1. FAA Data Comm Program Status AERONAUTICAL COMMUNICATIONS PANEL (ACP)
20th MEETING OF WORKING GROUP M
Montreal, Canada January , 2013
Agenda Item: 6 (a)
FAA Data Comm Program
Status
(Presented by: Peter Muraca, FAA)
SUMMARY
This information paper is intended to provide status of on going activities within the FAA for the implementation of the Data Communications Program.

2. Agenda Background Program Baseline - Scope Program Lifecycle
Services Roadmap
Data Comm System View (end to end environment)
Data Comm System Components
Target Equipage
Recent Activities
Program Status – S1P1 Activities
Program S1P1 Milestones

3. Background
Increased Safety – Reduced Operational Errors
Direct Reroutes
Crossing Restrictions
Tailored Arrivals
Aircraft Fuel Savings
Ground Delay Savings
Revised Departure Clearance
Airport Information
Flow Initiatives
En Route Delay Savings and Increased Controller Productivity
Seamless Uplink of Flow Initiatives / TFM Reroutes – “Go” Button
Comm Transfer Workload Reduction
More Efficient Delivery of Clearances
Allows Uplink of More Complex Clearances
En Route Notifications
Provides two-way data between controllers, automation and flight crews
Safety-of-flight air traffic control (ATC) clearances, instructions, traffic flow management, flight crew requests and reports
Automation enhancements for ATC message generation and exchange 3

4. Program Baseline - Scope
JRC approved Final Investment Decision for S1P1 (Departure Clearance service) for 41 sites
Data Comm Integrated Services (DCIS) contract
TDLS Departure Clearance (DCL) enhancements
ERAM contract modification supporting DCL service (AFN logon)
Moving forward with development of En Route services (S1P2)
Tower Trials
Operational trials of the DCL service in Memphis, Newark, and Atlanta

5. Program lifecycle Near Term Activities (FID) Final Investment Decision
DCIS Contract Award (Planned for Q4 FY12)
(IID)
Initial
Investment
Decision
(IARD)
Investment
Analysis
Readiness
Decision
Tower automation IOC 2016
(Seg 1 Phase 1)
En-Route automation IOC 2019
(Seg 1 Phase 2)
Segment 2 IOC 2025 (ATN)
Near Term
Activities
Complete Service Level Agreements
Complete Safety Assessments
Complete Initial Requirement Documents
Complete Initial Cost Benefit Analysis
Complete JRC 2A, Initial Investment Decision
Develop Specifications (Sys Eng)
Human Factors HITLS
Standards Development
Develop and Release SIR(s)
Receive and Evaluate proposals
Finalize Business Case Analyses
Contract Award 5

6. Services Roadmap Segment 1 Phase 1 - Tower Service Segment 1 Phase 2CY
Segment 1 Phase 1
- Tower Service
Departure
Clearance
Tower IOC
Departure Clearances (DCL)
Segment 1 Phase 2
- En Route Services
Transfer of Communications
Initial Check-In
Altitudes / Altimeter Settings
Go Button / Airborne Reroutes
Tailored Arrivals
Controller Initiated Routes
Direct-to-Fix
Crossing Restrictions
Advisory Messages
Speed and Headings
Beacon Codes
Stuck Microphone
Initial En Route Services
En Route IOC
Data Comm Routine
Communications
TFM Data Comm
Tailored Arrivals
Reroutes
Full En Route Services
Data Comm Routine
Communications
FANS 1/A+ over VDL-2 transitioning to ATN
Avionics
FANS
Ground System
ATN
Segment 2
- Advanced Services
4D Trajectories
D-TAXI 6 6 6 6 6

7. Data Comm System View Ground Infrastructure - FAA
Tower Data Link Service (TDLS)
En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM)
FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI)
Uplink/Downlink Infrastructure - FAA
Data Comm Integrated Services (DCIS/DCNS)
Aircraft Upgrades – Airlines
FANS 1/A+ over VDL-2, later adding ATN B2
Phase 1
Phase 1 & 2
Phase 2
National Sites
ZLC and ZTL

8. Data Comm System Components
Tower Data Link (TDLS) Enhancements
In-house FAA development through the Inter-Facility Communications Engineering Team (IFCET)
Departure Clearance (DCL) and Revised DCL service Implementation
En Route Automation (ERAM) Enhancements
Key functions needed for Tower Service and to enable subsequent En Route services (AFN, Flight Plan…..)
Ground-Ground Telecommunications Service
FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI)
Data Comm Integrated Service (DCIS)
Contract awarded to Harris Corporation in September 2012
Air/Ground VHF Data Link Mode 2 (VDL-2) Network Service (DCNS)
Engineering Integration Services
Manage Avionics Equipage Initiative 8

9. Target Equipage
Initial service will be deployed with Future Air Navigation System (FANS) 1/A+ avionics
Integrated avionics package functionality supports deployment of all Segment 1 Tower and En Route services
FANS in operation today
Ground System deployment plans extend to align with Aeronautical Telecommunications Network (ATN) avionics projected for 2020s timeframe
ATN Baseline 2 will allow advanced NextGen operations such as Trajectory Based Operations, Conformance Management, etc.
ATN Baseline 2 standards are in the process of being finalized by joint US-European committee
Air / Ground network will be VHF Data Link (VDL) Mode 2
Program investigating accommodating VDL Mode 0 for Tower DCL service
Part of Tower trials is to determine if VDL Mode 0 can meet performance requirements for DCL

10. Recent Activities ERAM Enhancements Data Comm Integrated Service
Completed Critical Design Review (CDR) for Data Comm ERAM software enhancements
Completed system integration of Data Comm ERAM software enhancements and began Development Test (DT)
Data Comm Integrated Service
Awarded the Data Comm Integrated Services (DCIS) contract to Harris
Procure Data Communication Network Services (DCNS)
Tower Trials
Awarded Contract for Data Communications Trial Automation Platform (DTAP)
Completed functional test of DTAP at FAA Tech Center with NATCA controllers
Conducted live end-to-end testing of DTAP into the flight deck avionics with United, UPS, Delta, and FedEx at FAA Technical Center
Installed DTAP equipment (B4.5) and began functional testing at Memphis Tower
Completed Departure Clearance (DCL) procedures and training development to support trials at Memphis
Start 24x7 operational DCL trials in Memphis April 2013
TDLS Enhancements
Successfully completed TDLS Preliminary Design Review (PDR)
Conduct Critical Design Review (CDR) in April ahead of schedule
Approval & Coordination
Achieved Final Investment Decision (FID) for Segment 1 Phase 1 (Tower Service) from the Joint Resources Council (JRC)
Received endorsement for Segment 1 Phase 2 (En Route) services

11. Program Status – S1P1 Activities
FY 2012
FY 2013
FY 2014
FY 2015
FY 2016
DCIS Award 9/2012
DCNS Award 8/2013
DCNS Service
at Tech Center
9/2013
DCNS Service Acceptance
7/2014
DCIS Acquisition
Proposal Evaluation
Preliminary Design Review 10/2012
Critical Design Review
8/2013
TDLS V 12 Initial Test Release 7/2014
Tower Service IOC 3/2016
Tower Automation Enhancements
Specification Development
Software Development
Integration & Test
Tower
Deployment
Critical Design Review
3/2012
Contract Mod Award 11/2012
ERAM R 4.2 Initial Test Release
6/2014
ERAM Enhancements for Tower Services
Software and Hardware Development
Tower Trials Report Out 9/2014
DTAP Award 4/2012
Operational Trials Begin 4/2013
Trials
Trials
Coordination
Trials
Execution
Data Communications Program – Status
AEEC SAI Subcommittee (January 22 – 24, 2013 ) Miami, FLA

12. Program S1P1 Milestones      Task Name Baseline Date
ERAM Preliminary Design Review (PDR)
9/2011
ERAM Critical Design Review (CDR)
3/2012
FID: Final Investment Decision for ERAM & TDLS
5/2012
DCIS Contract Award*
7/2012
TDLS Preliminary Design Review (PDR)**
12/2012
TDLS Critical Design Review (CDR)
8/2013
ERAM Initial Test Release (ITR)
6/2014
Operational Test (OT&E)
11/2015
First-Site Initial Operational Capability (IOC)
3/2016
In-Service Decision (ISD)
12/2016
Operational Readiness Decisions (ORD)
4/2017
Last-Site IOC
5/2019     
*DCIS contract awarded September 2012
**PDR being held October 23-25

13. (services definitions)
Backup
(services definitions) 13 13 13

14. Segment 1 Initial Tower Service
Revised Departure Clearances (DCL) including revisions transmitted to the aircraft on the ground
Enables full route clearances and revisions
Exploits Future Air Navigation Systems (FANS) avionics found in newer aircraft
Will not impact existing pre-departure clearance (PDC) services
Will be delivered via FANS 1/A+ over VDL-2
Initiate field trials in 2012 14 14 14

15. Segment 1 En Route Services
Transfer of Communications (TOC) Service and Initial Check-in (IC) Service
Enables controllers to handle traffic more strategically
Capacity increase of 15%-21% depending upon altitude
Basic capability with minimal overrides - use voice for special cases
Enhance later to handle special cases
Will be delivered via FANS 1/A+ over VDL-2 15 15 15

16. Segment 1 En Route Services
“Go Button”
Leverages Traffic Flow Management (TFM) program for more direct reroutes
Enables quicker recovery from bad weather or other Traffic Management Advisory situations
Required for full realization of capabilities and benefits from TFM
Pilot Initiated Downlink – Request for direct-to-fix
More direct routes quickly and easily negotiated between controller and pilot
Reduces flight times and distance
Benefit of shortcutting to save fuel
Airlines have indicated this is a significant operational benefit 16 16 16 16

17. Segment 1 En Route Services
Controller initiated direct-to-fix and controller response to this pilot request for direct-to-fix
Enables controllers to effectively handle more traffic
More efficient use of the whole controller team
Crossing Restrictions and Altimeter Setting (AS) Service
Reduces burden of repetitive tasks on the controller
Cross Fix at Altitude
Cross Fix at Altitude and Speed
All Data Comm Services increase Safety by reducing Hear-Back/Read-Back errors 17 17 17 17

18. Segment 2 Advanced Services
Trajectory Based Operations in Performance Based Airspace, providing conflict-free flight with stable aircraft routing
Conformance Management to ensure aircraft compliance with trajectory
Optimized Profile Descents and time-based metering
NAS Airport status, delays and constraints, hazardous weather uplinked to the aircrew
Taxi-in / Taxi-out service provides taxi routes for aircraft to follow from the gate to the runway 18 18 18