Analysis for Enabling Benefits at User Request
Evaluation Tool (URET) Field Sites
In 1998, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) established the Free Flight Phase 1
(FFP1) program to provide new decision-support systems to a limited number of facilities in
a relatively short time (by the end of 2002), with the goal of providing increased user
benefits while maintaining levels of safety.
The User Request Evaluation Tool (URET) was one of the systems selected for inclusion
in FFP1. The MITRE Corporation's Center for Advanced Aviation System Development
(CAASD), in conjunction with the FAA, developed URET as an operational prototype,
deploying the system at the Indianapolis and Memphis Air Route Traffic Control Centers
(ARTCCs) in the 1996-97 timeframe. Under the FFP1 program, URET was implemented as
a production system and became operational at six ARTCCs between December 2001 and
April 2002.
URET assists air traffic controllers with the detection and resolution of aircraft-to-aircraft
and aircraft-to-airspace separation problems. The key URET capabilities include trajectory
modeling, aircraft and airspace conflict detection, trial planning to support conflict resolution
of user or controller requests, and electronic flight data management.
The system was designed to provide benefits in the areas of safety, FAA productivity,
and NAS user cost savings. In addition, URET has a significant role in the achievement of
benefits through interaction with other systems and procedures in the future NAS. The
benefits of URET are achieved when the controllers understand the system capabilities and
use them effectively. Therefore, it is important to understand how controllers are using the
system and to determine what FAA actions can make it more useable.
During the first half of 2003, CAASD personnel visited the six URET FFP1 ARTCCs to
assess how controllers are using URET to provide benefits and where additional actions
could enable further benefits. During the spring and summer of 2004, CAASD personnel
visited the new URET FFP2 sites and revisited two of the FFP1 sites. This paper presents
the major findings on the usage of the system and the changes in usage between the initial
deployment at six sites and the more recent deployment at the additional FFP2 sites. Based
on the findings, it makes suggestions on how URET can be used in the future to increase its
utility and expand the benefits it provides.
URET, CAASD, FFP1, FFP2, benefits, recommendations
