FLIGHT TESTING OF NOISE ABATING RNP PROCEDURES AND STEEP APPROACHES

To test different types of noise abatement approach procedures the Institute of Flight Guidance and the Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology performed flight tests on the 6th September 2010 with a Boeing 737-700. In total 13 approaches to the Research Airport in Brunswick were flown while the approach area of the airport was equipped with six noise measurement microphones. Brunswick airport is equipped with an experimental ground based augmentation system (GBAS) which allows the implementation of 48 ILS lookalike precision approach procedures with different approach angles simultaneously

IMPACT STUDY ON CYBER THREATS TO GNSS AND FMS SYSTEMS

Within this work, that was carried out following a call for tender by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the impact of cybersecurity threats especially on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and Flight Management Systems (FMS) was assessed. In order to do so, simulation studies were carried out. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) operates the research simulator AVES (Air Vehicle Simulator) which was used for the flight simulation exercises within this project. The AVES combines two facilities to simulate airplanes and helicopters to the highest technical level. The cockpit unit used was a complete replica of an Airbus A320. The corresponding simulation software (incl. flight dynamical models and system simulation) is entirely developed at DLR according to the official documentation providing full access and flexibility in the investigations. The motion platform provides a motion system with six degrees of freedom, whose motion cueing algorithms can be specifically tuned for a given task if needed. This unique infrastructure has been built during the last years with the aim of providing a highly-representative test platform for new cockpit functions and flight crew training research. To assess the impact of cyber-attacks on GNSS and FMS, different scenarios were developed and ranked by their likelihood of occurrence and their expected impact on safety and the continuation of the flight. Based on the identified threats, realistic scenarios according to airline operations were designed and implemented into the AVES research simulator. Synthetic error models reproducing the same effects on the aircraft systems as identified in the projects preceding GNSS and FMS threat assessment work were integrated into the AVES software architecture. In particular, the impact of GNSS jamming and spoofing attacks during satellite based approach procedures was investigated. In addition, attacks on the FMS through the open protocol of the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) were assessed. In this paper, we are going to present the results that were obtained during the simulations with airline pilots holding Air Transport Pilot Licenses (ATPL) with a special focus on the attacks on the FMS and its related systems. We are going to describe the simulation setup and the reaction of the pilots and we will give pilot training and cockpit systems design recommendations in order to mitigate risks that stem from the investigated threat scenarios

INVIRCAT - A concept of operations to efficiently integrate IFR RPAS into the TMA

INVIRCAT is a European project co-funded by SESAR Joint Undertaking under European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (GA No. 893375), which is dedicated to developing means for a safe and efficient integration of RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems) into the existing Air Traffic Control (ATC) procedures and infrastructures within Terminal Manoeuvring Areas (TMA) under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). The 30 months project (01.07.2020 – 31.12.2022) has produced an initial concept of operations for remotely piloted aircraft systems in the TMA of airports, which will be assessed and validated through a set of human-in-the-loop simulations. INVIRCAT focusses on the influence of RPAS specific challenges, such as latency and failure of the voice and command and control links, on human factor aspects of air traffic controllers and remote pilots and investigates possible mitigations, such as the use of automatic take-off and landing systems and predetermined contingency procedures. Thereby, INVIRCAT considers different RPAS types, from MALE/HALE configurations to retrofitted airliners used for cargo operations and an operational environment in which multiple RPAS at a time share the airspace of the TMA with manned aircraft

Enabling Efficient Approach Procedures for Unmanned Aircraft (UA)

Integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into non-segregated airspace remains a major goal to be achieved for future acceptance of unmanned systems. Currently, most civil and military UAS operations are taking place in segregated airspace so that collision avoidance and separation with other traffic is of minor concern. To further enable the UAS operational scope, Unmanned Aircraft (UA) must be able to fly in airspace where other traffic is operating as well. This becomes increasingly important when considering the effects on efficiency and safety caused by the participation of UAS in the approaching and departing traffic at (civil) hub airports. Enabling a smooth integration of UA into the traffic stream of an airport requires the examination of two different aspects. One important aspect is the handling of UA Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS) under the requirement of wake vortex separation and a sustained Air Traffic Control (ATC) communication. A second aspect that needs to be considered is the potential of improving current UAS approach procedures and their effect on airport capacity

Integrating Unmanned Aircraft Efficiently into Hub Airport Approach Procedures

Currently, most civil and military UAS operations are taking place in segregated airspace so that collision avoidance and separation with other traffic is of minor concern. To further enable the UAS operational scope, Unmanned Aircraft (UA) must be able to fly in airspace where other traffic is operating as well. This becomes increasingly important when considering the effects on efficiency and safety caused by the participation of UAS in the approaching and departing traffic at (civil) hub airports. Enabling a smooth integration of UA into the traffic stream of an airport requires the examination of two different aspects. One important aspect is the handling of UA Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS) under the requirement of wake vortex separation and a sustained Air Traffic Control (ATC) communication. A second aspect that needs to be considered is the potential of improving current UAS approach procedures and their effect on airport capacity. In this paper, a concept is presented, in which a single generic Ground Control Station (GCS), located at or near the airport can be used to control multiple UAS and, in conjunction with advanced GBAS approach procedures, can facilitate the shared use of an airport

Teilprojektplan Ausrüstung D-ATRA

Teilprojektplan für die Modifikation des Flugversuchsträgers D-ATRA bezüglich der Belange des Instituts F

MURPHY’S LAW SQUARED - FLIGHT TESTING OF AUTOMATED CLOSELY SPACED PARALLEL APPROACHES

As the international air traffic becomes more and more complex there is a growing demand for new operational procedures. Especially the runway capacity is a limiting factor for the maximum number of flights that can be conducted on an airport. Airports with a dependent (distance of runway centerlines less than 1035m) parallel runway system cannot exploit the full potential of the individual capacity of each single runway as approaching aircraft have to maintain an increased separation due to the threat of wake vortices. In this work the methods and findings of conducted flight tests regarding an automated ap-proach procedure are presented. The procedure aims to increase the capacity of a dependent parallel runway system. Based on the visual procedure used at San Francisco airport one ap-proaching aircraft (the “leading” aircraft) is flying a standard approach procedure (i.e., RNAV or ILS) with certain time constraints while a second aircraft (the “trailing” aircraft) is flying a parallel approach that leads to a merge point from which on the two aircraft are flying nearly parallel with approximately 15 seconds separation. Several flight tests of the procedure have been conducted at Braunschweig-Wolfsburg airport. They required a detailed planning and briefing and had initially high demands on the equip-ment of the participating aircraft. The procedure was tested in a build-up approach in which the number of participating parties and the required complexity was increased incrementally. Initially simulator trials were conducted and evaluated. After that, flight trials with a single aircraft were conducted while a simulator on board was simulating the leading traffic. Lastly, flight trials with two different types of leading aircraft (King Air 350, Airbus A320) and a trailing aircraft (Advanced Technologies Testing Aircraft System, ATTAS, VFW 614) were conducted. The trajectories during the final trials had to be coordinated between the two aircraft and with air traffic control (ATC). The trailing aircraft (ATTAS), equipped with the in-house developed 4D FMS and autopilot, conducted approaches onto a simulated parallel runway. As the airport offers only one concrete runway, an artificial ILS onto a parallel taxiway had to be created. The paper describes the different stages of the technical installations of the aircraft and presents the design, the build-up approach and the results of the conducted flight tests. In addition, the conducted safety briefings and the means to mitigate the risks during the trials are shown

Experimental HMI Integration for Flight Tests

The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.; DLR) operates one of Europe's largest civilian research fleets of airplanes and helicopters. DLR’s department of Flight Operations is responsible for maintaining, providing and deploying these highly modified aircraft. They can either be the object for aeronautics research themselves, or they can be used as platforms on which scientific equipment can be installed for observing the earth’s surface or for atmospheric research. Main topics within the branch of aviation research are flight control and Air Traffic Management including flight guidance. Priorities are set in the areas of operational procedures, technology development and human-centered automation. Therefore, the DLR Institute of Flight Guidance develops and evaluates concepts, solutions and methods for air traffic management, airports and the vicinity of airports. The goal is to improve the efficiency, user friendliness and safety of the air transport system. One aspect of the research of DLR’s institute of flight guidance is the Human Machine Interface (HMI) between the pilot and the aircraft systems. Due to the growing complexity of automation systems and the development of innovative assistance systems, the HMI represents a critical component. The requirements for newly developed systems are the intuitive operation and the premises of not adding workload. In addition, when conducting flight trials with avionics prototypes or testing new procedures, the HMI is very important. Ideally, the HMI provides an overview of the state of the experimental system while assisting the pilot in monitoring the basic aircraft state. Therefore, the institute of flight guidance is conducting HMI research from a human factors viewpoint as well as using HMIs as a tool for enabling efficient and innovative approach procedures. In this briefing, two examples of integrated experimental HMIs for flight trials are presented. In one case, an experimental cockpit display was integrated into an A320 (D-ATRA) of the DLR to provide a possibility to show experimental video signals to the co-pilot on the right hand side of the cockpit. In the other case, a helmet mounted display was used to assist the pilot of a helicopter during difficult approach scenarios. The experimental cockpit display was used to conduct low drag low power approaches and precision curved approaches based on a Ground Based Augmentation System (GBAS). These approaches were flown with different display setups. Some results will be shown in this briefing. In addition, some results from the ALLFlight project, where helmet mounted display symbology was investigated are shown. Furthermore, the modes of operation during flight trials with experimental HMIs are described from a flight safety standpoint. A key element of DLR’s flight test safety concept is the crew composition. Next to the test pilot conducting the trials, a safety pilot monitors the flight parameters, being able to take over control immediately. The next line of defense is the reversion of the test pilot from the experimental HMI to the basic aircraft systems in order to support the safety pilot. These means, together with a structured preparation, including a hazard analysis and risk mitigation procedures, aim for the highest possible level of safety

Integrating RPAS into Existing ATM Structures – Published Approach Procedures vs. Local Arrangements

This paper presents the setup, the assessment methods, and the results of a flight trial that was conducted in June 2016 in order to demonstrate integration of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) into the current airspace, while also acknowledging that there are challenges to overcome. An RPAS demonstrator received a flight plan from the ground control station (GCS) using a groundbased data link, departing from Braunschweig- Wolfsburg airport and flying towards Leipzig/Halle airport on published routing. When approaching Leipzig/Halle airport, the data link was lost as predicted, and the arrival procedure was altered by air traffic control (ATC), which showed that an additional and dedicated RPAS controller at arrival airports might be valuable and advantageous. Focus of this paper is the description of the components that were used during the trial and their interconnectivity, the evaluation of quantitative recorded data and the qualitative experienced difficulties and challenges. Assessment of the recorded data is divided into data link quality, data link latency, and flight following performance (vertical and lateral following accuracy), with the latter being linked to existing performance based navigation (PBN) parameters by ICAO and heightkeeping performance values by EASA. The paper concludes with a discussion on the investigated integration concept