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Initial Field Evaluation of Pilot Procedures for Flying CTAS Descent ClearancesThe Center TRACON Automation System (CTAS) is a new support system that is designed to assist air traffic controllers in the management of arrival traffic. CTAS will provide controllers with more information about current air traffic, enabling them to provide clearances for efficient, conflict-free descents that help achieve an orderly stream of aircraft at the final approach fix. CTAS is a computer-based system that functions as a "ground-based FMS" that can predict flight trajectories and arrival times for all incoming aircraft. CTAS uses an aircraft's cruise airspeed; current air traffic, winds and temperature; performance characteristics of the aircraft type; and individual airline preferences to create a flight profile from cruise altitude to the final approach fix. Controllers can use this flight profile to provide a descent clearance that will allow an aircraft to fly an efficient descent and merge more smoothly with other arriving aircraft. A field test of the CTAS Descent Advisor software was conducted at the Denver Center for aircraft arriving at the Stapleton International Airport from September 12-29. CTAS Descent clearances were given to a NASA flight test aircraft and to 77 airline flights that arrived during low traffic periods. For the airline portion of the field test, cockpit procedures and pilot briefing packages for both FMS equipped and unequipped aircraft were developed in cooperation with an airline. The procedures developed for the FMS equipped aircraft were to fly a VNAV descent at a controller specified speed to cross a metering fix at a specified altitude and speed. For nonFMS aircraft, the clearance also specified a CTAS calculated top-of-descent point. Some CTAS related flight deck issues included how much time was available to the pilots' for compliance, the amount of information that needed to be interpreted in the clearance and possible repercussions of misunderstandings. Data collected during the study ranged from subjective data (including the airline pilots' opinions and comments about the new descent clearances and procedures) to objective data (including observations of aircraft performance from the flight deck). This paper will present data and the resulting changes in the design of the procedures and clearance phraseology.
Document ID
20020009557
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Palmer, Everett
Goka, Tsuyoshi
Cashion, Patricia
Feary, Michael
Graham, Holly
Smith, Nancy
Shafto, Michael
Date Acquired
August 20, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1994
Subject Category
Aircraft Communications And Navigation
Meeting Information
Meeting: Eigth International Symposium on Aviation Psychology
Location: Columbus, OH
Country: United States
Start Date: April 23, 1995
End Date: April 27, 1995
Funding Number(s)
PROJECT: RTOP 505-64-13
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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