10 Most Trusted Aviation Solution Providers, 2022 November2022.pdf
Cultivating Next Gen of Av Leaders_ATCA_Journal_1_2013-Final-LR
1. Advancing
ATC through
Education
Q1 2013 | VOLUME 55, NO. 1
• Attracting young
talent to the industry
• Resolving aviation
workforce challenges
Plus
• Improvements in ATC technology
• NextGen implementation
www.atca.org
4. Air Traffic Infrastructure Global Markets
2013 Supplement
World Forecasts 2013 - 2022
Markets n Policies n Infrastructure Finance
“I am very impressed with
the quality and depth of
this work. Not sure I’ve
seen anything its equal…”
- Charter Subscriber,
Executive with a global
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www.nexacapital.com
1250 24th Street NW, Suite 300
Washington DC 20037
+1 (202) 558-7417
www.atiglobalmarkets.com
ATI Global Markets Answers These
Critical Questions (and Much
More):
• What are the next decade’s top
100 ATI projects globally, and what
policy, technology and financial
issues will define them?
• How can the new paradigm for
ATI finance translate into distinct
competitive advantages for ATI
vendors and consortia?
• Who are the most innovative
companies in the ATI supply chain
and how is their role critical to ATI
modernization?
• How will the new controls wielded
by airlines change forever the
pace and markets for ATI?
• Why will the next round in the
consolidation of the aerospace
industry be important to ATI
markets?
2013 Supplement Includes:
• 2012 Full Report
‒ Appendix of Top 60 ATI
markets
‒ Forecasting models &
aerospace supply chain
database
• 2013 Updates
‒ Critical infrastructure
developments worldwide
‒ Changing policy and
regulations that define them
• One Day Seminar
‒ Full briefing of the report by
industry experts
‒ Additional customized
research topics
NEXA Advisors will be in attendance at the 2013 World ATM Congress in Madrid, Spain.
To schedule a private meeting with one of our industry experts, Russ Chew and Hank
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at www.atiglobalmarkets.com.
5. FROM THE PRESIDENT
New Format By Peter F. Dumont
President & CEO, ATCA
for The Journal of Air Traffic Control
Happy New Year and welcome to
the first Journal of 2013. Over the course
of my tenure as President and CEO of
ATCA, I have stressed that our mantra
is continuous improvement of the asso-ciation
and responsiveness to you – the
members. In line with that thinking, I
am pleased to bring you the new format
of The Journal of Air Traffic Control.
This is the last step in a process
that started over 18 months ago. We
received feedback from the member-ship
on the quality and quantity of
articles presented in the Journal. In
response, we reconstituted the ATCA
Publications Committee and through
the leadership of the Journal Editor, the
Publications Committee Chair, and the
Director of Communications, we set out
to bring you higher quality, more rele-vant
articles. The processes and people
we have put in place accomplished this
very formidable task.
Our previous publishing company
had been in place for over six years.
Upon review, we decided a change was
needed; the look and feel of the Journal
did not reflect the content or reader-ship.
We approached multiple publish-ing
companies that have experience
working with associations, knowing
we needed a company that understood
our needs and had the capability to
help us move forward. We decided on
Lester Publications.
The result of this work and your
feedback is a publication with the right
content and the right look and feel to
reflect ATCA today. Similarly, you’ll
see this fresh design and attention to
detail in the recently distributed ATCA
Bulletin from January, which Lester
also published.
We have a very busy year ahead
of us – with it come many challenges
and opportunities. This issue is being
released while we are at World ATM
Congress (WATMC). This event is our
latest effort to improve the ATC/ATM
community by partnering with CANSO
and extending the ATCA reach glob-ally.
WATMC is an ATM event by the
industry, for the industry. We look
forward to hearing your thoughts on it.
Also arriving shortly is CMAC
2013, taking place this April in Geneva,
Switzerland. All of ATCA’s upcoming
events are listed on our website at:
www.atca.org/Calendar.
As an association, one challenge
we face this year is in the form of the
Senate Postal Reform Bill. ATCA has
been closely following the bill, as it con-tains
an amendment that would severe-ly
restrict government employees from
attending meetings and conferences
held by associations and other private
sector organizations. Reassuringly, we
have heard from committee staff –
by working alongside ASAE – that
any final package negotiated between
the House and Senate is unlikely to
include this unnecessary amendment
language.
We are working closely with the
FAA and Department of Transportation
to ensure the actions of GSA in 2012
do not impact ATCA’s ability to bring
industry perspective and collaboration
with government. We will keep you up-to-
date on the progress in this area.
In closing, ATCA fully supports
the confirmation of the Honorable
Michael Huerta as FAA Administrator.
Administrator Huerta has been sup-portive
of ATCA during his time at
the FAA and has renewed that com-mitment
moving forward. We look for-ward
to a fruitful, collaborative part-nership
during the next five years.
Peter Dumont, President and CEO,
ATCA
Photographer: Anton Foltin / Photos.com
The Journal of Air Traffic Control 3
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9. Letter from the Editor
The Names & Faces of Air Traffic Gather at
The The Names Names & Faces & Faces of Air of Traffic Air Traffic
Gather at
#6%# Air Trac Control Association
ATCA Members are part of the global air traffic
dialogue. Your access to ATCA committees,
publications, and meetings will increase your
awareness of the current aviation landscape
and current work towards improving ATC safety,
efficiency, and capacity.
ATCA Members are part of the global air traffic dialogue.
Your access to ATCA ATCA committees, Members are publications, part of the and global meetings air traffic will dialogue.
increase your awareness
of the current aviation landscape and current work towards improving ATC safety, efficiency,
Your access to ATCA committees, publications, and meetings will increase your awareness
of the current aviation landscape and current and capacity.
work towards improving ATC safety, efficiency,
What you get as an ATCA Member?
and capacity.
What you get as an ATCA Member
• Connections. Meet with other industry
• Partnerships. ATCA collaborates with
What you get as an ATCA Member
Connections. Meet with other industry professionals at networking events throughout the year.
professionals at networking events
throughout the year.
the U.S. Department of Defense, Federal
Aviation Administration, ICAO, CANSO,
academic institutions, and many other
global organizations.
Expert Opinions. Members have exclusive access to ATCA Publications including:
Connections. Meet with other industry professionals at networking events throughout the year.
Valuable Content. Daily Headline News, the ATCA Bulletin, The Journal of Air Traffic Control
Expert Opinions. Members have exclusive access to ATCA Publications including:
Partnerships. • Expert Opinions. ATCA Members collaborates have
with the U.S. Department of Defense, Federal Aviation
Administration, ICAO, CANSO, academic institutions, and many other global organizations.
Reduced Rates. Members get significant discounts to all ATCA events and conferences.
www.atca.org/JoinNow
Valuable Content. Daily Headline News, the ATCA Bulletin, The Journal of Air Traffic Control
exclusive access to ATCA Publications.
Partnerships. ATCA collaborates with the U.S. Department of Defense, Federal Aviation
Administration, ICAO, CANSO, academic institutions, • Reduced Rates. • Valuable Content. Daily Headline
and many other Members global get
organizations.
Reduced Rates. Members get significant discounts significant to all discounts ATCA events to all and ATCA conferences.
events
News, the ATCA Bulletin, The Journal
and conferences.
of Air Traffic Control.
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www.atca.org
11. Data Reporting
Benefits and Utility of
Tropospheric Airborne
Meteorological Data Reporting
More accurate products crucial to NextGen
By Neil A. Jacobs, Chief Atmospheric Scientist, AirDat, LLC and Jeffrey E. Rex, Vice President, Engineering, AirDat, LLC
Introduction to TAMDAR
Observations collected by a multi-function
in-situ atmospheric sen-sor
on commercial aircraft, called the
Tropospheric Airborne Meteorological
Data Reporting (TAMDAR) sensor, con-tain
measurements of humidity, pres-sure,
temperature, winds aloft, icing,
and turbulence, and along with the
corresponding location, time, and alti-tude
from built-in GPS, are relayed via
satellite in real-time to a ground-based
network operations center. One cru-cial
component of the Next Generation
Air Transportation System (NextGen)
is the integration of more accurate
products, as the paradigm shifts to a
more probabilistic approach. The net-work
of TAMDAR sensors meets the
future integration enhancements and
operational needs of NextGen Weather
Concept of Operations (CONOPS), but
is operational today.
The TAMDAR sensor was deployed
by AirDat in December 2004 on a fleet
of 63 Saab SF340 aircraft operated by
Mesaba Airlines in the Great Lakes
region as a part of the NASA-sponsored
Great Lakes Fleet Experiment (GLFE).
Over the last eight years, the equi-page
of the sensors has expanded
beyond the continental U.S. (CONUS)
to include Alaska, Hawaii, Caribbean,
Mexico, and Europe on Era Alaska,
Hageland, PenAir, Horizon (Alaska
Air), Chautauqua (Republic Airways),
Piedmont (US Airways), Mesaba, Silver
Airways, AeroMéxico, and Flybe, as
well as a few research aircraft.
The system can be installed on
any fixed-wing airframe from small,
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to
long-range wide-bodies like the Boeing
777. Upon completion of the 2013 instal-lations,
more than 6,000 daily sound-ings
will be produced in North America
and Europe at more than 400 locations1.
Emphasis has been placed on equip-ping
regional carriers, as these flights
tend to (i) fly into more remote and
diverse locations, and (ii) be of shorter
duration thereby producing more daily
vertical profiles and remaining in the
boundary layer for longer durations.
This new TAMDAR data set is
discussed below in terms of the poten-tial
utility in forecasting and model-ing
applications, including model initial
conditions and verification, as well as
determining stability, shear, ceiling,
icing, turbulence, p-type, and general
convective evolution via both short-term
forecast models and observa-tion-
based forecasting (i.e., Skew-T).
In addition to the direct use of the
TAMDAR soundings, a suite of models
run by AirDat, including 4D-Var WRF-ARW
and RTFDDA-WRF, which effec-tively
assimilate TAMDAR data and
other diverse observations, provides a
uniquely superior forecast for the avia-tion
community.
AirDat has been working in coop-eration
with Raytheon and Metron
Aviation to integrate TAMDAR data
and forecast information into auto-mation
and weather solutions, such
as the Integrated Terminal Weather
System (ITWS), the Standard Terminal
Automation Replacement System
(STARS), and other decision support
tools. The purpose of this integration is
to illustrate the improvements in fore-casting
skill and decision making in an
actual operational setting when the in-situ
TAMDAR observations and AirDat
forecast capabilities are employed. In
order to properly fulfill the NextGen
mission of improving the efficiency and
safety within the National Airspace
System (NAS), a seamless transfer of
weather information to decision mak-ers
must be implemented.
Use of TAMDAR is very much in
line with the current FAA investment
in turbulence research and reduced
weather impact, and is consistent with
the overall NextGen objectives, as
stated by the FAA2,3,4. TAMDAR inte-gration
into weather processing will
facilitate a smoother transition to end-state
technologies, now in the plan-
The Journal of Air Traffic Control 9
12. ning phases, than might otherwise
be possible. By supplementing sparse
radiosonde data with higher resolution
atmospheric soundings, TAMDAR can
play a critical role in the successful and
safe implementation of weather-related
NextGen capabilities.
Engineering development
background
In response to a government aviation
safety initiative, NASA, in partner-ship
with the FAA and NOAA, spon-sored
the early development and eval-uation
of a proprietary multi-function
in-situ atmospheric sensor for aircraft.
AirDat LLC, located in Morrisville, N.C.,
was formed to develop and deploy the
TAMDAR system based on require-ments
provided by the Global Systems
Division (GSD) of NOAA, the FAA, and
the World Meteorological Organization
(WMO).
TAMDAR sensors can be installed
on most fixed-wing aircraft from large
commercial airliners to small unmanned
aerial systems (UAS), where they con-tinuously
transmit atmospheric obser-vations
via a global satellite network in
real time as the aircraft climbs, cruises,
and descends. The TAMDAR sensor
(pictured on a Saab SF340, Figure 1)
offers a broad range of airborne meteo-rological
data collection capabilities, as
well as icing and turbulence data that
is critical to both aviation safety and
operational efficiency.
In addition to atmospheric data col-lection,
the customizable system can
also provide continuous GPS aircraft
tracking, a global satellite link for data,
text and voice communication, real-time
TAMDAR-augmented forecast
products, mapping of icing, turbulence
and winds aloft, a multi-function anten-na
for both satellite communications
and GPS, and the ability to integrate
satcom with Electronic Flight Bags
(EFBs) for potential display of cockpit
weather.
TAMDAR observations not only
include temperature, pressure, winds
aloft, and relative humidity (RH), but
also icing and turbulence. Additionally,
each observation includes GPS-derived
horizontal and vertical (altitude) coor-dinates,
as well as a time stamp to
the nearest second. With a continuous
stream of observations, TAMDAR pro-vides
much higher spatial and temporal
resolution compared to the Radiosonde
(RAOB) network, as well as better geo-graphic
coverage, and a more com-plete
data set than conventional aircraft
observations through the inclusion of
RH, icing, and turbulence.
Current upper-air observing sys-tems
are also subject to large latency
based on obsolete communication net-works
and quality assurance protocol.
TAMDAR observations are typically
received, processed, quality controlled,
and available for distribution or model
assimilation in less than one minute
from the sampling time. The sensor
requires no flight crew involvement; it
operates automatically, and sampling
rates and calibration constants can be
adjusted by remote command from the
AirDat operations center in Morrisville,
N.C.
Icing observations
AirDat icing data provides the first high
volume, objective icing data available
to the airline industry. Ice reporting is
currently performed via pilot reports
(PIREPs); while helpful, these subjec-tive
reports do not provide the accu-racy
and density required to effectively
manage increasing demands on the
finite airspace. High-density real-time
TAMDAR icing reports fill this infor-mation
void, creating a significantly
more accurate spatial and temporal
distribution of icing hazards, as well
as real-time observations where icing
is not occurring. The icing data can be
viewed in raw observation form, or it
can be used to improve icing potential
model forecasts.
Turbulence observations
The TAMDAR sensor provides objec-tive
high-resolution eddy dissipation
rate (EDR) turbulence observations.
These data are collected for both
median and peak turbulence mea-surements
and are capable of being
sorted on a much finer (seven-point)
scale than current subjective PIREPs,
which are reported as light, moder-ate,
or severe. The EDR turbulence
algorithm is aircraft-configuration and
flight-condition independent. Thus, it
does not depend on the type of plane,
nor does it depend on load and flight
capacity.
This high-density, real-time, in-situ
turbulence data can be used
to alter flight arrival and departure
routes. It also can be assimilated
into models to improve predictions of
Data Reporting
Figure 1. The TAMDAR Probe mounted on a
Saab 340 Aircraft
Figure 2. Example
of a TAMDAR Point
Observation from
a flight out of LGA.
Other planes can be
seen on the LGA taxi-way,
while approach-es
to LGA and JFK are
also visible.
10 Quarter 1 2013
13. threatening turbulence conditions, as
well as being used as a verification
tool for longer-range numerical weath-er
prediction (NWP)-based turbulence
forecasts. As with the icing observa-tions,
potential utility of this data in
air traffic control decision making for
avoidance and mitigation of severe
turbulence encounters is extremely
significant.
The screenshot in Figure 2 shows
planes in the vicinity of New York City
and their respective TAMDAR obser-vations.
Holding the mouse over a
flight produces a “call out” of the most
recent observations. This particular
flight is currently reporting no icing
or turbulence at a pressure altitude of
11,220 ft and GPS altitude of 11,920 ft.
The relative humidity is 100 percent,
and the temperature is five degrees
Celsius with a wind speed of 22 kts at
261°, and a ground speed of 252 kts.
Other TAMDAR-equipped planes can
be seen lined up on the taxiway at
LGA, while approach and takeoff pat-terns
are visible for both LGA and JFK.
The TAMDAR sensor, combined
with the AirDat satellite communica-tions
network, data center, quality
filtering algorithms, and atmospheric
modeling, provides unique operation-al
benefits for participating airlines.
Some of these benefits include real-time
global tracking and reporting
of aircraft position, real-time delivery
of aircraft systems monitoring data,
and airline operational support such
as automated Out-Off-On-In (OOOI)
times and satcom voice communica-tions.
The TAMDAR installation
includes a multi-function antenna,
which can be used for receiving cock-pit
weather display information, as
well as transmitting or receiving text
messaging, email, aircraft data, and
satellite voice communication to and
from the cockpit and cabin to the
ground and back. Since the communi-cation
link is satellite based, the cov-erage
is global and seamlessly func-tional
for any location and altitude
with a sub-60 second latency. Since
TAMDAR is independent of the exist-ing
aircraft communication systems, it
offers additional layers of redundancy,
as well as carrier-defined data stream
flexibility.
Forecast models and validation
Numerous third-party studies have
been conducted by NOAA-GSD, the
National Center for Atmospheric
Research (NCAR), and various uni-versities,
to verify the accuracy of
TAMDAR against weather balloons
and aircraft test instrumentation, as
well as quantify the TAMDAR-related
impacts on NWP5,6,7,8,9.
Ongoing data denial experiments
show the inclusion of TAMDAR data
can significantly improve forecast
model accuracy with the greatest
gains realized during more dynamic
and severe weather events6.
Upper-air observations are the sin-gle
most important data set driving
a forecast model. Fine-scale regional
forecast accuracy is completely depen-dent
on a skillful representation of the
mid- and upper-level atmospheric flow,
moisture, and wave patterns. If these
features are properly analyzed during
the model initialization period, then an
accurate forecast will ensue.
Forecast models that employ a
3-D variational assimilation technique
(3D-Var or GSI), which weighs obser-vations
based on their observed time
are limited in their ability to extract
the maximum value from a high reso-lution
asynoptic data set. This method
greatly reduces the effectiveness of
observations not taken at the precise
synoptic hour (e.g., 00, 06, 12, and 18
UTC).
Recent advancements in com-putational
power have enabled 4-D
variational assimilation techniques to
become an operationally feasible solu-tion.
This method is far superior when
initializing a forecast model with a
data set such as TAMDAR because
the observations are assimilated into
Data Reporting
the numerical grid at their proper
space-time location10.
TAMDAR data has been shown
to increase forecast accuracy over the
U.S. on the order of 30-50 percent for a
monthly average, even for 3D-Var (GSI)
models9. For specific dynamic weather
events, it is not uncommon to see the
improvement in skill more than double
this value.
FAA validation summary
The FAA funded a four-year TAMDAR
impact study that was concluded in
January 2009. The study was con-ducted
by the Global Systems Division
(GSD) of NOAA under an FAA contract
to ascertain the potential benefits of
including TAMDAR data to the 3D-Var
Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) model,
which was the current operational
aviation-centric model run by NCEP.
Two parallel versions of the model
were run with the control withholding
the TAMDAR data. The results of this
study concluded that significant gains
in forecast skill were achieved with
the inclusion of the data despite using
3D-Var assimilation methods5,8,11,12.
The reduction in 30-day running mean
RMS error averaged throughout the
CONUS domain within the boundary
layer for model state variables were:
• Up to 50 percent reduction in RH
error
• 35 percent reduction in tempera-ture
error
• 15 percent reduction in wind error
This study was conducted using
a 3D-Var model on a 13 km hori-zontal
grid. Likewise, the nature of
the 30-day mean statistics dilute the
actual impact provided by TAMDAR's
higher resolution data during critical
weather events. The forecast skill gain
during dynamic events is typically
much greater than what is expressed
in a CONUS-wide monthly average.
In other words, the increase in model
accuracy is greatest during dynam-ic
weather events where air traffic
impacts are greatest.
The AirDat RT-FDDA-WRF fore-cast
runs on a North America domain
with four-km grid spacing and can
include multiple nested one-km
domains. A four-year collaborative
study with NCAR has shown that the
Illustrator: Alexander Yurkinskiy / Photos.com
Ongoing data denial
experiments show the
inclusion of TAMDAR
data can significantly
improve forecast
model accuracy
The Journal of Air Traffic Control 11
14. FDDA/4D-Var assimilation methodolo-gy
can nearly double the improvement
in forecast skill over an identical model
running a 3D-Var configuration13,14.
Results from this study are summa-rized
below using the same 30-day
running mean verification statistics as
employed by NOAA. TAMDAR impact
using FDDA/4D-Var resulted in:
• Reduction in humidity forecast
error of 74 percent
• Reduction in temperature forecast
error of 58 percent
• Reduction in wind forecast error of
63 percent
To put this type of statistical
improvement into an operational fore-cast
perspective, successive forecast
run output is presented in Figure 3.
This convective frontal event pro-duced
a record number of tornadic
cells over the southeast U.S. on April
16, 2011. When using a forecast model
as a decision-making tool, the two
most important aspects are consisten-cy
and accuracy. In Figure 3, there are
11 consecutive forecast cycles, which
all show predicted reflectivity for 18Z
April 16. The forecasts begin 72 hours
prior to the event, and each successive
cycle (i.e., 66 h, 60 h, etc.), valid at the
same time, is shown up to the 12-hour
forecast. The bottom right image is
the actual radar imagery of the event.
From a consistency perspective, the
space-time propagation, as well as the
intensity, change very little from run to
run. From an accuracy perspective, the
model does very well with resolving the
frontal boundary and storm cell inten-sity,
while the timing and position are
nearly perfect almost 60 hours prior to
the event.
Forecast skill, like the example pre-sented
above, is made possible by hav-ing
(i) an asynoptic in-situ observing
system like TAMDAR that streams
continuous real-time observations to (ii)
a forecast model (deterministic or prob-abilistic)
that has the ability to assimi-late
asynoptic data in four dimensions.
Skew-T profiles
The TAMDAR units are currently set to
sample at 300-ft intervals on ascent and
descent. This resolution can be adjust-ed
in real time to whatever interval is
desired. The satellite connection to
the sensor is a two-way connection, so
sampling rates, calibration constants,
and reporting parameters can all be
changed remotely from a ground-based
location. The sampling rate in cruise is
time based. The soundings – or vertical
profiles – are built as each observation
is received.
All of the
profile-b
a s e d
v a r i a b l e
calculations (e.g.,
CAPE, CIN, etc.) are cal-culated
when the plane enters
cruise or touches down. When an air-port
is selected, successive soundings
can be displayed within a certain time
window. This enables the user to view
the evolution of the profile.
Auto-PIREP potential utility
TAMDAR real-time icing data has the
potential to improve pilot situational
awareness. For example, we will con-sider
the data in the vicinity of the
Colgan Air icing accident near Buffalo,
N.Y. on Feb. 13, 2009.
Figures 4 and 5 are graphical out-put
of raw TAMDAR observations from
flights into and out of Buffalo within
a three hour window spanning the
crash around 10 p.m. EST. The solid
triangles (Figure 4) indicate icing, and
the hollow triangles indicate icing with
heaters activated (to melt the ice and
reset). The fact that the TAMDAR heat-er
remains activated throughout the
descent suggests that the ice accretion
rate is greater than 0.02” per minute,
Data Reporting
Figure 3. Eleven consecutive forecast cycles
beginning 72 hours prior to the event showing
predicted reflectivity for 18Z April 16. The actual
radar imagery of the event is shown in the
lower right panel.
Photographer: kalawin jongpo
12 Quarter 1 2013
15. and in some cases (based on observa-tion
times) it could have been signifi-cantly
greater.
The sounding in Figure 5, which is
valid around 9 p.m. (local time), shows a
substantial layer of saturated air below
6,500 ft between -9 and -2 degrees
Celsius, which is the temperature win-dow
that most supports the existence
of supercooled water. TAMDAR sound-ings
at KBUF continued to show this
layer of icing well past 11 p.m. EST.
During this window, the top of the layer
dropped from 7,000 ft to 3,000 ft, but the
temperature profile remains the same.
All the soundings depict favorable con-ditions
for supercooled water to freeze
upon airframe contact. Also, the verti-cal
profiles indicate winds between 25
and 45 knots within this layer through-out
the duration of the sampling.
There is a small window of sub-freezing
temperatures in which water
can remain in liquid form (about 0 to
-9 degrees Celsius). It is known as
supercooled water, and as soon as it
comes into contact with an object
(like an aircraft wing), it instantly
freezes to ice. Temperatures below
-10 degrees Celsius are usually con-sidered
too cold for aircraft icing
because the water will be in crystal
(snow) form, which will not stick to the
surface. TAMDAR was reporting large
ice buildup rates all the way down to
the surface because the entire layer
was in the supercooled liquid zone.
The TAMDAR data suggests that
the rates were high enough that the
internal probe heater was running con-tinuously
to keep up with the accretion
rate. The raw observations showing
this were coming in as early as four to
five hours before the crash. These real-time
observations can enhance deci-sion-
making for users and managers of
the NAS.
Summary
Lower and middle-tropospheric obser-vations
are disproportionately sparse,
both temporally and geographically,
when compared to surface observa-tions.
The limited density of observa-tions
is likely one of the largest con-straints
in weather research and fore-casting.
Since December 2004, the
Data Reporting
TAMDAR system has been certified,
operational, and archiving observations
from commercial aircraft. This real-time
data is available for operational
forecasting both in forecast models and
in raw sounding format that included
the additional metrics of icing and tur-bulence,
and can enable immediate
NextGen Weather benefits.
A TAMDAR system overview is
presented in Figure 6, and provides
the following, along with customizable
communication solutions:
• Moisture observations
• Better spatial and temporal sam-pling
• Real-time (15 seconds versus two
hour latency)
• New safety-critical data metrics
not captured by RAOBs or other-wise
available to the FAA includ-ing
icing and turbulence (mea-sured
by objective ICAO/FAA EDR
standard)
• GPS stamp on each observation
including latitude, longitude, alti-tude,
date, and time
• Additional winds aloft and temper-ature
data, which have been shown
to improve situational awareness,
forecast accuracy, and continuous
descent approaches
Figure 4. Flight tracks and icing observations from TAMDAR-equipped planes within a three-hour
window spanning the crash. Triangles indicate icing.
Figure 5. TAMDAR sounding valid 9 p.m. EST.
Layer below 6,510 feet (green line) shows satu-rated
atmosphere with temperatures between
-9 and -1 degrees Celsius.
The Journal of Air Traffic Control 13
16. Data Reporting
References
[1.] Jacobs, N. A., P. Childs, M. Croke, Y. Liu, and X. Y. Huang, 2010: An
Update on the TAMDAR Sensor Network Deployment, IOAS-AOLS,
AMS, Atlanta, GA.
[2.] Souders, C. G., and R. C. Showalter, 2006: Revolutionary transfor-mation
to Next Generation Air Transportation System and impacts
to Federal Aviation Administration’s weather architecture, ARAM,
AMS, 2.5
[3.] Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO) Next Generation Air
Transportation System (NextGen) Weather Plan, Version 2.0, October
29, 2010.
With LightWave RadaR fRom C Speed,
the piCtuRe iS BeComing CLeaReR.
When the United Kingdom’s major aviation
stakeholders, including major airport
operators, orchestrated a test of wind
turbine clutter mitigating radar in June
2012, they selected only one company
– C Speed, an innovative designer and
manufacturer of state-of-the-art, radar
technology. This test, the mitigation of
the Whitelee Windfarm in Scotland, was
deemed successful as these major aviation
stakeholders witnessed live demonstrations
of very small radar cross-section aircraft
being flown over the wind farm.
It was a major acknowledgement of C Speed’s LightWave Radar technology,
an S-band solid-state primary surveillance radar system for wind turbine
mitigation. C Speed has also installed its LightWave Radar for testing and
certification at Glasgow Prestwick Airport and Manston Airport, which are
located in the United Kingdom. These efforts integrated LightWave Radar
technology into the airport’s ATM systems.
For more information, visit www.lightwaveradar.com.
316 Commerce Blvd. Liverpool, NY 13088 • (315) 453-1043 • cspeed.com
Figure 6. TAMDAR coverage in Alaska
(A); SATCOM in remote locations (B);
high density in domestic urban areas
(ORD and MSP; C); real-time turbu-lence
observations (D); icing (E); and
winds, temperature, and RH (F)
[4.] Federal Aviation Administration National Airspace System Capital
Investment Plan (CIP) for Fiscal Years 2013–2017.
[5.] Benjamin, S. G., B. D. Jamison, W. R. Moninger, S. R. Sahm, B. E.
Schwartz, T. W. Schlatter, 2010: Relative Short-Range Forecast Impact
from Aircraft, Profiler, Radiosonde, VAD, GPS-PW, METAR, and
Mesonet Observations via the RUC Hourly Assimilation Cycle. Mon.
Wea. Rev., 138, 1319–1343.
[6.] Gao. F., Zhang, X. Y., Jacobs, N. A., Huang, X.-Y., Zhang, X. and
Childs, P. P. 2012. Estimation of TAMDAR Observational Error and
Assimilation Experiments. Wea. Forecasting, 27, 856-877.
[7.] Jacobs, N., P. Childs, M. Croke, Y. Liu, and X. Y. Huang, 2009: The
Optimization Between TAMDAR Data Assimilation Methods and
Model Configuration in WRF-ARW, IOAS-AOLS, AMS, Phoenix, AZ.
[8.] Moninger, W. R., S. G. Benjamin, B. D. Jamison, T. W. Schlatter, T. L.
Smith, and E. J. Szoke, 2009: TAMDAR jet fleets and their impact on
Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) forecasts, IOAS-AOLS, AMS, Phoenix, AZ.
[9.] Moninger, W. R., S. G. Benjamin, B. D. Jamison, T. W. Schlatter, T. L.
Smith, E. J. Szoke, 2010: Evaluation of Regional Aircraft Observations
Using TAMDAR. Wea. Forecasting, 25, 627–645.
[10.] Huang, X., Xiao, Q., Barker, D. M., Zhang, X., Michalakes, J., Huang,
W., Henderson, T., Bray, J., Chen, Y., Ma, Z., Dudhia, J., Guo, Y., Zhang,
X., Won, D., Lin, H., Kuo, Y., 2009: Four-dimensional variational data
assimilation for WRF: Formulation and preliminary results. Mon. Wea.
Rev., 137, 299-314.
[11.] Benjamin, S. G., W. R. Moninger, B. D. Jamison, and S. R. Sahm,
2009: Relative short-range forecast impact in summer and winter from
aircraft, profiler, rawinsonde, VAD, GPS-PW, METAR and mesonet
observations for hourly assimilation into the RUC, IOAS-AOLS, AMS,
Phoenix, AZ.
[12.] Szoke, E.J., S.G. Benjamin, R. S. Collander, B.D. Jamison, W.R.
Moninger, T. W. Schlatter, B. Schwartz, and T.L. Smith, 2008: Effect
of TAMDAR on RUC short-term forecasts of aviation-impact fields for
ceiling, visibility, reflectivity, and precipitation, ARAM, AMS, New
Orleans, LA.
[13.] Childs, P., N. A. Jacobs, M. Croke, Y. Liu, W. Wu, G. Roux, and M. Ge,
2010: An Introduction to the NCAR-AirDat Operational TAMDAR-Enhanced
RTFDDA-WRF, IOAS-AOLS, AMS, Atlanta, GA.
[14.] Liu, Y., T. Warner, S. Swerdlin, W. Yu, N. Jacobs, and M. Anderson,
2007: Assimilation data from diverse sources for mesoscale NWP:
TAMDAR-data impact. Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 9,
EGU2007-A-03109.
14 Quarter 1 2013
17. Seven Principles
Affording Our Future
Seven principles for effective NextGen infrastructure transformation
Overcoming fiscal challenges
The U.S. accounts for 35 percent of
global commercial air traffic in the
world’s most complex and safest air-space.
Commercial aviation accounts
for about five percent of the U.S. eco-nomic
output, combined with an
unmatched diversity in general avia-tion
traffic. Yet, the U.S. maintains a
vast array of aging legacy infrastruc-ture,
some of which has far exceed-ed
its planned lifespan. Funding,
financing, and managing a large-scale
infrastructure transformation
to accommodate the demands of the
Next Generation Air Transportation
System (NextGen) has proven elusive.
A recent Government Accountability
Office (GAO) report found that one-third
of NextGen programs are over
budget (estimated $4.2 billion overall
increase) and half are behind schedule
by between two months to 14 years1.
While the FAA finally has long-term
funding authorization to the tune
of about $63 billion over the next four
years, the facilities and equipment
(FE) portion that funds NextGen
infrastructure programs is flat at about
$2.7 billion annually. The cost growth
of many large programs beyond their
original baselines squeezes this FE
budget, delaying the development and
implementation of other associated
NextGen programs and threatening
their affordability. Furthermore, our
mounting national debt creates added
uncertainty regarding the govern-ment’s
ability to afford the NextGen
future it envisions as it implements
measures to curtail spending and
reduce deficits.
As a by-product, industry’s confi-dence
in making collateral infrastruc-ture
investments (e.g. investments in
new avionics and equipment) neces-sary
to enable NextGen operations is
understandably lacking. The promise
of long-term societal benefits is not
sufficient motivation to unleash sig-nificant
private sector investments,
especially in times of economic aus-terity.
New approaches to air trans-portation
infrastructure modernization
are necessary to overcome the “first
mover disadvantage” and encourage
free market dynamics, public-private
partnerships, and increased private
sector investment.
Contrary to popular belief, we can
afford the NextGen future, but we
have to re-imagine the business mod-els
to create incentives for greater pri-vate
sector participation in building,
owning, operating, maintaining, and
financing infrastructure components
– as well as sharing in the risks and
rewards. Cost reduction and avoid-ance
are only part of the calculus.
Future approaches to large-scale sys-tems
acquisition, development, and
implementation must incentivize value
creation and sustainable revenue gen-eration
and growth mechanisms.
There is more money out there to
be invested, although you won’t find
it in federal budgets and appropria-tions.
A study by the New American
By Brian M. Legan, Vice President, Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc.
Photographer: Patrick Herrera / Photos.com
The Journal of Air Traffic Control 15
18. Foundation estimates that $400 bil-lion
in global funds is available for
equity investments in infrastruc-ture2.
Private sector investment must
become an essential component of
large-scale infrastructure projects,
such as NextGen. However, the plan-ning
and operating requirements nec-essary
to attract private financing
are substantially different from those
typically associated with government
funding. For example, private equi-ty
insists on well-defined rules that
clearly prescribe funding and legal
responsibilities, statutory authority,
and transactional costs. The more
clearly these factors can be defined,
the more likely the investors will be to
commit their capital and with lower
requirements for financial returns. By
contrast, the culture of public fund-ing
tends to be more ambiguous
about many of these considerations3.
The fundamental challenge is imple-menting
the business models, policy
changes, and incentives to unleash
some of this investment and encour-age
industry to more directly affect its
own destiny.
Seven principles for effective
infrastructure transformation
Don’t think
“spending,” think
“investing”
We cannot buy
our way out of the
current situation
through more taxes,
appropriations, sub-sidies,
and stimulus
packages. The U.S.’ NextGen – and
Europe’s SESAR equivalent – rep-resents
a shift towards decentral-ized,
network-centric operations and
interconnected infrastructures. This
decentralization allows for the re-imagining
of traditional roles of gov-ernment
and industry in building,
owning, operating, maintaining, and
financing infrastructure components.
By re-imagining these roles, we can
incentivize a greater degree of pri-vate
sector participation and invest-ment,
establish more effective risk
sharing mechanisms, and mobilize
private equity investment to comple-ment
government appropriations and
debt financing.
View innovation
as an outcome,
not an activity
Recognize that sim-ply
spending more on
technological inven-tion
and deploy-ing
new automation
capabilities does not
guarantee positive return on invest-ment.
To achieve innovation from
invention, especially in highly reg-ulated
industries such as aviation,
requires anticipating and addressing
policy changes that are the necessary
catalysts for operational and economic
benefits.
Adopt a life cycle
cost perspective
that considers
total cost of
ownership, not
just cost-to-implement
Today’s global avia-tion
and air traffic management sys-tem
involves the asynchronous phase-in
of new capabilities and infrastruc-ture
(e.g., air traffic control infrastruc-ture,
avionics) and the phase-out of
some legacy systems. There will be a
huge amount of up-front capital invest-ment
required in the next two to five
years to manage through this period of
intense systems integration. Affording
these costs will require rethinking
traditional roles of owning, operat-ing,
and maintaining infrastructure
components and increasing the level
of private sector participation, invest-ment,
and risk-sharing. When effective
business models are applied, infra-structure
investments are very attrac-tive
to the private sector because they
are a) relatively inflation-proof, b) they
provide a stable cash flow, and c) they
generate long-term revenue since they
involve long-term assets.
Understand
the benefit
mechanisms, not
just the absolute
benefits
Aviation infrastruc-ture
components are
more interconnected
and interdependent
than ever. Furthermore, infrastructure
components include military, civil, and
commercial assets in various stages
of evolution. An improvement in the
capabilities of one asset (e.g. avion-ics
capabilities) without a synchro-nized,
collateral change in one or more
other assets (e.g. ATC automation,
airspace design) will dampen or delay
benefits. Understanding the benefits
mechanisms, not just the absolute
benefits, will provide robust business
cases that more reliably represent the
risk/reward profile. One step in this
direction would be to augment the
NextGen concept of operation, enter-prise
architecture, and implementa-tion
roadmaps to include funding and
financing options at their core. This
enhancement would help government
and industry assess the feasibility and
tradeoffs of various business models
as the future architecture evolves.
Be more “PC”
(privatization and
commercialization)
Privatization is not
an “all-or-none” prop-osition.
Privatization
is more appropri-ately
characterized
as degrees of pri-vate
sector participation and includes
hybrid business models, funding and
financing mechanisms, and varying
degrees of risk/control between pub-lic
and private sector stakeholders.
The majority of critical infrastructures
in the U.S. are privately owned or
operated and we have demonstrat-ed
that we can do this safely and
securely. The U.S. air traffic control
system infrastructure is largely built,
owned, operated, and maintained by
the government and funded through
taxes and appropriations; it is the
exception, not the norm. A recent
Rockefeller Foundation survey found
that Americans overwhelmingly sup-port
greater private sector investment
in infrastructure4. Approximately 45
percent of the U.S. National Airspace
System (NAS) infrastructure offers
opportunities to apply alternative
business models, acquisition strate-gies,
and funding/financing approach-es5.
Several NextGen infrastructure
capabilities also lend themselves to
Seven Principles
16 Quarter 1 2013
19. being “commercialized as a service”
(e.g. owned, operated and maintained
by the private sector, governed by a
service level agreement, provided on
a fee-for-service basis, and extensible
to a broader customer base potentially
representing new revenue streams).
We must embrace commercialization
and leverage the competitive forces
and profit motives of industry to create
performance incentives that a) accel-erate
implementation, b) improve cost
efficiency and containment, c) create
more equitable risk/reward profiles by
assigning certain commercial users to
the private sector that government is
unable to bear, and d) foster account-ability
for delivering results (not just
new systems and technologies).
Think globally,
implement
regionally, and
manage locally
Aviation is a global
enterprise. Harmo-nization
of air traf-fic
management
operations and infra-structure
(e.g. physical infrastructure,
information infrastructure, airspace
infrastructure, policy/procedural
infrastructure) is imperative for safe,
secure, seamless, and economical
operation. Transformation must enlist
the involvement of the mega-commu-nity
of stakeholders, recognizing their
unique priorities and mobilizing their
involvement around converging objec-tives.
This perspective fosters conver-gence
globally, accelerates benefits
regionally, and mitigates risks locally
based upon unique operational char-acteristics.
The potential results are
compelling. For example, studies have
shown that a 30 percent increase in air
passenger volume in just one region
of our country could create more than
50,000 new jobs6.
Have the courage
and conviction to
act now to drive
change, rather
than react to it
Our aviation system
is dynamic and resil-ient.
Change is hap-pening
whether we
drive it holistically or not. For instance,
the FAA Air Traffic Organization
continues to implement software
patches, automation enhancements,
and hardware upgrades to deal with
evolving demands. Airlines continue
to modernize and equip their fleets to
suit their emerging business needs.
These are significant investments
in and of themselves and are done
out of necessity to meet near-term
operational and business objectives.
However, perpetuating this model in
the absence of reconceiving the whole
creates additional complexity due to
the growing interdependence among
aviation infrastructures. The cost
of this complexity is then incurred
down the road when enterprise-wide
systems integration occurs, and often
creates additional inertia to change.
Adversity creates opportunity
Considering the state of our economy
and mounting debt, there hasn’t been
this much adversity – or opportunity
– in generations. The opportunity
that is upon us is to evolve beyond
the traditional approaches to funding,
financing, and managing our nation’s
air transportation infrastructure.
Historical approaches that subscribe
to the old mantra: “If it moves, tax
it; if it keeps moving, regulate it; if it
stops moving, subsidize it,” are insuf-ficient
to keep us moving forward. We
must not only embrace technological
ingenuity but also business ingenu-ity.
If we do, we will be able to afford
the future we desire for our nation’s
Seven Principles
air transporta-tion
system while
instilling greater
acc ou nt a bi l i t y
and incentives for
delivering results
that endure.
Brian Legan is a Booz Allen Hamilton Vice President
and a leader of the firm’s Engineering Center of
Excellence. He has 25 years of experience in the
aerospace and transportation industries working with
public and private sector clients in the U.S and abroad.
Legan’s responsibilities include helping clients with
complex infrastructure projects vital to national and
global transportation, energy, environment, and sus-tainability
imperatives. His team was previously named
“Best Consultancy to the Global Air Navigation
Services Industry” by Air Traffic Management
magazine. Legan began his career as a Crew Systems
Engineer at McDonnell Douglas Corporation where
he designed and implemented advanced avionics
systems. Prior to joining Booz Allen in 1998, he was a
Director at a Washington, D.C. technology consulting
firm and Manager of Operations Engineering at a
Maryland-based technology company. Legan holds a
Master’s Degree from George Mason University and
a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Illinois
(Champaign/Urbana).
References
[1.] Government Accountability Office
(GAO), February 2012, Air Traffic Control
Modernization: Management Challenges
Associated With Program Costs And
Schedules Could Hinder NextGen
Implementation, Report To Congressional
Committees, GAO, http://1.usa.gov/
w9kkvP
[2.] Gerencser, Mark, Spring 2011, Nation-
Building In America: Re-Imagining
Infrastructure, The American Interest,
Vol. VI, No. 4, North Hollywood, CA, The
American Interest, pp 34-45.
[3.] Booz Allen Hamilton, July 2012, Mega-
Community Simulation To Re-Imagine
Infrastructure, http://bit.ly/X1YoRF
[4.] Gerencser, Mark, ibid.
[5.] Booz Allen Hamilton, July 2007, Analysis
of Alternative NextGen Business Models.
[6.] Booz Allen Hamilton Analysis, May 2010,
Analysis of Changes to Passenger Capacity
and Airline Operating Costs with NextGen
Technology. http://bit.ly/11qoe8W
Contrary to popular
belief, we can
afford the NextGen
future, but we have
to re-imagine the
business models to
create incentives
The Journal of Air Traffic Control 17
20. Weather Technology
iWn tehaet hCeorc Tkepcith nology Transoceanic human-over-the-loop demonstration
Background
The June 1, 2009 Air France Flight 447
accident focused industry attention to
the need for additional, aircraft-specific
weather information in the cockpit,
particularly for transoceanic flights. As
long-range and ultra-long-range inter-continental
flights become routine,
weather information provided during
preflight planning may not be adequate
when a flight most needs hazardous
weather information. The main motiva-tor
for this research is the need for haz-ardous
weather information updates in
data-sparse regions while the aircraft
is en route. Additionally, because fleet-wide
equipage for electronic flight bags
(EFBs) and/or integrated flight displays
will mostly lag technology capabilities,
portraying the hazardous information to
the pilot may need to use current avion-ics,
without modifying and certifying
expensive upgrades to primary flight
displays and avionics. This research
explores the concept of use, includ-ing
potential training and human fac-tors
issues, of simple character graphic
and color graphic depictions of fre-quently
updated weather information
meant to supplement textual updates
and airborne weather radar informa-tion.
Figure 1 shows an example of
both the character and graphic display
concepts.
Prior proof of concept
Prior to 2007, the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) Aviation Weather
Research Program (AWRP) spon-sored
the Oceanic Weather Product
Development Team (OW PDT) that
developed early aviation weather prod-ucts
specifically designed to meet the
needs of transoceanic aircraft. The OW
PDT collaborated with United Airlines
to successfully demonstrate the use-fulness
of an uplinked, satellite-based
product that identified the 30Kft and
40Kft convective cloud top heights
on a two-waypoint look-ahead dis-play
that integrated the aircraft posi-tion
and flight direction. An ASCII
character display was sent to the
Boeing 777 aircraft onboard Aircraft
Communications Addressing and
Reporting System (ACARS) line print-er
when a significant amount of deep
convection existed along the flight
route. Similarly, the AWRP Turbulence
PDT has demonstrated the uplink
of a look-ahead turbulence severity
product into the cockpit of selected
CONUS United Airlines flights. Once
pilots became familiar with the char-acter
graphic and its underlying mete-orological
basis, they generally wel-comed
the updated information with
its strategic awareness of deep con-vection
or forecast turbulence along
By Tenny Lindholm, Cathy Kessinger, Gary Blackburn, and Andy Gaydos
National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colo.
Photographer: John Panella / Photos.com
Figure 1. Graphical depiction of the
GOES-East derived cloud top heights
(30Kft and 40Kft contours) from
June 1, 2009 at 0115 UTC via an ASCII,
line printer graphic (left) and a color-coded
graphic (right) relative to the
last known position of Air France
Flight 447 (bottom center). The 30Kft
contour is represented by a “/” and
green shading; the 40Kft contour by a
“C” and red shading. The images are
drawn relative to the expected flight
route for the next two waypoints.
18 Quarter 1 2013
21. Weather Technology
the flight’s vertical and horizontal pro-file.
However, a need exists for better
understanding of benefit potential for
oceanic air traffic managers, airline
dispatch, and flight crews, plus any
human factors or safety issues, prior
to a large-scale, operational demon-stration.
Transoceanic human-over-the-loop
(HOTL) demonstration
To fulfill the need for better under-standing
prior to a large-scale opera-tional
demonstration, the demonstra-tion
described here used an actual air
carrier trip from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. to
Lima, Peru to examine human factors
and use case scenarios in simulation
trials. The demonstration was conduct-ed
in the William J. Hughes Technical
Center (WJHTC) NextGen Integration
and Evaluation Capability (NIEC)
Research Cockpit Simulator (RCS) in
Atlantic City, N.J. Actual weather sce-narios
within the inter-tropical conver-gence
zone (ITCZ) were chosen from
some 30 archived convective weather
cases. Cloud top height (CTOP) infor-mation
was derived from GOES satellite
infrared imagery, mapped to flight level
using model soundings, and presented
on an EFB in both a character graphic
display format and a color graphic. The
character graphic was meant to simu-late
a printout from the ACARS thermal
printer already installed on most Part
121 air carrier aircraft. Further, space-borne
radar data, combined with sat-ellite-
derived products, were presented
on a primary flight display (navigation
display, or ND) for estimated airborne
weather radar information. Four cur-rent,
highly experienced pilots flew the
demonstration trips and were trained
on the unique characteristics of the
RCS and the weather scenarios devel-oped
for the simulation. The objectives
were to:
• Evaluate the risk of in-flight evalu-ations
of updated weather informa-tion
in oceanic/remote regions
• Increase the understanding of
impacts to pilot, dispatch, and air
traffic management (ATM) deci-sion-
making in a collaborative
environment when updated ocean-ic
weather information is provided
to the flight deck
• Identify demonstration objectives
that are best accomplished with
an expanded demonstration of
uplinked hazardous weather infor-mation
to transoceanic airline
flights
RCS configuration, capabilities,
limitations
The NIEC RCS is a reconfigurable, ful-ly-
functional flight simulator that was
configured as an Airbus A-320/330 for
the demonstration. Most flight man-agement
computer (FMC) and integra-tion
of flight display capabilities were
available on the center and forward dis-play
consoles. All consoles were touch-screen
displays that required pilots to
touch and otherwise control with touch
to activate and/or adjust normal func-tions
such as radar and ND controls.
Specifically:
• The simulator was a Class 4 simu-lator,
allowing for realistic flight
scenarios from gate pushback
through en route operations
• The aircraft flight management
system (FMS) was partially func-tional.
Because of a protective
Plexiglas shield over much of the
center console, parallax error and
touch sensitivity made data entry
difficult. The FMS was pre-load-ed
with the flight plan, and did
update as waypoints were passed.
Fuel planning pages were working,
but changes to FMS pages were
difficult and not relevant to the
demonstration. The ACARS was
operational from both the FMS and
dispatch.
• The simulator was not Future Air
Navigation System-1 (FANS-1)
capable; however, the NIEC inte-gration
allowed for high-frequency
(HF) air traffic control (ATC) com-munications/
position reporting
• ATC and airline operations cen-ter
(AOC) communications were
simulated as needed in response to
pilot requests
• The simulator was equipped with
an EFB that was used to show both
character and color graphics of the
en route weather updates
• The NIEC RCS allowed ingest of
“canned” weather data, and dis-play
on the ND and EFB
Figure 2. First officer’s forward panel and the
OTW depiction of weather cells
Figure 3. RCS flight deck Figure 4. First officer’s EFB and OTW depiction
The Journal of Air Traffic Control 19
22. Weather Technology
• Aircraft position was known (lati-tude/
longitude) at all times to sup-port
tailoring of satellite-based
weather hazard information
• The NIEC RCS can accommodate
any global flight scenario
Weather scenarios were selected
from archived weather data sets, with
visual cues such as airborne weath-er
display and out-the-window (OTW)
weather depictions correlated in time,
space, and intensity. An airborne
weather simulator drove the ND weath-er
depiction so that, for example, atten-uation
of radar returns beyond close-in
cells was realistic in terms of expected
depictions on the A-320/330. Figures 2
and 3 show the flight deck layout, and
Figure 4 shows the EFB as installed in
the RCS (both pilots). Figure 5 is the
simulated dispatch and air traffic con-trol
position.
Demonstration observations
Results from this demonstration were
mostly qualitative, since we were lim-ited
to only two evaluation flight crews
and four weather scenarios. Even so,
much was learned about the altered
operational concept resulting from
the availability of convective weather
updates.
In general, the results showed
that the uplinked weather information
was valuable in all aspects observed
– crew situational awareness, workload
reduction (ATC, dispatch, and flight
crew), more precise weather hazard
avoidance, and crew decision-making.
Furthermore, the EFB character graph-ic
was understandable and desired in
place of the updates. The color graphic
as presented on the EFB was preferred
and very understandable. There were
no safety issues identified as a result
of the uplinked CTOP product. It was
important, however, for flight crews to
be trained on the use and interpretation
of the information presented, including
its limitations. A collateral benefit of
this research was the development of
airborne radar display and simulation
software that replicates actual weather
specifically for the NIEC RCS. The air-borne
weather radar simulator is an
important addition to the RCS in the
NextGen research environment.
Pilots were asked to compare their
overall situational awareness between
current oceanic operations and the
enhanced weather update case, and
all rated the enhanced case “much
more effective.” Some anecdotal evi-dence
supporting this subjective rating
included:
• One pilot stated the ND radar dis-play
“painted us into a corner,” and
having been exposed to the CTOP
graphics during training com-mented
that he “missed not hav-ing
this information” during the
baseline scenario.
• “The best value of this is the abil-ity
to look behind a storm area” to
ascertain the potential for attenu-ation.
This pilot prefaced most of
his decisions with an assessment
of the attenuation potential during
the enhanced flight.
• “In the real world, this radar
[installed in the actual A-320]
is only good out to 160nm.” The
CTOP benefit is to supplement the
airborne radar. This pilot further
stated the value of the CTOP infor-mation
is “greatest when tactical
maneuvering using the radar, and
with CTOP in-hand.”
• Pilots, in several cases, decided on
deviating (baseline scenarios) not
knowing what was beyond 160nm.
The result was a track that was
greater than 100nm off-course.
One deviation resulted in a 150nm
off-course situation. It happens that
160nm is the observed break-point
between tactical avoidance and
strategic deviation. Figure 6 is an
example of an excessive deviation.
This figure shows two flight tracks
overlaid on a background CTOP
weather scenario. Each track was
flown by a different flight crew pair
(same weather scenario). The max-imum
deviation was nearly 150nm
off of the planned route.
Figure 5. ATC and dispatch position
Photographer: Alvaro Germán / Photos.com
20 Quarter 1 2013
23. Weather Technology
An important observation through
pilot reaction and real-time comments
was that the pilots became more adept
at the proper use of the CTOP updates
as they became more experienced
through exposure to the scenarios and
information. That is, the uplink update
is more properly used as a strategic tool
that supplements the airborne radar,
which remains the primary source of
information when/if faced with the
need for tactical avoidance.
Pilots rated enhanced safety as
high when given the updated CTOP
information with comments like:
• “Excellent situational awareness
tool.”
• “Obvious, can assist in long-range
planning, avoiding short-range
weather avoidance.”
• “Great help for pilots…”
• “Results in more meaning-ful
discussions with dispatch.”
Incidentally, communications with
ATM/C and dispatch were more
focused since both players had
access to the same information.
This reduced the time of each
interaction, plus it reduced the
number of times the pilots asked
for deviation or for more informa-tion.
Workload was reduced for all
players.
• “Very useful as long as the data
is valid.”
Several pilot comments and
decisions that illustrate the effective-ness
of the enhanced weather informa-tion
display are repeated below:
• Pilot verbal feedback on the ASCII
display was mostly positive, a
unique way of conveying infor-mation
without using link band-width
or re-equipage. One pilot
commented, “Pretty nice.”
• Based on ND radar alone, pilots
were tempted to “thread the
needle” through the storm areas;
however, the CTOP indicated the
potential for attenuated returns
behind the initial line of storms.
• Pilots developed (and became
proficient with) strategies that
involved many small heading
changes using the CTOP display
for guidance, then supplementing
these initial deviations with radar
when the storms came into view.
This minimized the total devia-tion
from the course.
• One pilot commented that after
being exposed to the CTOP dis-play
during training, he really
missed not having it during the
baseline case.
• Many times, the pilots were able
to begin to get back on course as
soon as possible given the look-ahead
provided by the CTOP.
• Pilots constantly referenced their
use of CTOP to identify potential
attenuation. They were constant-ly
cross-referencing the ND with
the EFB display while attempting
to determine the best strategy.
Pilots did not identify any safe-ty
concerns with the CTOP display,
either color or character graphic. They
did identify some enhancements that
might be enabled by the progression
of more capable EFBs onto the flight
deck (such as tablet computers).
“One peek (out the window) is
worth a thousand cross-checks (on
instruments).” The RCS out-the-window
view of the individual cells
turned out to be of value when the
pilots were devising a deviation strat-egy
or even during tactical maneu-vering.
This was true even during
full night operations because of the
lightning flashes and resulting illumi-nation
of individual cells. The OTW
capability needs to be further refined
and become a core capability for the
RCS. One issue of realism was noted
– pilots commented on the fact that,
most of the time, individual cells were
embedded and sometimes hidden by
clouds. This did not diminish the
dependence pilots have on a look out
the window to verify what is shown
on the ND radar and CTOP displays.
What’s next?
Specific recommendations are noted
as a result of this demonstration:
• Additional research and prod-uct
development are justified by
the potential safety and efficien-cy
enhancements resulting from
cockpit update of weather haz-ards,
especially for oceanic flights
but also for long trans-continental
flights.
• A seamless transition from conti-nental
to oceanic weather updat-ing
is needed as flights depart
from locations other than coastal
gateways in the U.S.
• The next step is to prepare for
and accomplish weather uplink
to actual line trips, making use
of whatever infrastructure is
available without re-equipage.
Validating the science and usabil-ity
of advanced weather products
can only occur if the users experi-ence
the technology and are able
to provide operational feedback to
researchers.
• The next step must include the
capability to use advanced user
interfaces as they are introduced
to line operations. The ASCII char-acter
graphic is a basic step to
get the information to the flight
deck. As fully integrated EFBs (as
well as tethered tablets) are intro-duced,
and broadband Internet
becomes available on aircraft, the
future demonstrations need to uti-lize
that enhanced capability.
• Flight crew training on devices
and weather product limits and
capabilities must precede any
future demonstrations.
Acknowledgements
This research was performed in
response to requirements and funding
by the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA). The views are those of the
authors and do not necessarily repre-sent
the official policy or position of
the FAA.
Figure 6. Comparison of actual flight paths,
with and without an uplink update
The Journal of Air Traffic Control 21
25. Force
Conference
Air Traffic Control Quarterly
NextGen Takes Flight The Air Traffic Control Quarterly keeps
up with changes in aviation
We are witnessing a period of
change in aviation that is compara-ble
in scale to the beginning of flight
and the introduction of radar. After
decades of commercial flight opera-tions
under largely unvarying proce-dures
and incremental advances in air-craft,
an air transportation revolution
is occurring before our eyes. In many
ways, the Air Traffic Control Quarterly’s
readership and contributing authors are
participants in that revolution. Through
the technological advances afforded by
diligent research in laboratories across
the world, radar surveillance is in the
process of being replaced by ADS-B,
voice communication is being replaced
by digital data links, and inertial navi-gation
is being replaced by GPS. These
advances will enable an air traffic con-trol
system that can keep pace with
continuing traffic growth, while mak-ing
the system more robust and envi-ronmentally
compatible.
The fleet mix is transforming at an
accelerating rate, too. While conven-tional
“tube and wing” aircraft have
made impressive, sustained advanc-es
in performance and efficiency, now
more dramatic changes are appearing
on the horizon. The Boeing 787 and
Airbus A380 are just the beginning.
In the coming years, we will likely
see new platforms, such as a hybrid
wing-body or truss-braced wing, the
return of supersonic passenger aircraft
(with vastly reduced sonic boom, noise,
and emissions), and a proliferation of
UAV platforms. Also within the realm
of possibilities are a civil tilt rotor,
hybrid and all-electric aircraft, and a
new generation of highly functional air-ships.
Advances inside the aircraft are
equally revolutionary, with flight deck
systems affording pilots greater oppor-tunity
to optimize their missions.
The aviation system and its con-stituent
aircraft are not the only targets
of extraordinary change, however. Even
the way we conduct and report research
is modernizing. Thanks to the revolu-tion
in information technology, research
teams can be much more widely dis-tributed
than ever before by making
use of collaboration tools and social
networking capabilities. The power of
this new ability is that highly skilled
teams can be assembled rapidly, and
projects can access top talent and labo-ratories,
regardless of their locations.
Simulations now routinely interconnect
facilities across the country, enabling
experiments that are more complex and
higher fidelity. Collaboration technolo-gies
can connect not only the individu-al
members of research teams, but also
entire communities of practice to share
their findings and advancements rapid-ly.
As an example, the recently formed
NASA Aeronautics Research Institute
is a “virtual” institute that fosters and
facilitates technical interchange in the
aeronautical sciences by leveraging
network capabilities and social media.
Thus, it should be no surprise that
the Air Traffic Control Quarterly has not
been immune to change. In response
to the changing needs of the research
community we serve, the Quarterly has
undertaken various initiatives to be a
more effective instrument for techni-cal
communication. These initiatives
include establishing an online search-able
archive, liberalizing style guides
to accommodate new presentation for-mats,
and investigating the viability
of an all-electronic publication. While
these experiments have not always
resulted in fundamental changes to
our approach, we sincerely hope that
they have helped keep the Quarterly
relevant and valuable to you. Without a
doubt, more such experimentation and
change lie ahead, and we look forward
to being a part of aviation’s future.
Guest Editorial by Andres Zellweger, Air Traffic Control Quarterly
Photographer: Georgi Stanchev
More about the Air Traffic
Control Quarterly
The above is a guest editorial writ-ten
by Dr. Thomas Edwards, editor of
the Air Traffic Control Quarterly and
director of Aeronautics, NASA Ames
Research Center, for the 20th anniver-sary
issue of the publication.
The Air Traffic Control Quarterly is
a quarterly journal of peer-reviewed and
selected technical articles on air traffic
control subjects, authored by noted
ATC experts from leading research
and academic organizations around
the world. The publication includes
quantitative studies, results of original
research, reports on innovative appli-cations
of ATC and related technolo-gies,
and analyses of ATC operations.
Among subjects addressed are ATC
operations, automation, operations
research, communications, navigation,
surveillance, human factors, free flight,
wake vortex, aviation weather, and
air traffic management. This publica-tion
is designed to serve as a resource
for ATC engineers, scientists, research
and operations specialists.
For more information about the
publication, or to submit an article,
please contact Managing Editor, Ned
A. Spencer, at n.spencer@ieee.org.
The Journal of Air Traffic Control 23
26. NextGen Implementation Plan
Roll Over, Gutenberg
The 2013 update to the NextGen Implementation Plan
is all electronic
The Next Generation Air Trans-portation
System (NextGen) is about
getting the right information to the
right person at the right time. Now
the FAA is making information about
its air transportation moderniza-tion
effort even more accessible. The
March 2013 update to the NextGen
Implementation Plan will be released
exclusively in electronic formats.
The Plan will be made avail-able
as a downloadable e-book, eas-ily
accessible on mobile and tablet
devices, and as a full-layout PDF,
which will provide readers with an
opportunity to print those sections
of the document of most interest to
them. The move from print to online-only
distribution follows cost-saving
trends in government and industry
communications with stakeholders.
The new approach to the Plan will
also provide added value with links
to more in-depth information on the
FAA website in some cases.
The NextGen Implementation
Plan is one of the FAA’s two pri-mary
outreach and reporting vehi-cles
for updating the aviation com-munity
on the progress made while
presenting an overview of plans for
the future. The other is the NextGen
Performance Snapshots (NPS) web-site,
faa.gov/nextgen/snapshots,
which the FAA launched last year to
track NextGen performance metrics.
For more information, see “Wheels Up
on NextGen Performance Snapshots”
in the Summer 2012 issue of The
Journal of Air Traffic Control.
Updated annually, the Plan
describes how we intend to imple-ment
NextGen, and provides the avia-tion
community with the informa-tion
necessary to take advantage of
NextGen capabilities. It further offers
our international partners a summary
of our planning timelines in support
of the agency’s global harmonization
efforts.
Highlights from the forthcoming
Plan include:
• The latest information on our
Optimization of Airspace and
Procedures in the Metroplex
(OAPM) initiative, which had
seven active metroplex sites in or
entering the design and evalua-tion
phases. OAPM is a fast-track
effort to implement Performance-
Based Navigation (PBN) proce-dures
and airspace improvements
to reduce fuel consumption and
harmful engine emissions in the
airspace around metropolitan
areas where several airports are
located within close proximity of
one another. By this Summer, the
first three sites – Washington,
D.C., North Texas, and Houston
– will have entered the implemen-tation
phase.
• The status of Automatic
Dependent Surveil lance–
Broadcast (ADS-B) ground station
deployment, which surpassed
the 500-station milestone in
September 2012. Making use of
GPS and Wide Area Augmentation
System (WAAS) technology,
ADS-B is the NextGen succes-sor
to ground radar for tracking
aircraft in the National Airspace
By Gisele M. Mohler, Director, NextGen Performance and Outreach, Federal Aviation Administration
Photographers: Alice Day Srecko Djarmati / Photos.com
24 Quarter 1 2013
27. System. In 2013, the program is
looking toward stimulating air-craft
equipage. Aircraft flying
in designated airspace must be
equipped with ADS-B Out by
January 1, 2020.
• A rundown on technology and
procedures that are providing
benefits to the general aviation
community, including perfor-mance-
based approaches, capi-talizing
on GPS and WAAS tech-nology,
that are providing general
aviation operators with greater
access to more airports, particu-larly
in poor weather conditions.
In 2012, the FAA introduced
the latest evolution of the NextGen
Implementation Plan as an e-book.
The move to an exclusively electronic
format helps conserve resources while
complying with the Administration’s
directive to reduce printing costs
government-wide. Electronic delivery
of the Plan capitalizes on advanc-es
in mobile technology to provide
readers with a much wider breadth
of information that has historically
been included in a printed document.
Throughout this year’s Plan, there will
be links to supplemental information
available on the FAA public website:
articles, program data, press releases,
and fact sheets. These greater levels
of detail on specific topics, as well
as links to regularly updated mate-rial,
such as the publication of PBN
procedures, will give readers ongoing
access to the most current informa-tion
the agency has to offer. For e-book
readers, access to Appendix B will be
through an online portal that takes full
advantage of the capabilities offered
by today’s tablet computers.
The NextGen transformation is
as important and complicated a tech-nological
undertaking as any upon
which the U.S. aviation community
has ever embarked.
It is appropriate that the agency's
major outreach and reporting tools are
being made available on the web and
for use on mobile devices. In addition
to housing the NPS and prior updates
of the implementation Plan, the FAA’s
NextGen website includes:
• NextGen homepage – brief arti-cles,
videos of executive inter-views,
animations, interactive
flash maps, and infographics
• NextGen for Airports – outlines
NextGen benefits for airports
and has a downloadable brochure
with an online-only section of
frequently asked questions about
NextGen and airports
• Quicklinks – one-click access
to documents, including the
Aviation Safety NextGen
Workplan and the Airspace and
Procedures Plan
• NextGen Videos – videos and
animations on topics such as
PBN and Automatic Dependent
Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B)
Other resources include:
• FAA NextGen eNews – a compi-lation
of news items from the past
month related to U.S. National
Airspace System operations,
safety, security, capacity, efficien-cy,
NextGen Implementation Plan
and environment. eNews also
provides a brief update on what’s
new in NextGen (e.g. the latest
ADS-B service volumes and new
WAAS Localizer Performance
with Vertical Guidance (LPV)
procedures). The publication is
for the aviation community’s
unofficial use. Please contact
sheila.ctr.sygar@faa.gov to sub-scribe,
and comment on eNews,
or offer content suggestions and
links.
• SatNav News – provides the lat-est
information on FAA satellite
navigation initiatives that sup-port
the aviation community and
the general public. SatNav News
includes articles on WAAS and
the Ground-Based Augmentation
System (GBAS) program status,
operational issues, research and
development activities, FAA’s
international satellite naviga-tion
initiatives, and other top-ics
related to the ever-expanding
applications and benefits of GPS
and its augmentations (WAAS/
GBAS). To subscribe, visit
http://tinyurl.com/4uyet7n. Send
questions or suggest articles to
scott.ctr.speed@faa.gov.
• Air Traffic link – faa.gov/air_traffic/,
details air traffic Orders and
Notices, airport status and delays
and state- and airport-specific
surface weather observations.
• Monthly Satellite Navigation
updates – formatted as download-able,
searchable Excel spread-sheets
of LPV approach proce-dures
are located on the web at
http://tinyurl.com/2wc8spf. Data
can be sorted by state and air-port,
for example. The webpage
also has links to Canadian and
European LPVs.
Have questions or want more
information about NextGen? Send
inquiries to nextgen@faa.gov.
Scan the code to download the latest edition of
the NextGen Implementation Plan
The Journal of Air Traffic Control 25
28. Feature Teaching High School Students
Air Traffic Control
Why introducing ATC at the high school level benefits
young minds and industry alike
Two young ladies signed up for
the aviation program at the East Valley
Institute of Technology (EVIT) with
the goal of becoming flight attendants.
The first day they were in the control
tower lab, their goals changed. They
fell in love with air traffic control (ATC)
and are now focusing their attention
pursuing it. Offering ATC at the high
school level gives students the oppor-tunity
to experience ATC and deter-mine
if it is something they want to do
with their lives.
Are high school students
mature enough to handle a
subject like ATC?
Maturity is a big factor in teaching
ATC to high school students. In my
experience, as soon as students gain
confidence and realize they can pro-vide
a valuable service to pilots, their
maturity increases. Working in an ATC
lab is a challenge for the immature
student. The instructor in this environ-ment
must remember they are teach-ing
high school students and, with
patience, the student usually steps up
and accepts the seriousness of the sub-ject
they are learning.
Are high school students ready
to learn the material and begin
acquiring the skills necessary to
become an air traffic controller?
The beauty of the high school ATC
program is that it provides hands-on
training and classroom academics
are immediately applied to the control
tower lab. Hands-on training is likely
one of the most effective methods for
young people to learn. Even if a student
decides not to go into ATC after taking
the class, they have gained confidence
in radio procedures, learned about air-ports,
and explored how weather pat-terns
affect air travel; in other words,
By Major Ronald H. Dalton, Sr., U.S. Air Force, Ret., East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT)
Photographer: Comstock Images / Photos.com
26 Quarter 1 2013
29. the ATC program has opened other
areas for students to explore. In fact,
one student in the ATC program has
decided to go into meteorology.
Why should ATC be taught to high
school students?
Firstly, the ATC curriculum includes
mathematics, history, and navigation
principles, all of which provide students
with valuable training in a hands-on
environment. Secondly, students are
exposed to a vocation prior to college,
which allows them to decide if this is
what they want to do before paying
expensive college fees. Finally, the edu-cation
process is relevant. The student
learns procedures in the classroom and
then applies them in the lab. It makes
sense! They get immediate feedback.
Even if they do not enter ATC, they see
the purpose in studying a subject.
What are my experiences from
working with high school students
for 21 years?
One student, now a supervisor at the
Phoenix TRACON, found his passion
for the industry upon entering the ATC
lab for the first time. His entire focus
concerning school changed – he knew
what he wanted to do with his life.
He motivated other members of his
class because he had the overwhelm-ing
desire to succeed and he pushed
them and, in turn, they pushed him.
It became a contest to see who could
work the most traffic. “Bring them
on,” he would say, meaning he would
accept all the traffic the students could
throw at him. He, along with two fellow
students, proceeded to Beaver College
in Pennsylvania where they continued
their education. Because of ATC in
high school, they all are employed in
the industry today.
Feature
I am reminded of a very quiet
young man, who did not initially
show the abilities to be a control-ler;
however, he seemed to like ATC
and gradually gained confidence. He
came out of his shell and became one
of the top ATC students in his class.
He went on to college and is now a
controller in New Mexico. There are
several former students active in ATC
and in the military.
Is it expensive to teach ATC in
high school?
Upon arriving at South Mountain High
School in Phoenix, I was given a very
large budget to build an ATC pro-gram.
We were able to build the ATC
lab for $600. We used two-by-fours for
the table frame and plywood for the
top. We used Christmas tree lights for
the runways and taxiways. We put up
signs and painted. We used paneling
The Journal of Air Traffic Control 27
30. for the tower cab and put in the neces-sary
tower equipment. We used walkie-talkies
for communication and model
airplanes. We used an old computer
for ATIS. We used flashlights for light
guns. We installed weather equipment.
The students did most of the work and
immediately took ownership of the air-port
and control tower. It was a lot of
fun and cost considerably less than our
allotted budget. Now, is this equipment
as good as the simulators that are used
in the college programs?
The ATC simulators that we see
at Arizona State University, Embry
Riddle Aeronautical University, and
the University of North Dakota are
state-of-the-art technology that is
expensive not only to buy, but also
to maintain. The tabletop trainer is
ideal for high school as it allows for
larger classes and more flexibility
for the instructor. In addition to giv-ing
ATC instruction, the lab allows
the instructor to teach flying skills.
Students who have gone on to become
professional pilots have praised the
radio experience they got in the ATC
program.
The future in ATC training
We hear about NextGen and the shift
from ATC to air traffic management.
ATC education is in the process of
developing a person with different abil-ities
to become the new air traffic con-troller.
We see today’s young people
possessing computer skills – the skills
that will be needed by the future air
traffic controller. We need to take those
skills, along with the management-type
skills needed by future control-lers,
and develop them early. The high
school programs allow for early devel-opment
of the type of controlling we
foresee in the future.
What can we expect in the future
ATC system?
We are seeing a steady increase in
unmanned aerial operations (UAV).
Those operations will require more
coordination with our current airspace.
Free flight will finally become a real-ity
for our airlines. The controller of
the future will be separating trajecto-ries
while aircraft are separating them-selves
on those trajectories. How about
space? Are we going to need control-lers
for space travel? I say yes. I can
envision controllers on an international
space station providing needed control/
information for space flights.
In 1903, the first flight occurred.
Thank you, Wright Brothers, for that
historical achievement. It wasn’t until
26 years later when Archie League,
with wheel barrel and flags, started
ATC. The industry has always lagged
behind in development compared to
the advances made in the aircraft it
controlled. Are we going to continue
to fall behind and continue to be a
reactionary force, or can we be more
proactive and develop our young peo-ple
for the crucial job of keeping our
skies safe in the future?
The controller of yesterday was
an individual who enjoyed and was
good at “moving metal.” I was asked
once, “How many aircraft can you
handle?” I was egotistical and replied,
“How many aircraft are in the sky?” I
enjoyed everything about fitting air-craft
into those invisible holes. The
controller of the future will be work-ing
many more aircraft than I did,
but the computer will be assisting
the operation. The computer will alert
the controller of future conflicts and
will give long range inputs that will
keep the flow of traffic smooth and
efficient. Delays and congestion will
disappear. The controller will truly be
a manager of a complex environment.
Overall, my experience teaching
high school students has been very
positive. Yes, I have questioned if
this is a valid subject for the high
school level, but seeing students suc-ceed
and getting a head-start in their
training has convinced me that we
need more high schools to provide
this type of training.
The science of ATC
Currently, ATC is an elective credit
for students. If ATC could be consid-
Feature
EVIT students preparing for a career in ATC EVIT ATC students working in the Lab
28 Quarter 1 2013
