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Precision Departure Release Capability (PDRC): NASA to FAA Research TransitionAfter takeoff, aircraft must merge into en route (Center) airspace traffic flows which may be subject to constraints that create localized demand-capacity imbalances. When demand exceeds capacity, Traffic Management Coordinators (TMCs) and Frontline Managers (FLMs) often use tactical departure scheduling to manage the flow of departures into the constrained Center traffic flow. Tactical departure scheduling usually involves use of a Call for Release (CFR) procedure wherein the Tower must call the Center to coordinate a release time prior to allowing the flight to depart. In present-day operations release times are computed by the Center Traffic Management Advisor (TMA) decision support tool based upon manual estimates of aircraft ready time verbally communicated from the Tower to the Center. The TMA-computed release time is verbally communicated from the Center back to the Tower where it is relayed to the Local controller as a release window that is typically three minutes wide. The Local controller will manage the departure to meet the coordinated release time window. Manual ready time prediction and verbal release time coordination are labor intensive and prone to inaccuracy. Also, use of release time windows adds uncertainty to the tactical departure process. Analysis of more than one million flights from January 2011 indicates that a significant number of tactically scheduled aircraft missed their en route slot due to ready time prediction uncertainty. Uncertainty in ready time estimates may result in missed opportunities to merge into constrained en route flows and lead to lost throughput. Next Generation Air Transportation System plans call for development of Tower automation systems capable of computing surface trajectory-based ready time estimates. NASA has developed the Precision Departure Release Capability (PDRC) concept that improves tactical departure scheduling by automatically communicating surface trajectory-based ready time predictions and departure runway assignments to the Center scheduling tool. The PDRC concept also incorporates earlier NASA and FAA research into automation-assisted CFR coordination. The PDRC concept reduces uncertainty by automatically communicating coordinated release times with seconds-level precision enabling TMCs and FLMs to work with target times rather than windows. NASA has developed a PDRC prototype system that integrates the Center's TMA system with a research prototype Tower decision support tool. A two-phase field evaluation was conducted at NASA's North Texas Research Station in Dallas-Fort Worth. The field evaluation validated the PDRC concept and demonstrated reduced release time uncertainty while being used for tactical departure scheduling of more than 230 operational flights over 29 weeks of operations.
Document ID
20140009985
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Presentation
Authors
Engelland, Shawn
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Davis, Thomas J.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Date Acquired
July 22, 2014
Publication Date
August 6, 2013
Subject Category
Air Transportation And Safety
Report/Patent Number
ARC-E-DAA-TN10974
Meeting Information
Meeting: Handoff to FAA Research Transition Team
Location: Washington D.C.
Country: United States
Start Date: August 31, 2013
Sponsors: Federal Aviation Administration, NASA Ames Research Center
Funding Number(s)
WBS: WBS 305295
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
Keywords
ATM
Airspace Systems Program
PDRC
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