MFF ASAS Avionics: the Flight Trials Experience

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MFF ASAS Avionicsthe Flight Trials Experience
Avionics for 2011 and Beyond
Sileno Goedicke - ENAV S.p.A. MFF-WA5 Flight
Trials Leader

• Toulouse, October 7th, 2005

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Presentation Overview

• The Mediterranean Free Flight Programme
• The ASAS applications
• The MFF Flight Trials
• The MFF ASAS Avionics
• The Flight Trials Execution
• The Flight Trials Results
• Conclusions

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• The Mediterranean Free Flight Programme

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The Mediterranean Free Flight Programme

• A pre-operational programme mainly addressed
• to provide operational requirements and
  procedures based on the use of new CNS/ATM
  technologies enabling the introduction of ASAS
  and Free Flight operations in Mediterranean area
• to address fight transition issues between FFAS
  and Managed Airspace
• to explore the aspects of ASAS applications in
  en-route airspace and in Low Density Area, both
  in simulated and real environments
• to provide users community with results to
  address standardisation and further maturation of
  relevant CNS/ATM technologies and applications
  both in ground systems and avionics.
• The Programme was started in July 2000 and will
  end in December 2005 with
• the MFF Final Workshop in Rome - You are all
  invited to attend

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The MFF Consortium
The Programme is manged by a Consortium of ATM
service providers from eight European nations,
leaded by ENAV. Consortium Partners
AENA(ES) MATS(MT) DSNA (FR) NERL(UK)
EUROCONTROL (E) NLR (NL) ENAV (IT)
SCAA-LFV(SW) HCAA(GR) The Programme is
co-funded by the European Commission
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• The ASAS applications

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The MFF ASAS Applications

• A1 Free Route
• A2 Air Traffic Situation Awareness
• A3 ASAS Spacing
• In-trail operations (Remain Behind, Heading
  then Remain Behind)
• Merging operations (Merge Behind, Heading then
  Merge Behind)
• A4 ASAS Separation
• Lateral separation (Pass behind, Pass abeam)
• Vertical separation (Pass above, Pass below)
• Longitudinal separation (Remain behind, Merge
  behind)
• A5 Airborne Self Separation
• The MFF Flight Trials addressed A3, A4 and A5
  applications

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A3 ASAS Spacing

• A restricted delegation to the flight crew of a
  spacing task between two aircraft
• The ATCO delegates the flight crew the task of
  maintaining and monitoring
• an assigned spacing from a designated aircraft
• The flight crew is responsible for maintaining
  the assigned spacing
• The ATCO is responsible for the aircraft
  separation

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A4 ASAS Separation

• A restricted delegation to the flight crew of the
  ownship separation with respect
• to a designated aircraft
• The ATCO delegates the flight crew the
  responsibility of maintaining
• separation from a designated aircraft during a
  manoeuvre
• The flight crew is responsible for maintaining
  airborne separation with respect to the
  designated aircraft
• The ATCO is responsible for the aircraft
  separation with respect to any other traffic
• The flight crew is cleared to ensure safe
  operation in compliance with the
• airborne separation minima.

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A5 Free Flight

• Airborne self-separation of an aircraft with
  respect to all the surrounding traffic
• The flight crew is responsible for maintaining
  airborne separation
• The role of ATCOs in the FFAS is still to be
  defined and investigated.
• Free Flight operations are envisaged in a Free
  Flight Airspace
• The conflict resolution phase is divided into two
  steps
• Priority-based manoeuvre
• - The aircraft that doesnt have the right of
  way shall execute a manoeuvre
• - The other aircraft might or might not perform
  a manoeuvre
• Co-operative manoeuvre
• - priority-based manoeuvre time has expired
• - both aircraft shall manoeuvre

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The Role of FT in MFF
Concept Development (WA2)
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• The MFF Flight Trials

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The MFF Flight Trials

• To investigate ASAS operations in a scenario as
  realistic as possible
• 9 December 2004 - 10 July 2005
• Five real aircraft and two cockpit
  simulators
• TSA
• ATC services provided by dedicated ATCOs on
  a Shadow Mode
• Rome ACC radar supervision
• 240 hours flight hours with real aircraft
• 135 hours flight hours with cockpit
  simulators

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Applications Investigated

• The MFF Flight Trials addressed A3, A4 and A5
  applications
• A3 ASAS Spacing
• In-trail operations (Remain Behind, Heading then
  Remain Behind)
• Merging operations (Merge Behind, Heading then
  Merge Behind)
• A4 ASAS Separation
• Lateral separation (Pass behind, Pass abeam)
• Longitudinal separation (Remain behind, Merge
  behind)
• A5 Airborne Self Separation

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The Flight Trials Platform

• The Flight Trials Platform consists of three
  segments
• Airborne Segment
• Ground Segment
• Communication Segment

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The Flight Trials Platform - Airborne Segment

• The Airborne Segment is composed of five aircraft
  and two cockpit simulators
• Real Aircraft
• I-AVVM Cessna Citation SII (ENAV)
• I-GOBJ Dassault Falcon 20 (ENAV)
• PH-LAB Cessna Citation II (NLR)
• PH-NLZ Fairchild Metroliner (NLR)
• EC-CHE Beechcraft KingAir 100 (AENA)
• Cockpit Simulators
• ACS (ENAV)
• MCS (Eurocontrol)
• all fitted with dedicated avionic packages to
  support ASAS applications
• and ADS-B surveillance

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The Aircraft
ENAV Cessna Citation S-II
NLR Metroliner II
AENA Beechcraft King Air A-100
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The Aircraft
ENAV Falcon 20
NLR Cessna Citation II
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The Flight Trials Platform - Ground Segment

• The Ground Segment is composed of a Shadow Mode
  and a ADS-B network
• Shadow Mode ATC system
• - Live MRT data from Rome ACC
• - ADS data through the ADS-MEDUP network
• - Simulated targets
• - TIS-B uplink through the ADS-MEDUP network
• MEDUP ADS-B ground stations network

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The Flight Trials Platform Communication Segment

• The Communication Segment supports Voice
  Communications and Data Link Communications
• Voice Communication infrastructure
• Shadow Mode G/A/G voice communication via
  Rome ACC VHF COMM stations
• Data Link infrastructure
• Data exchange interconnection among Rome
  ACC, SHM and ADS-MEDUP network

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The Flight Trials Dedicated Area
Horizontal Size Effective area 70 x 90 NM 10 NM
manoeuvring buffer 5 NM No Fly Zone buffer
Vertical Size Reserved Flight Levels FL125 to
FL195 Vertical Safety Buffer FL130 and
FL190 Usable Levels FL140 to FL 180
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The Flight Trials Dedicated Area

• Temporary Segregated Area
• defined by AIP Italia Supplement
• activated by NOTAMs
• Coordinated on tactical base with ITAF
• Located over the Thyrrenian Sea
• between Sardinia East Coast and
• Italys mainland
• ADS-B coverage provided by
• MEDUP Network ground stations

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The Flight Trials Dedicated Area
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The Flight Trials Platform
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FT Organisation
Ciampino Aircraft Base
Roma ACC
CAB Coordinator
MFF ACC Supervisor
ENAV SEC
MFF ACC ATCOs
Flight Crews
Technical Team
Technical Team
HF Observers
Experiment Leader
MFF ESEC Supervisor
MFF ESEC ATCOs
Technical Team
HF Observers
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• The MFF ASAS Avionics

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The MFF ASAS Avionics (Hardware)

• Avionic Retrofit Package
• CDTI/ASAS Unit (CDAS)
• - based on a COTS unit,
• - upgraded with MFF/ASAS software
• VDL Mode 4 Transponder
• VHF antenna
• GPS antenna

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MFF Avionics Architecture
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The CDTI

• A control and display unit providing the crew
  with
• - ownship navigation information
• - surrounding traffic picture (situational
  awareness)
• - surrounding traffic relationship with the
  ownship
• - specific ASAS surveillance tools
• A commercial unit, upgraded with ASAS software
  modules
• Main Features
• - 5 display (320 x 240 pixels)
• - 6 Function keys
• - VxWorks Operating System
• - DZUS mounted
• - Weight lt 3 Kg
• - Power consumption approx. 40 W _at_ 28 Vdc).
• - Compact Flash memory card (navigation
  database,
• software updates, data recording)

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The CDTI
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The Falcon 20 Installation
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The KingAir 100 Installation
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The VDL mode 4 Transponder

• Digital data link unit in VHF band
• - 10 W VHF transceiver
• - 12 parallel channels GPS receiver
• Commercial avionic unit
• Supports ADS-B, TIS-B, FIS-B
• Compliant to the ICAO VDL Mode 4 SARPS
• Frequency used during the Flight Trials
  136.950 MHz

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The MFF ASAS Avionics (Software)

• CDTI upgraded with dedicated software to
  implement the ASAS functionalities
• Situational Awareness with traffic presentation
  
• Conflict detection, resolution and prevention
  functions
• ASAS Spacing and ASAS Separation tools
• The CDTI ASAS software is organized in two
  levels
• Low level modules (ASSAP)
• - Running in background
• - Conflict Detection, Conflict Resolution
  and Conflict Prevention
• High level modules
• - Implement A3, A4, A5 application specific
  software
• - Make use of the services provided by the
  low level modules

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State Vector based ASAS

• The ASAS software algorithms are based on
• state vector of aircraft
• aircraft category and aircraft status
  information

• Aircraft Data
• Identification (24 bits ICAO Ident )
• A/C Call Sign (Flight Identification)
• A/C category
• A/C status (emergency/priority status)

• State Vector
• Identification (24 bits ICAO Ident )
• Call sign (Flight Identification)
• Position (Latitude, Longitude, Altitude)
• Ground Speed
• Track Angle
• Vertical Speed
• Time stamp

Ownship State Vector and Aircraft Data are
broadcast using the ADS-B service provided by
the VDL4 transponder Other traffic State Vector
and Aircraft Data are received using the ADS-B
and TIS-B services provided by the VDL4
transponder
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ASSA Processor (Low level modules)

• The Airborne Self Separation Assurance Processor
  is composed by
• Conflict Detection module
• Conflict Resolution module
• Conflict Prevention module
• Traffic Database
• Conflict Database

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Conflict Detection

• The Conflict Detection module search for possible
  losses of separation minima, within the
  look-ahead time, between the ownship and
  surrounding traffic
• The Conflict Detection module
• projects the ownship position within the
  look-ahead time
• projects other traffic position within the
  look-ahead time
• compares the aircraft future positions
  searching for possible losses of
• separation minima
• If a violation of separation minima is foreseen
  the CDTI will display
• ownship position at LOS point
• time to LOS
• ownship position at CPA
• Each aircraft position is projected from the
  actual position over a straight line using its
  velocity vector

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Conflict Resolution

• Determines the best resolution manoeuvres that
  will solve a conflict
• Three possible manoeuvres are suggested
• - Vertical speed change
• - Horizontal speed change
• - Track change
• The manoeuvres are presented from the least to
  the most expensive
• The crew will make the final decision

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CD and CR at work
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Conflict Prevention

• Prevents the triggering of new conflicts when
  manoeuvring
• The Conflict Prevention module performs two main
  tasks
• predicts what manoeuvres would generate a new
  conflict
• filters the resolution manoeuvres calculated by
  the CR module
• The crew is warned with no-go zones on the
  display
• true track no-go zones
• vertical speed no-go zones
• ground speed no-go zones

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No-Go Bands
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Horizontal No-Go Band
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ASSAP software module architecture
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ASAS Applications Modules (High Level Modules)
The High level modules implement the specific
ASAS application The ASAS application modules
make use of the services provided by the CD, CR
and CP modules The pilot selects what module to
run
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Airborne Traffic Situation Awareness (A2)

• Situational Awareness is provided presenting the
  surrounding traffic position
• over a moving map display
• Traffic information can be received
• from other aircraft (ADS-B)
• from ground stations (TIS-B)
• The pilot can set filters to de-clutter the
  display
• Altitude filters
• Range filters

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ASAS Spacing (A3)

• A restricted delegation to the flight crew of a
  spacing task between two aircraft
• The ATCO instructs the flight crew to reach and
  maintain an assigned spacing
• from a designated aircraft. Heading
  instruction is added when needed
• The CD module is active informing the crew in
  case of a loss of separation
• Suggested IAS and suggested GS are provided to
  support the crew during the
• spacing task execution

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A3 Heading then Merge Presentation
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A3 Vertical and Horizontal Presentation

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(No Transcript)
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ASAS Separation (A4)

• A restricted delegation to the flight crew of the
  ownship separation with respect
• to a designated aircraft
• The ATCO instructs the crew to execute a
  manoeuvre (e.g. lateral crossing) and to provide
  ownship separation from the designated aircraft
• The CR module present the least expensive
  possible manoeuvres to avoid a loss of separation
  
• The crew is free to choose the resolution
  manoeuvres parameters (e.g. TKA, speed, etc),
  within the delegation and respecting the airborne
  separation minima

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A4 - Speed Resolution
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Free Flight (A5)

• Airborne self-separation of an aircraft with
  respect to all the surrounding traffic
• The flight crew is free to perform any manoeuvre
• no ATC constraints
• only airborne separation minima to respect
• The Free Flight software makes use of all Low
  Level Software Modules
• the CD and CR modules work as seen in the
  previous slides
• the CP module presents no-go bands to prevent
  triggering new conflicts
• The conflict resolution phase is divided into two
  steps
• Priority-based manoeuvre
• - The aircraft that doesnt have the right
  of way shall manoeuvre
• - The other aircraft might or might not
  perform a manoeuvre
• Co-operative manoeuvre
• - priority-based manoeuvre time has expired
• - both aircraft shall manoeuvre

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A5 Conflict Detected
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A5 Vertical Presentation
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A5 - Conflict Detection on the CDTI
Note the PRIORITY label
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(No Transcript)
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• The Flight Trials Execution

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FT Execution Phases

• Missions design
• FT master list
• Exercise design (test cards)
• Training
• Theory (class lectures)
• Practices (CDTI and cockpit simulators)
• Missions rehearsal
• aimed to examine the dynamics of missions to
  establish their practicability, usefulness and
  effectiveness
• consolidation of training
• evaluation of the flight test data cards
• Execution
• 1 real a/c vs 1 cockpit simulator
• 1 real a/c vs 1 real aircraft
• 1 real a/c vs 2 real a/c

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A Typical Mission

• LIRA-LIRA
• Y Z FPLs
• FL 180-190
• Duration 3h30m
• Each mission is composed of a set of exercises
  aimed to evaluate a specific validation objective

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Flight Hours
240 flight hours with real aircraft 136
flight hours with cockpit simulators
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• The Flight Trials Results

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Workload and HMI Usability

• Validation Objectives
• To evaluate if the overall pilot Workload is
  within tolerable limits with
• MFF applications
• To evaluate HMI Usability under real operating
  conditions
• MFF Flight Trials Results
• No unacceptable level or peaks of workload was
  experienced during
• the experiments, both by pilots and ATCOs
• A certain amount of workload increase was
  experienced as expected
• The A5 application seems to require a lesser
  workload to the pilot,
• when compared to A3 and A4.
• The workload increase could be lowered
  improving the HMI of the CDTI

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Situational Awareness

• Validation Objective
• To evaluate the influence of MFF applications
  on
• pilots Situational Awareness
• MFF Flight Trials Results
• The air traffic situational awareness is adequate

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Acceptance of MFF concepts and procedures

• Validation Objective
• To evaluate pilot Acceptance of MFF concepts and
  procedures
• MFF Flight Trials Results
• The pilots tasks division and the allocation of
  responsibility and tasks
• between ATC and aircrew were found acceptable
• Some refinements are necessary to the
  definitions of the ASAS applications
• - to introduce the concept of tolerance
• - to decrease the G/A/G voice communications
• - to specify the point where the requested
  spacing/separation
• should be achieved
• - to clarify the intended end of delegation

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Suitability of Tools

• Validation Objective
• Overall Suitability of Tools to support MFF
  concepts and procedures
• MFF Flight Trials Results
• VDL4 proved to be an adequate data link to
  support ADS-B
• for ASAS purposes, especially air-to-air
• The onboard ASAS tools need to be connected to
  and, whenever
• possible, integrated with the aircraft
  avionics
• Appropriate aural and visual warnings are
  needed in case of
• foreseen separation infringements
• Aircraft performances and passenger comfort
  should be taken into
• account by the ASAS systems to evaluate a
  priori the feasibility of
• the requested delegation

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• Conclusions

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Conclusions
In general all the ASAS applications tested
during the Flight Trials revealed to be feasible
and can be considered promising The number of
flight hours dedicated to A4 and A5 suggests that
further experimentation is needed to gain more
statistical confidence on the result obtained
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The MFF Final Workshop
MFF Final Workshop Moving closer to Free Flight
in the Mediterranean Rome 1,2 December
2005 The key objective of the workshop is to
present the results of the innovative concepts,
procedures and supporting technologies which have
been assessed and simulated in five years The
focus will be on operational validation
activities. Further information may be obtained
on www.medff.it or writing to
workshop_secretariat_at_medff.it
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• Thank You for Your Attention

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Session 4
Research and Development Discussion Session
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Session 4
Research and Development Lunch