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
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.
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.
Your project delayed? Come join the club!
On 15/06/2010, in NextGen, by steve
It must be horrible to be the project manager of major aircraft programs these days. Look at the Airbus A380, the A400M, the Boeing 787 or the 747-8. They were all delayed by several years and the reasons were often quite pedestrian (like incompatible software or strength calculation errors). It will fall on the Airbus A350 to improve the record but in view of what has almost become the routine now, it would be a miracle of the 350 flew on time.
But air traffic control systems are faring little better. Which was the last really new ATC system in Europe that was delivered and put into operational use on the date originally stipulated? And now, a delay to ERAM is here to set the trend forth.
Under the En-Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) program, the FAA is replacing the computer network for air traffic control facilities that manage traffic in the upper airspace. Modernizing this network is critical to allowing the FAA to continue managing air traffic effectively. It is also an essential component of NextGen , the FAA’s next generation air traffic control system.
Click here to read the full article
Volcano kicks European ATM cooperation into high gear
On 03/06/2010, in Viewpoint, by cleo
In the past, programs to improve European air traffic management went under the name EATCHIP (1 to many) and the results were meager at best. More recently we got the Single European Sky (SES 1 and now 2) and of course SESAR. Introduction of SES was a major problem even for the European Commission powerhouse and of course SESAR is still too new to be properly judged.
But no matter, we now have Eyjafjallajokull, apparently the best driver yet for European air traffic management co-operation and hopefully an effective one also. When Iceland’s wayward volcano came to life spewing volcanic ash into the atmosphere which was promptly carried by winds towards Europe, the reaction was almost predictable. Under the banner “safety first” air traffic over the continent was grounded, commencing the longest and most widespread ban on flying since WWII. That no one had prepared contingency plans for such an eventuality is perhaps excusable but the disorganized, fragmented and less than scientific response to the disaster once it struck was not. It was a shame…
Click here to read the full article
FAA releases final rule on ADS-B
On 02/06/2010, in NextGen, by steve
It has been some time in coming, but finally here it is, the FAA’s final rule on ADS-B.
This final rule amends FAA regulations by adding equipage requirements and performance standards for Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS–B) Out avionics on aircraft operating in Classes A, B, and C airspace, as well as certain other specified classes of airspace within the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS). ADS-B Out broadcasts information about an aircraft through an onboard transmitter to a ground receiver. Use of ADS-B Out will move air traffic control from a radar-based system to a satellite-derived aircraft location system. This action facilitates the use of ADS–B for aircraft surveillance by FAA and Department of Defense (DOD) air traffic controllers to safely and efficiently accommodate aircraft operations and the expected increase in demand for air transportation. This rule also provides aircraft operators with a platform for additional flight applications and services.
The compliance date for this final rule is January 1, 2020.
You can download the full text of the rule here.
SWIM-SUIT final User Forum – 24-25 June 2010, Rome, Italy
On 01/06/2010, in Events, by steve
System Wide Information Management (SWIM) is one of the mainstays of both SESAR and NextGen. SWIM is the set of institutional arrangements, rules, roles and responsibilities, applications and networks that enable information sharing and the common situational awareness, among others things, that are essential for developing the future net-centric air traffic management system.
SWIM-SUIT, an EU 6th Framework Project, developed a SWIM prototype that provides a basis for assessing the technological solutions used. Although the idea of developing a SWIM prototype may suggest that this was a technology driven project, SWIM-SUIT also addressed the legal and financial aspects of SWIM implementation. Since SWIM is less of a problem from the technological point of view, with most obstacles expected in the institutional area, this latter contribution of SWIM-SUIT will be especially valuable.
SWIM-SUIT will hold its final User Forum in Rome, Italy, on 24-25 June 2010.
You can register here. Registration closes on 4 June!
Anniversary – World AIS Day
On 14/05/2010, in Anniversaries, by steve
15 May 2010 World AIS Day
The Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS) for Aeronautical Information Services (AIS) were adopted by the ICAO Council 57 years ago tomorrow, 15 May 2010. These SARPS are in Annex 15 to the Chicago Convention and 15 May is celebrated by the AIS community as “World AIS Day”.
The aeronautical information service is one of the most important pillars of safe and efficient air navigation and is also a shining example of world standardization and of what can be achieved when partners really work together to achieve well defined world-wide goals. Whether provided by government agencies or private companies, AIS is a fundamental element without which most modern flying would be all but impossible. Even in the most remote parts of the world with no proper AIS to speak of, the basic information needed for operations is collected somehow and even disseminated by word of mouth if there are no other means… so the concept of aeronautical information and its essential nature is of universal significance and that is what AIS is all about.
AIS is currently undergoing the most profound change this important service has ever faced. The product oriented aeronautical information service is gradually being transformed into a data oriented enterprise called Aeronautical Information Management (AIM) which is the first step towards becoming an integral part of the System Wide Information Management (SWIM) concept. SWIM as we all know is one of the most important enablers of both SESAR and NextGen.
You can read more about AIM here and SWIM here.
RTCA NextGen TF report and the FAA’s response
On 07/05/2010, in NextGen, by steve
RTCA Task Force 5 or by its more catchy title RTCA NextGen Mid-Term Implementation Task Force published its final report on 9 September 2009. This report is in fact a set of recommendations formulated on the basis of industry consensus and is concerned with the improvements desired in the US air transportation system in the period 2010-2018. Solid NextGen territory you might say.
The FAA in turn published their responses to the TF5 report in January this year, accepting 33 of the TF’s 56 recommendations.
The RTCA report is a saleable item which you can purchase here.
However, the statement of Margaret T. Jenny, President, RTCA, Inc. before the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and related agencies, Committee on Appropriations of the U.S. House of Representatives gives a pretty good, high level overview of the recommendations. You can download the full text of the statement here.
The FAA responses to the TF5 report are available here!
Take Part in Three Days of NextGen Keynotes and Panel Discussions
On 04/05/2010, in Events, by steve
Participate in 11 Technical Sessions Focusing on Key NextGen Topics — from Near to Far Term. This Opportunity Only Occurs Once a Year.
Spend time exploring NextGen Exhibits such as the FAA Data Communications exhibit, which invites ICNS conference attendees to participate in a hands-on pilot/controller simulation, highlighting the many benefits of digital data exchange between air traffic controllers and a plane’s aircrew. A capability that will fundamentally transform the National Airspace System.
Relax in a complimentary VIP tour of the Udvar Hazy Air and Space Museum followed by a conference exhibitor reception.
This conference is aimed at mid to senior industry, civilian, military, congressional and government figures involved in NextGen Communications, Navigation and Surveillance Technologies, including strategists, researchers analysts, procurement executives and influential leaders.
There are still a few government rate hotel rooms available — everybody gets these rates. Check room availability here.
To register for the conference, click here.
EUROCONTROL reorganizing – is this good for you?
On 02/05/2010, in SESAR's Palace, by steve
Visiting EUROCONTROL these days is a bit like entering a five star hotel during off-season in a bad year. Empty offices at every turn and talk in the corridors that tends to focus more on individual futures than on trajectory based operations and other exotic ideas.
Yes, EUROCONTROL is reorganizing (again…) but they are also cutting loose most contract personnel, and even the permanent staff is being reduced. One might say this is a sign of the times – cost cutting being the name of the game everywhere. Like in all organizations, there was a lot of deadwood at EUROCONTROL, but it was and is a unique European institution concentrating ATM skills like no other place on the continent. When an icon like that decides to change itself in fundamental ways, there must be something serious in the air.
Of course EUROCONTROL has to adapt to the new environment as dictated by the Single European Sky and SESAR. One can only hope that this adaptation will result in something better and more efficient. But I have my doubts.
I remember some years ago people used to joke that if EUROCONTROL does not get its act together, the superb headquarters building in Haren will be turned into a great conference hotel which hotel room starved Brussels would no doubt have welcomed with open arms. But jokes apart, most of the real or perceived “failures” of EUROCONTROL back then were not due to incompetence on the part of their experts. Far from it! These experts came with truly forward looking ideas and proposals and some of those are now part of the more advanced features of SESAR to-day! So why were those ideas not implemented back then, years and decades ago? Mainly because European States blocked most of them cold. Why? Because those advanced ideas would have required the kind of continent wide cooperation SES and SESAR are now proposing and that was anathema to most ANSPs keen on protecting their own turf. That things have not changed much until quite recently is shown clearly in the extreme difficulties the European Commission has had in pushing the Single European Sky towards acceptance.
Click here to read the full article
Flying AIRE – the pilot’s view
On 30/04/2010, in Environment - Without hot air, by eric
AIRE (Atlantic Interoperability Initiative to Reduce Emissions) is a joint initiative between the European Commission and the FAA. It is the green component of the SESAR programme. In 2009, 1,152 flight trials in operational conditions were carried out on the European side.
Claude Godel was the Pilot in Command of the first complete green transatlantic flight, operated by Air France on 6 April from Paris-Charles de Gaulle to Miami.
Captain Godel and part of his crew on the green transatlantic flight
In a first reaction after this green flight, Captain Godel describes it from a pilot’s perspective, “The AIRE flight is the almost perfect flight for a pilot. On a normal flight you never know how you will be incorporated in the traffic but you are sure that you will fly level at non optimal altitudes, have to beg ATC for better speed, better lateral track. In one word, you spend your time in negotiating or accepting non optimal compromises. The AIRE flight needs more pre-flight preparation but, once off-block, the pilot can expect to fly the best track from end to end, at the best speed and the best altitude. Isn’t that the pilot’s dream?”
He further describes the principle of green flights as a virtuous circle as an optimised flight path leads to shorter flight time, less fuel burn and CO2 emissions which in return reduces costs and leaves fewer place for contingencies. The pilot can thus satisfy the aspirations of modern passengers and himself finds new pleasure and satisfaction in his job.
During the approximately nine hours flight, enhanced green procedures were used to improve the aircraft’s energy efficiency. These procedures, applied at each flight stage and coordinated among all project participants, reduce fuel consumption (and hence carbon dioxide emissions) throughout the flight, from taxiing at Paris-Charles de Gaulle to arrival on the parking stand in Miami. Air France estimates that applying these optimisations to all Air France long-haul flights to and from North America, would result in a cut of CO2 emissions by 135,000 metric tons per year, with fuel savings of 43,000 metric tons.
For more information on AIRE, click here.
This article is reprinted with the kind permission of the author, Eric Platteau, Senior Communication & Public Affairs Specialist at the SESAR Joint Undertaking.
ICNS 2010 Technical Program Announced
On 21/04/2010, in Events, by steve
ICNS has announced the 2010 Technical Program.
Included is everything you need to know to stay in sync with the newest topics in NextGen.
There will be 91 technical papers in 11 information packed sessions led by noted experts.
Session A – Data Communications: Dr. Michael Schnell, DLR German Aerospace Center and Mr. Brent Phillips, FAA ATO
Session B – Surveillance and Navigation Technologies: Mr. Lance Sherry, George Mason University
Session C – Safe and Secure Transportation Systems: Mr. Kevin Harnett, Volpe National Transportation Sys Center
Session D – CNS Systems and Architectures: Ms. Denise Ponchak, NASA Glenn Research Center
Session E – Performance Based ATM: Mr. Ben Levy, Sensis Corporation
Session F – Aeronautical Spectrum: Ms. Izabela Gheorghisor, The MITRE Corporation
Session G – Air Ground Integration: Mr. John Gonda, The MITRE Corporation
Session H – ICNS Analysis – JPDO Study: Mr. Robert Kerczewski, NASA Glenn Research Center
Session I – Air Traffic Management (TBO): Mr. Chris Brinton, Mosaic ATM, Inc.
Session J – Aircraft/Airline Operations for NextGen: Dr. Chip Meserole, Boeing
Session K – Information Sharing and SWIM: Mr. Mike Hritz, FAA and Nikos Fistas, Eurocontrol
Session L – NextGen Surveillance: Mr. Anastasios Daskalakis, Volpe National Transportation Systems Center
Session M – Topics in Next Generation Air Transportation: Mr. Chris Wargo, Mosaic ATM, Inc.
Session K, on Thursday afternoon, is one of the highlights of the conference as it takes on the format of a SWIM Industry Day.
SWIM – How much information should we be sharing?
I would like to propose a simple rule: anybody asking how much information we should be sharing in air traffic management should have their Christmas bonus cancelled… Here is why.
System Wide Information Management (SWIM) is the concept and set of rules, procedures and other needed elements that underpin the net-centric approach of the new air traffic management environment being built by SESAR in Europe and NextGen in the USA.
In a nutshell, the SWIM concept stipulates that the traditional and cumbersome point to point connections be replaced by a solution where those with data to share (i.e. data useful to the ATM community) publish the fact that they have this data (as well as any updates to it of course) and those who need that data simply go search for it or subscribe to it to avoid having to search. This arrangement assumes a kind of directory service not unlike that used on the internet and which helps you find your favorite movie title as it were. Don’t be offended by the comparison, in the world of networking, a movie title or a flight plan are not that different, they are both data. The difference is how we protect and handle the data but that is another story.
You will have noticed the fundamental difference between to-day’s approach to data dissemination and the one being proposed by SWIM.
Click here to read the full article
Is an aircraft an aeroplane or the other way round? The importance of proper terminology.
On 12/03/2010, in Buzzwords explained, by steve
The word game
A lot of air traffic management related material passes through our hands, usually to be checked with a view to ensuring quality of content and consistency of the terminology. There is a disturbing trend that is becoming more and more evident with the passage of time. The documents show a deteriorating level of quality in respect of terminology use.
Why is this a problem? Unless they have been sensitized to the issue, the authors of those documents may not feel particularly disturbed by the fact that they use the terms aircraft, aeroplane or airplane interchangeably in their text, they may even feel that the varied use of words reflects better writing style. But in technical documents, the terms used must all have their precise definition and it is not enough to find a given word in a Webster’s Dictionary.
Let’s have a look at these three words, aircraft, aeroplane, and airplane. They are all English words and they all mean something that flies. Very true. But
there are many things that “fly”, from hot air balloons to helicopters and, depending on how you define “fly”, even hovercraft. So how do we know which exactly a given text refers to if it is not clear from the context?
If you see a piece of text that says “a flashing white light shall be displayed on all aircraft” and then another one that says “a flashing white light shall be displayed on all aeroplanes” and you own a helicopter, a glider and a hot air balloon, which one would you need to equip based on the first requirement? And the second?
Although I assume you know the answer without the explanation that follows, it is still interesting to look at these terms in more detail.
First and foremost, we have to say good-by to the term “airplane”, at least in the international context. Only aircraft and aeroplane have been defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
An aircraft is any machine that can derive support in the atmosphere from the reaction of the air other than the reactions of the air against the earth’s surface.
A aeroplane is a power-driven heavier-than-air aircraft, deriving its lift in flight chiefly from aerodynamic reactions on surfaces which remain fixed under given conditions of flight.
Click here to read the full article
Continuous Descent Operations (CDO) Manual from ICAO now available
On 26/02/2010, in Bookshelf, by steve
ICAO has made available an unedited, advance version of the Continuous Descent Operations (CDO) Manual as approved, in principle, by the Secretary General. Although the final, edited version may still undergo editorial alterations, the substance should stay the same.
The purpose of this Manual is to provide guidance and harmonize the development and implementation of continuous descent operations (CDO). To achieve this, airspace and instrument flight procedure design and air traffic control techniques should all be employed in a cohesive manner. This will then facilitate the ability of flight crews to use in-flight techniques to reduce the overall environmental footprint and increase the efficiency of aircraft operations.
The generic term “continuous descent operations”, has been adopted to embrace the different techniques used to maximize operational efficiency while still addressing local airspace requirements and constraints. These operations have been variously known as, continuous descent arrivals, continuous descent approaches, optimized profile descent, tailored arrivals, and 3D/4D path arrival management forming part of the business trajectory concept.
Continuous descent operations (CDO) is one of several tools available to aircraft operators and air navigation service providers (ANSPs) to increase safety, flight predictability, and airspace capacity, while reducing noise, controller-pilot communications, fuel burn and emissions. Over the years, different route models have been developed to facilitate CDO and several attempts have been made to strike a balance between the ideal fuel efficient and environmentally friendly procedures and the capacity requirements of a specific airport or airspace.
Click here to read the full article
The transition from AIS through AIM to IM – What is this?
On 26/01/2010, in Buzzwords explained, by steve
A global congress with this title will make even the aficionados of abbreviations shiver… AIS, AIM, IM… What is next? UR? Well, the funny thing is, the title is perfectly correct and abbreviations or not, it reflects one of the most profound changes ever in the way information is collected, promulgated and used in international aviation.
Let’s have a look at what is meant by those abbreviations and what their significance really is.
What is AIS?
AIS is of course the abbreviation of Aeronautical Information Service. This is the traditional, product based service concept that brings you vital information in the form of Notices to Airmen (NOTAM), the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP), Aeronautical Information Circulars (AIC), the AIRAC system of information publication and of course the loads of standards and practices that come with them.
Over the years, AIS has grown into a worldwide system of aeronautical information provision that is both indispensable and for a long time was also a hindrance to progress in aeronautical information management.
How come? Well, let’s state right here and now that AIS is a wonder of global cooperation. It went global and worked well decades before the term “globalization” was invented (albeit in a different context). So, as far is it went, AIS was and still is in many respects an example to be followed. The problems came as a result of its product based nature. Raw data is collected, checked and collated, then published in “products” that represent a best-guess of what users of aeronautical information want most. In the simpler world of yesteryear, those guesses were not even so bad.
In to-day’s much more complex environment an AIS that serves everyone does not in fact fully satisfy anyone. OK, there are some really simple operations that are exceptions but they are really a minority.
Why was AIS a hindrance to change? As you can imagine, global AIS was not built overnight and they had had their share of troubles. Also, being State monopolies, AIS offices were not exactly reared to embrace change, even necessary change. So, even when the need for change was staring everyone in the face, AIS in some parts of the world pretended that everything was just fine. Change this well balanced system and face the consequences, they seemed to suggest…
Enter AIM…
Click here to read the full article
2010 ICNS Conference – Call for participation
On 20/01/2010, in Events, by steve
The 2010 Integrated Communications Navigation and Surveillance (ICNS) conference will take place on May 11-13 2010 at the Westin Washington Dulles Airport Hotel in Herndon, VA. The conference this year is by-lined as “The challenged of NextGen, new issues for aviation’s future”.
The Conference, jointly sponsored by government, civil and military, and industry, addresses long term research and development and early implementation of integrated CNS technologies needed to Enable NextGen.
The Conference is focused on providing understanding of CNS programs, longer term plans, standards development (RTCA, etc.), research, ICNS technologies, and the New Issues for Aviation’s Future that accompany NextGen.
Each day begins with a plenary session. Tuesday morning is all about Accelerating Implementation and Integration (I&I). Wednesday morning will focus on Interagency Systems Transformations, addressing multi-agency (DoD, DHS, and FAA) information sharing, and policies and procedures needed to insure airspace security while improving the support for each agency’s primary mission. NextGen Beyond 2018 is the topic for Thursday’s plenary.
Every afternoon, parallel technical sessions will be held on specific ICNS topics.
Click here to read the full article
Is the industry ready for this?
On 19/01/2010, in Environment - Without hot air, by steve
The northern hemisphere has just gone through its snowiest January days in 40 years and polar temperatures reached as far South as Orlando in Florida. Sure, this is not abnormal some may say… but what if we do not have to wait forty years for the next episode?
An Air France flight en-route from Brazil to France encountered so severe turbulence that they issued a Mayday call but subsequently they completed the flight without incident. As we all know, AF447 was less fortunate.
Over the past 18 month or so, there were several incidents where unexpected severe turbulence caused passenger injuries…
And now the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) says, as reported in Aviation Week, that “climate change could be contributing to more extreme weather conditions at high altitudes that have not previously been encountered by aircraft”.
Make no mistake, although the current investigation of the crash of AF447 talks a lot about the problems with pitot tubes prone to freezing, there is a much more sinister implication here. Pilots are trained to handle situations where pitot tube data is lost or is unreliable… You cannot however train pilots to fly an aircraft with a wing or stabilizer gone. This is the point… who says extreme weather can only come in the form of extreme cold and not also as extreme turbulence?
Click here to read the full article
Glossary of Air Traffic Management terms and definitions
On 04/01/2010, in Bookshelf, by steve
Ever since my first tentative steps into the world of ICAO provisions and the hard learned lessons about the need to use terminology properly even to a fault, I had this thing about texts that were lax and inconsistent in terminology use. To put it bluntly, I hated them. Not only do they fail to convey the intended message properly, they can potentially confuse the reader and may in fact result in requirements being defined erroneously. True, in the end things tend to sort themselves out but not before a lot of extra, totally unnecessary effort has been expended and with no guarantee that every instance of incorrect terminology use has been taken care of.
Descriptions that call everything a system, where information is down-linked or up-linked instead of being shared or published, where the vertical distance from the aerodrome’s elevation is called an altitude, etc., etc., still abound unfortunately and I am in the process of writing an article expressing my displeasure and suggesting some steps to remedy the situation.
When my attention was called to a new glossary of Air Traffic Management terms and definitions produced as part of the Episode 3 project deliverables, I went to have a look right away. Obviously, the new ATM environment will be generating its own terms and definitions and proper terminology use starts with having wide agreement on the meaning of the terms we use.
Click here to read the full article
Passengers are not the only ones who need good communications – pilots do too!
On 14/11/2009, in Viewpoint, by steve
Few parts of aircraft have evolved as little as the communications capability. OK, we no longer use tubes in the radios but other than that, the VHF AM system is as legacy as they come. To add insult to injury, when the shortage of frequencies in the aviation band finally forced the industry to do something, instead of going for a modern and future proof solution, the channel spacing was split from 25 to 8.33 kHz. While partially solving the frequency problem, this solution did little more then perpetuating the shortcomings of the legacy voice system for decades to come. Who wants to think about yet another upgrade when the industry has just recently invested in 8.33? This sad picture in the voice communications arena is matched by an even bigger problem in air/ground data communications.
While the world has moved to high-speed comms en-masse, aviation is still stuck with ACARS (slow) SATCOM (slow and expensive) and VDL Mode 2 which offers the most, at least in continental airspace.
In the meantime, more and more airlines and aircraft types are offering truly cutting edge technology to enable passengers to send
email, browse the internet, watch television and (brrrr!) even use their cell phones in flight. Earlier attempts, like Connexion by Boeing were not a huge success but this has not discouraged airlines like Lufthansa from signing up with new contenders. True, these now offer much more efficient and reliable service, so the added value is there. In fact, there are several new offerings on the market, all competing to get on board somebody’s aircraft. Clearly, passengers’ thirst for maintaining their connectivity while airborne is an irresistible force for airlines and providers alike.
Click here to read the full article
Enterprise Architecture and service orientation – what is this?
On 03/11/2009, in Buzzwords explained, by steve
Few abbreviations connected with the future air traffic management system have given rise to so many questions and misunderstandings as EA (Enterprise Architecture) and SOA (Service Oriented Architecture). In the United States both concepts are part and parcel of air traffic management system development since the marching orders were given by the Federal Government. In Europe, however, it was only during the SESAR development phase that EA and SOA were first introduced into the ATM context and the reception was at first mixed.
To-day there is probably no doubt any more that EA and SOA are the way to go but the fact remains: to many in the air traffic management family the exact meaning of both remains a puzzle.
Let’s try to set out the pieces and see what picture emerges.
Click here to read the full article
A short (unofficial) history of air/ground digital link – 3
On 24/10/2009, in Buzzwords explained, by steve
Pioneers to the rescue
In spite of the positive business case, airspace users were not exactly rushing to equip with air/ground digital link. Because of the slow down of traffic growth in the wake of 9/11, the expected ACARS problems did not materialize and the ATC frequency congestion was also pushed far into the future. In other industries, such a period of respite might have been used to prepare for the times when business recovery would once again make air//ground digital link essential. But that is not how aviation works. With the immediate threat receding and even some of the big carriers fighting for survival, enthusiasm for investing in things that would generate benefits only many years down the road cooled.
Of course for the planners of the ATM system this was a situation that spelled trouble for later. The frequency congestion problems were not a mirage even if for the time being those problems slipped into the future. The need to put together a comprehensive kit of capacity enablers had not become less important, only the urgency had changed somewhat. For LINK2000+ the big question was: how to jump start equipage? The question was not self serving at all. If Maastricht UAC controllers did not get digital link equipped aircraft to work with, it would be impossible to build and maintain proficiency and to shake down the system in real operational circumstances.
Click here to read the full article
What is nanotechnology’s equivalent in air traffic management?
On 17/10/2009, in Viewpoint, by steve
It has been all over the trade press recently. 10 billion extra euros to go into French aeronautics research, the money coming from a planned public bond issue. Some of the fruits of this dough will come in the form of ground and flight demonstrations in the 2011-2014 time-frame and the primary aim of the effort is to meet the threat to Europe’s lead in the narrow-body aircraft area. Those new Chinese and Russian (not to mention Canadian) designs are being taken seriously and for good reason. Replacements for the A320 family and of course the 737 will be needed and probably sooner than later if Europe and the US wants to remain big players.
The line-up of planned demos is impressive. Replacing hydraulics with electrics, 15 % improvement in the performance of existing turbofan technologies, improved rotorcraft, and blended winglets… Airframes with nanostructure enhanced materials and intelligent skin and even new cockpits to mate up with SESAR and NextGen are also on the Agenda. All very good and timely.
Click here to read the full article
SWIM in the USA
On 17/09/2009, in SWIM, by ahmad and lesley FAA
System Wide Information Management (SWIM) is an advanced technology program designed to facilitate greater sharing of Air Traffic Management (ATM) system information such as airport operational status, weather information, flight data, status of special use airspace, and National Air Space 
(NAS) restrictions. SWIM will support current and future NAS programs by providing flexible and secure information management architecture for sharing NAS information. SWIM will use commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and software to support a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) that will facilitate the addition of new systems and data exchanges, and increase common situational awareness.
How did SWIM originate?
EUROCONTROL initially presented the SWIM concept to the FAA in 1997, where it has been under development ever since. In 2005, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Global Air Traffic Management (ATM) Operational Concept adopted the SWIM concept to promote information-based ATM integration. SWIM is now part of development projects in both the United States (NextGen) and the European Union (Single European Sky ATM Research – SESAR).
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Trajectory ownership: dogfight or guiding principle?
On 13/09/2009, in Buzzwords explained, by steve
Few elements of the SESAR Concept of Operations (CONOPS) have generated more controversy than the idea of trajectory ownership did. Regrettably, the controversy still boils. Some experts dismiss the whole thing as a “political dogfight”, others conduct lengthy debates on how trajectory ownership will work (or not work) in daily operations. They are both on the wrong track, revealing a fundamental misunderstanding of what the CONOPS is trying to say. It is time we put the matter out of its misery and recognize trajectory ownership for what it was always meant to be: a strategic guiding principle with a fundamental impact on future air traffic management.
First and foremost, we must realize that, except for the smallest and lightest aircraft, almost all flying machines are in fact business tools of differing sophistication. From rented aircraft to the most modern airliners, they fulfill a mission and are meant to generate revenue for their operators. The Sunday leisure flyers apart, this is true of business jets, crop sprayers, airline transports and even the military.
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Perpetuum mobile…
On 29/08/2009, in Environment - Without hot air, by steve
Great news! I have invented a truly working perpetual motion machine. The perpetuum mobile is now reality! What? You do not believe it? Never mind. You are then one of those people who will not buy a Hybrid drive car and who also do not stand in awe in front of those aberrations ruining the countryside, wind turbines claiming to be THE solution for renewable energy.
But there are others, including governments, who believe in both, what is more, subsidize them to make the show even grander… Alongside Hybrid drive cars and wind turbines, my perpetual motion machine has a real chance. But what does this have to do with air traffic management?
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Cost/benefit analysis in ATM – blessing or curse?
On 14/08/2009, in Viewpoint, by steve
Many years ago we were enjoying the sun and a sandwich on Schiphol’s observation deck during lunch hour when news came that one of the major airlines there had a new top executive who was neither pilot, nor engineer. He was a bean-counter! I remember the initial feeling of horror and consternation at what back then appeared nothing short of blasphemy. Of course, in the years since we grew used to the idea that for leading an airline or car manufacturer successfully you did not necessarily have to know the difference between a car and an airplane. You had to understand the costs involved in making or operating them.
With the aviation industry, including airlines, ruled more and more by the need to cut costs to survive, having commercial, rather than engineering talent at the top seemed indeed an increasingly good idea. If only they had taught them to understand cost/benefit analyses properly!
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Trajectory based operations
On 26/07/2009, in Buzzwords explained, by steve
Trajectory Based Operations (TBO) is a key element of the operational concept of both SESAR and the US NextGen.
But what is TBO? It is definitely more than giving direct clearances and getting rid of route structures is an element, but not the essence, of Trajectory Based Operations.
We will be publishing a post on this exciting subject soon. In the meantime, why not write to us with your understanding of TBO, its perceived advantages or problems. We will strive to answer your issues as part of the forthcoming article.
