ATCA Journal | Q4 2014 - Preview

Winter 2014 | VOLUME 56, NO. 4

A New Approach to Monitoring and Alerting Congestion in Airspace Sectors

Plus

• Avoiding Clouds Associated with Core Engine Icing • Technology Changes Affecting NAS Voice Delay Requirements • Transforming Flight Information Exchange via Flight Object and FIXM www.atca.org

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Winter 2014 | Vol. 56, No. 4

Contents

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).

Articles

Published for: 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:

12

Transforming Flight Information Exchange via Flight Object and FIXM

By Charles Chen

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140 Broadway, 46th Floor New York, NY 10005 Toll-free phone: 866-953-2189 Toll-free fax: 877-565-8557 www.lesterpublications.com President, Jeff Lester Vice-President & Publisher, Sean Davis EDITORIAL Editorial Director, Jill Harris Managing Editor, Kristy Rydz Editorial Assistant, Andrew Harris DESIGN & LAYOUT Art Director, Myles O’Reilly Senior Graphic Designer, John Lyttle Graphic Designer, Crystal Carrette Graphic Designer, Jessica Landry Graphic Designer, Gayl Punzalan ADVERTISING Sales Director, Danny Macaluso | 866-954-8168 Quinn Bogusky | 888-953-2198 Louise Peterson | 866-953-2183 Colleen McDonald | 888-953-2194 Blair Sidorow | 866-954-8169

The ATM Community has Developed the Concept of a Complete Flight Data Object

Avoiding Clouds Associated with Core Engine Icing

Ice Crystal Engine Icing Appears to be the Culprit in Over 150 Engine Power-Loss Events

By Dr. Julie Haggerty and Jennifer Black

Day in the Life of an Air Traffic Controller: Samantha Navarro Air Traffic Control Tower, SEA-TAC

By Kristen Knott

26

A New Approach to Monitoring and Alerting Congestion in Airspace Sectors Rethinking the Alert System for 15-Minute Intervals

By Eugene Gilbo, Scott Smith, and Mike McKinney

42

Technology Changes Affecting NAS Voice Delay Requirements

By Brian Duvall and Mike Gargulak

Introduction of Advanced Technologies to Modernize FAA Voice Communication

50

National Security

By Walter Strijland

56

When Time is of the Essence

World ATM Congress 2014 Honored by EuBEA

International Aviation Event Wins Bronze Award for Best European Congress

Departments 5 7

From the President From the Editor’s Desk

9

Member Benefits & Application

58

Directory of Member Organizations

DISTRIBUTION

42

Jennifer Holmes | 866-953-2189

© 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: MO_SES Premium/Shutterstock.com

12 The Journal of Air Traffic Control

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from the president

By Peter F. Dumont, President & CEO, ATCA

How will the Midterm Elections Factor into FAA Reauthorization?

Over the past year, how many times have you heard aviation experts say that we need a reliable funding source? In fact, FAA administrator Michael Huerta said in a recent speech to the Aero Club of Washington, “There is a lack of predictability in our budgets due to short-term extensions and continuing resolutions.”

In September, the Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, along with the Chairman on the Aviation Subcommittee, released a joint statement regarding FAA reauthorization. Chairman Shuster and Chairman LoBiondo closed by saying, “Congress must thoroughly reexamine whether the FAA’s organizational structure will allow the agency to successfully execute new technology programs safely and cost-effectively in the decades ahead.”

Paul Rinaldi, President of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), testified, “Congress must provide stable and predictable funding to the FAA.” Rinaldi has also made supportive statements about the organizational structure of NAVCANADA. Airlines for America (A4A) president and CEO, Nick Calio, has said regarding FAA reauthorization “…everything has to be on the table, and that of course includes [air traffic control] reform…” A4A has since hired a consultant to review the pros and cons of a major restructuring of air traffic services.

I could go on with other examples, but suffice it to say that FAA reform is certainly in the air.

As we get ready to debate the details of FAA reauthorization, which expires in September 2015, we will also have a new Congress starting in January – one now controlled by the Republicans in both the House and Senate.

While the structural changes in Congress are still in flux, it is assumed with Congressman Nick Rahall’s hardfought loss that Congressman Peter DeFazio will replace him as the Ranking Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The movement in the Senate is more complex and harder to predict only a few days after the election.

So how does a new Republican majority square up with an aviation industry that seems to be asking for FAA reform that certainly includes stable funding, and possibly includes a significantly altered management structure?

The new Congress has discussed its agenda, which includes creating new jobs and encouraging economic growth; tax reform; Keystone XL pipeline; Hire More Heroes Act; protecting and expanding America’s energy boom; supporting innovative charter schools; passing a budget resolution for 2016; raising the debt limit beyond March 2015; and changes to ObamaCare.

With that type of agenda, does Congress have the bandwidth to debate the issues and get an FAA reform bill passed in 10 months? If we need an extension, then we may pass an FAA bill in 2016, but any reforms will be implemented by the next President and the next Congress (be it controlled by Democrats or Republicans).

As we ask these important reauthorization questions – specifically on the best structure to deliver air traffic services – I would encourage all of our members to take advantage of the fact that ATCA is an international organization and look beyond one or two models.

For instance, when our industry discusses FAA restructuring, the model often referred to is the one employed

by NAV CANADA. They have a great model – for Canada. I believe if we choose to restructure the FAA, and even if we don’t, we should not lock ourselves into an existing model. There are approximately 50 Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) around the world that operate under a non-government or quazi-government structure. We should look at these models and extract the best practices that would transfer to a U.S. solution and incorporate them into a model that is developed specifically with our requirements, capabilities, and unique procedures in mind. Where best practices don’t exist that fit a U.S. model, we should develop them ourselves.

ATCA members include the leaders of the major ANSPs around the world, many of whom are among the 50 or so I referenced above. I have reached out to a few of these ANSP leaders to provide the ATCA membership with an understanding of their operating structure.

This information will provide the background to aid in the educated discussion of the best format for delivering air traffic services in the United States.

Please look for this information on our website (www.atca.org) in the coming weeks as ATCA aids in supporting discussions on the best ways to deliver air traffic services in our current and future environment.

FAA reform and many other discussions will be ongoing over the next 18 months or so. Be assured that ATCA will bring together the right experts to discuss these topics in depth at all of our upcoming events.

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

The Journal of Air Traffic Control

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from the editor’s desk

Winter 2014 | Vol. 56, No.4 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 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, Neil Planzer Chairman-Elect, Charles Keegan President & CEO, Peter F. Dumont Treasurer, Director at Large, 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, 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 and Secretary, Sandra Samuel

Staff Marion Brophy, Director, Communications Ken Carlisle, Director, Meetings and Expositions Kristen Knott, Writer and Editor Mary Johnson, Communications Consultant Christine Oster, Chief Financial Officer Paul Planzer, Manager, ATC Programs Claire Rusk, Vice President of Operations Mindy Soranno, Office Manager Rugger Smith, International Accounts Sandra Strickland, Events and Exhibits Coordinator Ashley Swearingen, Press and Marketing Manager Tim Wagner, Membership Manager

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

Developing New Disaster Recovery Plans A fire set by a trusted insider in a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Airspace System (NAS) En Route facility resulted in the declaration that no air traffic could be controlled by the Chicago En Route facility, known as ATO-Zero. This led to flight cancellations, delays, customer frustration, lost earnings, and an all-around nightmare for airline customers. The sad truth is that no one, no company, and no Federal Agency can stop the harm a determined insider can perpetrate. The possibility that an insider will do harm is a risk that must be accepted. However, the acceptance of risk still leaves the threat present. What happened in Chicago was a manifestation of a violation of an accepted risk.

As NAS personnel always do during a crisis, they reacted in a “can do” manner to meet the challenge of the recovery. Collaboration between controllers, air traffic management and the airlines resulted in the development of a plan to re-establish air traffic movement.

Technical Operations redirected data

and provided air traffic with technical capabilities required to begin reduced and safe operations. What great team work!

Chicago’s En Route outage was not the first time a NAS facility has declared ATO-Zero, but it is the first facility outage of a long duration. The FAA has not been asleep at the wheel concerning disaster recovery. Studies have been used to provide plans for such an outage and each NAS facility has its own disaster recovery plan.

However, as the FAA moves further into the next generation of operational concepts supported by systems that interoperate with airline and airport systems, new plans need to be developed. These plans will not be easy to complete.

An example of one such plan is the recovery of data communications services. A disaster recovery of data communications must include operations recovery using the pilot, airlines operation centers, private data communications, and the FAA’s operations. It’s a

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.

The Journal of Air Traffic Control

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from the editor’s desk complicated process that is as important to the recovery of future aviation operations as the funding and research, and development of the FAA programs that instituted these services. Data communications does not stand alone in this regard. The next generation air traffic service must be reviewed as it is being built for its holistic operational integrity and the development of a strategical disaster recovery plan that covers these services. This requirement does not fit into existing program concepts. Therefore, the FAA challenge

extends beyond the single NAS program requirements of disaster recovery to the need of establishing a new team whose existence is devoted to strategic operational challenges. Only then will the next generation airspace service availability risk be acceptable.

When the dust settles over the Chicago incident and the FAA has issued its report, I hope that a National Disaster Recovery Plan that models the Chicago mitigation will be instituted across the Nation’s airspace. The plan will require joint routine training

and exercises for air traffic, Technical Operations and aviation stakeholders.

By adopting such a plan, the FAA Administrator will be pioneering not only for the FAA but also for all ANSP’s across the world.

Please don’t forget that the ATCA Communications Committee continues to work to make the reading of the Journal time well spent. If you have an idea for a paper, please contact Kristen Knott (kristen.knott@atca.org), or myself at scarver@avmgt.com. Get yourself published today!

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

8

Winter 2014

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 you get and as capacity. an ATCA Member?

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.

Members have exclusive access to ATCA Publications including: Connections.

Meet at networking eventsICAO, throughout Administration, CANSO, the year. throughout thewith year.other industry professionalsAviation Valuable Content.

Daily Headline News, the ATCA Bulletin, & The Journal of Air Traffic Control Expert Opinions. Members have exclusive access to ATCA Publications academic institutions, and manyincluding: other • expert opinions.

Members havewith the U.S. Department of Defense, Federal Aviation Partnerships.

Valuable Content.ATCA Dailycollaborates Headline News, the ATCA Bulletin, & The Journal of Air Traffic Control global organizations. exclusive access to ATCA Publications.

Administration, ICAO, CANSO, academic institutions, and many global organizations.

Partnerships. ATCA collaborates with the U.S. Department of other Defense, Federal Aviation • reduCed rates.

Members get Reduced Rates.

Members get significant discounts to all ATCA events and conferences.

• Valuable Content.

Daily Headline Administration, ICAO, CANSO, academic institutions, and many other global organizations. significant discounts to all ATCA events News, the ATCAMembers Bulletin, &get The significant Journal Reduced Rates. discounts to all ATCA events and conferences. and conferences. of Air Traffic Control.

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Transforming Flight Information Exchange via Flight Object and FIXM

By Charles Chen, Harris Corporation

Abstract With the advent of the digital age, in which automation and data are transforming business operations, the international air traffic management (ATM) community has developed the concept of a complete flight data object, i.e., a virtual data object containing an accumulation of all acknowledged information about a flight.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), EUROCONTROL, and industry partners such as Harris Corporation, Mosaic ATM, Volpe, and Lockheed Martin, have participated in efforts to harmonize and standardize the flight information data model known as the Flight Information Exchange Model (FIXM). Particularly, the FAA has supported developments of FIXM-based Flight Object (FO) exchange through investments in research and development in NextGen test beds. The objective behind these research and development (R&D) efforts is to demonstrate an implementation of a shared FIXM FO, which can reduce complexity and improve how flight information is currently shared among Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs). This objective aligns with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)-defined Aviation System Block Upgrade (ASBU), B2-25 Globally Interoperable Systems and Data, which refers to the use of FO and System Wide Information Management (SWIM) for Flight & 12

Winter 2014

Flow Information for Collaborative Environment (FF-ICE) initiatives (Module Library of the Aviation System Block Upgrades, 2014).

The concept of a flight object is centered on a data-centric model of communication, in which information can be stored and managed in a centralized database accessible by Internet Protocol (IP)-based networks.

Data-centric means the information can be accessed from a centralized location and shared globally. SWIM provides the net-centric information technology (IT) infrastructure that enables the sharing of FO data where producers and consumers of flight information can exchange the data via an IP-based service oriented architecture (SOA) network. For example, the SWIM National Airspace System (NAS) Enterprise Messaging Service (NEMS) is a key enabling technology that can be used to exchange FO data with security and governance through tailored enterprise controls, service monitoring, and smart routing. The use of NEMS helps to reduce initial costs of connectivity and development, and improves interoperability of systems. One example where this is being demonstrated is in the FAA NextGen Mini Global demonstration, currently being conducted in the Florida NextGen Test Bed (FTB). The results of these demonstrations will identify the benefits of SWIM, FIXM, and FO, and help transform the way

the FAA and international ATM community shares flight information in the digital age.

Data Standards & Interoperability IT is constantly evolving to meet the demand for cheaper and faster communication and data interfaces. One way to reduce development cost and schedule is to adopt standardized data schemas.

Three exchange models have been defined in Extensible Markup Language (XML): Aeronautical Information Exchange Model (www.aixm.aero), Weather Exchange Model (www.wxxm.aero), and Flight Information Exchange Model (www. fixm.aero). Each of these exchange models work independently of each other to support the designated data type, but they work together to effectively describe the airspace.

As stated by EUROCONTROL, “FIXM, AIXM and WXXM should not overlap, but ‘dovetail’ together…the combination of FIXM, AIXM, and WXXM is expected to cover the majority of data that needs to be exchanged within ATM. To allow greater interoperability between different data domains, the models are expected to be based on common foundations,” (Flight Information Exchange Model).

Of these data models, AIXM and WXXM are the most mature models, containing Geospatial Markup Language (GML) elements and official adoption by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC).

Transforming Flight

SWIM NEMS is a key enabling technology that provides a service-oriented architecture (SOA) for the management and exchange of data on a net-centric infrastructure.

features included in the data model are provenance (data history and modifications) metadata, dangerous goods (hazardous cargo), and fleet priority data fields.

Standard data models ensure that information can be more easily processed, but the method of transmission is not defined, nor is the messaging format.

ICAO DOC 4444 defines ATS messaging and AIDC defines cross-boundary coordination, but the FIXM working group does not currently define a messaging scheme for exchanging flight information. This leaves the implementation of FIXM messaging to the developers of FIXM systems.

Two approaches have been identified for exchange of FIXM information: 1) Retain the current messaging approach of legacy systems relying on systems controls, while modeling the information in FIXM; and 2) Implement enterprise controls based on data-driven events from data updates to a FO construct. The first approach is easily understood as a transformation of flight information from a legacy message type into the FIXM schema format and transmitted to the intended recipient. The second approach is a data-centric method of store-andforward updates based on the change from a current data state of a flight data object.

As stated by Howard, “the Flight Object will be a virtual data object

consisting of many individual physical data elements. For example, a Flight Object will contain a current route of flight and a controlled departure time.

The current route of flight may be maintained by ERAM, and the controlled departure time may be maintained

by TFMS. A third system should have seamless access to the current values for these two fields.”[4] In this second approach, information is conflated into a FO and changes to the data are distributed via publish-subscribe to update other FO database stores via SWIM. SWIM Enables the Exchange of Flight Object SWIM NEMS is a key enabling technology that provides a service-oriented architecture (SOA) for the management and exchange of data on a net-centric infrastructure. NEMS uses the Harris Data Exchange (DEX) platform to implement SOA enterprise messaging patterns such as publish-subscribe and request-response. A key aspect of the FAA FO initiative is the messaging definition for both request-response and publish-subscribe in the implementation approaches to FO data distribution (Llewellyn, 2012). Three approaches are defined for FO messaging: 1) Full Flight Object, 2) Flight Object elements (clustered); and 3) Individual/traditional messages.

06photo/Shutterstock.com

Harris has been working on developing FIXM since its inception, starting with FIXM version 0.9, demonstrated in FAA projects such as Flight Object Early Access Validation (FO EAV). Additionally, Harris was active in the FIXM 1.0 specification and continues to demonstrate industry leadership in current FIXM development activities. Feedback from R&D efforts using FIXM in a SWIM environment is provided as “lessons learned” back to the FIXM working group stakeholders, to the benefit of the FAA and the data standardization community.

The FIXM working group is targeting an aggressive annual release schedule for the FIXM specification.

The latest version to be released by the FIXM working group is FIXM version 3.0 on August 28, 2014. FIXM version 2.0 contains flight information data elements from ICAO 2012 Air Traffic Service (ATS) messages as defined by ICAO DOC 4444, position and tracking information, and boundary coordination information-based on ATS Inter-Facility Data Communications (AIDC) exchange. With FIXM 3.0, flight trajectory models are initially introduced, but won’t be completed until FIXM 4.0. Also with FIXM 3.0, the implementation of backwards compatibility is expected. The FIXM working group provides a FO data dictionary for semantic mapping of data fields to the FIXM schema elements. Additional

Continued on page 15

The Journal of Air Traffic Control

13

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Transforming Flight legacy-messaging models. ATS messages or AIDC messages can be converted to FIXM and use the same transactional exchange as the legacy counterparts. The advantage of this method is the well-defined exchange of messages and required content of each message. The disadvantage is the limitations this imposes upon what is considered a new data model standard.

This approach does not fully implement the concept of FO. Despite the approaches mentioned, SWIM can be used to standardize the interfaces for implementing any of the three approaches. One thing is for certain: each ANSP may decide to implement FIXM in their corresponding systems in their own way. This should be avoided in order to standardize the messaging exchange and maintain interoperability. For example, if one ANSP implements Approach 3 and a second ANSP implements Approach 2, the systems will not be able to communicate due to the difference in the transactional messaging process and the enterprise data-driven process. The service messaging should also take into consideration the routing controls implemented within the SWIM infrastructure. For example, the FAA NEMS provides content-based routing capability that allows for multiple consum-

WXXM

AIXM SWIM

FIXM

Figure 1. AIXM, WXXM, and FIXM operating within SWIM (www.wxxm.aero)

ers to consume data from a single publication feed. If the messaging required transactional request/response, then the publish-once, subscribe-by-many model does not work.

Flight Object Transformation via Enterprise Service Another consideration is data mediation and transformation. Through the advances in research and development at the FTB, Harris is leading the forefront of SWIM and FIXM mediation services for transforming the exchange of flight information. One example is the development of a data-centric enterprise flight object exchange service

Illustrations courtesy of Charles Chen

Approach 1 is the simplest approach in which a consumer of the FO can effectively replace the entire database entry with the newly received FO. If the consumer also maintains an FO database with authoritative legacy systems, a compare-and-match process would be conducted first. The resulting difference would be compared and updated based on the business process management (BPM) or a delta message could be generated for the legacy systems. The disadvantage of this approach is the overhead cost of bandwidth consumption due to duplicated information upon every full FO transmission.

Approach 2 describes a method of clustering similar data elements together, such as a departure element or a route element. These elements can be transmitted similarly to Approach 1. Once again, a full replacement of that cluster element can occur or a differential can be calculated to perform a delta message exchange with legacy systems. The change to ATM system processing is based on the differential through enterprise data-driven controls. This approach is the preferred method to balance bandwidth utilization and performance.

Approach 3 describes a legacy transition approach based on using

Figure 2. Flight Object Data Messaging Approaches

The Journal of Air Traffic Control

15

Transforming Flight FOXS SWIM Messaging

AAL56....

Flight Plan and Track....

Illustrations courtesy of Charles Chen

AAL56....

Track....

AAL56....

Track....

AAL56....

Flight Plan....

Client

Request/Response

Pub/Sub

Figure 3. Enterprise flight object exchange service (FOXS) messaging

Figure 4. Layered data standards exchange over SWIM

(FOXS) to provide data transformation and mediation of legacy flight information from SWIM into FIXM FOs. This enterprise service can provision FOs by consuming legacy flight information data and centralizing the information within a data store.

FOXS is considered an “enterprise” service because it resides as a construct of the SWIM service-oriented architecture, consuming and producing to and from the SWIM enterprise. In this architecture, flight data is accumulated within SWIM net-centric infrastructure and then merged via a business process management called conflation. The conflated FO can then be redistributed via SWIM in any FIXM version required. This is also true for FIXM version to FIXM mediation in which the data transformation can provide backwards compatibility for consumers of FIXM that are not ready to upgrade to the next version.

oping these applications is significantly reduced.

The same concept applies to adopting SWIM interfaces to standardize message and data exchange. In addition, once standardized data is introduced to the SWIM infrastructure, developers can rapidly create value-added data through net-centric information sharing.

Conclusion The FO has been a goal for ATM starting with its first implementation, detailed in EUROCAE Document, ED-133 Flight Object Interoperability Specification (EUROCAE, 2009). Now that SWIM and FIXM have matured, FO can now be implemented using these technologies.

Data-centric FO exchange improves communications between ANSPs and airlines by enabling centralized flight plan distribution, flight-and-flow data sharing, and strategic boundary coordination.

Net-centric SWIM exchange reduces the cost of maintaining proprietary connections and reduces overall operational bandwidth consumption through smart routing and security. SWIM, standard data models, and FOs are transforming the way ATM information will be shared in the future.

Benefits and Impacts The benefits of standardizing the exchange protocols via SWIM interfaces and adopting data standards are clear. With standard data models, ATM applications can be built with known schemas and, upon release, be immediately interoperable across multiple ANSPs, airlines, and aviation consum- Works Cited ers. Because the data models are well [1.] (2014). Retrieved ogc.org known, the cost and schedule of devel16

Winter 2014

from OGC: http://www.

[2.] EUROCAE. (2009, June). Retrieved July 22, 2014, from EUROCAE eShop: https://www. euro-cae.net/eshop/catalog/product_info. php?products_id=306 [3.] EU ROCON T ROL-Fl ight I nformation Exchange Model. (n.d.). Retrieved July 22, 2014, from EUROCONTROL - Driving excellence in ATM performance: https:// www.eurocontrol.int/articles/flight-information-exchange-model-fixm [4.] Howard, K. (2010, September 14). Approach to the Flight Object – Engineering Analysis 1.0. Retrieved July 22, 2014, from FIXM: http://www.fixm.aero/sites/default/files/ documents/Approach%20to%20Flight%20 Object%20Engineering%20Analysis%20 v1%200.pdf [5.] Llewellyn, D. (2012, November 8). Flight Object Data Distribution/Messaging.

Retrieved July 22, 2014, from FIXM: http:// www.fixm.aero/sites/default/files/documents/FO%20Distribution%20-%20FO%20 TIM.ppt [6.] Module Library of the Aviation System Block Upgrades. (2014). Retrieved July 22, 2014, from ICAO: http://www.icao.int/Meetings/ anconf12/Pages/Module-Library-of-theAviation- System-Block-Upgrades.aspx [7.] www.aixm.aero. (2014). Retrieved July 22, 2014, from AIXM: http://www.aixm.aero www.fixm.aero. (2014). Retrieved July 22, 2014, from FIXM: http://www.fixm.aero [8.] www.wxxm.aero. (n.d.). Retrieved July 22, 2012, from WXXM: http://www.wxxm.aero/ gallery/content/public/witches/modelling_ witches.jpg [9.] www.wxxm.aero. (2014). Retrieved July 22, 2014, from WXXM: http://www.wxxm.aero