Abstract

Den här rapporten är en utredning och analys av lämpliga arbetsuppgifter och deras nödvändiga verktyg och hjälpmedel för en skiftledare, Watch Supervisor, vid ett framtida center för fjärrstyrda flygledningstorn, Remote Tower. Ett center för fjärrstyrda flygledningstorn är en centraliserad enhet med uppgiften att flygleda och kontrollera flygsäkerheten på och nära en eller flera flygplatser. Utgångspunkten för datainsamlingen har varit intervjuer med verksamma flygledare och skiftledare på LFV, Sveriges statliga verk för flygtrafiktjänst. Studiebesök har även gjorts vid olika enheter, både flygledartorn och radarkontrollcentraler, däribland Sundsvall RTC som är världens första central för fjärrstyrd flygledning godkänd att sättas i drift. Insamlad data har kompilerats och analyserats och en rekommendation presenteras i slutet av denna rapport angående arbetsuppgifter och verktyg för ovan nämnda skiftledare i ett RTC. Resultatet visar att rollen kommer ha stora likheter med befintliga skiftledarpositioner i den svenska flygledningen.

Abstract

Workload and complexity measures are, as of today, often imprecise and subjective. Currently, two commonly used workload and complexity measuring formulas are Monitor Alert Parameter and the “Bars”, both using the same measurement variables; amount of aircraft and time. This study creates formulas for quantifying ATC complexity. The study is done in an approach environment and is developed and tested on Stockholm TMA by the creation of 20 traffic scenarios. Ten air traffic controllers working in Stockholm TMA studied the complexity of the scenarios individually and ranked the scenarios in reference to each other. Five controllers evaluated scenario A1-A10. These scenarios were used as references when creating the formulas. The other half of the scenarios, B1-B10, ranked by another five controllers, was used as validation scenarios. Factors relevant to an approach environment were identified, and the data from the scenarios were extracted according to the identified factors. Moreover, a regression analysis was made with the ambition to reveal appropriate weights for each variable. At the first regression, called formula #1, some parameter values were identical. Also, some parameter weights became negative in the regression analysis. The basic requirements were not met and consequently, additional regressions were done; eventually forming formula #2. Formula #2 showed stable values and plausible parameter weights. When compared to a workload measuring model of today, formula #2 showed better performance. Despite the small amount of data samples, we were able to prove a genuine relation between three, of each other independent, variables and the traffic complexity.

Abstract

This report describes how an aircraft creates and flies its User Preferred Trajectory from take-off to landing, based on the objectives and constraints the aircraft is subjected to from a technological and operational viewpoint. A basic description of commercial aircraft operation is given, with an emphasis on identifying the different stakeholders (Air Navigation Service Providers, Airline Operation Center, Pilot/Aircraft, Airport and Civil Aviation Authority). A general description of Instrument Flight Rules operations is also given, together with an explanation of the capabilities of modern flight management systems. The objectives and constraints of the trajectory building process from an aircraft and air traffic management viewpoint are described in Chapter 4. Those are instrumental in understanding how the user preferred trajectory is built. The initial and detail route planning process is then described. The initial route planning is performed long before the flight and usually by the airline operating center, while detail flight planning, including take-off, runway and departure procedure is performed later by the crew. This process is re-performed minutes before take-off, and usually iterated during the flight when the details of approach and landing are communicated to the aircraft crew. The implementation of this user preferred trajectory is explained in terms of the options that the pilots have in the aircraft avionics to perform the mission. The implementation explained in this report is based on the avionics suite of a Boeing 737NG aircraft equipped with the most advanced flight management systems. An implementation of a user preferred trajectory, where the aircraft crew is able to best fulfill their objectives is composed of an idle or near idle descent from the cruise altitude. This type of descent, called an advanced continuous descent approach has been implemented by some air navigation service providers, airlines and airports, based on advanced technology that will be further described in this paper. Those procedures are called Green Approaches. In the last part of this report, the benefits of flying Green Approach procedures are analyzed by means of aircraft simulations. The analysis describes in detail the lateral and vertical trajectories of the Green Approaches at Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport and Brisbane Airport (Australia), together with the calculated advantages in term of fuel consumption, noise and gas emissions. QC 20101119