R&D Activities

• Conventional sectors combined into super-sectors
• Flight Management Systems: trajectories and advisories via data link to aircraft
• Ground and on-board systems help pilots maintain separation and safe operation in the event of certain types of failures
• Voice communications to handle unequipped aircraft, special pilot request, emergencies, loss of data link, etc.
• Ground-based four-dimensional trajectories and separation assurance advisories for equipped aircraft

• Integrate various traffic management initiatives (Playbook re-routing, Ground Delay/Stop, Miles/Minutes-in-Trail restrictions) into a single cohesive plan

• Redefine management of sectors and domains
• Common Information Network and database
• Trajectory-based separation

• Integration of weather prediction, trajectory prediction, and decision support tools
• Variable air traffic service provider (ATSP) routes
• Required intent and required navigation performance (RNP)
• Robust routes
• Traffic flow management (TFM) considering RNP
• Couple conflict detection and resolution and weather avoidance
• Seamless tactical and strategic prediction
• Long-term and Short-term estimated time of arrivals (ETAs)
• Support user preferences
• Learning from historical data
• Weather predictions driving airport capacity
• Accommodate maximum information availability for collaborative decision making (CDM)
• Pre-Emptive TFM
• Support Opportunistic Decision Making

• Massive use of point-to-point and on-demand air transportation
• Enhanced Low Visibility Operations and ATM Automation
• Enhanced Surveillance
• Seamless Integrated Flight Status
• Efficient En Route Trajectories
• Scheduled Approach and Departure
• Expanded Aircraft Type Applicability

• The Bifurcated System
  • High Density Network
  • "Low Density" System
• Autonomous Instrument Meteorological Condition (IMC) Operations
• Other Concepts
  • Tube Concept
  • Highly Interactive Dynamic Planner
  • Market Based System
  • Regional Airport System
• Autonomous Small Aircraft Transportation System "SATS" Airports

• De-conflicted motion plans for all aircraft on and around the airport surface
• Control clearances to manage traffic on the airport surface will be automatically generated by computer systems and conveyed directly to the pilots via surface lighting
• Separate safety logic running in parallel with the planning algorithms for detection of blunders

• Ground-control and flight deck automation systems
• Surveillance data, flight plans and airlines operations control (AOC) requirements, used to generate time-based taxi routes for optimum traffic efficiency
• Auto-taxi capabilities or automation aids
• Advanced data-link and surveillance may be required for issuing and monitoring the complex taxi clearances

• Modification (dynamic or static) to the current aircraft separation standards for wake avoidance

• Full autonomous control in the terminal domain
• Guide aircraft via remote control from an En Route transfer point to the surface or from the surface to an En Route transfer point
• Terminal specialists would handle both the controller and pilot functions

• Accurate four-dimensional Trajectory Calculation
• Aircraft execution of required trajectories
• Highly reliable and secure data link
• Reduced separation standards
• Improved surveillance
• Wide-Area Augmentation System (WAAS) enhanced Global Positioning System (GPS)
• Multi-sensor surface surveillance fusion
• Mode S Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar (MSSR)
• Airborne self separation
• Complex finals - curvilinear, multi-aircraft formations landings
• Optimized taxi routing
• Integrated Terminal Area information network (all stakeholders)

LAST MODIFIED: 26 August 2004 | CURATORS: Victoriana Delossantos | RESPONSIBLE NASA OFFICIAL: Harry N. Swenson
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DISCLAIMER, PRIVACY STATEMENT

VAMS is a project of the Airspace Systems Program of NASA