NATCA Bookshelf

National Office Departmental Update, May 30, 2018

A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association

Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/988571

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 26 of 31

operations. Mitigations were suggested (inferred) such as; consider further proliferation of ATC Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Systems (MSAW) to include altitudes normally inhibited today due to nuisance alerts, terrain avoidance warning systems are not available during non-precision approaches (Specifically glideslope deviation alerts, ATC monitoring only provides lateral guidance for collision),flight crews operating non VNAV equipped aircraft prefer vertically guided procedures over non-vertically guided procedures, and majority of mainline airlines have VNAV capability (RJ aircraft are LNAV only). So, what happens now? In response to the concerns, NextGen Integration Performance Based Navigation Working Group (NIWG PBN WG) is looking into the issues, developing a data-driven dialogue to address concerns, which includes asking for objective basis for challenges noted. While this activity is going on, the desire is to keep moving forward and not bring the evolution of PBN to a halt. Are there other means to provide vertical guidance while flying RNAV EoR style procedures? Of course, RNP to ILS… On October 17th, AVS-1 requested PARC look into RNP to ILS procedures and operations in order to leverage RNAV procedures to an ILS approach. This was given to the PARC Navigation Working Group (PARC NAV WG) through a letter, which basically stated, "based on recent concerns raised by industry regarding pilot workload and the availability of vertical guidance when conducting simultaneous approaches, we request that the PARC Navigation Working Group review operational considerations that mitigate operational risk to ensure aircraft can safely transition from RNP to xLS guidance. Factors that may be elevated include, but are not limited to, the availability and necessity of vertical guidance, pilot workload required to transfer between guidance modes, potential benefits of a longer straight final approach segment, and risks associated with dual/parallel operations." Moving forward, the PARC NAV WG will review and provide a ToR for PARC SG which led to an Action Team and we just met for the first time on February 21st in Atlanta. 3. Speed Cancellation Guidance - Recent concerns raised by controllers pertaining to guidance contained within the 7110.65 regarding speed termination on STARS when a Descend Via (DV) clearance and the STAR doesn't contain published speed restrictions and the guidance provided to pilots via the Airmen's Information Manual (AIM). Based on the guidance contained within the FAA 7110.65, Paragraph 5-7-4 Speed Termination states: "Advise aircraft to "resume normal speed" when ATC-assigned speed adjustments are no longer required and no published speed restrictions apply." The AIM, Paragraph 5-5-9 Speed Adjustments, subparagraph 5(a) also has language that is similar to the language in the FAA 7110.65, which states how a controller will terminate ATC-assigned speed adjustments when no longer required; "Instructs pilots to "resume normal speed" when the aircraft is on a heading, random routing, charted procedure, or route without published speed restrictions." However, new language was recently added to the AIM under paragraph 4-4-12 f5, which states; "A climb via or descend via clearance cancels any previously issued speed restrictions and, once established on the depicted departure or arrival, to climb or descend, and to meet all published or assigned altitude and/or speed restrictions." This language is not found in the 7110.65 and is what has created some recent

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