NATCA Bookshelf

As a reminder, ATD-2 is research activity designed to help the FAA and industry prove the concept of increased efficiency and throughput by combining several existing data sources into one integrated system. This research is also focused on helping the FAA to reduce risk and inform TFDM as it undergoes development. Finally, TFDM will replace ATD-2 when it arrives at CLT (circa 2021). Here is what has been going on with the project over the last month: On May 16th and 17th I participated in a 3T Integration (TFMS/TBFM/TFDM) meeting at MITRE Corp in McLean, Va. The meeting was heavily attended by representatives from each of the "main three" traffic management Decision Support Systems (DSSs). The integration of data from each of these three systems has long been viewed as necessary to achieve a completely harmonious NAS. It is believed that greater throughput, efficiency, and situational awareness can be achieved if each of these three systems can communicate and share data with each other. That was a main focus of this meeting. Also, there seemed to be an inordinately heavy focus on Terminal Sequencing and Spacing (TSAS) during this meeting. But overall, it appeared that some progress was achieved. On June 6th & 7th, an SRM panel was convened at CLT to conduct a Safety Risk assessment on the new capabilities and procedures for Phase Two of ATD-2, which begins October 1st of this year. This panel only looked at the new capabilities and features that will become available in Phase Two, rather than the whole of ATD-2. An earlier SRM had already identified and mitigated any risks associated with the initial introduction of ATD-2 into use with live traffic at CLT. The main new capability in Phase Two that was looked at was the sharing of data between ATD-2 and the Advanced Electronic Flight Strips System (AEFS). AEFS has been in use at CLT for just over one year. AEFS is an electronic "paperless" Electronic Flight Data (EFD) system. Controllers at CLT use touchscreen displays with EFD on them rather than paper strips. This is the same system that is in use at PHX and CLE. What Phase Two of ATD-2 will bring to AEFS at CLT is the exchanging of most traffic management TMI data from ATD-2 to the controller's EFD. Also, runway assignment and general flight movement data from AEFS will be shared back to ATD-2. This exchanging and sharing of data between systems is an enormous change that will immediately increase both controller situational awareness and awareness by automation systems of state changes in flights as they begin traversing the NAS. It should also allow for better compliance with traffic management restrictions and help engender Departure Metering programs. The "mash-up" of these two systems will closely replicate what TFDM is ultimately supposed to do, which is relay TMI data instantly and directly to controllers and keep automation systems supplied with more accurate data about what flights on the surface are actually doing. The marriage of these two systems will also allow us to get an early look at how controllers will become active participants in future Departure Metering programs. Departure Metering is supposed to be a key component of and a key benefit of TFDM once it becomes available. (Reminder: CLT is the key site for TFDM configuration A, which includes full-blown Departure Metering, sometime in 2021.)

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