Aircraft Configuration and Flight Crew Compliance with Procedures While Conducting Flight deck based Interval Management (FIM) Operations

Abstract

Flight deck based Interval Management (FIM) applications using ADS-B are being developed to improve both the safety and capacity of the National Airspace System (NAS).FIM is expected to improve the safety and efficiency of the NAS by giving pilots the technology and procedures to precisely achieve an interval behind the preceding aircraft by a specific point. Concurrently but independently, Optimized Profile Descents (OPD) are being developed to help reduce fuel consumption and noise, however, the range of speeds available when flying an OPD results in a decrease in the delivery precision of aircraft to the runway. This requires the addition of a spacing buffer between aircraft, reducing system throughput. FIM addresses this problem by providing pilots with speed guidance to achieve a precise interval behind another aircraft, even while flying optimized descents. The Interval Management with Spacing to Parallel Dependent Runways (IMSPiDR) human-in-the-loop experiment employed 24 commercial pilots to explore the use of FIM equipment to conduct spacing operations behind two aircraft arriving to parallel runways, while flying an OPD during high-density operations. This paper describes the impact of variations in pilot operations; in particular configuring the aircraft, their compliance with FIM operating procedures, and their response to changes of the FIM speed. An example of the displayed FIM speeds used incorrectly by a pilot is also discussed. Finally, this paper examines the relationship between achieving airline operational goals for individual aircraft and the need for ATC to deliver aircraft to the runway with greater precision. The results show that aircraft can fly an OPD and conduct FIM operations to dependent parallel runways, enabling operational goals to be achieved efficiently while maintaining system throughput. Nomenclature

System-Level Performance Evaluation of ATD-1 Ground-Based Technologies

“…1 ATD-1 ground based technologies developed at NASA Ames provide arrival scheduling and controller aids for managing aircraft on efficient RNAV descents using primarily speed control; NASA Langley has contributed ADS-B-In-enabled Flight-Deck Interval Management (FIM) avionics and procedures to the ATD-1 effort. [2][3][4] Following multiple integration and development simulations in laboratories at Ames and Langley, 5,6 a series of large-scale human-in-the-loop simulations were conducted in the Airspace Operations Laboratory (AOL) at NASA 1 Senior Research Engineer, Human Systems Integration Division, NASA Ames Mail Stop 262-4, AIAA Senior Member. 2 Senior Research Engineer, Human Systems Integration Division, NASA Ames Mail Stop 262-4, AIAA Member.…”

“…3 Senior Research Psychologist, Human Systems Integration Division, NASA Ames Mail Stop 262-4. 4 Senior Research Psychologist, Human Systems Integration Division, NASA Ames Mail Stop 262-4, AIAA Member. 5 Research Engineer, Human Systems Integration Division, NASA Ames Mail Stop 262-4, AIAA Senior Member.…”