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Redesigning Air Traffic Control
Workshop Session 1:
Airspace, Procedures, and Flight Plans
September 21, 2000
Michelle Eshow
NASA Ames Research Center
meshow@lcs.mit.edu / meshow@arc.nasa.gov
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Outline
u Motivation for ATC R&D
u ATC Structure, Facilities
u Airspace
u Controller Roles and Responsibilities
u Delay Causes
u Flight Plans and Route Processing
u Challenges of Automation for ATC
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Motivation for ATC Automation R&D
u ATC system is already beyond its capacity. But FAA
predicts that by 2010 the number of passengers will rise
59%, to 1 billion/year. Nothing on the drawing board
will handle this increase. (NY Times, 09/05/00)
u ATC system is very complex and hard to understand,
analyze, or quantify, which makes it interesting!
u Current level of automation is rudimentary compared
with other systems (eg, aircraft flight control systems)
u Application of usable automation to ATC is required to
meet air travel demands
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National Airspace System
u Handles: 63,000,000 Tower Assisted Operations
u Carries: 544,000,000 Passengers
u Over: 537,000,000,000 Revenue Passenger Miles
u Using: 18,700 Air Carrier A/C
F 170,000 General Aviation A/C
u Supported by: 639,000 Pilots
F 651,000 Non-pilots
u Burning: 18,000,000,000 Gallons of Fuel
u Generating: $87,000,000,000 Revenues
u Producing: $5,300,000,000 Profit
u In Spite of: $3,500,000,000 in Delays
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FAA Statistics
u Employs: 48,000 People
u Including: 17,000 Air Traffic Controllers
u Operating: 21 Centers
F 194 TRACONs
F 476 Towers
F 1 Command Center
u Costing: $9,200,000,000 Annual Outlay
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Functions of Air Traffic Management
u Air Traffic Control:
u Efficiently manage traffic flow
u Provide flight information (weather, facility)
u Initiate search and rescue operations
Maintain legal separation among aircraft
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ATC Basics
u Airline flights are under positive control at all times
u Control is effected by voice via radio
u Control is handed off from one controller/facility to
another as flight proceeds across boundaries
F controller directs pilot to speak to next facility on a different
radio frequency
u Communications include:
F speed, heading, altitude instructions (vectors)
F notification of other aircraft
F which course or runway to expect
F contact next facility on new frequency
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ATM Tactical Information Architecture
Future Controller
Airline
Dispatch
AOC
Active Controller
Host Computer and ATC Information Network
Flight Crew
Voice
ACARS
Flight Plan
OAG
Flight Plan
Voice
DA’s
Procedures
Flight Strips, Flight Information Object
Slide courtesy of Prof. J. Hansman
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ATC Facilities
u Surface (“Ground”)
F taxiways
u Local Control (“Tower”)
F surface to ~5 nm out, 2500 ft altitude
u Terminal Area Control/TRACON (“Approach” or
“Departure”)
F to ~40 nm from airport, ~15K ft altitude (inverted wedding cake)
u En-Route Control/ARTCC (“Center”)
F between, above TRACONs and everything above 18K ft
u Flow Control/ATC Systems Command Center
F centralized planning for national flow control (does not directly
control flights)
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Air Traffic Control System
ATCT ATCT
ARTCC
(Center)
TRACON TRACON
TMU
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US Airspace Sector Structure
Slide courtesy of Prof. J. Hansman
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Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC)
A facility established to provide air traffic control service to aircraft operating on IFR
flight plans within controlled airspace and principally during the en route phase of
flight. At some airports not served by an Approach Control facility, the ARTCC
provides limited approach control service. When equipment capabilities and controller
workload permit, certain advisory/assistance services may be provided to VFR aircraft.
Air Traffic Control Manual Order 7110.65
Pilot/Controller Glossary
Seattle
ZSE
Oakland
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Los Angeles
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Salt Lake City
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Minneapolis
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Denver
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Albuquerque
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Kansas City
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Ft. Worth
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Houston
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Chicago
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Memphis
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Atlanta
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Indianapolis
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Jacksonville
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Miami
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