High Density Airport Timebased RNAV/RNP
NextGen/JPDO
Demonstrations
3D Path Arrival
Management (PAM)
Project
Presented to: REACT Workshop
By: Jay Merkle
Date:25 June 2008
Federal Aviation
Administration
Table of Contents
• The Team
• Executive Summary – What is 3D PAM
• Project Status
• Detailed Description of the Concept
• High Level Schedule
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Team Members
NextGen Transportation System
Joint Planning and Development Office
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3D PAM – FAA, NASA and
Industry Leads for Coordination:
– Marc Buntin - Project Lead
– Richard Coppenbarger - EDA Principal Investigator
– Ewald Schoemig – FD Concept Lead, FD HITL Sims
– Doug Sweet - EDA SW development
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Executive Summary
(The Problem)
• Significant congestion exists today in the arrival
and departures streams of medium to large airports
• Air Traffic Controllers frequently sequence traffic
– Diminishes capacity and efficiency
– Problem will not improve without intervention
• 3D Path Arrival Management operational concept is
an initial intervention in advance of NextGen 4D
trajectory operations to address this problem.
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Executive Summary
(The solution – 3D PAM)
• Efficient and predictable method
to deliver aircraft from the TOD
to a metering fix:
– Requires: New automation support tool
(TMA enhancement) and modern FMS
• Allows the aircraft to fly an efficient, optimized descent
arrival trajectory from cruise to meter fix
• The automation provides the clearance for the ATC to send
to an aircraft
– Clearance issued via voice (Future: domestic datalink)
• Clearance is manually loaded into the FMS for execution
– The FMS executes the clearance taking advantage of RNAV / RNP
capabilities
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3D PAM Concept Definition
• Efficient and predictable method to deliver aircraft from the TOD to
a metering fix in medium/high traffic demand:
• New automation support tool (TMA enhancement) and
• Modern FMS
• Ground automation provides conflict-free, trajectory-based
clearance advisories to ATC
– Clearance issued via voice (Future: domestic datalink)
• Trajectory-based clearances are FMS executed in the airplane:
– Utilization of existing aircraft navigation capabilities (LNAV, VNAV, RNP)
3D Path Arrival Management concept is an initial intervention to 4D
Trajectory Based Operations, providing efficiency benefits in
today’s operational environment
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Primary Expected Benefits
• Improved flight efficiency:
– Reliable / Efficient routing
– Optimum speed and altitude profiles
– Reduced fuel burn, emissions and environmental impact
• Operational efficiency improvements:
– Improved meter fix delivery accuracies
– Delay reduction
– Reduced frequency and duration of voice communications
• Increase controller productivity
– Reduced workload from trajectory clearances
• Increased flight path predictability and repeatability
– Flight path execution with airplane navigation accuracies
– Improved air/ground situational awareness
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Required Navigation Performance (RNAV/RNP)
and 3D Path Operations
• Operational Environment – Arrival Transition:
–
–
–
–
Path stretching is required when speed control is insufficient to achieve spacing
ATC uses automation tools to select conflict free path and speed to space traffic
Voice based clearances for all aircraft
FMS execution of cleared flight paths
• 3D Path Design:
– Lateral path design enables FMS-based execution with LNAV, not heading
commands
RNP
• En-route: “Place/Bearing/Distance” or lateral offsets
• Arrival transition: “Place/Bearing/Distance” (PBD)
• Terminal Area: Pre-defined 3D paths, published and available in air and on ground
– Vertical flight path enables VNAV execution by the aircraft:
• FMS optimizes the vertical profile:
Continuous Descent Arrivals (CDA) in high traffic conditions
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3D Paths in Arrival Management - Overview
• Ground automation maximizes airport
throughput and flight efficiency
Path Stretch
Start
– Computes schedule at runways and meter fixes
– Selects cruise/descent speeds and lateral path
stretch to meet schedule
• ATC provides complete flight path
from cruise to Meter Fix
TOD
Path
Stretch
End
• Allows FMS to fly optimal vertical profile
• LNAV/RNP/VNAV execution of flight path
• Enables trajectory-based operations
Meter
Fix
Triangular Delay Paths in Center:
Waypoint Insertion Using
Place-Bearing Distance (PBD)–
Cleared Using Voice
3D PAM Target Domain
Pre-Defined 3D Path Sets
in Terminal Area
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Typical Arrival Paths and
Vectoring Areas in High Demand
ZFW/ZHU
Center
Boundary
to J29
COLET
HOAGI
ROKIT
TEXNN
to JCT
to IDU
Houston
TRACON
Boundary
DAISETTA
IAH
CUZZ
SEALY
HOU
GLAND
STROS
TRINITY
LISSE
Heavy Traffic Flow Through Four Corner Posts
Requires Path Stretching
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Arrival Management Automation
Traffic Management (TMA) and
En Route Descent Advisor (EDA) Functions
Required: EDA
Functionality
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3D Paths in Arrival Management:
Supporting Ground Automation
Flight: EGF586
STA
Clearance issued
Before TOD
Original path
ETA
Mag. North
Stretched
Path
Bearing:
52 deg
Meter
Fix:
DAS
Meter Fix Schedule:
Traffic Management Advisor
(TMA)
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EGF586 P/DAS 052 061 P/DAS C/250 D/240
Path-Based Advisory to Meet the Schedule:
En-Route Descent Advisor (EDA) Functionality
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Arrival Management Event Sequence - Center
1. EGF586 enters CTAS
planning horizon, pr ior
to TOD
2. TMA updates sequence
and schedule and
determines 3 min de lay
for EGF586 (AAL652 is
lead)
STA
AAL652
1.
ETA
EGF586
2.
4.
3. EDA selects the 3-min
path stretch for EGF586
3.
5.
Influence/
plan
Freeze
CIDOR
4. Contr oller issues 3D
Path Clearance after
freeze horizon and
prior to TOD
5. Pilot inputs new
procedure into FMS
and activates new flight
plan
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TOD
6.
DAISETTA
(DAS)
7.
Path Stretching
via relative waypoint
insertion
6. Aircraft flies
new flight
plan with
RNAV/VNAV
7. Ha ndoff to
TRACON at
DAS
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3D PAM – Clearance and Aircraft Types
• Strategic 3D Path clearances:
– Issued after TMA freeze horizon and before TOD
– Path stretch based on Place-Bearing Distance (PBD)
– Conflict free EDA type advisories consist of new cruise/descent speeds,
lateral path stretch, and intermediate altitude (for conflicts only)
• Tactical 3D Path clearances – issued if required:
– Strategic clearance could not be implemented
– EDA time-based monitoring: Meter fix ETA out of compliance
– Combined speed and path stretch advisory based on PBD
• Considered Aircraft Types:
Equipage
Level
Capability
3D
PBD capable, LNAV, VNAV and FMC/CDU based
cruise/descent speed change
2D
PBD capable; Only LNAV
Non-equipped
No PBD capability, No LNAV, VNAV capabilities
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3D PAM Core FY08 Activities
• Project plans for FY08 focuses on four
main areas
– Development of the overall 3D PAM
Concept
• ATC / Flight deck perspective
– Continued development of EDA
functionality
– Initiation of the Concept Requirements
Definition phase of AMS process
– Definition of Functional Requirements
Specification
(Acquisition strategy TBD)
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High Level Schedule
FY08
Q1
Q2
Q3
FY09
Q4
Q1
Q2
ATC / FD
Centric Simulations
OMB / JPDO
Integrated Sim Demo
Demonstrations
Boeing (Seattle, WA)
Q3
FY10
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
FY11
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
FY12
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Flight Demo (Denver, CO)
Fast Time Sims.
Metrics ID / Initial
Metrics Plan
Initial Benefits Analysis
CRD Process
IARD Process
Flight Trials
Tech Transfer –
EDA Functionality
JRC – 2A
• All work is being conducted in collaboration with following offices: TMA and ERAM
• Organizational partners: JPDO, ATO-E, ATO-R, ATO-T
• JRC-2A lead most likely ATO-E (Acquisition strategy is TBD)
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Summary
3D Paths provide a feasible near term operational
concept:
 Based on integrated use of current FMS capabilities and advanced
ground automation (TMA, EDA-type functionality)
 Feasible in today’s operational environment
 Provides near term efficiency benefits – enables CDA operations
from TOD to meter fix
 Crucial step towards Trajectory Based Operations in NextGen
 Enables transition to integrated data link operations
 Mixed equipage accommodation in future concepts
 Initial implementation domain from cruise to meter fixes
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