An Assessment of a Controller Aid for Merging and Sequencing Traffic on Performance-Based Arrival Routes
November 2007
Paul MacWilliams, The MITRE Corporation
Donald Porter, The MITRE Corporation
ABSTRACT
Controllers managing merges on area
navigation (RNAV) arrival routes with high traffic
density deal with unpredictable wind and complex
speed differentials because of the altitude change
along the arrival paths. The topology of a merge
(the number of turns and the length of each route
prior to the merge) requires more effort and creates
a higher workload to identify a potential merge
problem early enough to prevent vectoring an
aircraft off the RNAV procedure. Furthermore,
merges may occur just within the boundary of a
control position and may require prior sequencing
coordinated by other controllers. To assist in
sequencing and merging aircraft on RNAV routes,
MITRE has devised an automation aid which takes
an aircraft's position on an RNAV route and
estimates its position along another RNAV route.
This aid allows for an aircraft's position on an
RNAV route to be displayed on another route based
on defined merge points. The routes can be
complex multi-segmented routes defined by noncollinear
waypoints and circular arcs defined by
Radius-to-Fix (RF) legs.
This aid properly accounts for aircraft flight
paths through the turn segments of each route. The
aid has been demonstrated to numerous air traffic
controllers and traffic management coordinators
and has received very positive feedback.
Sequencing aircraft for runway configuration
changes, Traffic Management Coordinator (TMC)
flowing and sequencing, early awareness for
building and preserving slots, and allowing aircraft
to remain on RNAV routes by using speed control
have all been identified as potential uses and
benefits during the course of the demonstrations.
The use as a training tool for controllers operating
in the new required navigation performance (RNP)
RNAV terminal environment is also another
significant application of the aid.
This paper reports on a specific application
proposed by Potomac Consolidated TRACON
(PCT) controllers during the course of the
demonstrations and operational application
development. The operational application is an
RNAV arrival procedure involving coordination of
the south and west arrival streams at Ronald
Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). The
application was adapted, tested, and assessed by
PCT controllers. Human-in-the-loop simulations
and benefits analyses were conducted and the
results are presented in this paper.
Additional Search Keywords
Automation Tools, CRDA, terminal area,
situation awareness, Sequencing and Merging
Operations
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