Are ATM operational concepts the cause of failure?
On 03/09/2010, in SESAR's Palace, by steve
I have known Jean-Marc Garot, the former director of EUROCONTROL’s Experimental Centre in Paris for a long time. A forward thinker and in many ways a visionary, he retired from EUROCONTROL in 2005. He has now published an interesting article in The Controller magazine with the title “What is an ATM concept?”
I think everyone in Europe and in the US who has ever been involved in the development of operational concepts for air traffic management should read this article. Not because it is so good or so full of revelations from which we can learn but to see just how poorly we have communicated our efforts and how completely things have been misunderstood on various levels of the ATM world and at different ATM organizations.
The article starts off with a nice and even funny summing up of how, it is claimed, experts for concept work are/have been selected. There is indeed some truth in the description and it is also true that there have always been people on the concept groups coming from airlines, ANSPs, industry and what have you who could only think in terms of their own particular activities with little regard for anybody else’s. But those were always a minority. Troublesome yes, but hardly determinant for the final product.
The overwhelming majority of experts in concept work knew what they were about and it was quite common to have airline reps with an ATC background as well as the other way round with ATC folks who were flying on the side.
The article correctly points out that some of the documents produced were indeed overly voluminous… It is a pity that in the very next paragraph 4D Trajectory Management, System Wide Information Management (SWIM) and even air/ground digital link are listed as mere hypotheses, ambiguous descriptions that everyone can agree to and which therefore assume the status of certainties, no longer questioned and on which benefit expectations can be built… without much justification.
Click here to read the full article
Station calling – Visiting Wings Over Hawai’i
On 02/09/2010, in Station calling, by steve
With the aviation industry finally climbing out from the worst crisis it has ever faced, the trade press is also taking note and articles of doom are increasingly being replaced by cautious good news from all corners of the world. But there were people who, even in the middle of the darkest days, tolled to help make aviation education better and more accessible in their community.
Wings Over Hawaii is a non-profit organization set up by husband and wife John and Marissa Colclasure in 2008 in Honolulu, Hawaii. I think this in itself says a lot about their love for the business of flying as well as their vision of the future. In 2008 most of us were worrying about our jobs and future while the Colclasures set out to remedy a shortcoming they noticed in the educational programming available in the Hawaiian communities.
What they had discovered was that programs promoting flying were not only hard to find but those available were not much fun and were often outright boring. Aviation is always fun and it is never boring. There is excitement and adventure in it and the opportunity for going beyond one’s imagination… This was the kind of program John and Marissa was missing and which they decided to realize in the framework of Wings Over Hawaii.
Click here to read the full article
Quote of September 2010
On 01/09/2010, in Quote of the month, by steve
Reason, too late perhaps, may convince you of the folly of misspending time.
George Washington
Staying at the Airport Hotel – Budapest
On 30/08/2010, in On the go..., by admin
For long drives, nothing beats the Grand Voyager
Our latest business opportunities call for an increasing amount of travel, among them to Budapest, Hungary. Budapest is special in more ways than one, including the fact that it is my birth city and coming back even if for a short time is always a pleasure. Last week’s trip was a combined business/holiday affair and we drove “home” in the company Chrysler Grand Voyager. You may look on that car with a disapproving eye from an environmental point of view but in terms of comfort and the ease when you need to haul people and gear, it has no equal in its category.It was of course only natural that we should be staying at the Airport Hotel near Ferihegy. BluSky Services, my company, has a corporate arrangement with the hotel and so we get a great rate but even if you have to pay the normal price, you get excellent value for your money.
It was very late evening when I pulled into their spacious parking lot which has slots also for cars hauling a caravan or which are themselves longer than your usual passenger vehicle. Plenty of parking space there so you will never end up having to find a slot on the street even in the busiest months.
A welcome sight after the long drive...
Our room was also spacious and well appointed and there was no problem at all with finding space for our gear. The beds were very inviting but I know from experience that after having driven 13 hours it is best to take some time to relax before trying to sleep. We were also hungry so we went down to the restaurant that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No matter how late or how early you walk in there, a friendly crew and a full menu card awaits you. The kitchen is a nice combination of international and Hungarian and the food is excellent. Not at all the kind of characterless stuff so many hotels offer you at exorbitant prices. The Airport Hotel in Budapest serves you great food at moderate prices any hour of the day or night.
Click here to read the full article
In search of Roger
On 27/08/2010, in Just to let you know..., by steve
Looking for Roger...
When I opened my mail this morning, there was an item with the greeting “Aloha”… As a big fan of the islands and a subscriber to Aloha Joe’s newsletter, I do occasionally get mail from Hawai’i but reading this email touched my heart like no other has in a long time.
The sender is the co-founder of Wings Over Hawaii, a non-profit organization based in Honolulu, with the mission of promoting aviation education in their schools, grades 5-12. This is a wonderful mission by any measure but there is more.
Marissa, the sender of the email, is planning to launch a web site and blog dedicated to finding Roger. So who is Roger?
Well, if you are a pilot or an air traffic controller, you will have invoked his name thousands of times to acknowledge a transmission on the radio. But Marissa believes that there is another side to Roger which has never been described in the ICAO books but which is nevertheless equally real to those who love aviation.
Roger is the spirit of the sky and the essence of flight. Pilots touched by Roger have that special twinkle in their eyes and their hearts on their wings. We all encounter Roger somewhere, some time.
But how did the name Roger assume the meaning: correct receipt of the transmission is acknowledged?
Click here to read the full article
EASA Safety Review 2009 published
On 24/08/2010, in SKYbrary News, by steve
News from EUROCONTROL’s aviation safety knowledge base SKYbrary.
EASA has published its annual safety review for 2009. The report includes an analysis of accident data for light aircraft; although the data is incomplete, because several member states did not report, it gives further insight into the safety challenges facing general aviation. “Loss of control In-flight” continues to be the most frequent accident category for general aviation and aerial work operations.
Download the report here.
Why airlines are reluctant to SWIM
On 20/08/2010, in SWIM, by steve
In the air traffic management context, System Wide Information Management (SWIM) is an accepted concept and in fact SWIM is considered as one of the most important mainstays of both SESAR in Europe and NextGen in the USA. SWIM attained this status through the widespread recognition that the lack of information and the poor management of available information was in fact one of the main causes of inefficiencies in air traffic management.
In the SWIM context aircraft and airline systems are as much part of the net-centric environment as are ATC systems and airports. In other words, information is universal and must be managed as such without artificial barriers separating the partners along legacy divisions based on activity types. It does not mean that everyone may see into everyone else’s kitchen. Commercial and other sensitivities are taken into account but required information is available to whoever needs it, where they need it and when they need it.
Only by going away from the legacy thinking of treating information divided into company domains and replacing it with an information-as-needed type of paradigm can the hunger for information in aviation be quenched. This will certainly cost money but the transition has to be made or the consequences can be dire.
In this light it is certainly cause for worry to read in the July 26 issue of Aviation Week and Space Technology about the debate that took place recently at SITA’s Assembly in Genval, Belgium. There Edward Nicol, Cathay Pacific Airways’ director of information management, while acknowledging the legitimacy of the connected aircraft concept, argued that to date no supplier could provide a business case for such a system. As reported by Aviation Week, he went on to say that the implementation programs being promoted by the manufacturers do not fully recognize the practical difficulties of overhauling an airline’s legacy systems.
Unfortunately the report does not quote the position of airlines in the SESAR and NextGen sphere of influence but I am afraid that their view of the connected aircraft is probably rather similar. And therein lies the lethal trap.
Click here to read the full article
The saga of Brussels Airlines flight SN 2908 continues
On 17/08/2010, in CDM, by steve
Our regular readers will remember that back in June I wrote a post about how the passengers and, apparently Vienna airport itself, was left in the dark about the comings and goings of SN 2908… Passengers were being boarded into the holding area when it was revealed that the flight would be an hour and a half late. You can read that story here.
One of my advance bookings is for the same flight in September and earlier this month Brussels Airlines sent a very nifty email informing me that the flight has been rescheduled and would now leave Vienna at 21.10 instead of the original 20.35. Since the flight was late most of the time anyway, this is nothing more than recognition of a fact of life but is a good move nevertheless. It will save a lot of frustration and aggravation, not to mention the improvement to SN’s on-time performance.
I did not get any reaction from Brussels Airlines to my original post and I would hate to appear pretentious by claiming that this rescheduling has anything to do with the article. It is probably just a coincidence… but a good one!
Multilateration – Executive Reference Guide
On 13/08/2010, in Bookshelf, by steve
Multilateration (often shortened to MLAT) is a surveillance technology that promises to satisfy surveillance requirements in most circumstances and it is seen as the best option in the transition to ADS-B based surveillance. It is no accident that organizations around the globe are turning to this technology, not least because it offers a solution that is much less expensive than conventional radars.
ERA Corporation, one of the premier suppliers of MLAT solutions, is behind a new guide developed to provide an easy-to-read reference for air traffic management, airport and airline professionals to answer the numerous questions they usually have about multilateration.
It is a cute, compact volume which sums up things pretty nicely and even hardened veterans may find it useful when they need a quick fact or other reference for presentations or general papers. For others, it is a must have item.
Download your copy here.
There is also a web site dedicated to the subject, which you can access here. The site has a few rough edges but those will be ironed out in time I am sure.
The rise and fall of an alien industrial spy
On 11/08/2010, in Environment - Without hot air, by cleo
As soon as teleporting was perfected for the military in a far corner of the galaxy, the first assignment for the new system was to send an agent to Earth to check out the source of incessant radio noise and strange video images alternately showing humans killing each other or pairing in strange ways often involving acrobatics that the far off aliens could not fathom. Mr. Fa’reye’s (a name quite impossible to pronounce for Earthlings) was selected as the agent for the mission. He was instructed to observe and provide a comprehensive report.
When Mr. Fa’reye’s arrived in Earth orbit, he was amazed to discover the incredible amount of junk that was floating around… his teleport capsule needed all of its computing power to dodge the obstacles. His first scan showed what he discovered were parliaments where people apparently went to discuss things which were subsequently mostly ignored by most other people. A lot of talk was about the environment and it seemed this was a subject that could actually make many of the two legged creatures in the parliaments quite passionate. They seemed to be saving their planet from some future catastrophe… They did not seem to realize that it was already happening. But, sure enough, they voted to spend a lot of money on future projects with doubtful outcome while very little if anything was being spent on mitigating the damage already being caused by their changing climate.
To Mr. Fa’reye’s’ amazement, people were also being duped by something they seemed to call hybrid cars which, apparently, they thought were not producing any harmful emissions. Power stations belching smoke as they produced the electricity for charging those hybrids were usually out of site and the people buying those cars did not seem to connect the smoke with their “emission free” vehicles.
On his last scan, he spotted a company making airplanes and what he discovered there was truly incredible on a world that seemed to be so hung up on protecting their environment.
Click here to read the full article
When winglets turn green – Continental flies on bio-fuel
On 09/08/2010, in Environment - Without hot air, by steve
It is more than a year ago now, but on 7 January 2009 Continental Airlines was the first US airline to conduct a bio-fuel test flight with one of their Boeing 737-800s. One engine was running on a mixture of traditional jet fuel, algae and jatropha oil.
The 73 got a special paint job for the occasion, proclaiming the arrival of “eco-skies” on the side of the fuselage and winglets sporting a bright green color.
Continental was blasted by wary environmentalists for the extra paint job but they were reassured that the paint used was of the high solids kind and the surface treatment underneath was also of a modern, chromium-free type, both as environmentally friendly as they come.
N76516 had been spotted in its new livery all over the US but there is scant news on any follow up to this initial test.
Getting the new paint job
HindSight – EUROCONTROL’s award winning safety magazine
On 05/08/2010, in Bookshelf, by steve
EUROCONTROL’s award winning safety magazine HindSight, appearingtwice a year has just published its 11th edition. It focuses on airspace infringements, a subject well known to all who fly or control aircraft.
Get the latest edition here.
You can order your free, printed copy here.
“Say Again?” – A phraseology guide from EUROCONTROL
On 02/08/2010, in SKYbrary News, by steve
News from EUROCONTROL’s aviation safety knowledge base SKYbrary.
“Say Again?”, the Phraseology Guide developed by EUROCONTROL is now available online. This guide contains standard words and phrases as described in ICAO Annex 10, Volume 2 and ICAO Doc 4444. The objective of this online guide is to improve the use of standard phraseology by controllers and pilots. It explains the correct syntax, the context of use of phrases and words and provides spoken examples.
Check out the guide here.
Quote of August 2010
On 01/08/2010, in Quote of the month, by steve
We are generally better persuaded by the reasons we discover ourselves than by those given to us by others.
Blaise Pascal
Who shall be boss?
On 29/07/2010, in Tower chronicles, by lajos
The story started back in 2009, on 20 April to be exact. As you will see the dates are important, this is why I am trying to remember them exactly. It was on this date that I completed the usual yearly proficiency test and I was so pleased with my 92 % result it never entered my mind that it would some day prove inadequate. In any case, it is only normal that a tower supervisor should achieve at least 90 %, so I was satisfied with myself. You must know about this proficiency test that a simple ground-pounder has 50 questions to answer while a supervisor gets 60… One thing was sure, I could continue to work as SV. (Supervisor or SV in Budapest is the deputy boss of a given shift. DSV or Duty Supervisor is the boss of the shift – Ed.)
A while later on a quiet, December day shift an old student of mine (who is now the boss of the training section but to keep his ATC license he works a certain number of hours in the tower) turned to me and said:
- Lajos, the time has come, here is your chance to become DSV!
- What gives? – I asked emerging from the Supervisor station.
- TC is retiring next year and the bidding is open for his position. Are you interested? – my ex-student asked loud enough for the others to also start listening.
- Rex Lajos, what will become of us without you? Who will they send to torture us? – came the chorus of the colleagues.
- I have no clue. This is the first time I have heard of this. I will think about it. – I replied and returned to the SV station to finish whatever I had been doing in the first place.
But the bug had been planted in my ear. I was thinking, this would be the same group I originally became an SV in… the group where they had that great sphere of companionship, the group that was on good terms even with the colleagues from approach control. True, only two people remained from the original crew but I knew also the young people, if nothing else I met them during their training period.
Click here to read the full article
Ramp inspections at European Union airports – SAFA
On 27/07/2010, in SKYbrary News, by steve
News from EUROCONTROL’s aviation safety knowledge base SKYbrary.
The European Community Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft (SAFA) program began in 1996 as a voluntary ECAC program. Its legal basis was subsequently established by Directive 2004/36/CE of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 – the so-called “SAFA Directive”. Under this legislation, international safety standards have been enforced within the European Community by means of ramp inspections of third-country aircraft landing at airports located in the EU Member States.
Read the full report here.
You can read more about the past, present and future of the SAFA program here.
Roger-Wilco – One year down the road
On 23/07/2010, in Anniversaries, by steve
Back in spring 2009 I knew that a lot of us had a lot to say about air traffic management, its future, present and past. What I was not quite sure of was where to say it. Speakers’ Corner in London was not an option and I suspected the official sites of the big ATM organizations would not be exactly happy with some of the things we would want to say.
When the idea of an ATM blog was first floated inside the company, I was reluctant. A lot of people perceive blogs as the trumpet of disgruntled people where they can air their gripes with relative impunity… But then there are other types of blogs also that deliver quality and useful insights… Weighing the possibilities, the decision was made to go for a blog and to make it into this second kind.
In terms of the actual format we decided early on that we did not want to be a discussion forum (plenty of those around) and we did not want to be a news portal either (lots and lots of those also). I was most attracted to something akin to an electronic magazine with full length, informative articles, news items that would not go stale within a day or so, commentary on actual developments and a section on books (both printed and electronic) that we would recommend. In other words, Roger-Wilco had to be something apart, something that befits the first ATM blog ever.
Click here to read the full article
Relative secrets
On 22/07/2010, in Flashback, by steve
I have an old book here, entitled “On the highways of the sky”. Published in the 60’s in Hungary and translated from the original East-German edition, it did reflect the spirit of the times but for me at age 13 or 14 it was the most wonderful book ever. It talked about all the fascinating things that were already pulling me towards a career in aviation.
There was a sentence in the book, advising air travelers to pack their cameras in the checked baggage. Of course… making photos from aircraft, even passenger aircraft, must have been anathema to the regimes in Eastern Europe back then. I remembered this sentence every time we flew and as a kid often wondered what the always polite and nice Malev cabin crew would have done had I kept my camera with me. On a flight with Aeroflot with a cabin crew perfectly capable of upsetting the balance of the aircraft had they congregated at the aft galley, I did not even wonder any more…
Several years later my dream came true and I started working at Ferihegy airport. Like all such places, Ferihegy too had its share of old stories and as the new boy in town, I was an avid listener whenever the old hands started to reminisce.
One story had a particular relevance to my earlier experience with the camera…
Click here to read the full article
Summer schedule on Roger-Wilco
On 21/07/2010, in Just to let you know..., by steve
With the summer holiday period on us, we will use an adapted publication schedule until 31 August.
As you will have seen, normally we post at least one new item every week-day. However, with so many of our readers enjoying their well earned holidays we will now use an adapted schedule and publish only three new items per week. The normal schedule of one item per week-day will resume at the end of September. Why only then? Well, we will also be taking a break in early September…
Enjoy your holidays!
New members in the SESAR family
On 20/07/2010, in SESAR's Palace, by steve
A family normally gets new members through marriage, birth, adoption… In SESAR this happens via the less glamorous sounding “association” process. As it has just been announced, SESAR now boasts 13 associate partners who were taken on board on the basis of the recommendations of organizations already part of SESAR. The list of new partners (see the list below) includes some naturals like Boeing and AVTECH (why were they missing in the first place???), three that are in fact distant relatives of existing members (THALES and NATS) and one, the Moroccan Airports Authority that is a truly new face which can potentially open a window on new horizons towards Africa.
Partnership with all relevant aviation players in the modernization of the European air traffic management is the key principle of SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research). As a consequence, the SESAR Joint Undertaking (SJU) endorsed 13 associate partners to contribute to the SESAR work programme. Among others, the Boeing Company, Thales Australia, the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency and the Moroccan Airports Authority (ONDA) will from now on participate in the work programme. Associate partners were proposed by SJU members which will remain their primary point of contact.
SESAR’s aim is to bring about an evolution in air traffic management systems, eliminating the fragmented approach of European air traffic management (ATM), bringing both public and private stakeholders together. Since its set-up, the SJU secured the additional involvement of airspace users, staff associations, air forces and the scientific world. With this latest enrichment, the SJU not only broadens the number of stakeholders but includes more organizations from third countries in Europe’s ambitious ATM modernization programme.
“Our new associate partners will bring in their specific experience and know-how. We now have 21 air navigation service providers participating in the EU ATM modernization programme. We are particularly delighted to also welcome non-EU members on board of the SESAR ship; this demonstrates our commitment to developing interoperable solutions”, says Patrick Ky, Executive Director of the SESAR Joint Undertaking.
New SESAR family member - ONDA the Moroccan Airports Authority - Marrakech old...
Click here to read the full article
Three short questions on the SESAR Concept of Operations answered
On 19/07/2010, in SESAR's Palace, by steve
Over the past year we have published several posts dealing with SESAR in general and the SESAR concept of operations in particular. Some of those posts voiced concerns and uncertainties. In an exclusive interview with Michael Standar, SJU Chief Air Traffic Management, published here in May 2010, we attempted to answer the concerns… to some extent anyway. In SESAR Magazine Issue 3, published in July 2010, Michael now answers three short questions on the Concept of Operations. We bring you the full text as it appeared in SESAR Magazine in the hope of making the ConOps picture a bit clearer.
Michael, where are we today with the SESAR Concept of
Operations (ConOps)?
The first thing to remember is that the SESAR ConOps was set out in the SESAR Definition Phase. In the SJU ConOps storyboard it was structured into three steps to realize the paradigm shift necessary to modernize the European ATM system. In step 1, we move from the current day to time-based operations, focused on better use of existing technology and optimizing communication between ground and airborne equipment. Step 2 introduces trajectory based operations through the 4D trajectory. As new technology is involved, international standardization bodies and ICAO will be engaged. The third and final step will be a fully integrated performance based ATM System supported by System Wide Information Management, SWIM – the intranet of the air. These three steps are not sequential but start in parallel, aiming at gaining early benefits for the air transport sector.
Click here to read the full article
Level bust in holding patterns
On 16/07/2010, in SKYbrary News, by steve
News from EUROCONTROL’s aviation safety knowledge base SKYbrary.
Holding patterns pose particular problems in relation to level busts because several aircraft are packed into a small volume of airspace and are constantly manoeuvring and changing their levels. Descent below the cleared level immediately reduces vertical separation from the aircraft below, and is difficult for an ATCO to detect and correct quickly.
Read the full article here.
SESAR unites aviation world for quick green results
On 15/07/2010, in SESAR's Palace, by steve
The SESAR Joint Undertaking (SJU) selected 18 projects involving 40 airline, airport, ANSP and industry partners to expand the Atlantic Interoperability Initiative to Reduce Emissions (AIRE). Under the initiative, the SJU supports integrated flight trials and demonstrations validating solutions for the reduction of CO2 emissions for surface, terminal and oceanic flight operations. Seven of the 18 proposals include green gate-to-gate projects, among others between France and the French West Indies. One highlight of the programme will be a series of green transatlantic flights with the Airbus A380, the world’s largest airliner.
AIRE was launched in 2007, designed to improve energy efficiency and aircraft noise in cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The SJU is responsible for its management from a European perspective. In 2009, the SJU supported 1,152 green flight trials under the AIRE umbrella. 18 partners in five locations participated in the trials.
As a result of a complementary call for tender, more partners will be involved in AIRE in additional pioneer locations such as Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Canada, Morocco, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. “AIRE 2 means more partners in more locations with more trials for more results. We will demonstrate that green flight operations can be applied everywhere immediately, when partners agree to work together with a common goal. This is not the future, this is SESAR’s reality”, says Patrick Ky, Executive Director of the SJU.
Click here to read the full article
At least the Red-Arrows survived…
On 14/07/2010, in Flashback, by steve
Concorde, QE2 and the Red Arrows in happier days...
I am pretty certain that few in the travel industry would have believed when this photo was made in April 1985 that the Queen Elisabeth 2 would actually stay in operation longer than Concorde would… Yet that is exactly what had happened.
Concorde’s future was sealed when F-BTSC crashed in Paris on 25 July 2000. Air France and British Airways tried to keep the magnificent bird alive after they re-launched service following modifications to the fuel tanks but the operation simply did not make economic sense any more. The last commercial BA flight on 24 October 2003 marked the end of 27 years of supersonic travel…
QE2 continued to plow the world’s oceans, retiring from Cunard service on 27 November 2008. She was destined to become a floating hotel, moored at Palm Jumeirah, Dubai.
The fate of Concorde, the fastest child of the species that killed the kin of QE2, was a bit like a child dying before the parent. A tragedy that hurts… as did Concorde’s disappearance from the skies.
Luckily, the Red Arrows survived and they continue to claim our place above the clouds.
Christophe Hamel in new job with the FAA – Congratulations!
On 13/07/2010, in Just to let you know..., by steve
It is always with pride and great pleasure that we bring news of the successes and achievements of our contributors and experts featured in our articles. This time it is Christophe’s turn. We introduced him recently in the “Interesting People, Unusual Flight Plans” series and now we can bring you the happy news that Christophe has accepted a position with SAIC for the FAA that will be a continuation of his previous contribution to the CNS/ATM world in the EU and the US. He will be working at FAA Headquarters in Washington D.C.
The tasks of the Senior Regulatory Analyst (as his new post is called) include:
Click here to read the full article
Aerodrome control towers of the world – McCarran International, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
On 12/07/2010, in Towers of the world, by steve
American aviator George Crockett, a descendant of frontiersman Davy Crockett, established Alamo Airport in 1942 on the site currently occupied by McCarran International. In 1948, Clark County purchased the airfield from Crockett to establish the Clark County Public Airport, and all commercial operations moved to the site of this airport. On December 20, 1948 the airport was renamed McCarran Field for U.S. Senator Pat McCarran, a long-time Nevada politician who authored the Civil Aeronautics Act and played a major role in developing aviation nationwide.
The LAS control tower
The control tower at McCarran International presides over an airport that has a number of unique features apart from being the gateway into gamblers’ paradise. One of these is that more than 85 % of traffic at the airport is origin and destination (O&D), more than at practically any other airport in the USA. Another quirk is that only 12 % of the passengers passing through McCarran live in the Las Vegas area, the lowest figure for any airport in the United States.
Controllers in the tower need to get used to foreign accents too, as more and more direct flights from Europe and Asia operated by non-US airlines are becoming part of the regular schedule.
Click here to read the full article
Aeronautical Data Quality (ADQ) Guide
On 09/07/2010, in Bookshelf, by steve
Publisher: EUROCONTROL
The purpose of the ADQ Guide is to support the implementation of the ADQ Regulation, by way of providing a harmonised interpretation of the ADQ Regulation. The ADQ Guide provides a rationale for each of the provisions, outlines to whom they apply and outlines possible means of compliance. It is intended to be applicable for use by anybody who is required to demonstrate compliance with the ADQ Regulation or who is responsible for overseeing implementation and audit of those who must comply.
Download the preliminary release of the ADQ Guide here.
You can find more information on the EUROCONTROL ADQ Guidelines here.
9th USA/Europe ATM R&D Seminar – Call for papers
On 08/07/2010, in Events, by steve
The Ninth USA/Europe Seminar on Air Traffic Management Research & Development welcomes papers that produce new concepts, analyses, and methodology. The seminar will take place on 13 June – 16 June, 2011 in Berlin, Germany.
With the past history of successful seminars, we hope to create and reinforce working and personal relationships between leading experts and researchers in the ATM R&D community, share available results and build and maintain consensus on major issues.
Visit the new ATM Seminar website here.
Download the Call for Papers document here.
Troubled Galaxy
On 07/07/2010, in Satellite Navigation, by steve
That space around planet Earth is teeming with man-mad objects is common knowledge and not so long ago we got a good demonstration of what happens when stray metal hits another satellite. For a time it was unclear where a sizeable piece of junk would fall on the surface of the Earth.
The satellites serve a variety of purposes from serving up television to providing internet access and guiding aircraft. It is no exaggeration to say that our modern world would be paralyzed should there be a mass extinction of orbiting satellites. But how robust or fragile is this system in reality?
Galaxy 15 is an Intelsat bird which went out of control in April and has been drifting from its assigned orbital slot ever since. It has threatened to interfere with the functioning of nearby satellites and efforts by ground engineers to disable its payload have initially been unsuccessful.
Does this have an impact on aviation? You bet!
Click here to read the full article
Terrain and Obstacle Data Manual
On 06/07/2010, in Bookshelf, by steve
Publisher: EUROCONTROL
The first draft of the Terrain and Obstacle Data (TOD) Manual has been released on 16 June 2010. Its creators, the TOD Project Team is aware of a number of areas where information is still awaited to complete the document, which will be addressed in the next release. These sections are highlighted in red in the document.
All interested parties are encouraged to review the document for completeness and correctness, and to apply it in its current form in national TOD implementation projects as appropriate. The deadline for sending comments (either through the TOD WG Secretary or the eTOD Forum) is 26 November 2010, after which a Comment Response-document will be presented to the TOD WG on 9-10 December 2010 with the intent to raise the document from draft to final version in early 2011.
Download Draft Version 1.0 of the TOD Manual here.
FAA NextGen Implementation Plan (NGIP) 2010 available
On 05/07/2010, in NextGen, by steve
The NGIP is a very interesting document, published by the FAA in a new version every year. The latest issue was released in March this year. The purpose of the NGIP is to help inform the public at large about how the Agency plans to implement the Next Generation air traffic management concept over the coming years (2009-2018).
The book describes the FAA’s accomplishments to date and lists the targets it is working to in terms of technology and program milestones. Of particular interest are the sections that describe how achievement of the targets and milestones will be supported.
The 2010 edition of the NGIP is interesting also in that it re-states, in Section 2, the FAA’s response to the RTCA NextGen Mid-term Implementation Task Force report and so you get in a single volume all the most important information relevant to NextGen. Other sections describe the current state of NextGen, FAA’s proposals for development and implementation in the 2009-2018 (mid-term) timeframe, the benefits FAA expects to be realized and finally in Section 5 the challenges and risks are discussed.
Download your copy here.
Learn a new abbreviation: NIEC! – NextGen Integration and Evaluation Capability
On 02/07/2010, in NextGen, by steve
All information seems to suggest that NIEC will play an important role in getting the FAA’s NextGen off the ground. Located at the William J. Hughes Technical Center (WJHTC), Atlantic City International Airport, New Jersey, the mission of the NexGen Integration and Evaluation Capability is to foster the exploration, evaluation and integration of NextGen enabling components within a rapid prototyping environment for concept validation and maturation.
That is quite a mouthful… Let’s see (using the relevant FAA fact sheet) what NIEC is all about.
The NIEC is the FAA’s research platform to explore, integrate, and evaluate NextGen concepts through simulation activities resulting in concept maturation and requirements definition. The NIEC Display Area (NDA) complements the unique NAS facilities and aviation based equipment located at the WJHTC.The NIEC leverages existing NAS operational systems and high fidelity, real-time simulation capabilities to create an integrated, flexible and reconfigurable environment that can be tailored for NextGen research as well as test and evaluation. The NDA can provide a futuristic NextGen gate to gate visualization environment with advanced data collection capabilities to support integration and evaluation of new technologies and concepts. The ability to provide a combined environment of legacy systems with future technologies and capabilities also enable the NIEC to support the transition to NextGen.
Click here to read the full article
Quote of July 2010
On 01/07/2010, in Quote of the month, by steve
Error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it.
Thomas Jefferson
Train them well… but watch your step!
On 30/06/2010, in Flashback, by steve
During my ATC years and also after, I did a fair amount of training that ranged from ICAO Annex 14 (Airports), radio telephony procedures and ATC automation to HMI design and airspace user requirements in the future ATM system. The students represented a similarly broad spectrum from ab-initio controller trainees to ATC supervisors, engineers and pilots with a dizzying variety of nationalities and classroom customs. I had to learn early that ignoring their sensitivities was not a good idea.
I was reminded of this when our friends in The Netherlands bought a very nice house in the South of France and although they like to stay there as much as possible, during the school year they still tend to stick to rainy “kikkerland”. I am not sure but I suspect that part of the problem is their primary-school son whom they may be reluctant to entrust to the school system in France. He is a bright little guy and there is nothing wrong with the school system in France. But it is different and a kid used to the more free-wheeling Dutch system would need to adapt.
Several years ago a few times a year I was delivering a presentation entitled “Airspace user requirements for the future ATM system”. The course was meant for ATC supervisors who came to the EUROCONTROL Institute of Air Navigation Services in Luxemburg to attend. I held a very similar presentation once a year at ENAC in Toulouse for ATM engineering students whose study language was English and they had to incorporate the presentation material into their final exam papers.
Click here to read the full article
Interesting people, unusual flight plans…
On 29/06/2010, in Interesting people, by steve
Mike Russo, take 2
Not long after we published the interview with Mike Russo in the “Interesting people, unusual flight plans” series, Mike was presented with a 2010 Volare Special Award by the Airlines Avionics Institute (AAI) at the 2010 AMC/AEEC.
Mike with Daphne and Dawn
Each year, AAI encourages the contribution of ideas, leadership and innovation by allowing individuals to be nominated for Volare Awards prior to the annual AMC. These awards recognize individuals in airline and supplier organizations for outstanding personal achievement. The criteria for nomination are:
The candidate should be well known within the industry and should have a history of actual industry improvement and/or active involvement in a recognizable category such as but not limited to the following examples:
a) New products
b) Better methodologies
c) Working in various technical committees
d) New technologies
e) Be the industry “go to” person for particular products or services
f) Have a history of outstanding service to their customers
g) Have personally served our industry in some contributing capacity for example by active involvement in its organizations, activities and/or functions
The AAI process requires that the nomination be seconded before it is considered by their awards committee.
The Volare Award has become world-renowned as the avionics industry’s highest recognition for individual achievement. The Awards offered at the AMC allow individuals to be nominated in the categories of Airline Avionics Maintenance and Avionics Product Support. In addition, AAI presents a Pioneer Award and a Chairman’s Special Award on an as deserved basis.
Over the past 41 years, Volare Awards have been presented to outstanding members of the avionics maintenance community and it is with pleasure that we at Roger-Wilco announce that Mike has now joined their ranks.
Click here to read the full article
Station calling – Visiting just4airlines.com
On 27/06/2010, in Station calling, by steve
No matter what subject one picks, there are hundreds if not thousands of sites on the internet that appear to cover that particular subject, some doing a better job than the others. It is often not easy to find the truly reliable ones. Aviation related sites are no different. This is why it is so refreshing and nice to happen on a place where you can be sure that what you get is the best there is whether it is news, supplier lists or vacancies.
Just4airlines.com is such a place!
Launched in 2002, just4airlines is a limited liability company registered in Malaysia with offices both there and in the UK. The company’s mandate is to provide an online travel directory to airline employees worldwide. However, as we will see, the site provides a wealth of information and resources for anyone interested in aviation.
All three founders, Nuala Boardman, Yvonne Russell and Paul Russell, are still active in the company and they are all ex-airline employees (BOAC, British Airways, IATA, Canadian Pacific) and as such know very well what to provide in the context of such a directory service.
Their home page, which is nice in its simplicity, is easy to navigate. It welcomes you claiming to be the one-stop resource for airline people but this is again an understatement. Anyone working in aviation (and beyond) will find things of interest on this well thought out site.
Click on any of the side-bar menu items and you are taken to the subject page, all of which present the same, straightforward, uncluttered look and feel as the home page itself. No unnecessary graphics and other glitzy elements here, “just” information presented in an easy to absorb manner. I wish more sites would emulate this information-centric approach.
Click here to read the full article
Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) for Dummies – IBM eBook 2nd Limited Edition (free download)
On 25/06/2010, in Bookshelf, by steve
If you are following SESAR or NextGen for that matter, you will have come accross the abbreviation SOA (Service Oriented Architecture). A lot of discussion is being generated on the subject in the air traffic management world, not least because SOA has never really been applied in ATM before. If the experts have a problem figuring this out, what about the rest of us? Where can we turn for help?
Service Oriented Architecture is the most important technology initiative facing businesses today. SOA is game changing, and early SOA successes make it clear that SOA is here to stay. This book introduces you to the basics of SOA in context with the real life experiences of seven companies. Seen through the varied business environments depicted in each of the case studies, the authors hope you will recognize that SOA is more than a bunch of new software products strung together to allow technology companies to have something else to sell. SOA represents a dramatic change in the relationship between business and IT. SOA makes technology a true business enabler and empowers business and technology leaders alike.
Download the free IBM eBook here.
To be able to read the eBook, you will need Adobe Digital Editions to be installed on your computer. If it is not yet installed, with your approval the system will install it for you. Adobe Digital Editions is usable for other eBooks also created under the same protocol.
EUROCONTROL Experimental Center INO Workshop – Call for Papers
On 24/06/2010, in Events, by steve
The 9th Innovative Research Workshop and Exhibition will be held at the EUROCONTROL Experimental Centre at Brétigny-sur-Orge, France on 7 – 9 December 2010. Submission of papers for this event is now open.
With some 200 participants the INO Workshop has become an important event in the ATM calendar, providing researchers an open and stimulating environment to present their latest innovative ideas related to air traffic management. Apart from paper presentations, this year’s workshop will further include a keynote (details to be announced soon), parallel workshops, posters and demonstrations, and a panel discussion. Last year’s panel discussion has identified the limited involvement of industry, especially airlines, as an area for improvement and we plan a workshop with airlines to redress this situation.
All papers will be submitted online. Details of the conference and the Call for Papers can be found here.
The deadline for paper submission is September 10, 2010.
Papers will be evaluated based on the innovative nature of the ideas, as well as the approach and methods applied. The proceedings will be assigned an ISBN number and published on the conference website prior to the event; chosen topics may also be selected for inclusion in a possible book or journal volume. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:
· 4D and trajectories;
· Communication and surveillance;
· Human factors;
· Airports;
· Modelling and data management;
· Managing complex systems;
· ATM concepts and airspace management;
· Automation;
· Economics and performance and
· Regulatory aspects.
Mark your calendars and start writing your papers!
European ATM – Is there anything really new under the Sun?
On 24/06/2010, in SESAR's Palace, by steve
Back in March, Daniel Calleja, Director of the European Commission’s Air Transport Directorate, informed his audience at the ATC Global conference in Amsterdam, that “…despite six years’ effort, Europe has yet to achieve its objective of creating a Single European Sky (SES).” Six years indeed… make that thirteen Mr. Calleja.
Thankfully I do not attend that many meetings these days but those I do tend to be teeming with fresh new faces, enthusiastic young experts who sometimes stay long hours to discuss things that we too had discussed at length when we qualified as a fresh new face. I have no doubt about their sincerity or expertise. My concern is about the perception that what they are dealing with is new…
So what is this new ATM system they are trying to create? “A concept predicated on layered planning, based around a strategically derived daily plan and collaborative decision making between the parties involved, evolving towards managing resources rather than demand. Airspace is regarded as a continuum for airspace planning purposes to optimize the available resources… Airspace divisions are based on ATM needs rather then on national boundaries… Free flight airspace is part of the concept… major change of the roles on the ground and in the air… greater use of computer support…” Why am I quoting from the SESAR concept you will ask???
Well, the sad truth is the above quotation is NOT from SESAR or the Single European Sky (SES) but from Edition 1.0 of the European ATM Operational Concept Document, dated 1 March 1997! The foreword of the document lists those involved in its preparation and the list shows an uncanny similarity to the current membership of the SESAR Joint Undertaking. The EC’s DG7 was also there and as I remember, they were pushing really hard for innovative solutions.
Click here to read the full article
AEEC General Session report for 2010 is now available
On 23/06/2010, in Bookshelf, by steve
The annual AEEC General Session is the most important single event on the AEEC calendar. The General Session marks the culmination of the years’ standards development work, and new ARINC Standards are discussed and approved at this meeting. Furthermore, at the General Session the AEEC initiates the work program for the next year. The AEEC General Session is an ideal opportunity for aviation industry professionals to obtain an overview of the important technical developments in air transport avionics and other aircraft electronics.
The 2010 AEEC General Session report summarizes:
- NextGen and SESAR Readiness
- Airframe perspective NextGen and SESAR Readiness
- Avionics Supplier perspective SFAR 88 Fuel Tank Symposium
- Software Management Symposium
- Security Aspects of Software Data Loading Symposium and
- AEEC Subcommittee and Project reports
It also contains valuable information on AEEC’s actions to adopt new ARINC Standards.
This is a must have publication for all professionals on the avionics side of the business. The report is in two parts with all the briefing material under separate cover.
You can purchase and download your copy here.
