Figure 12 - uploaded by Becky L. Hooey
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Prototype NextGen PFD. Speed tape (left) shows Commanded Speed = 10kts; Current Speed = 11kts. Elapsed taxi time = 1:55 min/sec; Total required taxi time = 10:14 min/sec.)
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The results of four piloted medium-fidelity simulations investigating flight deck surface trajectory-based operations (STBO) will be reviewed. In these flight deck STBO simulations, commercial transport pilots were given taxi clearances with time and/or speed components and required to taxi to the departing runway or an intermediate traffic interse...
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A prototype PC-based human-in-the-loop (HITL) simulation capability was developed for the purposes of investigating autonomous airborne self-separation concepts. The simulation provides a combined state-based and intent-based conflict detection and resolution capability (CD&R) to allow investigations of the impact of variations in supplied intent....
Citations
... The tactical surface scheduler generates the runway schedule based on airlines' Earliest Off-Block Times (EOBTs) and provides gate pushback advisories to the ramp controller according to the surface metering strategies set by the user [17]. NASA's flight deck research on the NextGen Surface Trajectory Based Operations (STBO) has been focused on conformance of 4D taxi clearances through investigation of various options for displaying information to the pilots and evaluating pilot performance and related human factors in high-fidelity flight simulations [18] [19]. In Ref. [19] SARDA was integrated with the flight deck, where pilots were presented with a graphical representation of a fourdimensional taxi trajectory (4DT) and speed advisory to support conformance to the surface schedule generated by SARDA. ...
The German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have been collaborating to conduct joint research addressing future surface traffic management challenges. The surface management tool from DLR, called Taxi Routing for Aircraft: Creation and Controlling (TRACC), was adapted to be integrated in NASA’s fast-time simulation environment called Surface Operations Simulator and Scheduler (SOSS). The research described in this paper 1) applied TRACC to trajectory-based ramp traffic management, where TRACC generates conflict-free aircraft trajectories in a congested ramp area, 2) investigated the feasibility of the concept through the integrated TRACC-SOSS fast-time simulation, and 3) evaluated the performance of the integrated system. For this activity, TRACC was adapted for ramp operations at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, called TRACC_PB (TRACC for pushback optimization). TRACC_PB provides four-dimensional taxi trajectories with a command speed profile for each aircraft following standard taxi routes within the ramp area. In this study, departures are given the Target Movement Area entry Times (TMATs) provided by the baseline surface metering scheduler based on NASA’s Spot and Runway Departure Advisor (SARDA). TRACC_PB also calculates optimal pushback times for departures, as well as the times when arrivals shall enter the ramp, the Target Movement area Exit Times (TMETs). The initial results showed that the TRACC_PB successfully generated conflict-free trajectories for the ramp area taxi operations and improved taxiing efficiency compared to the baseline results. TRACC_PB aimed to provide conflict-free taxi routes avoiding any stops while taxiing. This resulted in longer gate hold times for departures and postponed throughput values compared to the baseline simulation without trajectory optimization. Having conflict-free routes without stoppage also created shorter taxi times but required renegotiation of the given TMATs. TRACC_PB also achieved reductions in both fuel consumption and engine emissions (17% for departures and 10% for arrivals), which correlate with the ramp taxi time reduction.
... For example, at one end of the continuum, operations in which only a spot-release time is scheduled offer the least amount of temporal certainty about when an aircraft will arrive at the departure queue. To increase temporal certainty, aircraft will be expected to meet RTAs at intermediate traffic-flow constraint points between the spot and the departure queue as well (e.g., taxiway merge points, active-runway crossings) [11]. At the other end of the continuum are four-dimensional trajectories (4DTs) which define an expected location (x,y coordinates or latitude, longitude) at all times, t, along the taxi route (with altitude, being fixed) [2] [10]. ...
... Pilot-in-the-loop flight deck simulations have been conducted to assess pilots' ability to meet the time requirements of the far-term STBO environment (e.g., RTAs at traffic-flow constraint points) [11]. During taxi, the only control mechanism that the pilot has to reach a certain location on the airport surface at a certain time is through the control of aircraft speed. ...
... First, pilots were asked to follow a speed command, issued as part of the taxi clearance, and displayed on the PFD, to meet the RTA at the departure queue (Expt. 2 in [11]). RTA error, that is, the difference between the required time of arrival and the aircraft's actual time of arrival, was unacceptably large and considered not precise enough for STBO operations. ...
... Finally, four-dimensional trajectory (4DT) operations, in which pushback, runway queue, and all intermediate points in-between are scheduled, offer the highest level of timing precision for surface operations. This study explores 4DT operations [4]. ...
A pilot-in-the-loop simulation was conducted to assess the feasibility of a Surface Trajectory-Based Operations (STBO) concept [1]. The STBO concept was investigated from the pilot perspective by evaluating pilot conformance to a four-dimensional trajectory (4DT) while taxiing under manual control. Simulation conditions included a Current-Day Equipage condition; a verbal Speed-Advisory condition, which represented a near-term condition in which pilots were provided with verbal speed guidance from ATC, but not provided with any additional flight-deck tools by which to support schedule conformance; and two NextGen 4DT conditions in which the pilots were provided with flight deck displays to support conformance to the 4DT at two different levels, +/- 30sec (4DT30) and +/- 15sec (4DT15). In the NextGen 4DT conditions, pilots were presented with a graphical representation of the 4DT on an Airport Moving Map (AMM). Results showed that both the 4DT30 and 4DT15 conditions afforded more than 99% conformance to the 4DT across the entire route. An evaluation of the time of arrival (TOA) at the end-point revealed significantly less TOA error in the 4DT30 and 4DT15 conditions as compared to the Speed-Advisory condition. Although eye-tracking data revealed an increase in eyes-in time in the 4DT-display conditions, pilots rated this increase as acceptable. The results of this pilot-in-the-loop simulation demonstrated that the NextGen 4DT displays afforded high conformance with a substantial increase in predictability throughout the entire taxi route and at the runway queue. Pilots also rated that conforming to a speed profile, during taxi, was acceptable and safe.
... Currently, it is very difficult for pilots to follow speed advisories which are more complex than "increase speeds" or "slow down" because the accompanied head down time will increase considerably. This was shown within real time simulation trials testing the ability of pilots to follow speed or time advisories [9] with and without a special support tool integrated into the flight deck. Hence exact commands like "increase speed 15 knots" are unusual, but with upcoming ideas like electric taxi [1] the usage of taxi bots (e.g. ...
This paper presents concept and results of coupling the surface management system research prototype " TRACC: Taxi Routing for Aircraft: Creation and Controlling " with the departure management system " CADEO: Controller Assistance for Departure Optimisation ". TRACC supports Air Traffic Controllers in creating optimized conflict-free taxi trajectories as well as with conflict detection and resolution. TRACC features speed control as new element of surface management and extends the concept of time-based trajectories to the ground. With up-to-date trajectories and therewith accurate taxi time prediction, the cooperation with the runway sequence optimizer prototype CADEO is enhanced. Within this paper both tools are introduced briefly and necessary adaptions of CADEO and TRACC for a combined application are described like push-back management and management of target start-up times. Results of first simulation runs are presented.
... STM systems that support STBO would enable coordinated aircraft movement on the airport surface and on departure and arrival runways leading to efficient operations [6,7]. It is expected that in order to enable STBO fully, there would be a flight deck component, including DataComm and other advanced avionics [8]. ...
... Understanding what the Controllers are attempting to do could lead to better aircraft conformance and thus lead to better system performance. Specifically, in the NextGen flight deck condition, pilots evaluated the usefulness of an "Information Sharing Display" which shared SARDA Controller information with the flight deck, as well as a Primary Flight Display (PFD) speed advisory which has previously been shown to enable pilots to accurately meet taxi required times of arrival [8]. ...
... The algorithm was dynamic and compensated for the pilot slowing down or speeding up by appropriately increasing or decreasing the recommended straightaway speed. For more information, the reader is referred to a more detailed description [8]. ...
An integrated flight deck and controller human-in-the-loop taxi-out operations simulation was conducted in the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) environment. In this first integrated Pilot-Controller Spot and Runway Departure Advisor (SARDA) simulation, ATC Ground and Local Controllers used the SARDA decision support tool to plan and issue spot-release clearances and departure clearances. The Airport and Terminal Area Simulator (ATAS), a simulated B737NG, was integrated into the realistic simulation traffic environment. In the simulation, controllers used SARDA advisories to issue spot release, taxi route, and runway/departure radio voice clearances to all aircraft on the airport surface. Ten commercial transport pilots piloted the ATAS and taxied from gate to runway following ATC clearances. Simulation results indicated that under a variety of observed pilot/aircraft performance variations, SARDA yielded controller advisories that were: Supportive of current-day, time-based operations; Compatible with controllers' expectations; Predictive of actual takeoff times; and, Adaptable to off-nominal events. An Information Sharing Display (ISD) that presented SARDA sequence and timing information on the flight deck, was considered useful for both NextGen operations and current-day, time-based Traffic Management Initiative (TMI) operations.
An integrated flight deck and controller human-in-the-loop taxi-out operations simulation was conducted in the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) environment. In this first integrated Pilot-Controller Spot and Runway Departure Advisor (SARDA) simulation, ATC Ground and Local Controllers used the SARDA decision support tool to plan and issue spot-release clearances and departure clearances. The Airport and Terminal Area Simulator (ATAS), a simulated B737NG, was integrated into the realistic simulation traffic environment. In the simulation, controllers used SARDA advisories to issue spot release, taxi route, and runway/departure radio voice clearances to all aircraft on the airport surface. Ten commercial transport pilots piloted the ATAS and taxied from gate to runway following ATC clearances. Simulation results indicated that under a variety of observed pilot/aircraft performance variations, SARDA yielded controller advisories that were: Supportive of current-day, time-based operations; Compatible with controllers' expectations; Predictive of actual takeoff times; and, Adaptable to off-nominal events. An Information Sharing Display (ISD) that presented SARDA sequence and timing information on the flight deck, was considered useful for both NextGen operations and current-day, time-based Traffic Management Initiative (TMI) operations.
This paper proposes a framework for integrating scheduling between arrival, departure, and surface operations to address the drawbacks of domain segregated scheduling. The framework organizes scheduling tasks by time horizon rather than domain. The four-level framework hierarchy includes the configuration schedule, flight schedule, flight schedule update, and schedule conformance. Current NASA research gaps within this framework are discussed and key areas are proposed where future research should focus to facilitate scheduler integration.
Pilot Conformance when Contingency Hold was Not Released • All pilots appropriately braked and stopped prior to the hold point. • Consistent with the fail-safe intent of the contingency-hold concept.
