of requiring air traffic controllers to manually enter information when planes near or cross international airspace boundaries.

• Collaboration on metering flights that cross international boundaries to increase efficiency.

• The ability to limit access to shared information when needed, such as during military exercises.

Sharing a common picture of air traffic, weather, and other aviation information improves safety and efficiency by allowing air traffic managers to make decisions earlier and with more information, and to

This is an opportunity for us to understand how we can move NextGen forward together with our international partners.

more effectively coordinate their efforts with airline operations dispatchers. More efficiency saves fuel and reduces aircraft exhaust emissions.

The goal was for attendees to return to their home countries and share lessons learned, implement capabilities based on their own needs, and encourage the aviation industry — including air traffic control, airlines, and airports — in their

respective regions to adopt the new standards and technologies required to make information exchange possible.

“If you take a look at where we are situated in Asia, we have been trying to find ways to get the whole region to work together to make the aviation system more efficient and safe,” said Rosly Saad, director of air traffic services for the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. Saad said the Mini

Global program provides a platform for this collaboration to take place. “We see great potential for us to get together and work on the improvement that we are looking for.”

By collaborating with industry and leveraging international relationships, the FAA helps shape and harmonize international standards that improve the safety, efficiency, and environmental sustainability of global aviation.

ATCA Bulletin | No. 6, 2016

Egorov Artem/Shutterstock.com

– Thien Ngo, FAA Project Manager, Mini Global

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Where in the World is ATCA this Summer?

ATCA staff takes to the skies this vacation season

CANSO Global ATM Summit and 20th AGM Vancouver, Canada

ATCA

HEADQUARTERS Alexandria, Va. Montpelier, Vt.

ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition Salt Lake City, Utah

Bridgton, Maine

Toronto, Canada Syracuse, N.Y.

NASA’s Ames Research Center Moffett Field, Calif.

Indianapolis, Ind.

Denver, Colo.

New York City, N.Y.

Festus, Mo.

Baltimore, Md. Washington, D.C.

Oklahoma City, Okla.

San Diego, Calif.

Nashville, Tenn.

Richmond, Va. Columbia, S.C.

Ocean City, Md.

Dallas, Texas

Austin, Texas

New Orleans, La. Houston, Texas Orlando, Fla. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Cancun, Mexico Honolulu, Hawaii

Hawaii

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ATCA Bulletin | No. 6, 2016

Reykjavik, Iceland

Flightglobal Flight Safety Symposium London, U.K.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Paris, France

Visual Generation/Shutterstock.com

Madrid, Spain

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TRAFFIC JAM AHEAD. PLAN ACCORDINGLY.

Transforming the air traffic management (ATM) system is essential for improving safety, efficiency and the environment around the globe.

Boeing is fully committed and uniquely qualified to help make ATM transformation a reality. It’s the right time and Boeing is the right partner.

A Moment in Aviation History June 7, 1987: The Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority (MWAA) took over management of National and Dulles airports from FAA. The MWAA had been created by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Act. Under the terms of a lease agreement with the federal government, the new authority would operate the two airports for 50 years and would pay the government a total of $150 million for the lease period. Almost 700 FAA employees left the agency to join the MWAA, and a directive issued on October 26, 1987, abolished FAA’s Metropolitan Washington Airports organization.

– FAA Historical Chronology

Don’t Wait

Nominate Someone for an ATCA Award Today! Deadline is July 22 For your convenience, we have streamlined the process this year:

SUBMIT A NOMINATION ONLINE! ATCA awards are some of the most prestigious recognitions in the aviation community. We look forward to receiving your nomination, and honoring winners at the awards lunch on October 17 during the 61st ATCA Annual Conference and Exposition (www.atca.org/61annual).

Questions? Please contact Paul Planzer at paul.planzer@atca.org today.

Joe Ravi; Africa Studio/Shutterstock.com

H

ave you or someone you know made an important contribution to air traffic control or air traffic management this year?

Know someone who has dedicated his or her career to safety and innovation within the national or global airspace system?

Have you worked with a team of people who have collaborated to bring about positive change? Know a military service member or team who performed exemplary work under pressure?

If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, we encourage you to submit a nomination for an ATCA award today!

ATCA Bulletin | No. 6, 2016

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Officers and Board of Directors Chairman, Neil Planzer Chairman-Elect, Charles Keegan President & CEO, Peter F. Dumont Treasurer, Rachel Jackson 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

Staff Marion Brophy, Communications Specialist Ken Carlisle, Director, Meetings and Expositions Theresa Clair, Associate Director, Meetings and Expositions 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 Ashley Swearingen, Press and Marketing Manager Tim Wagner, Membership Manager