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continued from
Part 1
Challenges of the Oceanic Airspace
At the moment, aircraft in
the Upper airspace West of 56 degrees
west, receive an air traffic control
service while those East of 56 Degrees
West are to be provided with Flight
Information Service only. In the latter
situation more often than not, positive
control is exercised in this area
because the situation often warrants it.
It has already been long proven that
Flight Information Service only, as
opposed to positive control in this
airspace, is often inadequate for the
level of safety required.
Communications in the Oceanic Sector
Since we are discussing the
challenges we face in ATM as we seek to
provide systems for our users, I will
touch very briefly on communications in
the Oceanic airspace. As you are aware,
instant communication is an important
factor in the improvement of air traffic
services.
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Contents
PART 1
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At present the Oceanic FIR is not
equipped with an effective communication
structure. We have considered the
conversion of this sector to controlled
airspace, however due to our inability
to substantially improve the
communications within this area, this
move was not a reasonable option.
Lack of adequate pilot/controller
communication sometimes interferes
adversely with the efficient and rapid
transmission of the necessary advice,
information, and possible courses of
action to aircraft within the oceanic
sector.
Net Results and
challenges of the present procedural
environment. (CTA/UTA and Oceanic)
All things considered, the
general application of authorized
separation criteria based primarily upon
conventional separation methods using
the NDB, VOR and DME, often creates
enroute restrictions, thus limiting the
capacity of the airspace. Additionally,
as demonstrated, use of RNAV and random
routes, in our mainly procedural
environment, decreases the controller's
ability to provide safe separation with
a measure of confidence and increases
controller workload considerably.
THE FUTURE
In considering the future of the
airspace, we acknowledge the importance
of applying the ICAO concepts of CNS/ATM
within the ECAR. We, like other ATS
providers hope to implement systems
which will be compatible with the use of
modern avionics in order to provide
maximum advantage to the users.
In establishing new routes in the CTA/FIR,
which will be based on RNP concepts and
other factors which will make for
improvements in the services provided in
ATM; the following are considered to be
the driving forces:- |
1. Operational Airline
Considerations
2. Operational Air Traffic Control
Considerations
Operational Airline
Considerations
The following are among those to be
noted;
1. The need to consider the optimum
flight profiles of the users, and keep
tracks as closely aligned as possible to
the existing (supposedly optimum)
airline routes, bearing in mind the fuel
penalty, which will be incurred by any
significant change from the preferred
flight paths; 2. The need to design procedures and
systems, which will allow for
expeditious vertical movement of
aircraft; 3.
The need to reduce the quantity of the R/T
verbiage which now exist.
Operational Considerations (ATC)
The ATC considerations are no less complex, but
there is the hope that systems adequately
designed for the users will also be designed to
facilitate unconstrained operation by the
providers of the service.
Operational Air Traffic Control Considerations
Consideration will be given to: -
1. A more efficient -system of early conflict
detection between aircraft operating within the
oceanic airspace. (Electronic conflict detection
has not yet been incorporated into our ATC
system)
2. A more efficient system of Conflict
Resolution, by the authorization of new
Separation criteria, including an option for
electronic conflict resolution.
3. The need for the introduction of systems
and documented procedures to provide adequate
guidance in order to improve operational
efficiency and bring about a reduction of
controller workload.
4. And of major importance, the need to
maintain or improve the level of safety.
Possible Solutions for
the Mid and Long Term
While it is true that many
administrations have been behind in the
provision of adequate controller and other
administrative tools to meet present demands, if
we are to successfully conquer the challenges,
as previously described, it will be imperative
that we meet both the user and provider
considerations. In some cases, where we have
already decided on what needs to be done, due to
a variety of reasons, political and otherwise,
actual implementation has defied many of our
developing states.
While the solutions to improve the procedural
environment may be different depending on the
region, I believe that implementation of the
following should provide significant
improvements for the Piarco CTA/UTA and FIR.
Organizing SIDS, STARs in the CTA, and New
Tracks in the Oceanic Airspace.
SIDs, STARs and New Tracks in the Oceanic
Airspace
Consideration is also being given to the
following:-
1. Possibly fewer entry/exit points at the
oceanic airspace boundaries for Trans-Caribbean
flights. This is dealt with later.
2. When traffic density dictates: the need to
establish SIDs and STARs into ECAR Terminal
Airports. These routes should be laterally
separated so that they could be used by arriving
and departing traffic, thus obviating the need
to give ad hoc re-routings in order to provide
separation utilizing methods as exist today.
(Radars may then become tools more applicable
for monitoring, than for the vectoring of
aircraft. At least one ECAR state has already
implemented a similar procedure.
Radar Linking within the CTA.
The ECAR CNS/ATM transition plan points to the
Linking of Radars to become a reality by the
year 2000. When this is accomplished, there will
be an increased ability for users to be provided
with their preferred flight paths and levels in
the CTA, within the new radar environment. The
Piarco controller will then have the capacity to
monitor the movements of aircraft operating
within the coverage of the Antigua, Guadeloupe,
Martinique and Barbados and Piarco Radars.
Pilots and Controllers will also be able to
operate with a higher degree of confidence in
the system as we take advantage of the benefits
of radar linking.
However, for the oceanic airspace, of course,
use of Radar is not an option as the major
portion of this airspace will not be covered by
any of the Radars, either present or planned
within the ECAR.
GNSS based route
structures
An Eastern Caribbean GNSS Committee,
recently established to look into technical and
training aspects of GNSS in the ECAR, is now
collecting information on both the present and
future route plans of the airlines, with a view
to rationalizing the upper level route
-structure within the FIR. Any new route
structure originating from this rationalization,
will be based upon GNSS navigation and will be
more meaningful to the airlines and service
providers. Appropriate procedures and additional
facilities, whether they be electronic or
otherwise will be put in place for the necessary
level of safety to be maintained.
Restructuring of Routes
in the Oceanic Airspace.
In the first instance, when we have
established a satisfactory communication
infrastructure for this area, the Oceanic FIR,
will be converted to Oceanic CTA, and a system
of RNAV/RNP routes through the FIR, as necessary
will be established. Aircraft traversing the
oceanic airspace will be able to use specific
routes tailored to provide nearest to the
optimum preferred flight paths. In the second
instance it is anticipated that with the advent
of ADS within the Oceanic, in the future, a
flexible organized track system will allow for
greater use of preferred routes under the
monitoring eye of controllers using ADS
equipment.
However, until such time as ADS for the oceanic
becomes a reality, the traffic situation
resulting from a lesser number of conflicting
and crossing routes, will be more manageable and
will permit a more dynamic ATC procedural
display of Flight progress strips. A display
which will easily allow for conflict analysis,
detection and resolution,.
Airspace Sectorization
At present the area under our control
is operated as two sectors when dictated by
traffic density, or when the Piarco radar is in
operation. We propose a sectorization of the
airspace to include a third sector. (One Radar
and two Procedural sectors). This we think is a
viable option which should provide for a
decrease in the controller workload. We will of
course, need to develop the necessary local
coordination procedures to effect the efficient
transfer of aircraft between sectors and
regional ATS units.
Flight Data Processing
System.
Phase 1 of a new FDPS is now being
installed in the Control Centre at Piarco. The
completion of this phase will see a reduced
workload for the controller by the automatic
supply of flight progress strips; a long overdue
system. Phase 2 of this system is planned to
bring into active use, the additional facilities
of Conflict prediction and later on, Conflict
Resolution. This will bring a major advantage to
the system and may be considered as the start of
our movement to automation in air traffic
control.
Reduction Of R/T
It is anticipated that the initialization
and use of routes based upon GNSS navigation,
the creation of SIDs and STARs as necessary, and
the implementation of the applicable data
communication links, would drastically reduce
the present volume of R/T interfaces between
pilot and controller.
It is not anticipated that these projected
improvements, most of which are based upon the
CNS/ATM concept, will solve all Air Traffic
Control and separation problems, but it makes an
attempt to improve the service and precludes the
need for the constant interchange of verbal
communication between pilot and controller.
General Comments and
Conclusion
It is acknowledged that there is a
growing and justifiable trend throughout the
world to straighten certain routes. In the
Piarco procedural environment, the adoption of a
new RNP structure, before the advent of ADS,
will most likely be an interim measure, and
should closely approximate preferred routings. I
believe that, in the absence of radar, high
traffic densities will necessitate some form of
organized routing procedures to provide for
manageable traffic scenarios.
Where such route shortening action as mentioned,
can be taken, and safety and separation between
aircraft maintained, then such route structure
changes can be considered to be justified.
However where there is a need for such changes,
or where there are regular requests for random
routes, and this has not been preceded by an ATC
route system update compatible with evolving
avionics technologies, then flight paths based
upon new avionics, will not be easy to
accommodate in our airspace.
New tools for flight following of aircraft are
destined for many of the area control centres of
the world, but not before most governments
complete adequate and exhaustive cost-benefit
analyses. As controllers and air traffic
managers, we tend not to care much about
equipment costs. When we have determined what is
needed, we often want to have it immediately.
However the politicians to whom most of us must
go with our plates in hand, do not always share
our enthusiasm for improved equipment and
services which are going to be costly in the
first instance. So while technical assessments
of CNS/ATM components and cost benefit analyses
are taking place, we can only do our best to
accommodate the airlines requests, as we pursue
putting systems in place, which take into
account both the users and providers
considerations.
With respect to the wider scenario of CNS/ATM,
as most states, we will also be seeking the
authority from the political directorate to
finance the components which will provide
improved services, compatible with modern
technology.
GLivingstone
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