IFATCA The Controller - 1st Quarter 1992

Page 1

J

.t . ,t

,,

h

e BOURN • •

OUAL f fY EUROCO

• STRE ts

e CHOOSI

I


SIEMENS

Rea!Time Technology

Siemens Plessey Radar offer you the most advanced air traffic management systems available today

Air TrafficManagement

Whether your need is for specific hardware or software technology ; a new or developing airport ; an air traffic control centre; or the infrastructure for a flight information region , we have the answer . For ground movement and air traffic control, we supply all the technologies required. From radar sensors, processors and displays to flight departure and arrival management systems , enroute navigation and microwave landing aids Our continuing commitm ent to R&D investment keeps you at the forefront of technology world w ide .

Siemens Plessey Radar, Air Traffic Mana gement Division, Oakcroft Road , Chessington, Surrey KT9 1OZ , England . Tel (44) 081 391 6132 Fax (44) 081 391 6196.

Siemens Plessey Radar. The key technologies for integrated real time air traffic management . now and into the future .


JOURNAL OFAIRTRAFFIC CONTROL

Volume 31 N° 1

Geneva, Switzerland, March, 1992 PUBLISHER

IFATCA, International Federationof Air Traffic Controllers' Associations, P.O.Box l 96 CH-1215Geneva 15 Airport,Switzerland OFFICERS OFIFATCA

D.C.B.Stuart President and Chief Executive Officer U. Wind! Deputy President A. El SeoudEl Karimy Executive Vice-President Africa H. EsquivelA. Executive Vice-PresidentAmericas Neil Vidler ExecutiveVice-President Asia/Pacific PrebenFalkman-Lauridsen ExecutiveVice-President Europe Sture Ericsson ExecutiveVice-PresidentFinance Wim Rooseman ExecutiveVice-President Professionnal Positionvacant ExecutiveVice-President Technical Edge Green Executive Secretary EDITOR

Terry Crowhurst Cornwall Drive 19, JHQ D-4050 Monchengladbach5, Germany Telephone& Fax +4921 61 55 1095

IN THIS ISSUE IFATCA '92 CONFERENCE PREVIEW Bournemouth getting read y for Conference by D.C.B. Stuart & R. Daw son.

4

STRESS IN ATC Switzerland studie s results of stress survey by K. Senn.

8

ANOTHER VIEWPOINT ON TCAS P. Domogola highlight s some operational aspects.

10

QUALITY MANAGEMENT

14

K . Hamlyn explains.

EUROCONTROL CENT RAL FLOW MANAGEMENT UNIT

18

T. Smok er writes on a Eurocon trol workshop. 1

CHARLIE S COL UMN Humour continues.

30

COPYTYPING

Dona Crowhurst MANAGEMENT ANDADVERTISING SALES OFFICE

The Controller. P.O.Box 196 CH- 1215Geneva 15 Airport, Switzerland Telefax +4 122 66 43 05 ADMINISTRATION ANDSUBSCRIPTIONS

BernardLaydevant c Tel. +4 I22 782 79 83 ACCOUNTING

Michel Henchoz c Tel. +4 122 796 0l 26

Advertisers in this issue ATS Aerospace, Breitling, British Airways. CAE Electronics, Hughes, IBM,Kees Scholts, Schmid Telecommunication, SiemensPlessey Radar, Swissair, Thomson-CSF. Photos Terry Crowhurst, AbouelSeoud El Karimy, Siemens. Cover Cossor Monopulse Large Vertical Apperture (LVA) Antenna. Fully FunctionalInside the Artie Circle in Sweden. Courtesy CossorElectronics Ltd.

ADVERTISING ANDPRODUCTION

PatrickSchelling Tel. +4122 66 26 84 - Fax +4122 66 43 05

Cartoons "AWOP", Fin, KT.

ARTWORK ANDLAYOUT

Lin Schelling - Daniel Forte. Altaripa SA FORCOURIER MAIL

The Contrnller/Schel!ing La Cote. l 261 Le Vaud, Switzerland PRINTING

Der Bund, Verlag und Druckerei AG Effingerstrasse 1, CH-300l Bern, Switzerland Tel. +4 I31 25 I2 11 - Fax +4 I31 25 06 49

THE CONTROLLER / MARCH 1992

ISSUESAPPEAR END OF M ARCH, J UNE, SEPTEMBER, DECEMBER.CONTRIBUTORS ARE EXPRESSING THEIR PERSONAL POINTS OF VIEW AND OPINIONS , WHICH MAY NOT NECESSARILY COINCIDE WITH THOSE OF THE INTERNAT IONAL FEDERATION OFAIR TRAFF IC CONTROLLERS ' ASSOCIATIO NS, I FATCA. iFATCA DOESNOTASSUMERESPONSIB ILITYFOR STATEMENTSMADEAND OPINIONSEXPRESSED,IT ONLYACCEPTSRESPONSIB ILITY FORPUBLIS HINGTHESECONTRIBUTI ONS. CONTRIBUTIO NS AREWELCOME AS ARECOMMENTS AND CRITICISM. No PAYMENTCANBE MADEFORMANUSCR IPTS SUBMITTEDFOR PUBLICAT ION IN THECONTROLLER . THE EDITOR RESERVES THERIGHTTO MAKEANY EDITORIAL CHANGE S IN MANUSCRIPTS, WHICHHE BELIEVES WILL IMPROVETHEMATERIALWITHOUTALTERINGTHE INTENDED MEANING. WRITIEN PERMISSION BY THEEDITORIS NECESSARY FORREPRINTING ANYPARTOFTHISJOURNAL.


Everything under contro l.

T

he sky above ma y look as crowd ed as down below , but don' t worr y. Bett er get off th e ground with th e IBM Air Traffic Control System to establish a heavenl y order. The system's high-t ech screens give the controller a clear pic tur e of what is going on in th e air , enabling him to always find th e right path for every aircraft. And thanks to its p erfectly harmoniz ed hard- and softwar e, it makes communi cation betwee n controller and pilot error -free, even at int ernational level. Whi ch means working cond ition s ar e b ecoming b ett er than ever be-

tween heave n and earth.

~

With th e support of th e IBM Air Trnffi c Control System , both th e cr ew in th e cockpit and th e team in th e tower can con centrat e on what ultimat ely counts coming down as safely as you tak e off . or furth er information about the IBM Air Traffi c Control System, pl ease contact IBM Air Traffic Cen ter Europ e, Posener Strafie I, D-7032 Sind elfing en , or simpl y call 49/70 31/17-28 01.

F

\tJ. I\

----- --- -- -------------¡-


________

FOREWORD _______

_

_ _______

EDITORIAL _______

_

•

I

0 Wim Rooseman

0 Terry Crowhurst

n the last issue of The Controller (4/91), Neil Vidler, Executive Vice President Asia/Pacific, took up the issue of human factors as they relate to controllers. He mentioned the participation of IFATCAin the ICAO Regional Seminar on Human Factors which was held in Bangkokand where indeed I had the honour and opportunity to address a large delegation concerninghuman factors with regard to automationin air trafficcontrol. It occurred to me that a couple of significant points transpired from that meeting. Firstly, IFATCAwas the only organisation attending which was in a position to comment from a real controller background,from real experiencewith the air traffic control system and with real credibility:it was significantto note that all those attending the seminar appeared to find these facts most refreshing. From the controllerspoint of view, it showed that our involvement, from the shopfloor so to speak, is essential if we wish to make our concerns known. Secondly, it was apparent that there should be a better attendanceat these meetingsof controllers,supervisors,ATC management staff etc. Not only should these people be there to learn, but also to actively participatein the discussion, to exchange experiencesand especially to substantiatethe concerns of IFATCA from a regional perspective.Therefore, I should like to especially draw to the attention of the members in The America and African Region, the ICAO Regional Seminars scheduled for 1992 in MexicoCity-April and Cairo- October.Attendif possible!!! Neil Vidler labelled Human Factors as "flavour of the month". Anothertopical flavourcould well be "privatisation". Privatisation of air traffic control can appear in several different forms. However, its main objectiveis stated to "streamline" the operation of air traffic control to a more "corporate" way of operation within which air trafficcontrolcan adapt more easily (equals"more quickly" !) to the demands of its users. Also, it is usually the only way to ensure that the charges paid by the users are in effect (and effectively!) used for air trafficcontrol. So far, experience is that only some "developed" countries have considered this transition, but International Labour Office (ILO) surveys of workingconditionshave revealedthat some form of privatisation could also be instrumentalin solving the ATC problems in "under-developed" countries.The ILO has expressed its interest to work with IFATCAto look into the labour-relatedimplicationsof privatisation, their likely effects on specific aspects of ATCand alternativeprivatisation strategiesetc. This will present another challenge for IFATCAin fulfilling its role of promotingthe aims and objectivesof the Federation!

fall goes well, you will be readingthis edition before the start of the IFATCA92 Conference in Bournemouth, UK. As previous MAs before them, I am very aware of the enormous amount of effort that has been expendedin staging an event such as this. In particular, this year will see one of the biggest technical exhibitions ever staged at Conference which will reflect in no small measure the tremendousefforts of the UK organisingcommittee in their arrangementsof the overall Conference.Additionally,we are all particularly grateful for the support of our many Corporate Members and others who have contributed so much towards sponsorship of the event. I hope that many of you will make it to the venue and will have the opportunity to meet up with acquaintances old and new over the odd beer or two (warmof course). For some time now the UK GATCOand EGATShave been investigating the possibility of staging a combined annual convention and technical exhibition. Hopefully, there will be a significant announcement made by both organisations during the period of the IFATCAConference. To wind up the topic of Conference I have particularly kept this editorial short in deferenceto our President who follows with more on the theme. However, I am particularly conscious of three significant items that appear in this and previous editions; they are Human Factors, Stress and Privatisation. Some or all of these topics are inextricably linked and perhaps could be traced to failings in fundamental managementstrategy. I shall pursue this theme in the next edition!

I

THE CONTROLLER / MARCH 1992

I

y

OBITUARY

Mr. Wim Rooseman As we go to press, we learn the sad news of the death earlier today, Wednesday, 19 February 1992, of our Executive Vice Presiden t Profes sional, Wim Rooseman. Our thoughts are with his wife and family at this tragic time.

3


_______________

_ CONFERENCE

PREVIEW _________

______

_

IFATCACON ER NCE 0 CharlesStuart, President and Chief Executive IFATCA

e enter 1992with ever-increasing rates of change in the aviation industry, particularly as it affects the air traffic controller. The work of the ICAO FANSworking group and the conclusions that they have reached were endorsed at the ICAO 10th Air Navigation Conference held in Montreal in September 1991. These conclusions and their implementation will have far reaching effects on all of us. Trials for reducing enroute procedural separation using RNAV and ADS are already under way and in some areas of the world reduced enroute proceduralseparation using RNAVis already being applied. Reduced separation both in the terminal and enroute phase of flight, within radar coverage, is also being investigated. Use of very high definition radar for reducing separation between parallel approaches, the use of TCAS as a separation tool are just two of the methods being studied to put more aircraft in any given piece of airspace. Unfortunately, putting more aircraft in the air does not necessarily solve the problem when it comes to trying to put them back on

W

the ground again, when there is insufficient "concrete" available for the demand. Whilst this is all going on there are many areas of the world where a reliable air/ground VHF and an equally reliable link to neighbouring ATS units would be a real boon. The ability to be able to readily corn4

municate with the pilot, and vice versa, or to coordinate with the adjacent unit is something which many controllersjust dream of. Without such simple tools air traffic control in these areas will not be able to cope with the ever increasing traffic.

How OOES ALLTHISFITIN WITHTHECONFERENCE?

Conference is the annual event when the "haves" and the "have nots" of air traffic control get together to try to find solutions to these dilemmas; or how to handle the administrationsor industriessolutionsthat are likely to be imposedon them. At conference controllers from all parts of the world with widely differing systems and levels of equipment try to find equitable solutions to each others problems. It is a "mini United Nations" with all the problems that beset the real thing. It is the annual meeting place where those on US$80000 per annum and those from countries where US$l 500 p.a. (no misprint) and two or three jobs is the norm, meet and try to understand each others situations. It would seem an insuperable

task, yet the fellowship engendered by the profession of air traffic control seems to make it possible. Conference is where the policy is determined with regard to technical innovation or to new ATS procedures. It is here that IFATCA response or attitude is formulated

for the many meetings that it is expected to attend. It is here that we get the opportunity to see and hear about the latest equipment or technical trends from our corporate members. Visitors to conference will find that controllers are not against change provided that it is not change for change sake. Change that will ease the day-to-day tasks, that helps the controller to handle more traffic more efficiently, is welcomed provided the infrastructure is there as well. Whilst controllers tend to be conservative - a desirable trait for the job - they are keen to provide the industry with the best possible service. However, controllers ask to be consulted on how improvements in technology and procedures should be implemented and much time at conferenceis taken up with developing policies to assist member associations with consultation. A relatively new subject at conference is that of privatisation of air traffic services. Increasinglyaround the world, some form of privatisation, either fully or as an independent governmentbusiness enterprise, is seen as the answer to the administration of air trafficcontrol.There can be considerableadvantages to the controller as well as the system. Usually privatisation sees a large reduction in the support and administrative areas whilstincreasingcontroller input to management by the removal of bureaucratic blockages. There can be some disadvantages such as the loss of job protection inherent in normal public service positions, but there is also the chance to share in the profits engendered when efficiency improves. Indeed, the "front line" controllers are happy to do what they can to improveefficiency, however they expect to get some share of the benefits in recognitionof their effo11s. Conference, therefore, is where new technology and procedures are discussed, where human factors and professional matters are debated, where the "haves" investigate how to help the "have nots" and where members try to tackle the vexed question of how to run an international voluntary organisation on a shoe-string budget. Finally, it is where people from all over the world meet in a spirit of frienclship and co-opera tion, brought together by membership of a unique profession - Air Traffic Control.

+

THE CONTROLLER / MARCH 1992


____________

~ -

CONFERENCE

PREVIEW ________

___

_

-:::=J --

11~,rA~~ lNTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSASSOCIATIONS

1992

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AND AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL EQUIPMENTEXHIBITION

23 - 27 MARCH BOURNEMOUIH ~-------~

INFORMATIONlei +44 372 732003 PUBLICITY lei +44 202 873481 fax +44 202 873481 REGISTRATIONtel +44 628 236699 fax +44 628 781941 EXH!BlTlON tel +44 895 426098

INTERNATIONAL CENTRE UNITED KINGDOM

a,;;;by The Guild of Air Traffic Control

THE CONTROLLER / MARCH 1992

....

Officers

5


______________

CONFERENCE PREVIEW ______________

_

Additional meetings , which will include the TechnicalPanel Presentation,will take place duringthe 5 day Conferenceperiod. The Exhibition will be opened immedi0 RichardDawson,DirectorPublicRelations- GATCO ately following the opening of the PublicityManager- IFATCA'92 Conference with the Secretary of State making a tour of the Exhibitors stands. In total 29 Companiesare exhibiting from 52 inal preparations are under way for national Conference Centre making the stands within excess of 650 sq mts of display areas being covered, making it withIFATCA '92 and the Organising purposebuilt buildingan idealvenue. The Conferencewill be officiallyopened out doubt the largest ever Technical Committee are looking forward to providingyou with a full Conference pro- on Monday 23rd March, by the United Exhibition that an IFATCA Conference gramme which will be complemented by KingdomSecretaryof State for Transport, has produced. For those accompanying persons an the largest ever IFATCA Technical who will be accompaniedby other invited 'Alternative Programme' will give those Exhibition displaying the latest ATC guests. systemsand equipment. The Conference programmeis compre- participating an opportunity to visit local All the requirementsfor the IFATCA'92 hensive and far reaching with all three historic towns and places of interest in a Conferenceand Exhibition are accommo- Committees having considerable subject relaxed and informal atmosphere. dated within the Bournemouth Inter- matter to cover in the time available. Salisbury Cathedral, Royal Bath and Beaulieuare the one day excursionswith a morningvisit on the Friday to the town of Pooleto view the pottery. SomeUsefulC~mference TelephoneNumbers: Bournemouthis one of Britain's premier Infomralion Tel +44 (0) 372 723003 resorts located on the South Coast of England with a superb sandy beach, two Ptlblicity Tel +44 (0) 202 873481 piers and many excellent shops and enterFax +44 (0) 202 873481 tainmentcentres. Tel +44 (0) 628 23699 Regiswatiom The ConferenceCentre is situated on the Fax +44 (0) 628 781941 West Cliff and overlooks the sea and pier Exhibition Tel +44 (0) 895 426098 with panoramicviews of the Isle of Wight, Purbeck Hills and the New Forest. Within Technical Papersto be PresentedDuringIFATCA92: easy travelling distance can be found parks, country markets, local villages and ATSAEROSPACE INC.- CANADA sites of historicinterest. COMPlJ"raR BASEDTRAINING FORAJRTRAFFICCONTROLLERS The hotels have been specially selected CAE :&LECTltONICSLTD,- CANADA and the Conference Rates which have FLIGHT DATA PROCESSING - THE KEY TO EFFECTIVE AIRSPACE been negotiated are a considerable savMANAGEMENT ing. However, should delegates require EWGWES AlltCRAFTCO.LTD.- USA alternative accommodation there are CAN.Al>IAN AUTOMATEDAIRTRAmC SYSTEMS- ANOVERVIEW many hotels and guest houses within MUCON.t RADARSYSTEMS- UK walking distance which offer less expenTFIEml:FA:CT OF MODE'S' SSR ONCONTROLLERS sive prices. We have been fortunate to obtain advanNORiCC>.NTRO.L LTD.- UK tageous travel arrangements for all deleSURfA!CEMOVEMENTGUIDANCEAND CONTROLSYSTEMS,APPROACH, gates from both airlines and coach operaDISTANCE FROMTHRESHOLD INDICATOR ANDTOWERDISPLAYS tors thereby enabling your journey to and RA'fflilfEONCOMPANY- USA from Conferenceto be taken at a more atW1N(OS:lffiAR- A MAJORHAZARDTOAVIATION tractive rate and we hope this will enable SCllJiM!ID 'fELECOMMUNICATIONS · SWITZER.LANI) moredelegatesto attend. Rf:MO>TE S,l'.JiRW11LLANCE ANDCONTROLOF NAVAIDS1NA Fii: We are looking forward to renewing old S!l1EMiENS p,1,ESS EYRADAI- UK friendshipsand making many new ones at IiMfllOVETI> A'.ll!C OPERATIONFORTH1E 21STCENTUilY IFATCA'92. SWIDD:&VIA AB • SfflD»EN On behalf of The Guild of Air Traffic .l)}EVJfiL@PMi!ENT ·OFSA11ELLI'ffi NAVIGATIC>N SYSTEMS Control Officers (GATCO) and the fflOM@ON CSF- ifi\RANCE Organising Committee I wish you all a WF,MtATMCON'rnPTWliLL CHANGETO ATS safe journey, a productive and enjoyable WNL'fON ilUDAR. SYSTEMS ~ UK conferenceand assure you of a warm welMEWSTRATEGI!ES IN ATCDATARECORDING comeon arrival.

IFATCA'92

F

1

1

+

6

THE CONTROLLER / MARCH 1992


BREIT

.LING 1884

CHRONO LONGITUDE

INSTRUMENTS FOR PROFESSIONALS

BREITLING MONTRES SA P.O . Box 1132 SWITZERLAND - 2540 GRENCHEN

Tel. : 65/ 51 11 31 Fax:65 / 531009

Des.igned for g lobe-circling trav eUers , th is mechanical selfwindi ng chron ograph permanently d isp lays a seco nd tim ezo ne by an auxiliary hour hand , distinct from the loca l-tim e hand , und er w hich it can be retrac ted. Pronounced legi bilit y in the dar k. Scre w-locked crown. Water-r esistant toSOm. Rotatin g beze l w ith w ind rose.

BREITLING USA INC. Two Stamford Land ing , Suite 165 USA - STAMFORD, CT 06902 OFFICIAL CHRONOGRAPH

Tel.: 203/32714 11 Fax: 203/ 327 2537


______________

_ _

HUMAN FACTORS ____

_ ______

_ ___

_ _

per ATCO, you can easily calculate the number of hours to be considered "unsafe" at your facility! Such situations act as stress factors to the 0 Kaspar Senn ATCOin three different ways: Watch Supervisor Geneva ACC • the uncertainty of being involved in situRegional ProjectManager"Stress in ATC" ations exceeding normal capacity, at any time and at any working position, creates (Editor 's Note : Part2 ofthearticlestartedin edition3/91ofTheController) a so-called "expectative stress". Animal tests clearly show that this kind of stress is much more harmful if the moment of s reported in my first article, the fi- influence the ATCO's health, but also conthe event can not be predicted, thus gennal report about Stress in ATC pro- stitute a real risk factor under heavy strain. erating a state of anxious expectat ion vided us with a large amount of in- Nevertheless, it is very difficultto approach which finally costs a lot of nerves! formation about the topic, including the persons concerneddirectly - unless they • the ATCO can hardly influence the approaches to possible solutions of certain are looking for help by themselves. This amount of traffic to be handled in his secproblems. However, all these scientific re- particular problem is directly linked to the tor at a certain time. He has to accept it as sults and considerations still needed a private sphere and any well-intendedinterit comes, which means that he has little work-over in order to obtain solutions ap- vention by superiors and colleagues might or no influence on his workload . He plicablein every day life. be interpretedas an intrusion. To admit suffirn1lybelieves Managementhas not only In a workshop, the members of the fering from Bum-out might be a reason for failed to attempt stabilisation of workExecutive Committee,assisted by two spe- the medical service to suspend a load, but has hindered any such attempts. cialist in PACT (Pain Awareness and controller 's licence, which would create This feeling of being "exposed" can be a Communication Training) attempted to iso- other problems and most probably not very important stress factor. late the major problems in our organisation really help the person concerned (or at least • during peak traffic itself, the effect of and provide accurate advice for solutions. this is the way it looks)! stress is relatively harmless, provided this This workshop ended with the publication 3. Discontentwith GeneralManagement peak wears off after about an hour and of a second report to General Management and company policy accumulated stress can be diminished. in May 91. The main topics isolated in this According to the Final Report, this is a However, not to know at which moment report were: very important stress factor. ATCO's feel the next rush is to be expected leads to that they are not being taken seriously and • Stress level and workload insecurity and excessive psychological that they are exposed to an uncertain future. • Exposureto stress and "Burn-out" load, compromisingthe ability to recover and leading to anxious reactions. • Discontent with General Management Less manpower, new tasks and increasing traffic leave little hope for any short term and company policy improvements. Desperate saturation reports In my opinion, one of the most important • Security for ATCO's. seem to vanish in the Management mills; statements, resulting from the workshop is company goals state acceptance of more as follows: I. Stresslevel and workload Although the measured stress level does traffic without restrictions while ATCO's "ATCO'S PROVIDE SECURITY TO generally not exceed commonly accepted feel at breakingpoint at certain hours of the AIRCRAFT: MANAGEMENT PROlimits, we had to realise that a certain num- day. Furthermore, ATCO's feel that they are VIDESSECURITYTO ATCO'S!" ber of ATCO's were exceeding these limits not informed about company policy, strateat certain times. This situation does not oc- gical intentions and projects in a clear and Oun PROPOSITIONS cur during normal traffic periods, even if comprehensive manner, thus being unable Our approach to possible solutions folthis traffic is relatively high, but mainly to have an overall view on how lows a pattern designed to maintain (or reduring excessive peaks, where the ATCO Management intends to solve actual and fu- establish) the balance between organisafeels that he is likely to lose control over ture problems. tional structure/systems, human beings and the traffic. The frequent recurrence of such 4. Security for ATCO's the work itself, in order to fulfil the initial situationsleads to negative experiences and I already mentioned that the stress level task of Air Traffic Control Services effithus to defensive behaviour, which greatly measured during the test was perfectly nor- ciently and to provide professional satisfacdecreaseperformance and well-being of the mal. However, we have to consider that tion to every person involved in this prostress occurs mostly in peak hours. cess. Mutual confidence between ATCO's ATCO. Although this fact has not been measured and Management is a key condition to suc2. Exposureto stressand "Burn-out" It appeared that the individual perception (owing to the method applied), informal cess and must be promoted by all means. of workload differs significantly between talks with ATCO's make us think that To provide security to the ATCO, we prodifferent persons, and even for one person everybody experiences situations where he pose that: at different times. No objective upper limit, is concerned to the point of losing control, • new tasks shall only be accepted if they indicating a definite risk factor, can be de- where he is happy having got through his are compatible with the manpower fined. The already mentioned sloppy ap- working session without getting involved in available; proach to the job, together with lack of sat- a "Near-Miss". If this happens once or isfaction. create situations which not only twice a year, let's say for I hour at a time .,.iti, page 32

A

8

THE CONTROLLER / MARCH 1992


The Global Solution


___

__

__

___

_______

''DoNor IT IS ONLY 0

_

OPERATIONS _________

ORY

CA

PHILIPPE DOMOGALA

fter the lengthy article about the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), published in the last issue of The Controller, which presented some of the better elements of this wonderful machine, I felt the need to reply. I represent IFATCA in ICAO Working Groups where TCAS is being discussed and I would like to set the record straight, from a controller viewpoint. Like many advertisements, one should not rely on the glossy brochure. No, TCAS does not always work as well as its claims. There are serious problems of various nature, and the USA is discovering them in live traffic. Firstly, on the pure technical side, the software used has not been 100% reliable and after significant errors one manufacturer had to withdraw its equipment for modification. The design and location of the antennas on some aircraft has also caused problems, such as the production of Resolution Advisories (RAs) generated by TCAS on the detection of its own Transponder. When approaching airports close to naval harbours, TCAS is reacting to some SSR transponders of the US Navy war ships which are using the same frequency band. In the design phase the engineers calculated a maximum deviation of 300 feet from assigned altitude when a pilot is following a RA. In practice aircraft are deviating far more and cases of deviations of more than 1000 feet are not uncommon. Additionally, nobody knows how the saturation of Mode S data links will affect TCAS operations, once all aircraft are equipped. But the biggest problem for controllers is a more fundamental one - who is responsible for maintaining separation between all aircraft when the aircraft are under one positive radar control agency (heading, speed or rate of climb/descent restricted) and when a single aircraft deviates from assigned clearance to follow a RA generated by his TCAS?

A

10

So far only the USA (FAA) has issued a responsibilitywaiver for its controllers, but this does not mean a Federal Judge will accept the waiver as valid if an accident occurs and people are killed. The verdict of the Aeromexico Cerritos collision trial is there to remind us of that eventuality. For the rest of the world, and in particular Europe (an area which I know better), TCAS operational instructions are in complete chaos at the time of writing (January 1992). No clear procedures have been issued to pilots or controllers on how to deal with TCAS RA's, while 50% of USregistered large transport aircraft are already equipped and flying around in Europe. Yes,whereveryou are, you have in your sector today: • aircraft which are not TCAS equipped, • aircraft which are TCAS equipped but you as a controller have no way of knowing, • aircraft equipped with TCAS but not using it, • aircraft equipped with TCAS but ordered by their Companyto switch off RA mode outside the USA and use it as Traffic Infonnation only, ._ aircraft equipped with TCAS but its use being left to the discretionof the Captain etc. We are experimenting with a new system for which there are no guidelines to controllers in many areas. TCAS is being used in a live traffic environment, while there are still a lot of questions to be answered. Nobody, so far, has been able to answer to my satisfaction the following questions: • Snow Ball Effect. In a dense air traffic sector with 30 or more IFR aircraft all separated by IOOO feet, with a few VFR crossings around, and if all are TCAS equipped and one aircraft for any reason deviates by 400 feet from its assigned altitude - what will be the snow ball effect if all pilots follow the RA's I? • When TCAS becomes mandatory for all aircraft in the USA, which rules will apply in the European environment? Will

_ __

_ ____

_

some states have the mandate to issue derogation notices to protect some of their own aircraft fleet? Will all military aircraft of all European states be equippedwith TCAS? How are some type of aircraft with poor altitude holding characteristics (eg TU 134, 154's) or with no auto-pilot (eg Super Guppies) or with bad altimetry (eg old 707, DC8 etc) going to affect a TCAS environment? Are there plans to train controllers on how to work with TCAS RAs in all States? Until someone comes up with satisfactory answers to the questions above ( and I am sure there are more questions to come), in my opinionTCAS should remain an experimentalsystem. TCAS is a last minute warning device aimed at preventing collisions and saving lives. As a passenger I applaud its developmentbut as a controller I deplore the speed and the manner in which it has been introduced into a live traffic environment.

+

1 This SNOWBALL EFFECT (also called DOMINO EFFECT) was once simulated by the FAA using the Chicago Terminal Area as example. The result of the study simulation apparently showed that RAs would bring an accidentally deviating aircraft back to its cleared altitude instead of creating a Domino effect ... but in absence of the detailed simulation specifications, I still remain very sceptical about their conclusions.

Manythanks to FIN for thecartoons he has been providingThe Controller to enlightenourtexts. Theyhave beentaken fromhis book, whichcan be orderedat: Germans/Scholts P.O.Box313 6136 ZN Airport Maastricht The Netherlands

e , 111

JOURNAL OFAIRTRAFF IC CONTROL

conTROllER

THE CONTROLLER / MARCH 1992


High-tech from Switzerland: for more safety, simpler use and better communication. VOCOS - Voice Communication Switching System

VOCOS is synonymous with safety and comfort. The fully redundant designed system from the user unit to the radio station interface - guarantees top functional and operational reliability. VOCOS integrates radio, telephone and intercom. It is our business, to make the air traffic controller's job a pleasant one. Wherefore, VOCOS not only implements tomorrow's technology, but it also looks great. VOCOS - perfectly suited to the user's needs. For large, mid-sized and small airports.

RESCO - Remote Surveillance and Control System for NAVAIDS

Remote control and remote monitoring of any airport's entire NAVAIDS and RADAR installations. State of the art technology guarantees higher safety and increased reliability. Modular construction and decentralised intelligence result in greater flexibility. RESCO implements the international transm1ss1on standards for problem-free integra- Binzstrasse 35 CH-8045 Zurich /S witzerland tion in existing or Phone +4 1 1 456 11 11 new installations. Fax +4 11 461 48 88


_ __

_ __

_ __

_ _ __

_ _

OPERATIONS RESEARCH __

AIRSPACE ODE LIN

___

_ _ __

_____

_

F WA

PITFALLS AWAITING T E 0 Dr MilesHarding, Director of Research and Development at The Preston Group Pty. Ltd.

Interactive,animatedsimulation available software and to select those most softwaretoolshaverevolutionisedappropriate. airspace management inrecentyears Deciding upon the most appropriate andnota moment toosoongiventhe decision-support tools to determine how fucongested airwayswhich bedevil ture scenarios will affect a constrained resource is not always simple - and there are international aviation. ith more and more aircraft occupying the same amount of airspace, the average human mind cannot visualise this dynamically changed scenario, and the application of modern computer technology has become more critical to the management of this finite resource. The new software allows planners to test the layouts of air routes, departure and approach paths, and to assess the effects of changing separation standards en route, or on approach. But there are inherent dangers and pitfalls awaiting the unwary manager considering the use of this type of software for the managementor planning of airspace. The objective for today's airways manager should not be to replace a decisionmaker with a computer, but to pre ent information to experienced staff so that they can make better decisions. This presents the managerwith the challenge of assessing the

W

many aspects which may inadvertently be ignored in the process. For example, it is not sufficient to have the most sophisticated computer models if operation of those models is so complicated that the person who is supposed to use them feels threatened or discouraged and eventually discards these tools. In evaluating packages which model the environment there are many basic criteria for success. PRIMARY CONSIDERATION

One of the primary considerations is that any model of an airport or airspace must represent that environment accurately. For example, a system which uses esoteric mathematical procedures to simulate the movement of aircraft in flight so that these aircraft do not appear to conform to expected behaviour, will raise doubts in the mind of the viewer. The model must function accurately and realistically; it should simulate the move-

RUNWAY SIMULATION MODEL EASAMS' experience in simulation and modelling has won a competitive tender to supply a runway simulation model to meet a detailed specification provided by the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The model will be used mainly for the annual declaration of the runway capacity of Heathrow and Gatwick, but also for other runway capacity studies. The runway capacity declaration, which specifies the maximum number of aircraft that may be scheduled to use a runway, is prepared over a very short period each year, and so requires a very fast and reliable model.EASAMS will achieve these aims through the use of careful design procedures on the latest CASE tools which have already been proved in a range of applications. The design and development will be carried out using workstations with the target machine being a PC486 or SUN SPARCstation. The system will be delivered to the CAA in April 1992. The runway simulation model will be used primarily to dete1mine runway capacity and takes account of arrivals, departures, runway-crossing aircraft, and random perturbations, and will give both tabular and graphical display output.

ment of aircraft using inertial navigation principles, including gradual banked turns, and nose-up or nose-down attitudes appropriate for landings and take-offs. Where necessary, the models need to represent the information in three dimensions. Airspace is a three dimensional resource, and it is easier for any operator to understand movement through airspace if the problem can be seen from a horizontal perspectiv¡e, a plan view, or some intermediate position. This allows the user to better evaluate the consequences of decisions - particularly important when simulating aircraft movements. Simulation models also need to be interactive to provide higher productivity and more effective decision-making. A model which is coded with all values and which must run to completion is going to be less well accepted - and rightly so! - than one where the user can stop the model at a specific simulated time, change some values or constraints to reflect a projected change in the real world, and then continue the simulation to assess the effect of the change. Where appropriate, a simulation model being operated interactively must provide the facility to capture given situations take "snapshots" - for later re-runs. The capability allows the user to run a simulation to a given time, save the status, make changes and evaluate their effect - then return in time to the point where the "snapshot" was taken. This procedure significantly increases the speed of the "what if" activity which is an integral component of modelling. Simulation is often going to be concerned with a specific part of a larger whole, such as a section of taxiway usage within the total ground movement of aircraft. As airports and airspace become increasingly more complicated and congested, it is important that where a simulation model becomes overcrowded with activity, the user can enlarge the relevant area to study it in greaterdetail. ...,... page 32

12

THE CONTROL LER / MARCH 1992


INTEGRATED ATC TRAINING ATS Aerospace provides totally integrated IFR radar , ATC tower, IFRNFR pilot, communications , and procedu ral simulation and training systems . Our systems are independen t , interconnectable , expandable , and affordable. No one produces better quality , better value ATC training products than ATS. Satisfied cus tomers all ove r the wo rld prove this. Our systems are in North and South America , Afric a, Europ e, As ia, the Middle East, and China .

ATS Aerospace Inc. 1250 MARIE -VICTORIN, ST. BRUNO, QUEBEC, CANADA , J3V 688 TEL.: /N T + 1 514 441-9000 FAX: /NT + 1 514 441-6789


___

_ ____

_ _ ____

___

MANAGEMENT __________

___

QUALTYMANAGEMN ONSUCCESSUL AT NS

_ _ _ _

s

0 Keith Hamlyn/Neville Clarke Ltd.

ir traffic control operators have always had the declared objective of providing for "the safe, efficient and cost-effective passage of traffic through controlled airspace." Of these three elements, uppermost in the minds of all controllers is the aspect of safety. This concern is shared with aviators, whose very lives, and those of their passengers and crew, depend heavily on the instructions they receive from the ground. Safety, however, is only one aspect of the Quality of the overall service which is to be provided. This service must also meet many other criteria, for example, preferred flight schedules, including departure and arrival times, and requests from pilots, such as those for flight level and routing changes.

A

How IS QUALITY OFSERVICE ACHIEVED NOW ? Quality of service in air traffic control has been achieved through controllers and aviators understanding each other's requirements and through the development of operational procedures to enable those requirements to be met. These operational procedures have traditionally been developed to match the needs of individual administrations and then used as the basis for developing the day-to-day working practices of Air Traffic Control Centres. The procedures are known and trusted worldwide and are based on internationally agreed policies to ensure that there is a smooth transition for aircraft between the airspace controlled by one administration and another. The central policies in air traffic control are defined in ICAO documents, from which the local operational procedures are developed and against which the local procedures are reviewed, in order to reflect both international legislation and, importantly, the particular needs of the administration. Once developed and tested, the procedures are also used to develop training programmes for controllers to ensure that the traditions and culture of the operations room are passed down to successive gener14

running of the service. This framework is called the Quality ManagementSystem. There is an accepted world view of Quality Management. An international standard, ISO 9000, has been written to describe the desirable points in a "good" management system. This standard is very general in nature and has been designed to meet the needs of many service and manufacturing endeavours. It is so general that the immediateapplicationof some elements of the standard to a service environment may not be apparent without some interpretation. The use of this standard to develop a Quality Management System parallells the BUT,WHAT IS " QUALITY "? concept of using the ICAO documents as The word "Quality" has been given many the basis of operational procedures for air meanings in the past. Many of these mean- traffic control. ings have led to misunderstanding. In parWriting a set of procedures does not mean ticular, good Quality has been consideredto that the Quality of the service has been imbe the same as a high standard of specifica- proved. It simply lays down the basis upon tion. In the world of Quality Assurance, which the relationships between staff and Quality has come to mean "conformanceto their customers can be developed. These a customer 's requirements." This means customers may be members of staff within that the Quality of a service or a product is the administration or may be external. It measured. by the degree to which it meets also provides a focus for formulatingcorpowhat the customer needed in the first place. rate goals and for defining the means for It also means that the supplier has made achieving them and the criteria for success. sure that he understands the customer's By monitoring the system, an administraneeds before the job starts. Thus, although tion is in a position to recognise both its good Quality may expect a high standard, successes and its shortcomings.This recogthere is no point in over-specifying to pro- nition can then form the foundation for vide a standard of service which the cus- Corporatewide Quality improvement. tomer does not need, as this would incur an During the development of the system, unnecessary level of resource. In fact, the those who are introducing Quality must encustomer may well be put off by the unwel- sure that what they are preparing fits the come attention. needs of their customers, the users of the system. Quality even applies to the Quality HowCAN THE INTRODUCTION OF QUALITY Management System ! MAKES USMORE SUCCESSFUL? Introduction of a Quality Management One of the first steps in introducing System needs to be supported by a training Quality into an administration is to under- programme which has the objective of makstand the existing business process and the ing staff aware of the Quality principles bedegree of success the administration has ing introduced and the effect that these are achieved in satisfying its customer's needs. likely to have on their day-to-day work. Based on this understanding, there is a need The training should cover all aspects of to develop a framework of documented pro- work undertaken by the administration, and cedures which describe the business pro- not just that which has a direct impact on cesses and the customer-supplier relation- the passage of aircraft through controlled ships which are necessary to the smooth airspace.

ations. Training is also used to make control room staff and others aware of the latest developments, both in the procedures and in technology. Generally speaking, most operationalprocedures appear to be working successfully when simple indicators, such as the number of notified separation conflicts or the availability of engineering systems, are used. However, it is not so easy to demonstrate that the overall Quality of the service being provided is working in the most effective way possible for staff and their customers alike.

THE CONTROLLER / MARCH 1992


_____

__

_ _______

Generally speaking, a task such as this depends on a small team within an administration, with wide implicationsfor all members of staff. The impact on this team, in terms of time and effort, will be extensive, particularly if they are required to undertake other tasks in addition.The experience to develop a system may not be readily available within an administration,particularly when reference to the standard is required. Support and assistance are readily available from consultancy agencies who are experienced in the introduction of Quality ManagementSystems into air traffic controland similarenvironments. Many people feel that documenting and implementing a Quality Management System will result in an enormous bureaucratic overhead, whose purposes are to block free-thinkingand to slow provisionof the service to a complete standstill under a mountainof useless paperwork.Experience has shownthat a properlydevelopedsystem does the very opposite as it looks for those areas where workingpracticescan be made easier and seeks to reduce the administrative overhead to a minimum.It is essential that a Quality Management System is dynamic and can respond quickly and easily to a changingworld. Nothing in the system shouldbe free fromthe abilityto change. There has already been a recognition within the United Kingdom's Civil Aviation Authority and within EUROCONTROL that there was a need to examine the management processes which were at work and to document them, together with the responsibilities and authoritiesfor each task. This has resulted in the preparation of a set of procedures which providecriteriaagainst which the operation of the management process can be monitoredand the necessary improvements identified and implemented. Both these administrationshave found that they are now better able to communicate their requirements and to demonstrate to the world at large that they not only have Quality of service at heart but also know that all safety requirements can be demonstrated. They have the means to demonstrate success both internally and externally. At this time, studies are being undertaken, particularly in the United Kingdom, to investigate these relationships with a view to expanding the ISO 9000 perspective to more closely reflect the needs of the air trafficcontrol environment. It would appear from the above that utopia may be achievedthrough the introduction of a Quality Management System. This THE CONTROLLER/ MARCH 1992

___

MANAGEMENT_________

impression is not true, for the real world has a bad habit of trying to reassert itself. However, what Quality Assurancecan, and does, do is to highlight where problems ma arise, thus giving an opportunity to plan to minimise any associated risk. Nor should the impact of implementing a Quality ManagementSystem be underestimated. It can be a long and demandingprocesswhich will require time and effort and which may result in changes to operating practices which have been us,ed over many years. WHATBENEFITS CANBEEXPECTED FROM INTRODUCING A QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM?

The introduction of a Quality Management system will ensure that the needs of the customer and the capabilities of the supplier are well understood and properly communicated. It also offers an opportunity for the needs to be reviewed and accepted by both parties before work starts. This should result in the supplierbeing able to provide the required system or service "right first time". Quality ManagementSystems can be examined and registered with independent bodies, such as the British Standards Institution. Once registered, they are regularly audited by the independent body to ensure that they still meet certain standards, of which more later. A registered Quality Management system is a clear demonstration to the world at large that control over all aspects of the business, including safety, is being maintained. Writing down the management processes demands that the responsibilities for tasks are documented. This means that people go to work knowing what they have to do, who is there to help them and what they have to achieve. They also know who they are supplying. A functional Quality ManagementSystem provides a clear message to firms who are contractors to administrations of the standards which are to be expected from them. Many contractors are very familiar with Quality Management Systems as they have been working in the military environment. An administration needs to be able to talk on equal terms with these contractors and therefore needs a system which can properly interface at all levels. By examining the way in which the system is working, and by listening to comments made by users, it is possible to identify opportunities for improvement. This may result from a reappraisal of existing practicesand the subsequent introductionof

________

_

change, or perhaps, the identification of practices which have been successfully introduced in one part of an administration and which could be introduced elsewhere. Quality Management Systems, therefore can be used as vehicles for change. Is it worth it? Emphatically - y'"'es.

+

Keith Hamlyn is a Senior Consultant with the Air Traffic Services Group of Neville Clark Ltd., a management consultancy specialising in Quality. Neville Clarke provide consultancy and training services to organisations wishing to implement Quality improvement through Total Quality or Quality Systems initiatives. Amongst their clients are the UK's CAA and Eurocontrol. For further information contact Mr, Stephen Hitchens at the UK office, telephone +44(0) 793 828222 or Fax +44(0) 793 828962.

15


_______________

MEMBER

ASSOCIATIONS

--------

----

-

--

IMPEACHE OF TUNS AN ASSOCIATION A ERS 0 PhilippeRahm, IFATCALiaison Officer to InternationalOrganizations n February 12, 1991, President Ben Ali of Tunisia freed the last Tunisiancontroller still in jail. By March, Charles Stuart, the IFATCA President, in a series of letters to the President of Tunisia, the Minister of Transport and the President of OPAT (Office des ports aeriens de Tunisie), acknowledgedwith thanks the pardon given to our colleague and pleaded for an immediate reemployment of the seven jobless controllers. This, unfortunately, was not the case.

0

_________

___

____

At the same time, the Tunisian authorities replace the dismissed civil controllers with military personnel which is contrary to Conclusion l 5 of the I 979 ILO Meeting of experts on problems concerning air traffic controllers and to IFATCApolicy. The situation worsened again on October 28, 1991, when the President and the Secretary General of the association were arrested and jailed for I 6 days, to be questioned as to whether they had extraprofessional dealings with a controller

_

IFATCA ACTIVITIES

detained by the police on a charge of belonging to a non-authorized political organization. The OPAT took this occasion to revoke both of the association leaders for unjustified absence... Now, as far as we are aware, Tunisia is a democratic country and our colleagues are fighting for their rights and to recover their jobs as fully qualified air traffic controllers. Meanwhile, they need and deserve all the support the IFATCAMember Associations can providethem with.

+

_____________

___

_

ESSION REGIONAL INFORMATION 0 MichaelTonner, CATCA s a "kick-off' for the 2nd Americas RegionalMeetingin San Jose, Costa Rica an "infonnation session" about IFATCAwas scheduled. This session was conducted by Mr. Sture Ericsson, EVP Finance and Mr. Hugo Esquivel, EVP Americas Region. This proved to be very successful, causing much discussion to be generated. It more or less set the tone for the remainderof the RegionalMeeting. Sture started the session by explaining that IFATCAis an independant, non-government, non-political, professional association which was founded in 1961. It now comprises some 80 Member Associations. He then reviewed the objectives of the Association; the structure of the Executive Board; the Standing Committees and who on the Executive Board is responsible for overseeingeach committee. This portion of the presentation was concluded by describing the duties and responsibilities of "officialsof IFATCA"such as the Executive Secretary, the Editor and the LiaisonOfficers. Having laid the information framework, Mr. Ericsson then launched himself into

A

16

g1v111 g them the message portion. This portion could be labelled COMMUNICATIONS. A great deal of good two way discussion followed! Whilst Sture emphasized the need for Member Associations to communicate with the International, it was also evident that the MAs within the Region shouldcommunicate more with each other. Sture stressed the importanceof each MA completing the basic information requested from the Executive Board. In this way, the information is then available to all Member Associations. Sometimes IFATCAdoes not even have the names and addressesof executive officersof the Member Associations. How can you communicate with someone if you don't know who they are or where? The group explored methods by which communications could and should be ¡ improved. This generated a lot of participationby all those attending and was a little loud at times! It certainlyserved a good purpose in starting good discussion and therefore COMMUNICATION.

There was an explanation of the Technical matters with which lFATCAis involved and how they impactcontrollers. We also had an overview of the professional organizations with whomIFATCAhas dealings. The last part of this session was spent reviewing the organization and conduct of the Annual Conference. Once again, COMMUNICATION was stressed. The MAs have to organizetheir efforts well in advance of the Conference so they can submit their workingpapers on a timely basis. They then must be prepared to talk, at Conference, about their paper so they can COMMUNICATEtheir concerns and problems to those attending. The feeling of all those attending this session was that it was very worthwhile. It went a long way towards explaining IFATCA and how it works and why. Armed with this knowledge it is now up to each Member Association to put it to good use. Congratulations are due to Sture Ericsson for a job well and truly done. I think all would agree that he certainly "COMMUNICATED " with us.

+

THE CONTROLLER / MARCH 1992



__________

_ _ ___

__

FL OW CO NTROL ___

EUROCONROLC N A MANAG MEN NIT

_ __

_____

_ __

__

_

w

0 TonySmoker

(Editor' s Note:Thisarticleappears withthepermission oftheEditoroftheUKGATCO magazine, TRANSMIT )

he late 1980ssaw civil aviationchar- ECAC area will have tenninalsto DataBase ECAC membersstates. This will expand as acterised by high growth in tenns of Europe (DBE). the membershipof ECAC grows. When opmovements and delays. A by-product Eurocontrol was directedby the European erational,the flow managementunits will be of this was the growth in air traffic flow Ministers of Transport to develop a flow replacedwith flow managementpositionsat management (ATFM)- which has led to yet management unit in the autumn of 1988. eachACC. anotherseriesof acronyms and abbreviations we will need to CFMU OPERATIONAL TIME-SCALE know. Appro va l of p lan The CFMU or A CentralFlowManageCFMU I ment Unit, is one of - CEU Nucleus these. The CFMUwill have a significantim- ATFM notification (ANM) pact on all air traffic units throughout EuCFMU II rope. The direction - CEU Nucleus that this development - inclusion of RPL and LCM takes is certainly difA.. ferent from that which for pre-tactical ATFM people envisaged in Bu ilding 1980. In recognition of the CFMU Ill scaleof thesedevelop- full centralisation of ATFM ments, Eurocontrol ~ hosteda CFMUwork- inc lusio n of FP L for shop for IFATCA.The 71 101 10 1 tactica l A TFM 1990 1992 1993 1994 1995 1989 1991 programme revolved CFMU Evolut ion after 1995 around several presentations from the CFMU team and Figure 1 ended with a lively The timetable for this and other developSuch was the impact of that summer question-and-an swer session. Eurocontrol's Directorof Operations, Hen which we all remember well!) - ICAO had ments is illustrated in Figure 1. The objectiveof the CFMUprojectis: Wolfgang Phillip welcomed the group of already devised a concept for a centralised twenty or so controllers from various coun- traffic management organisation (or Toensureoptimumflow of air trafficto or tries. It is essentialthat thoseplanning our fu- CMTO) and the CFMU draws heavily on throughareas where traffic demand exture systems let us know what is going on. this concept. ICAO's conceptproposed two ceeds the availablecapacityof the air trafHen Phillip is to be congratulated on allow- traffic management regions - East and fic system.' Naturallythe keywords are optimumdeing us this opportunity to be briefed on the West. Each region will have a centralexecmand and availablecapacity. Eurocontrol utive unit (or CEU). CEU West is based in project in such an open and comprehensive maintain s that they aim to optimisecapacity way. Brussels and presentlydevolvesits tactical The scale of the project is large; a total of role to Europe's flow management units, in terms of both system and individual 60 million ECUs in cost and will grow to in- such as the LondonFlow Management Unit aircraft. Whenevera model of flow or traffic manvolve some 330 staff. Some contracts have (or LFMU), CORTAand ATMCFrankfurt, agementis required, the FAAs Central Flow alreadybeenawarded. A purpose-builtbuild- etc. The CFMU is really the centralisation of Facility (or CF2 or Central Flow) in ing is being constructed at Haren outside Brussels, and later this year all ACCs in the flow management into one unit for the Washington DC is consulted. Central Flow is

T

18

THE CONTROLLER / MARCH 1992


________________

FLOW CONTROL _______________

_

fed with fight plan and radar data from the filed rather like the repetitive flight plan ment is long overduein Europe. When IFPS twenty-twoACCsin the USA via the rehost system.Charterand scheduledoperatorsfile, comes into service in October 1993, flight computersystem.Thusthereis accessto real but it is not practicalfor everyaircraftopera- planswillbe filedvia inputterminalsthat are time information.The data is used to assess tor to know its programmefour months in linkeddirectlyto the IFPS.They are checked the densityof trafficflows and sector work- advance.Secondly,thereis whatis calledthe for accuracy and a trajectory made of its loads.The facilityhas its own meteorology 'environmentaldata'; this is the ATCroute routethroughthe ATCsystem.Flightplan insectionco-locatedin the operationroom and structure,traffic orientationscheme,sector- formationis then distributedto all those ATC has direct links with trafficmanagersin situ isation and sector capacities. DBE is used units that need to know the flight plan inforat the ACCs and some TRACONS.Flow now by flow managersfor assessingdemand mation.In otherwordsit is centralisedflight management measures broadly take two and settingflowrates. plan processing for the European region. forms. Firstly, a ground delay programme Duringthe WorldCup in 1990,an assess- IFPSis a prerequisitefor the CFMUto come can be appliedwhen the demandfor an air- ment of the accuracyof DBE data was con- intooperation. port is high. The decision to apply a pro- ducted. The traffic demand for Padua was Naturallythis flightplan processingsystem grammeis not taken by central flow alone, predictedand comparedwith the actual de- will send flightplans to Eurocontrol'sDBE. but also with the relevantTRACONand air- mand. The sample of results that IFATCA Thusthe accuracyof its datawillbe enhanced. port as well,and executedby centralflow.A was shownproved the high correlationthat However,thereare two other sourcesof data grounddelayprogrammeusespassiveslot al- was achieved.However,the DBE predicted thatwill increasethe robustnessof DBE. location- slot times (yes, slot times) are applied to domestic L°'1> CM.CIAAllON I 11£lMS/ACC trafficusing the offiD4TE:9/ t/90 PLANNING DISPLAY cial airlineguideas a Told Poolc-ho1r reference.An allowpoolc anceis madefor nonscheduledtraffic per hour. The slots are communicated directly from the Central Flow computer to airlines and L°'1> CM.CIAATION2 REIMS/ACC REROUTING FLOW OEP LS .. ATC units that need Below 250 to know.No need for Told Pook-ha11 poalc telephones. NATS The secondform of DATE:9/ 1/90 flow actioncomesby PARIS/UN,08- 11 EGU.,06/08 re-routing initiating S1 REIMS,16-23 LEPA,10-16 streamingof trafficto smooth out traffic flows and distribute LOAD CALCULATION: 8/ 1/90, 17H 17 REROUTING FLOW DEP LS .. traffic flows more Below 250 evenly. Naturally central flow is· assisted by being able Figure2 to use live data on trafficand the commonATCproceduresthat only 60% of the magnitude.It was statedthat EasternEuropeis set to outstripthe Pacific prevailwithinthe operationalarea. the CFMUwill correctthis with a coefficient in termsof growthof air transport.The releEurocontrolmade it clear from the outset to factor up the DBE prediction, in other vant authorities are in consultation with that they could not operate like this. The wordsa fudgefactor. Eurocontrolon flow management matters. problemsof integratingthe informationfrom As of 1991, airlines will have access to One development will be Data Base so manyunits,and someof thesedo not have DBE. This caused grave concern to those Comeconor CDB. This informationrelates a flight plan processingsystem,are deemed present.Airlineswill now have the potential to CEU East, the other region of the ICAO to be insuperable.So a novel approachhas to refileflightplansto wheredelaysare mini- Centralised Traffic Management Organihad to be taken. mal: how much confusioncould that cause? sation. Finally, one major flow of air traffic is A data-baseof Europeanair trafficdemand Eurocontrolwere at pains to assure us that has been availableat Eurocontrolfor some airlines that abuse the facility will be dealt missing from DBE - eastbound north Atlantic traffic. Herr Phillip stated that he time. Once knownas the CentralData Bank with. (CDB)it is now knownas DBE or Database Yet another abbreviation- IFPS - high- had discussed the matter with NATS Europe.Containedwithin this database are lights the present uncertaintyin DBE fore- DCATO, Keith Williams. DCATO had two sets of information.One is the airlineop- casts. IFPS standsfor IntegratedFlightPlan agreed that the UK would take the responeratorsplansfor the season- flightplans are ProcessingSystem.This particulardevelop- sibilityfor this flow.

-

THE CONTROLLER/ MARCH 1992

19


__

_____

__

__

__

__

_

FLOW CONTROL __

______

_______

_

Figure 2. It is important to appreciate that COM P UTER ASSIS TE D SLOT A LL OCATION ( CA SA) any such action will be taken in conjunction with the local F1 FMPS, and they can [3!--- -------t-.;.__ --BBG§- 080 5 all look at the same EID CTOT 075 4 0800 picture reducing any misunderstandings or misinterpretation. Rerouting action will be communicated to the airlines and the .6 (n~t~': "¡ ~dice - 15 min C(opo city) = 6 pe r ho ur, -0-756-- 08 10 EID ETO CETO CTOT Rote 1/10 SIT CFMU will monitor F 1 08 0 5 094 5 0505 0945 0805 + / -w the action taken. F2 0 651 0351 0951 095 1 06 51 +/ - w F2 In the event that Allowance 1 per 6) fs I --B&5-+- 0 6 5 1 F3 0 754 045 4 095 4 1000 0800 +/ - w greater or more proF4 07 56 0 9 56 1010 0810 +/ - w 0456 longed intervention is F5 08 5 8 0958 0558 10 20 0920 +/ -w ------------ ---- --required, slot times F6 0752 1030 0830 +/ - w 045 2 0952 will be allocated well, we are supposed to have an evolutionETD = scheduled time of de par t ure ETO = " free " est ima te time over entry point ary system! These CETO = ETO wit h slot con str aint CTOT = est ima te t ime of Tak e Of f with slot constraint will be allocated by Allowance = Provi si on for Ti me Bond, Revisio ns . La te Filer . the CFMU and take two forms - either a window of 15 minFigure3 utes or a slot time alThe problem is no doubt exercising the to the success of the CFMU concept - they located previously by a CFMU device known are not merely a diplomatic appendage. They as CASA - Computer Assisted Slot mindsof the LFMU. If all of this comes together, the CFMU will will provide a direct link to the CFMU and Allocation. Figure3 illustrates the type of dishave a large amount of information on the also provide specialised local knowledge. All play to be used. And yes, departure times will demand and capacity of its territory. How of the representatives present were concerned be used, not 'slot over a fix' down the route. will it use this information? I apologise now that the experience and qualifications of If the CFMU operation is to work, then a vast to the CFMU team if I have got the descrip- CFMU operational staff would not be current communications network must exist; we tion wrong but this is a brief summary. or valid. Eurocontrol stated emphatically that were advised that IBM and SITA had been First, to dispel any statements by an ATC CFMU staff would be rotated from given contracts to provide these lines by "Bruges Group" - there will not be a ' BIG Eurocontrol states to CFMU at regular inter- October 1991. However, there is one other BROTHER' at the CFMU in Brussels. Flow vals to preserve the cuITency of CFMUstaff. resource input needed to bring the CFMU managementpositions will exist at all the air into operation on time - ' People' . Herr traffic control centres throughout the ECAC The CFMU tactical concept can be reduced Phillip made it quite clear that national adregion. The local flow managers are essential to 3 activities: ministrations will need to support Planningand Decision- This means as- Eurocontrol by seconding experienced flow sessing capacity and demand; Eurocontrol management staff. calls this Load Calculation and planning a A lot has been written here. Will it work? strategy. Yes, it will. It is a novel concept to a complex Execution- Execution of the strategy us- problem - that of forcing the varying capabiling a number of tactical measures. ities of European ATCCs into a fonn that will Monitoring- Ensuring that the tactical optimise capacity. Unfortunately, it is five measures are working. years too late; it will provide a foundation for Obviously this is an oversimplified descrip- future developments that can use real time intion of what is intended. We were shown a formation from ATCCs in the manner that number of information displays that it is in- Central Flow does - and this is acknowltended to have available - some are reprinted edged by Eurocontrol. It is comes in on time, here. it will be a great improvement, but the gain ~ CUR TAAFACCONTROL Infonnation displays will be used to analyse will be in the cultural change that it will the traffic flow, giving clear visual indica- accelerate the acceptance the Europeans can tions of overloads. It will be possible to work together: CFMU aims to make flow model a tactical measure and see how it wiJl management transparent to all users, both air affect the sector demand. This is illustrated in traffic as well as aircraftoperators. wlf'ldo w

l~s3ol

ITPAYS

TOADVER TISE IN A TIIE

co nt10,,11

+

20

TH E CONTROLLER / MARCH 1992


SOLVING WORLDWIDE ATC NEEDS

Hughes Aircraft Comp any and its subsidiarie s, Hughes Aircraft of Canada Limit ed and Hughes Brussels, provide a wide range of air traffic co ntrol system solutions to meet growing worldwide needs. Hughes offers state-o f-the-art technol ogy ranging from the design and integ ration of large- and small-sca le air traffic contro l systems. to advanced, high performance workstations for contro llers and so ftware deve lopment. Hughes ' systems and produ cts in Canada, Europe, and the Far East use commerc ial off -the -shelf hardware and feature software based on open system architecture, to meet needs for flex ibility and growth . The Hughes 20- x 20-inch, large scree n Advanced M ultimi ssion Wo rkstation, the AMD-44 , is featur ed in the Canad ian Automated Air Tr affic System (CAAT S). CAATS will significantly upgrade flight data proce ssing in air traffic control centers nationwide. In Europe, the AMD- 44 is also in use in Germany at the Karlsruhe Upper Air Tr affic Control Ce nter. Th e Hughes TracView I 00 , a personal co mput er-b ased, multi radar tracke r system, is helping a unjted Germ any manage its increasing air traffic in Dresden, Le ipzig and other loca tions. Hughes is committ ed to the ex pansion o f its European Op erations and wor kjng closely with Euroco ntrol and Nat ional Ci vil Aviation Authorities in the Harmonization of the European Airspace . Hu ghes and its Europea n part ners have propo sed rugh technology solutions to satisfy the requi rements of the Finni sh Civil Aviation Admini stration for the Finni sh Air Tra ffic Manageme nt lnt egrat ion (FAT MI) programm e and ofE uroco ntro l for the ATC Radar Tracker and Server (ART AS ) sy tern. As pai1 of our overall co mmitm ent to Europea n ATC, Hu ghes Bru sels i.-in the proces of analy zing the Ma astr ich t ODS . EATC HIP and EAS IE programm e requir ements. For further information, please contact the Marketing Depa rtm ents of ATC Operations : Hughes Brussels, (32-2) 725-6050; or Hugl1es Aircraft of Canada Ltd. , (604) 279-5615; or Hugl1es Aircraft Co mpany, (714) 732-5093 .

HUGHES Subsidiary of GM Hughes Electron ics

it I

I llftt11

LSG LufthansaService . 89 ¡ 197

t I


__

_ _ ___________

__

_

NEWS___________

FRANKFURT AREA CONTROL CENTRE.- On August 9th, 1991, the German Federal Administration of Air Navigation Services BFS signed the order for a voice communication system (VCS) to serve Frankfurt area control with the Siemens/Frequentis consortium. The project for Germany's largest air traffic control centre covering one of the most crowded air traffic zones in the world - is valued at about DM 14 million, split in two equal parts betweenthe two companies. The new voice communication system will considerably improve working conditions for the controllers who are under enormous strain, especially in Frankfurt. Electronically controlled, it will make ground-to ground as well as ground-to-air communication more efficient, easier and safer and thus enhance overall air traffic security. The new system must be installed and started up while the existingequipmentis in full operation. Since 1985, both companies have cooperated for the technical renewal of German air traffic control systems. Engineering and part of the hardware for the voice communication system are supplied by Frequentis, an Austrian electronics developer and manufacturer. Siemens contributes the technical monitoring System (TMCS), most of the manufacturing and on site installation to the partnership. The order includes the integration of 90 telephone operator positions, 45 radio operator positions with MFC (Multi Frequency Calling)-lines, 90 two-wire LB-lines, and 75 radio channels. From 1993onwards,the new voice communication system will gradually replace existing telephoneand radio equipment. The contract includes an option to install the Siemens-Frequentis systems at additional air traffic centres.

_ _ _ _ __

_

ellite system to air traffic control researchers. The demonstration took place during a scheduled747-400 flight from Detroit to Tokyo on 21 October 1991. Positions derived from the US Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites were transmitted via an Inmarsat Pacific Ocean satellite and a ground station at Santa Paula, California, to the Federal Aviation Authority Technical Center in AtlanticCity, New Jersey. This made it possible for the altitude and location of the aircraft to be monitored continuously, with high accuracy. All previous ADS trials have been based on data derived from onboard inertial navigation systems (INS), the current standard for long range navigation over oceans. However, the accuracy of INS degrades by up to 2 miles per hour of flight. Satcoms-derived positioning with GPS is accurate to within 100 meters, with no degradation. With the 1994-95launchoflnmarsat's third generation of satellites, which will carry a navigationpayload, continuouslyupdated and independentlymonitoredinformationon the "integrity" of these GPS signals will be transmittedto civilian users via the Inmarsat system. This will be particularly important for air traffic control applications, whereextremereliabilityis paramount. In addition, the Inmarsat-3navigationpayload will make it possible for civilianusers of GPS to receive more accurate position determination informationand, in some instances to determine their position even where there are coveragegaps in the current GPS system. By the second half of the 1990s, satellite navigation, in combination with satellite communications, will be the standard for air traffic control in remote and oceanic areas, where radar surveillance is unavailable.

• ATCSIMULATOR TRAINING.- Wesson International, Inc., of Austin Texas, has been awarded contracts by NYMA, a Washington, D.C. based systems integrator, and Daniel Webster College (Nashua, NH) to provide a customised range of ATC training systems and supportservices. Under the NYMA contract, Wesson will supply 22 "full-up" TRACON/Pro systems to the Federal Aviation Administration's five southern California TRACONS - Los Angeles, Burbank, San Diego, Ontario, and Coast. Full-up systems are complete training positions that include custom consoles, 486/33 IBM-compatible computers, 21" colour monitors, Verbex6000 continuous-speech voice recognition systems, flightstrip displays, and both custom and standard keyboards. Each system is fully capable of acting as a main student position or as a pseudo-pilot/instructor position, and may be networked to any or all of the other positions. Airspace modelling and scenario generation software is also included in the The Siemens I Frequentis Voice CommunicationSystem installedat HamburgAirport. package. • NORTHWEST AIRLINES IN WORLD'S FIRST SATELLITEPOSITIONINGDEMONSTRATIONFOR AIR TRAFFICCONTROL.- Northwest Airlines has carried out the world's first demonstration of full automatic dependent surveillance (ADS), transmitting satellite-derived positions via the Inmarsat sat-

22

THE CONTROLLER / MARC H 1992


____________________

NEWS___________________

These TRACON/Prosystems will ultimately be incorporated into the FAA's planned consolidation of the five southern California TRACONSinto one "Super" TRACON. Daniel WebsterCollegehas purchasedfour TRACON/Prosystems, including two full-up student positions and two pseudo-pilot/instructor positions, to be used with AST Flight Simulatorsin terminal and enrouteair trafficcontroltraining. Pseudo-pilot/instructorpositions differ from student positions in that they do not includethe Verbex6000 voice recognitionsystem. Each pseudo-pilot station can, however, control multiple student positions. FAAair traffic controltraining, until recently, meant actually placing student controllerson active ATC systems,controllingreal aircraft during the four year hands-on portion of their FAA training. Wesson InternationalInc. has developedTRACON/Proto providea relatively low cost support system for on-site training, allowing maximumuse of time and resources at any TRACONfacility, and providing a source of additional training and practice for ATC personnel. WessonInternationalhas also passed the United States Air Force's benchmarktest to supply air traffic control training systemsto over 100air force bases worldwide,and is now awaitingacceptancetesting at Columbus AFB (Meridian,MS).

GERMANATCMAJORMILESTONEACHIEVED.- The world's first productionnew generationair traffic control work stations have passed a major milestone with the successful completion of a critical formal factory acceptance test at Hughes Aircraft Company clearing the way for delivery of units to Germany in 1992. The test is one in a series culminatingin the 1992delivery of 35 operational units by Hughes to the Bundesanstalt fiir Flugsicherung, the German Civil Aviation Authority, for its Upper Airspace ControlCenter in Karlsruhe, Gennany. Two pre-operationalunits completeda varietyof tests at Hughes facilities in Fullerton, Calif. The tests measured performance, workmanship quality, and verificationof design. These units will be installed in modified BFS structures and the work will be performedby Elekluft GmbHof Bonn Gennany under a subcontractto Hughes. Pre-operational units, based on the Hughes AMD-44 workstation product line, are currently installed at Karlsruhe to support ongoing softwaredevelopmentby the BFS. The Hughes AMD-44 uses a Sony full-colour, high resolution (2,048 by 2,048 lines) flat large screen monitor driven by a Hughes/Sony raster display generator to provide an extremelyclear air traffic control image. The workstation's display generator uses Hughes designed real-time extension to the X-Windowsgraphics software for efficient display and management of radar situation map and text data. Hughes, throughits Hughes Aircraft of CanadaLimited subsidiary, also is supplying more than 500 AMD-44 workstations for use as Canada's common controller workstation for the Canadian Automated Air TrafficSystem.The company has also won awards to supply the workstation for Iceland, Republic of China, and Saudi Arabia air defence programmes. Hughes is also supplying Germany with 36 TracView commercial computer-based air trafficcontrol systems for use in towers and terminai control facilities. THE CONTROLLER / MARCH 1992

_

ITALIANPILOTSUNIONATTACKATCSYSTEM. - The largest pilot union in Italy, The Associazione Nazionale Piloti AviazioneCommerciale(ANPAC),has drawn up a list of 25 Italian airports at which it claims the system is either inadequateor totally out of service. ANPACis campaigning for a general reform of civil aviation in Italy and for a restructuring of the ATC system which they claim is being affected by frequent strikes called by the ATC union, LICTA. The ATC union has called for strikes in protest against the August national contract; it also requires recognition of its professionalism and a restructuring of an "obsolete air traffic controlsystem".

• CZECHOSLOVAKIA SELECTSTHOMSON-CSF FOR ITS NEW AIR TRAFFICCONTROLSYSTEM.- ThomsonCSF and Omnipol (Czech and Slovak Import Department) have signed a contract on behalf of the Air Traffic Control Administration of Czech and Slovak Federative Republic (ATCA) for the supply of an air trafficcontrol system.. The system includes two Eurocat2000 air traffic control centres for Praha and Bratislava and three autonomous monopulse secondary radarsRSM 970. The Eurocat 2000 centres benefit from the latest developments in air traffic control and configure TDX 2000 high-definition TVscanning colour display workstations. The centres will process informationfrom new radars and also from already installed radars; they will also process flight data management.

23


.

~~,\~\\ ~~~~~ "

- .


___________

____

_ __

NEWS________________

Thomson-CSF has already installed in Czechoslovakiatwo primary radars and an Astre System operating on Praha airport for airfield surface movementcontrol.

EUROCONTROL.- A significant step forwards has been taken in the harmonisation and integration of air traffic control in Europe. EUROCONTROL'sDirector General, Mr Keith Mack, and Dr 0. Neff from Dornier GmbH, signed a common procurement contract for the delivery of a Northern Telecom DPN-100 Packet Switched Data Network worth 1,6 million ECU. The delivery of this network, known as RAPNET (Regional Air Traffic Service - ATS - Packet switched NETwork), represents an important move towards the achievement of the aims of the EUROCONTROL/Four States Integration Project. First visualised in I985, this project is a pragmaticapproach to the integrationof an air traffic control (ATC) concept in Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg and West Germany. The aim of the project is to provide perfect homogeneity of ATC service in these areas: the integrated system will operate as one, with complete consistencyof service being offered to users. In order to achieve this objective, the ATC centres naturally need to have a common network for the rapid and automatic exchange of vital data. With the RAPNET network, both radar and flight plan data will be exchangedon high speed 64 k bps lines. RAPNET will ensure that all the ATC centres involved will have access to the same radar data from radars across the border and that this information will be instantaneous. Each of the network nodes will be connected to ATS data exchange access equipment as well as to radar access equipment, known as Radar Message Conversionand Distribution Equipment- RMCDE - and it is through this system that radar data will be transported. A contract for the establishment of the air traffic control RMCDE network access equipment for the Benelux countries and Germany, worth some seven million three hundred thousand ECU, was signed recently with Comsoft, a German computer systems company. The contract will be executedduring 1991-1993. The centres which will be connected with RAPNETare: • five civil en-route ATC centres located at Amsterdam, Bremen, Brussels,Di.isseldorf and Maastricht • one Dutch, one Belgian and three German military ATC centres, collocated with civil centres. In addition - althoughthese particular centres do not officially form part of the Four States Integration Project - four civil en-route control centres in Frankfurt, Karlsruhe, Munich and Berlin plus one military centre collocated with Kar!sruhe, will be incorporated into this network, as will the Luxembourg ApproachCentre. "The Four States Integration Project is an essential move in the enhancement of European airspace capacity and both RAPNET and RMCDEare key elements in this project. It is most gratifying to see that real progress is being made", commented EUROCONTROL's Director General, Keith Mack. • ATCEQUIPMENTMAKERS- LEGALLIABILITY.-At the Inter-AirportConference in Frankfurt. European air traffic control equipment makers were warned of their legal liability. Following a serious incident, ATC manufacturers could find themselves open to punitive levels of damage claim. The claims were made by Ian Awford an aviation law solicitor. who also pointed out that ·'with the increasing sophistication of ATC equipment...it THE CONTROLLER / MARCH 1992

_ _

would be brave to discount entirely the possibility of an accident caused or contributed to by the malfunctioning of the equipment itself '. In particular, Ian Awford drew attention to the uncertain status of computer software associated with ATC equipment.

Femal e control/ers at Casablanca ACC with President IFATC A and EV P A Fl. /11Morocco , 30% of controllers are women.

• MORE ATC AND AIRPORT IMPROVEMENTS IN CHINA. - FLIGHT magazine recently reported that China is pushing ahead with a massive airport and air traffic control development programme.Between 1980 and 1990, ai1·I ines managed by the Civil Aviation Administrationof China (CAAC) increased their capacity by 580%. China's airlines continue to add new aircraft at a combined rate of around 20 a year with the national fleet now estimated at over 400 aircraft. Nine new airports are scheduled to be opened by 1995 and all of the major trunk routes in China will be equipped with ATC primary surveillance radar and navigation aids. All airports capable of accepting jet aircraft will be equipped with Category I ILS with the exception of the three international gateway airports (Beijing. Shanghai and Guangzhou) which will be fitted with Category II ILS.

+

OBITUARY

Mr HenningTHRANE It is with great regret that we learn of the death of Mr Henning Thrane. Mr Thrane will be known to many of you as the first Treasurer of IFATCA, a post that he held from 1961- 1965. Mr Thrane who served the Danish CAA until his retirement in 199l died in Copenhagen. Denmark on 23rd November 199i . [FATCA offers condolences to his family.

25


RESTRUCTURING OF AIR TRAFFIC SERVICES - NORWAY The NorwegianCivil AviationAdministrationis about to be restructured,andalthoughthereis a very positiveside to it, thereis also anotherwhichgivescausefor seriousalarm. The goodpart is that the CAA will be establishedas a state enterprise, thus becoming more independent from the Department of Transportand the NationalStateBudget.This makesroom for more freedomwith regardto financing,internal agreementsand internal restructuring. The bad part is that, in the view of the Norwegian Air Traffic ControllersAssociation,the internalrestructuringis aboutto be a disaster.In Norwaythe CAAownsand managespracticallyall airports, as wellas the air navigationtechnicalinfrastructureand the air traffic services.What is about to be done is to wind up the National Air TrafficServicesand leavelocal air trafficcontrol(and en-routecentres that are physicallysituated at airports) to be managedby local major airport managements,of which there are to be 12 in the country. My Associationdescribesit as a disintegrationof air trafficcontrol, and it is certainlya developmentwhichmust causeconcernto other memberassociationsof IFATCAshouldit find internationalinterest. Initiatorsin this countryare the CAA Director and, amazingly,the Air TrafficServicesDepartmentDirector.The latteris not onlya formerATCO,but alsoa memberof the EATCHIPProjectBoard. It seemsto be the case that the air trafficservicesin most European countriesare independentorganisationsor divisionsbeing responsiblefor the servicenationally,includinglocalTWR and APP at major and mediumsizedairports. In the UK thereare someprivatecompaniesprovidinglocalair traffic control,but even in these cases it seemsthat the local SATCOis usuallyresponsibleto his companysuperiorand not the the Airport Manager. However, in discussions with the Norwegian Civil Aviation Managementwe have been presentedwith an allegationthat among the administrationsin Europethere is a widespreaddesireto be able to restructurein the waywhichis now beingcarriedout in Norway. The motivation, as it is presented, is a need for closer coordinationof activitiesat the airports.A referencehas been made to the APATSI(Airports/Air Traffic Services Interphase)Task Force Report, from which it allegedly should be understood that the NorwegianAirport/AirTraffic Services"integration"is a solution in line with the ECAC strategies. This, we feel, is a misuse of a gooddocument. My Associationbelieves that the Norwegiansolution is actually disregardingthe needfor harmonisationand integrationof all partsof the air trafficcontrolsystemin the Europeanregion.Effectively,the idea createsseriousco-ordinationand planningproblemswithinthe Air TrafficServicessystem,whilstintendingto meet airport/airtraffic servicesco-ordinationneedswhichcan best be met at otherlevels and in otherways. We thankIFATCAmemberassociationsfor the supportgivenat the EuropeanRegionalMeeting.The Helsinkiresolutionalso indicates that a further materialisationof other Europeanadministrationsdesires to reorganisein a way similarto Norway,may compromisethe Europeancontrollersenthusiasmto the very positive and thorough workcurrentlydirectedby ECAC.

26

The Norwegiancontrollerswent on strike for two hours on Friday 22nd Novemberin protest againstthe currentproposal.This was a legal actionin orderto demonstrateour seriousconcerns. 0 Ottode Besche VicePresidentNorwegianAirTrafficControllersAssociation

STRESS IN ATC THE CONTROLLER, SEPTEMBER 91,

P. 10-11

For whateverreason,Volume30, copy no 3, was my first sight of The Controller magazine. I read with interest the article by Swisscontrolentitled'Stress in ATC', but foundmyself wondering at the plethoraof similarsuch articlesin recent nationaland internationalATCmagazines.Weseemto be in dangerof trying to persuade the world- and perhaps each other - that controlling aeroplanesis no longerfun! Thoughstuckbehinda desk at present,I touredat the busiestarea radar unit in the UK duringmy 20s, and occupiedone of the more franticRadarDirectorseats in my 30s. Both were very demanding but also wholly exhilarating.Indeed, I well recall the thrill I felt each time I walkedinto the arearadaroperationsroom,awarethat I was likelyto be hard-pushedsometimewithinthe next hour on console. Manyof my fellowcontrollersfelt the same. Moreover,brief participationin a recentATCevaluationserves to reassureme that this past excitementwas notjust a foolishby-productof my youth. Withoutbelabouringthe point, I believewe should acknowledge that, as controllers,we enjoy what we do and that the attendant stress actuallygives us quite a 'buzz'. Certainly,we cannot afford to be complacentaboutinadequateequipmentor improperworking hours and conditions.Neithershouldwe ignore, nor be unsympathetictowards,damagingstresswhenit becomesevident.But let us also be honestwith ourselves- and confessthat there is something immenselysatisfyingaboutpushingaircraftaroundthe sky. 0 SquadronLeaderDustyStrong HeadquartersMilitaryAir TrafficOperations Uxbridge,England

Editor- Goodto hear from you again after all these years Dusty and I hopethat yourdiscoveryof The Controllerwill lead to a continued readership.Manyyears ago I attended a symposiumat the LondonUniversity,the themeof which was "Stress in Air Traffic Control". The conclusionof the seminar was also that a certain amountof stress can be beneficialto the individual and stimulate job satisfaction. I suspect little has changed in that respect. However,it is becomingincreasinglyapparentthat stressin the global scene is being caused by many other factors connected with ATC.The mostcommonof theseincludeinadequateequipmentand a lack of understandingby many managersof the particular concerns of controllersin a "high stressenvironment"!As I have said beforein thisjournalthe very mentionof the word Stresscan be a contributoryfactorto its cause.I awaitwith interestfor any further readershipcommentsconcerningthis topic and draw attention to furtherarticlesin this editionwhichaddressthe topic. THE CONTROLLER / MARCH 1992


__

_______________

AIR TRANSPORT ________________

_

OPENSKIESFORNORTHAMERICA anada recently bought its proposals for a new "Open Skies" treaty to the bargaining table. Under discussion were the differing views between the US and Canadaon how to open up cross-border air travel. The US position has been clear from the start. Open the border, eliminateall restrictions immediatelyand let airlines fly where demandexists. Canada's strategy is more cautious. Open the marketslowlyand includesafeguardsto ensure Canada's two cash-strappedairlines can compete. Canadamust weigh the interestsof its domestic airlines with those of the flying public. Air Canada and Canadian want greater access to us cities, but opposea wide-open market fearingthey could be overshadowed by giant US carriers. Cities such as Ottawa, London and Hamiltonwant more US air links to unlock economic development for their communities. The "top priority" in the latest round of talks wi II be proposals ensuring Canadian airlines get access to major US airports - especially Chicago 's O' Hare, New York's LaGuardia and Washington's National. Analystssay airportaccess could tum into one of the talk 's most explosive issues one of which could even scuttle a deal. US carriers pay upwards of$ I million for landing and take-off slots at some airports and they will freely resist handing over to any Canadiancarriers.

C

Some industry analysts are not so sure that once opened, the lid on the treaty can be put back. Most say a new agreement would increasetraffic and offer better, more convenientrouting.But at what price? Barbara Beyer, air consultant and president of AvmarkInc. in Arlington,Va., says Canada's cash-stavedairlineswon't survive against US carriers. She says Canadiancarriers are not known in the US and do not have the resources and large fleets to harness new routes immediately.In short, US carriers are bigger, they are cheaper and passengers invariably will pick an airline they've heard of. The proposals Canada bring to the table will be seen as a strong signal on how serious Canada is in obtaining a new agreement. Talks between the two countries began fourteen months ago, but were cut short after the third round in Regina last July, because Cabinet still hadn't approved Canada's negotiating position. The two sides swapped papers, politely listened to each others concerns, but did not come to any conclusions. The Canadian team is now banking on the fact that the US is so anxious for a deal that it will concede on many of the safeguards as long as the market opens up within a fixed period of time. Analysts say safeguards could range from giving Canada a head start - allowing them to fly routes ahead of US carriers - to restrictions on the number of seats or aircraft size.

Some suggest the agreement be introduced in stages allowing Canadian carriers to increase their traffic and market share to agreed-upon levels before the next phase starts. The US is likely to reject safeguards that smack of market controls. The US may accept a phased-in deal as long as the stages are based on time and not market-share. Canadian airlines say safeguards are the key to any deal. A further controversial issue not on the agenda is cabotage - allowing foreign carriers to pick up and fly passenger s between cities in another country 's domestic market. Transport Minister Jean Corbeil recently said Canada would try to get cabotage for Canadian carrier s, but block US airlines from getting similar rights in Canada. That means Canada airlines could fly to a US city, pick up American passengers and fly on to another US city, but not vice-versa!

+

LETTERS TOTHEEDITOR ARE ENCOURAGED AND APPRECIATED

I• AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL These stickers are available through :

Mr. Kees Scholts P.O.Box 313 6192 ZN Airport, Maastricht The Netherlands Price: Dfl. 10,00 per set of ten, plus Dfl. 3,00 for postage. Eurocheque or cash. (bank charges on a normal cheque are +Dfl. 20,00).

BIGGER QUANTITIES, BETTER PRICE. DID YOU0 ffN ftlRTRfffflC CONTROLLER TODffY? -

THE CONTROLLER / MARCH 1992

------------------

27


_________

AGEN

-----

-

-

DA

MARCH 92 20-21 Executive Board Meeting (preConference). 23-27 IFATCA '92, Conference and Exhibition, Bournemouth International Centre, Bournemouth, United Kingdom. Contact John Dancer, Chairman IFATCAOrganising Committee Tel +44 372 723 003 or Philip Atlay, Exhibition Manager, LATCC, Porters Way, West Drayton, Middlesex UB 10 9AX Tel +44 895 426 098. 28 Executive Board Meeting (postConference).

JUNE 92 15-21 ILA'92, International German Aerospace Exhibition, Berlin-Schoenefeld Airport. Contact BDLI Tel +49 228 849 070 Fax +49 228 330 778. 16-21 United States Air & Trade Show, Dayton, Ohio. Contact United States Air & Trade Show, Dayton Internatio nal Airport, Dayton, Ohio 45377-0460. U.S. Exhibitors: Tel +1513898-5901 Fax +l 513 898-5121. Foreign Exhibitors: Tel +l 914 698-9385 Fax +1914698-3979 .

JULY 92 1-3 First Riviera Airshow, CannesMandelieu Airp01t. Contact Regis Noye, Societe Toucan, 94, rue Rouget-de-l'Isle, 92150 Suresnes, France. Tel +33 l 46 94 04 08 Fax +33 14204 37 63.

28

IFATCA ACTIVITIES --

CAS M EE NG

A

0 Sture Ericsson - EVP Financeand Hugo Esquivel, EVP Americas

t the invitation of the Costa Rican Air Traffic ControllersAssociation, SITECNA, the Member Associations (MAs)of the Americasregiongathered between December the 2nd to the 4th, in Costa Rica for the 2nd Americas Regional Meeting. The meeting was held at Cedal La Catalina,a ConferenceCentresituatedin the beautifulmountainareajust outsidethe town of Heredia and on the hillside of the Poas volcano. Fortunately, the activity in the meeting room was much higher than in the volcano. Althoughthe rainy seasonwas supposedto be over, the participants experienced both heavy rain and sunshine, with very comfortable temperaturesfor peoplefrom the snowy parts of the world.All this, togetherwith the friendliness of the Costa Rican controllers, created a good framework for a most successful meeting in a relaxed atmosphere, which afforded the delegatesgood opportunities to discuss various matters of common interest. The meetingwas attendedby some 30 participants from 9 MAs: Trinidad & Tobago, Mexico, Aruba, Costa Rica, Netherlands Antilles, Canada, Panama, Guatemala and APCA (representing Guadalupe and Martinique). Unfortunately,there were no representatives from non-MAs or from the South Americanpart of the region. This was noted with regret, and their input to the meetingwas both missedand needed. The Executive Board was represented by the EVP Financeand EVP Americas, the latter as usual chairing the meeting. Also present was an observer from the American company AT&T. Hopefully, we will be able to welcome the company as a Corporate Memberat the BournemouthConference. One day prior to the actual meeting an infonnal seminar on the theme"How IFATCA Works" was held. The main meeting was formally opened by the Director General Civil Aviation, Mr Alvaro Escalante, who in his opening remarks stressed both the economical and safety aspects of the ATCprofession. The President of SITECNA, Mr Jorge Vargas, in his opening speech laid great emphasis on the necessity for unity

A

amongst the ATC Associations in the Americasregion; also he stated the need for improvements in the communication field, both within and between Associations, which he believed was imperative if any results were to be obtained. Furthermore, he said that a proper recognition of the profession throughoutthe region should be one of the prime objectives and hoped that this meetingcould serve as a guide for the future work. After a well deserved coffee-break the meeting started off with the "standard" agendaitems such as roll-call and acceptance of the agenda. The EVP AMA report, in which he gave an update on his activities since last Regionalmeeting, was followedby a comprehensivereport of Executive Board activities. Among the specific areas mentioned were the IFATCAparticipation in the 10th !CAO Air Navigation Conference, the IFATCAinvolvement in different working groups throughout the world and the great concernover the ATCsituation and development in the fom1erUSSR and Yugoslavia. The MAs reports gave a detailed picture of the ATCconditions in the various countries and generated a great deal of discussion and questions. A lot of the MAs in the region are facing many serious problems. It is not possible to go into detail in this forum, but it is safe to say that all Associationspresent seem to be working hard in trying to achieve changes, both in the technical and professional area. The absence of the South American MAs was particularly noticeable during this agenda item and the participating MAs had to leave the meeting with a lot of valuableinfo1mation missing. During the second clay of the meeting a numberof various topics were discussed, the most significantbeing: • The desire of several MAs to have an ILO study of the ATC Working Conditions in their respectivecountries. • The operation and purpose of the AmericasTask Force. • Avenues to increase involvement of Americas MAs in IFATCA business and other means to highlight this regions particular problems, both externally and interTHE CONTROLLER / MARCH 1992


__

_ _ _ __

__

_ IFATCA

ACTIVITIES

nally. A desire to give both topicshigh priority was expressed from both the Board representative and from the region. Deficiencies in telephone systems and flight plan distribution in the Caribbean Area. A decision was reached to convene a meetingwith the involvedMAs as a first step in trying to alleviatethe problems. Before the meeting was closed a tribute was paid to the outgoing EVP Americas, Mr Hugo Esquivel, for his work for the Federation during a number of years. The Federationis in debt to Hugo for his tireless

A

__

___

__

__

_

work for IFATCA in the various positions he has held during this time. The delegates were also introducedto two candidatesfor the position of EVP Americas, Mr Mike Tonner from Canada and Mr Samuel Lampkin from Trinidad& Tobago. Our sincere thanks must also go to SITECNA for hosting this very successful meeting.All arrangementswere of the highest standard and the delegates were shown the warm hospitality that the Costa Ricans are renownedfor, as many of us still remember from the Conference in 1986.

+

A

EGIONA

ING O Abouel Seoud El Karimy - Executive Vice President Africa

he second African Regional Meeting was held on the 7th and 8th of December 1991 in Casablanca, Morocco. The meeting was attended by twenty delegates, eleven MA's(Algeria- EgyptGhanaKenya - Morocco - Nigeria - Senegal Sudan - Tanzania - Uganda - Reunion Island) and nine non MA's (Ethiopia Gambia - Cote d'Ivoire - Libya - Lesotho Rwanda - Chad - Zambia- Mauritania). The meeting openedby Mr MOHAMMED BOUAMOUDthe Ministerof Transportand Mr AHMEDEL BIAZ the General Manager of the NationalAirportAuthority. The President of IFATCA, EVP-EUROPE and EVP-AFIattendedthe meeting on behalf of the Executive Board of IFATCA.Also the meeting was attended by observers from THOMSONCSF, WESTINGHOUSE , pilots and militaryair trafficcontrollers. During the meeting the delegates discussed all prepared aoenda items, which included the EVP-AFI b report, E.B. report and I.H.B. The President of IFATCA gave a report which covered the activities of the E.B. since the Trinidad Conference. The MAs and non-MAs then reported on their activities and developments and gave the delegates a good picture of the situation in various countries. Discussion was of a high standard, and it became apparent that most of the associations present are struggling hard to achieve their goals. The main problems in the African region are THE CONTROLLER / MARCH 1992

underdeveloped equipment,low level of salaries, lack of training, lack of qualified personnel, communication problems, lack of recognition of the role of the professional air traffic controller, low level of co-ordination between some countries and English language problems in French speaking countries. It was great that the meeting was attended by nine non-MAs that are planning to join IFATCA shortly and they will attend the 1992 Conference. During the meeting some associationsrequested a visit from EVP-AFI and asked IFATCAto assist with their problems. The meeting was well publicised locally with media (press, radio, T.V., .. .). In summary, the Second African Regional Meeting was excellent , well organised, productive, successful and four most enjoyable days. At the request of the Minister of State, the next regional meeting will also take place in Morocco. On the social side, after the meeting and on 9th and I0th of December 1991, there were flights trips to Marrakech, El Aoune and Agadir. The meeting expressed its deepest gratitude to the Moroccan Aviation Airport Authority, MATCAand its organising committee for a job very well done and for all the arrangements. The closing ceremonies were attended by Mr AHMED EL ALAWY, the Minister of the State - Morocco. Finally, I would like to thank Mr HAFID AHMED, the President of MATCA. for the support of the organisation.

+

AGENDA SEPTEMBER 92 6-13 Farnborough International 92, Royal Aerospace Establishment, Farnborough, U.K. Contact SBAC Tel +44 71 839 3231 Fax +44 71 930 3577. OCTOBER 92 14-17 Air Forum ' 92. Civil Aviation Conference & Exhibition. Contact ORGEXPO, P.O. Box 112, CH-1218 Grand-Saconnex/Geneva. Tel +22 798 11 11 Fax +22 798 01 00. 18-22 Convention ' 92. Biennial convention of CAOOAA, Civil Air Operations Officers' Association of Australia, Hobart, Tasmania. Tel +61 3 348 18 99 Fax +61 3 348 18 46. Postal address: CAOOAA 202 Berkley St, Carlton, Vic 3053, Australia. 21-25 Australian International Air Show and Aerospace Expo, Avalon, Victoria. For details, contact AirShows DownUnder Tel +61 2 630 2000 Fax +6 1 2 630 4764.

NOVEMBER 92 10-14 Second AACI Assembly, Madrid. Contact AACI, Airports Associations Council International, P.O.Box 125, 1215Geneva 15 Airport, Switzerland. Tel +4 122798 41 41 Fax +41 22 788 09 09 25-27 ATC ASIA'92, Air Traffic Control Exhibition & Conference, Hong Kong Exhibition Centre. Contact Jane Hadfield, Expoconsult (UK) Ltd .

Tel +44 707 376 565 Fax +44 707 376 816 or Roel van Leeuwen, ASIA Expoconsult, 46A Horne Road. Singapore 0820 Tel +65 299-9273 Fax +65 299-9782.

29


~lte:S

_____________

~

CHINESE MLS Reading my favourite magazine (The Controller, 4/91, page 23), I see that the Chinese have signed a contract with Kangaroo Electronics to purchase 6 MLS CAT ill (?) with the more or less

f'tof'l'\"14.WDt ,.

,,vt~,;,

ICA,O

Fl,Jtwrff

( 11,c,'~)

H'AbE IN C.ttlK-._

SWEET REVENGE A few months ago in the first-class compartment of a B747 belonging to a respected European airline on its way from US to Europe - all the passengers were enjoying their evening dinner at 35.000 Ft except one who is frantically pushing the call button for the stewardess:

COLUMN ___________

_

overt intention to study them, copy them and manufacture them cheaply to equip their airports. My God! After the cheap telephones and the cheap toys from China, we are going to have cheap MLS Cat ID! Thomsonbeware!The Chineseare c01ning... ! Talking about Chinese aviation, someone told me a story the other day which I'd like to share with you- Apparently,recently a Trident (HS21 for the trainees, yes, they are still flying around) overran the runway in Hong Kong and ended up in the harbour. As it was not such a nice advertisementfor the tourists and it impaired the maritime traffic, the hull had to be removed fast. As it was laying there waitingfor the Chinese investigatingterun to arrive, some people had a chance to look inside. They apparently found in the cockpita very strangeconstruction:a bottle of butane gas, nicely coupled to a burner and the matching pans and cups nicely fixed with screws and straps. It seemed that the crews had found a way aroundthe notablypoor cateringtheir airline had and decidedto improvetheir meals. Now I understandwhy sometimesthe transmissionsof some pi- · lots are full of static noise - it is not the atmosphericconditions it's just that they fry the noodlestoo close to the microphone!

"Yes,Sir, may I help you?" "Listen, each time I want to cut my fillet mignon steak I hear a cow protesting:look!" The passenger liftedhis fork and knife and as they approachedthe steaka loud"Moooooo" couldclearlybe heard. By now some more passengershad heardthe samenoise and startedto complain.

u Woo ! N!.VY./11/IIP ~ .¼A.SON tN r,.II

I

/ NG.&:D A IIM/1>IJf111 '1H€ Jll-fl1 t:.JtrP.Afl4NS -'-' ,

I({ ''11

30

THE CONTROLLER / MARCH 1992


t:J-Jte;s ~

-----------------

COLUMN-----------------

The Captainwas called into the cabinto reassurethe passengers that NO, it was not a joke arrangedby the airline,NO, theyhad no plans to turn them into vegetarians, and NO, to his knowledge Greenpeaceagentswere not on board.Therewas certainlya technical explanationfor this noise... etc.. But suddenly the captain was urgentlyrecalledto the cockpit! A FIREwarningin the frontcargohold!Immediatelythe captain decided to descend and to divert to the nearest suitable airport: Keflavikin Iceland,but still a longway... Sweaton the foreheads,fire warningstill on, ditchingthe 747 in the Atlantic is studied "in case of' : - long waiting - Finally Keflavikis in sight,emergencylanding,fire trucks alongthe runway,the 747 lands,stops,all doorsopen,chutesdown,evacuation of all passengers who find themselves without any shoes on a (very)cold tarmac,runningfor their lives ...

The Fire Brigadesurroundsthe 747... no smoke... with precaution, they open the front cargodoor and start laughingtheir heads off - the containers are shaking around while very loud "Mooooos"are comingout. SomeCOWShad beenpacked in containersand sent as normalcargo!The poor animalshad becomeso stressedduringthe flight they they sweatedheavily and produced so muchheatthat it activatedthe fire detectorsin the cargohold. The cows were disembarked while hundreds of passengers watched in disbelief. The 747 was useless with its chutes down and the airlinehad to send anotheraircraftto fetch the passengers somehourslater. Some of those passengers still swear today that they could see SMILESon the faces of the cows as they passed nicely in line in front of the (frozen) passengers. Some of them swore that they will alwaystake the fish menufrom now on whenflying...

LOSING MONEY INTHE199O's

answeredin msinimitableAmerica accat: "C()-1i001 the Papa standsfor the letter "P'' in ICAOlaD.guage •••"!Ill'! Anothertime I had a Dan-Mrfem.depil0t .desperately ~t-ing , time and again,for FL 330,but,dliswas ~ by a :Pan1r Am jet just above her. I askedthe Pam-Amif he wo1!1ld liik:eta take 370to allow Dan-Afrto ha,ve330.The Pan-Amcaptamreplied: "Sure,Control,we Pan-Amcapus like ,toclmibmi k\Jp.t>f everylady!" Goodbye,PBDAm, it was a pleas,urewerlciirllg wiilihy0u - came back:any time...

Exit PAN AM! No more "Clipper" callsigns on the frequencies... A bit sad.•. I remember a few years ago during a night shift: at the same time every day came the Clipper One (what a call-sign! - soundsinfinitely better than the "Aspirin Nine Five Seven1\vo",we havetoday).AnywayPA 1 camethat nighton the estimateas PA lP and indeedwhenhe came on the frequencythe pilot called"ClipperOnePapa". Being very curiousby nature I asked the pilot what the "Papa" stoodfor in the call signthat night.Aftera long silencethe captain

HAVEYOUGOTYOUROWNCOPYOF THECONTROLLER? THECONTROLLER, JOURNAL OFAIRTRAmc CONTROL, is published quarterly by the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers'Associations(IFATCA). Issues appear end of March, June, Septemberand December. Pleasemakeyoursubscriptionpaymentto: UnionBankof Switzerland, AirportBranch CH-1215Geneva15Airport Switzerland. Account: IFATCA/fHECONTROLLER NQ602 254.MD L Specialsubscriptionratesfor ATCOs. Enquiriesto our SubscriptionManager: THECONTROLLER, P.O.Box196,CH-1215Geneva15Airport, Switzerland.

THE CONTROLLER/ MARCH 1992

~ SUBSCRIPTION PORM Please returnto: 'Iim Co:NTaou.aa,P.Q. ,~ Switzerl•d

'tli, CH"fU$·~v,~ 1$ ~ 1

FamilyN•~Fitst Nl!ll)ile(s)

Address .

l\ate ,f(!)r1 year.(4 is$1:ie$) ,OJ;Jf20,00,fl,1¥jii.$~ t!il'!iipael",Ing. Surfu$ .m.~:Elili0.fllil - M~~JJJiPieQ GE>l!lfiiim~ ,QMif 5Jij)•. '-Olih.~ ~i:m1illits 0W 6.<00) 1~ A.mm.ail: :Eimape lfflcil Me<ilitetiillnean c~~ .OJIF 6.40, Otinere.e~t,tri:es. ll0-.80·

31


____

__

_ _ ___

__

_ ___

..,. page 8 STRESS • sector capacities shall be verified and redefined if necessary; • saturation reports shall be implemented in all units. These reports shall be analysed by a neutral concern and the units shall be informed about the results in order to take corrective action; • units shall be authorised to implementtraffic regulation measures in order to prevent systematic excess of sector capacities. To promote mutual understanding and confidence, we proposethat: • the results of this study shall be incorporated into the study about communication running within the company; • the results and consequences of the study shall be explained and discussed in refresher courses and the company policy shall be explained by a member of the Management; • Management shall provide more encouragement related to good work;

....page 12 AIRSPACE An obvious point, but one that can easily be overlooked. Perhaps the most important aspect of any computer system is the interface between a software program and the person using it. A number of considerations need to be borne in mind. The need for constant use of a keyboard to enter data or commands to the system will significant ly detract from its acceptability and consequent effectiveness. A well designed user interface should comprise screen-based buttons, selector men us and other graphical devices which are manipulated with a computer mouse or pointing device. This technology overcomes the user's reservation about lack of any keyboard skills and will typically also provide improved speed of operation and thus productivity. The model and its screen-based user interface must be designed such that the user does not need to understand computer technology or concepts in great detail. After all,

32

THE LAST PAGE _______

_________

_

• personal contact between ATCO's Managers shall be increased, the Chiefs shall be seen in the controlroomsmore often, they shall discuss any matter that occurs at the moment with their ATCO's (Less paper- more words!). To promote health and well-being, we proposethat: • health education and stress management programmes shall be an integratedpart of basic training; • similar programmes shall be made available for activeATCO's; • the position of the company medical doctors shall be enforced in order to accentuate their preventivetask; • new installations, procedures, etc., shall be tested for ergonomics and healthcompatibility. It seems normal that already running programmes, such as the two-weeks"Cure" offered to ATCO's, are to be considered as part of the general stress-managementprogram, although they were implementedbe-

fore the publication of the Final Report. We are now going into the realisation phase, and the efficiency of the different programmes depend on the will to apply the proposed measures, on the management side as well as on the ATCO's. The realisation of certain proposals means money for some, manpower (which is already scarce) for others, changing of personal attitudes for some more - and perhaps even disturbance in personal comfort at certain points. Whether the results will be positive or not depends on everybody's will and effort to change things and to start something new.The future will tell if the attempted approach was efficient.

you do not need to know in detail how a motor car operates to be able to drive it. The ideal user for an airspace modeller will be one who understands the complexities of airspace and/or airport management and decision-making, and who will use simulation tools to make more effective decisions. They should not have to become a computer expert. This means that the designer of the model must provide common-sense items that the user understands. For example, the flight plan associated with an aircraft should be identified as such rather than as some meaningless computer term. The philosophy of making the system easy to use and understand must extend to the data structures and files which are required to run the model or scheduling system. The typical user will not be proficient in relational database techniques and concepts. Data elements should be presented in a simple form, and accessed via a pointing device, such as a mouse, to click on shapes (icons) which represent entities. For example, information about

an aircraft should be contain ed in an aircraft-shaped icon. The provision of easily used and understood tool s will ensurethat data is kept up-to-date , and therefore relevant. Output from simulation systems must provide enough meaningful detail to enable decision-makers to assess the effectiveness of alternatives. Information concerning resource utilisation and process times are crucial in determining whether an aircraft is meeting its objectives in terms of responsiveness, as well as financially. Careful assessment and consideration of these aspects of a simulation system will enable the astute airways manager to produce a valuable short-list of appropriate software tools. It is then a question of talking to existing users of these systems and perhaps undertaking a trial study. Finally there must be recognition of the inevitable short-term disruption that any new system brings with it before it is possible to reap its benefits. Remember your first driving lesson? Or first trying to program a VCR? +

+

No re: Should you be looking for more extensive scientific information about this particular study. look out for the following publications: H. Zeier: "Psychophysiologische Stressforschung: Methodik und Ergebnisse einer Untersuchung bei Flugverkehrsleitem".Bern: Editions Paul Haupt (in press) H. Zeier: "Workload and physiopsychological stress reactions in air traffic controllers". (submitted for publications to "Ergonomics")

THE CONTROLLER / MARCH 1992


ALENIACIVILSYSTEMS,Rome,Italy ATSAEROSPACE,St. Hubert,Canada AUTODIAGNOS, Stockholm,Sweden AVTELPTY,Hawthorn,Australia BRITISHAEROSPACE SIMULATION LTD.,UK CAEELECTRONICSLtd., Saint-Laurent,Quebec,Canada CESELSA,Madrid,Spain CISETS.p.A.,Rome,Italy COMPUTERCOMMUNICATIONS SOFIWAREGmbH,Rodedermark-Waldacker, Germany COSSORELECTRONICSLtd., Harlow,Essex,UK CRIMPA/S, Alleri:id,Denmark DICTAPHONE CORPORATION, Stratford,CT,USA DORNIERGmbH,CommunicationSystems,Konstanz,Germany FFV AIRPORTTECHNOLOGYAB, Fri:isi:in, Sweden HOLLANDSESIGNAALAPPARATEN B.V.,Hengelo,Netherlands HUGHESAIRCRAFTCORP., Los Angeles,CA, USA JEPPESEN& CO. GmbH,Frankfurtam Main,Germany JERRYTHOMPSON& ASSOCIATES Inc., Kensington,MD, USA MARCONIRADARSYSTEMSLtd.,Chelmsford,Essex,UK MITRECORPORATION, McLean,VA,USA NETWORKSYSTEMSGmbH,Frankfurtam Main,Germany NOBELTECHSYSTEMSAB,Jarfiilla,Sweden NORCONTROLSURVEILLANCE SYSTEMSA.S.,ChippingSodbury,Avon,UK RAYTHEONCANADALtd.,Waterloo,Ontario,Canada REDIFFUSIONSIMULATION Ltd., BurgessHill,WestSussex,UK SCHMIDTELECOMMUNICATION, Zi.irich,Switzerland SEL-STANDARD ELECKTRIKLORENZ,Stuttgart,Zuffenhausen,Germany SIEMENS-PLESSEY RADARLtd.,Chessington,Surrey,UK SOCIETED'ETUDESET D'ENTREPRISESELECTRIQUES,Malakoff,France SOFREAVIA, Paris,France SWEDAVIAAB, Norrkoping,Sweden TASA,Telecommunica~oes AeronauticasS.A.,Rio de Janeiro,Brazil TELEFUNKENSYSTEMTECHNIK GmbH,Wedel,FRG TELEPHONICS, Farmingdale,NY,USA TELUBAB, Vaxji:i,Sweden THOMSON-CSF, DivisionSDC,Meudon,France UNISYSDEUTSCHLAND GmbH,Sulzbach,Germany VIDEOTEXA/S, Alleri:id,Denmark WESTINGHOUSE ElectricCorp.. Baltimore,MD,USA

The lnte~national.Fe?er~tion_of Air ~raffic Controllers'_Associa~ionswould like to invite all corporations, organizatl?ns,an~ ms_tltut10ns mterestedm and concernedwiththe mamtenanceand promotionof safety in air traffic to join their orgamzat10n as CorporateMembers. CorporateMemberssupportthe aims of the Federationby supplyingthe Federationwith technicalinformationand by meansof an annualsubscription.The Federation'sinternationaljournalThe Controlleris offeredas a platformfor the discussionof technicaland proceduraldevelopmentsin the field of air trafficcontrol.


Mode Sis the mode of the fut ure . Especially at Thomson. And especially in Europe wher e today's skies are fast app roaching complete gridlock. Mode S provides a direct, automa tic, highly efficient data link between the pilot and th e air traffic controller. It also pro vides a highly effective aircr aft id entification system. At Thom son we're very much invo lved in the development of Mode S. As a world leader in monopulse secondary radar, we' re well qualified for the task. We've already logged several years of Mode S experience with our experimen tal station at Orly Airport. Thomson-CSE A company that's working hard to put Mode Son the map. Your map. Worldwide . '~ .,

Mode S. The vital link.

~.lllii. lllQMSQN•CSf

DIVISION SYSTEMES DEFENSEETCONTROLE- 18, av. du M''1-Ju in - 92363 Meudon -ia-Foret Cedex - FRANCE - Tel (33- 1) 40.94.30.00 - Telex • THOM

6 l 678 0F


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.