Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-1A “Free Flight with Airborne Separation will result in an uncontrolled, dangerous jungle without a firm central controlling element such as ATC.” “Pilots haven’t got the time, the training nor the mental resources available to function as ATC on top of flying the aircraft.”
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-2A Man-in-the-loop part of study looking at a Free Flight Concept Jacco Hoekstra Ronald van Gent Rob Ruigrok
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-3A Free Flight goals l Reduce Costs via user preferred routing –Horizontally direct to destination optimum speed –Vertically optimum level cruise climb l More capacity
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-4A Starting points l No ATC –Probe the limits for HF problems l All aircraft fully equipped –Linked via e.g. ADS-B –EFIS-CDTI l Full user preferred routing –Direct routing –Optimal cruise altitude
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-5A Three sub-studies: l CONCEPTUAL DESIGN Tool: Traffic Manager: Off-line simulations –Find a suitable base-line concept l SAFETY ANALYSIS Tool: TOPAZ (Traffic Organization and Perturbation AnalyZer) –Compare safety of Airborne Separation with safety ATC l MAN-IN-THE-LOOP EXPERIMENT Tool: Research Flight Simulator –Validation of concept with Man-in-the-Loop –Man Machine Interface Validation
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-6A Traffic & Experiment Manager
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-7A l Resolution advisories Several concepts studied: –Altitude step –Cross product of speed vectors –Extended VFR rules (not implemented) –Variations of TCAS manoeuvres –Voltage potential l Co-operative manoeuvring vs. priority l Minimal bandwidth/HF: no intent in Conflict Detection Conceptual Design
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-8A Conflict Detection & Resolution Intruder’s protected zone Heading distance Speed change Avoidance vector Minimum distance Ownship Intruder
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-9A Topaz Safety Analysis l Two airways in opposite direction l Independent variables: route spacing, non-nominals l Dependent: Collision risk l ASAS equipped, airborne separation, good weather, no global ADS-B failure, independent transmitter & receiver Airway Route spacing
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-10A TOPAZ : ATC vs. ASAS
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-11A Man-in-the-Loop experiment Hypotheses First explorative HF experiment, so probably: l Less than acceptable l Subjectively less safe l More workload Result: MMI problem areas
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-12A Airborne Separation subtasks l Monitoring traffic situation on display l Conflict detection l Conflict resolution l Inter-traffic R/T
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-13A Monitoring traffic situation on display l Symbology on Navigation display based on data available via ADS-B l Track indicated with arrow shaped symbol instead of track line to avoid clutter l Label text selectable with declutter switches
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-14A Conflict Detection & Resolution l Symbology based on resolution algorithm l Provides insight into resolution l Colour indicates urgency: Amber = min Red = min (time to loss of separation)
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-15A Inter Traffic R/T l Call sign added to label of traffic symbol
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-16A Navigation Display
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-17A Man Machine Interface l Modifications to Navigation Display –Traffic symbology –Conflict detection –Resolution Advisories –Vertical Navigation Display –Extra EFIS Control Panel functionality l Modifications to Autopilot –Execute combined –Execute separate l Aural alerts l Dedicated blue light under glareshield
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-18A Man-in-the-loop simulation
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-19A Experimental Design Place of non-nominals in matrix changed between subject crews 18 runs per crew air line pilots 2 days incl. half a day of training
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-20A Man-in-the-loop Simulation Configuration AIRSIM RFS TEM
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-21A Man-in-the-Loop experiment Results - Acceptability
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-22A Man-in-the-Loop experiment Results- Subjective Safety
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-23A Man-in-the-Loop experiment Results
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-24A Task comparison Controlled vs. Free Flight
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-25A Conclusions l Free Flight concept as implemented is acceptable in cruise phase, even in higher than WE densities l Workload in a future Free Flight scenario in cruise phase is not higher than in present day ATC scenario l Free Flight concept is at least as safe as present day ATC l None of the three sub-studies (off-line simulations, TOPAZ safety analysis, Man-in-the-Loop experiment) could refute the feasibility of an Airborne Separation Assurance concept for a future Free Flight environment.
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-26A Recommendations l Fine tuning of conflict detection & resolution based on remarks of pilots l Intended Flight Level in label? l Extra rule to prevent turning into short-term conflicts: =>Predictive ASAS
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-27A Predictive ASAS Calculates which track, vertical speed and speed selections will result in a conflict within the look ahead time Predicts a conflict by the red/amber zone moving to the actual values Indications do not require pilot actions
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-28A Predictive ASAS Don’t go indications: Track Vertical speed Speed
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-29A Mixed equipage ATM concepts l Flight Level division: Above FF level only equipped aircraft l Protected Airways: Controlled aircraft should stay on airways and have right of way l Fully Mixed: ATC uses longer ‘look ahead’ time, so equipped aircraft have effectively ‘right of way’ Preliminary result: Protected airways concept not feasible
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-30A NLR Free Flight Web site or via NLR home page and select hosted sites
Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium National Aerospace Laboratory NLR CXXX-31A Demonstration PC version Traffic Manager l Resolution method l Ground & air perspective l Navigation display symbology