Developing an Adaptable NextGen Interface for the UAS Ground Control Station

Presently a significant number of unmanned aircraft are not included in the existing National Airspace System surveillance system. This is due to many reasons including an inability to carry Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast equipment for weight or power consumption deficiencies, legacy equipment usage, and the experimental nature of unmanned aircraft. In addition, pilots on the ground do not have the situation awareness to proximal aircraft pilots in the cockpit have. However, many unmanned aircraft utilize a link between the aircraft and ground control station that includes periodic updates to the aircraft position. Technologies have been developed to provide the existing national surveillance system with the location of the aircraft while at the same time providing the ground pilot a display with aircraft that are in the aircrafts proximity, thus expanding the national surveillance data as well as provide increased pilot situation awareness

Airport Departure Flow Management (DFM): Findings from Field Trial Testing

In this paper, we discuss the field testing of a Departure Flow Management (DFM) capability that has been developed by the FAA to reduce manual airport Call For Release (CFR) coordination requirements and workload, while increasing airport departure throughput and reducing delays. This field test consisted of shadow and operational phases and utilized both qualitative and quantitative methods. This study took place February and March 2008 at the Los Angeles (ZLA) Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) and Burbank (BUR), Las Vegas (LAS), Los Angeles (LAX), Ontario (ONT), and San Diego (SAN) airports. This test provided insights into how this tool changes roles and responsibilities, and how specific design features and functionality influenced the performance of the human operators. Human factors design improvements are discussed, along with the broader implications of the results of this case study for the introduction of new tools and automation into a distributed work environment

Surface Management System Field Trial Results

Surface Management System (SMS). This paper reports on two recent SMS field tests as well as final performance and benefits analyses. Field tests and analysis support the conclusion that substantial portions of SMS technology are ready for transfer to the FAA and deployment throughout the National Airspace System (NAS). Other SMS capabilities were accepted in concept but require additional refinement for inclusion in subsequent development spirals. SMS is a decision support tool that helps operational specialists at Air Traffic Control (ATC) and NAS user facilities to collaboratively manage the movements of aircraft on the surface of busy airports, thereby improving capacity, efficiency, and flexibility. SMS provides accurate predictions of the future demand and how that demand will affect airport resources – information that is not currently available. The resulting shared awareness enables the Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT), Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON), Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC), and air carriers to coordinate traffic management decisions. Furthermore, SMS uses its ability to predict how future demand will play out on the surface to evaluate the effect of various traffic management decisions in advance of implementing them, to plan and advise surface operations. The SMS concept, displays, and algorithms were evaluated through a series of field tests at Memphis International Airport (MEM). An operational trial in September, 2003 evaluated SMS traffic management components, such as runway configuration change planning; shadow testing in January, 2004 tested tactical components (e.g., Approval Request (APREQ) coordination

Tactical Airport Departure Flow Management

Current departure procedures in the National Aviation System (NAS) seek to balance departure demand with terminal, en route and downstream capacity. In part this is accomplished with ATC Tower, TRACON and ARTCC personnel working in concert to produce timed sequences for departing aircraft and through the use of specific traffic management initiatives (TMIs) such as miles-in-trail. Today, much of Departure Flow Management (DFM) is accomplished via manually intensive tactical decision making. Specifically, a method referred to as APREQ or “approval request” defines a process where a facility (either airport or Terminal Radar Approach CONtrol - TRACON) must call via the telephone and receive departure release approval from an Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) for specific departing flights. These APREQ flights are identified by the Air Traffic Control Systems Command Center (ATCSCC) and/or ARTCC because the flight is (or may be) affected by some type of constraint. Ultimately, this process is to ensure that aircraft are arriving at a given point in the airspace (to merge into a flow) or at an airport at a proper time and in proper sequence. Today, this process can be time consuming and cumbersome and it requires major collaboration between the various facilities. In this paper, we will discuss methods supported by the DFM concept and decision support capabilities for increasing NAS efficiency through the tactical management of departing flights