1. Communications Operating Concept & Requirements (COCR)
ICAO Aeronautical Communications Panel
Working Group of the Whole
Montreal, Canada
June 27, 2005
Gregg Anderson
ATO Technical Operations
ATC Communications Services
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2. Historical
Combined Team of Operational & Technical experts established between FAA/EUROCONTROL May 2004.
Two phased approach supporting AP-17.
Develop Initial COCR to support Technology Pre-Screening & Down Select. Completed 12/04.
Literature search for 2015 – 2030 Operating Concepts
Understand/Define/Describe Services
Establish Traffic Characteristics & Loading
Internal FAA/EUROCONTROL Study Team review
Public Release April 2005, presented to ACP WG-C & N
Develop Final COCR to support Technology Selection. Scheduled completion 12/05.
Continue refinement of Initial COCR
Increase validity of requirements by modeling
Conduct Safety, Security, Performance Analysis
Identify Missing Needs e.g. SWIM, Net Centric Ops, JPDO, New AOC services???
Continuously collaborate with Technology Assessment Team.
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3. COCR Content Overview Operational Concepts described as Phases 1 & 2.
Phase 1 begins in ~2015.
Evolution of communications services from voice to data. Operations begin the “paradigm shift” from “Management by Intervention” to “Management by Planning & Intervention by Exception”.
Phase 2 takes over through ~2030.
Evolution of communications services to support 4-D Trajectory Based ATM with Autonomous Operations in designated airspace.
ATM is Monitor, vs. Controller.
Net Centric Operations allow air-ground flow of system wide information.
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4. COCR Content Overview (con’t)
Through Phase 1, services are scattered in various regional specific implementations.
Learning & equipping with beginnings of Trajectory Based ATM & limited establishment of Autonomous Operations airspace. Many data services supplant voice communications.
For Phase 2, Trajectory Based & Autonomous Operations become the norm in designated airspace.
Many voice replication services traded off for 4-D Trajectories via COTRAC. Phase 1 data services maintained for less capable aircraft.
Trajectory Based Ops likely require “auto-execute” aircraft functions.
In order to support Autonomous Operations, aircraft will require on-board conflict detection, Air-Air interrogation, & resolution capability.
Controllers are more Monitors vs. controllers.
Traffic is 2.5 to 3x today, but model forecasts indicate increase is spread over less dense periods & secondary airports.
Includes “micro-jets” & UAV’s / ROV’s.
Assumed to be just another aircraft for ATC purposes.
Is the spread of traffic a true representation???
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5. COCR Content Overview (con’t)
34 ATS Services (includes ATC, FIS, ADS-B, Air-Air).
Well understood except in SWIM world.
21 AOC Services.
Growth in AOC NOT well understood.
For each domain:
Use of services provided by ATS and AOC as flight progresses across domains.
Estimates of the percentage of aircraft equipped for data link, and the relative percentage of voice and data link communications.
Peak Instantaneous Aircraft Counts (PIAC) for high density and low density for each airspace type.
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6. COCR Content Overview (con’t)
Two types of airspace exist in Phase 2:
Unmanaged Airspace: VFR uncontrolled airspace/airports included in this category.
Managed Airspace:
Traditional ATC, trajectory based ops, & instances of self separation & sequencing for limited duration
NEW: Autonomous airspace w/control exhibited upon entry/exit but, while in it user on own for conflict detection & resolution.
Managed
N or K
Autonomous Operations
Autonomous Operations
Free Route
Free Route
Managed
Managed
Route Based Operations
N or K
Managed
Managed
Managed
Unmanaged
Unmanaged U U U U
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7. COCR Services ATS Services AOC Services Voice or Data Data Only
ACM, ACL, ARMAND, DCL, D-TAXI, DSC, D-FLUP, D-ATIS, D-OTIS, D-ORIS, D-RVR, D-SIGMET, D-FLUP, SAP
Data Only
AMC, COTRAC, DLL, DYNAV, D-ALERT, D-SIG, FLIPCY, FLIPINT, PPD, URCO
Surveillance
ADS-B, ADS-C, TIS-B which support: ATC Surveillance, Airborne Situational Awareness, Enhanced Visual Acquisition, S&M, ITP, C&P
Air-Air for Autonomous Ops
AOC Services
OOOI, Free Text, WX Request, NOTAM’s, Position Report, Flight Status, Fuel Status, Gate & Connecting Flight Info, Engine Performance Report, Maintenance Troubleshooting, Flight Plan Request/Response, Load Sheet Request, Flight Log Transfer, Real Time Maintenance, Graphical WX, Real Time WX Report, On-Line Technical Troubleshooting, Technical Logbook Update, Electronic Library Update, Software Loading, Cabin Logbook Transfer
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8. COCR Peak Instantaneous Aircraft Counts (PIAC)
PIAC’s in Phase 1
Airport = 200/12
Vehicles on = 32/ Airport
Terminal = 14/11
En Route = 29/25
Oceanic & = 10/5
Remote
PIAC’s in Phase 2
Airport = 290/19
Vehicles on = 32/8
Airport
Terminal = 19/14
En Route = 31/30
Oceanic & = 17/9
Remote
Note: Number on left of “/” is high density, on right is low density. Both numbers are based on Sector Configurations as we know them today.
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9. Aircraft Equipage Estimates and Voice Communication Reduction
Note: Equipage Estimates mean Aircraft is equipped with Digitally
Capable Avionics, not necessarily applications to conduct COCR Services
100%
100%
80%
80%
60%
60%
Voice Comm. = Lines
Aircraft Equipage = Bar
40%
40%
20%
20% 0% 0%
Phase 1
Phase 2
Airport/TMA/En Route
Oceanic/Remote
Airport/TMA
En Route
Oceanic/Remote
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10. COCR Summary Concepts & Services agreed except for timing.
Evolving some services, safety, security & performance requirements.
Difference between beginning of Phase 1 & end of Phase 2
Voice supplanted by data as primary communications method.
Operations in Managed Airspace primarily consists of Autonomous & Trajectory Based operations.
Requires support by automation/communications tools both Air & Ground.
Operations transition from “Management by Intervention” to “Management by Planning & Intervention by Exception”.
Human’s become Monitor’s, ATM cannot be done by voice alone.
Recovery in the event of communications failure is questionable via voice.
Coordination of document outside of FAA/EUROCONTROL team to proceed through ICAO ACP & other appropriate operational bodies to assess global applicability.
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11. www.ato.faa.gov Slide 13 – End Slide
You can check out our progress and view some of our performance measures at
With the establishment of the ATO, we’re creating room for the professionals in the FAA to exercise their judgment and apply their knowledge to achieve goals that are explicitly stated and clearly measured.
We’re creating a government organization that honors performance above process, cost-awareness above fiscal indifference, innovation above rigidity, and transparency above the self-protective cover of sometimes arcane rules and regulations.
I’m delighted to be part of such an exciting and rewarding adventure.
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