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Aviation History
2001
2001 - 0609.PDF
Ill - with more messages and capabilities sup ported for each build. But, the FAA now says only Build I and IA are firmly planned. Build II is undefined and Build IE "does not exist". CPDLC - known as e-mail in the sky - is integral to the FAAJS over-arching Free Flight airspace system modernisation. CPDLC is part of Free Flight Phase 2, which will run from 2003 to 2 005 and involve the wider deployment of air traffic management tools being fielded during Phase 1, as well as develop new capabilities such as CPDLC. The FAAs original datalink plans called for CPDLC implementation in US air space in 1996, but disagreement between the FAA and industry has delayed the programme. Today, VHF analogue two-way radio is die only way controllers and pilots communicate during flight in domestic airspace, passing routine flight information, warnings and. weadier updates. While this system has served aviation well, problems continue with missed clearances and communications errors and mis understandings between controllers and pilots. When a controller must share a single radio channel with up to 25 aircraft, competition for die channel can also lead to substantial delays. The limitations of die communication net- workwill increasingly constrain the controller's ability to optimise air traffic flow as volume grows. These constraints will contribute to the "aviation gridlock" that is projected to occur in die USAin 2005 unless action is taken. AIRCRAFT LIMITS "Controllers can only talk with so many aircraft in a given period of time using today's system. This limits die number of aircraft they can man age safely causing delays. These delays translate direcdy into economic losses for aircraft opera tors and for the flying public, and have an impact on the nation's economic well being in general," says a high-level FAA official. "The ability of airlines.. .to operate on sched ule and widiin budget is dependent upon effi cient communications between pilots and controllers. Anydiing that hinders these com munications can cause delays. CPDLC offers a way to reduce delays and have a positive eco nomic impact across the industry," he adds. As a result, the FAA and die airline industry have long urged the fielding of a second digital channel of communications, which they expect to be faster and more reliable than voice com munications. The FAA says simulations show that en route controllers can monitor and con trol more aircraft in a safer and more efficient manner using digital data messages to augment voice communications. But the DoT IG report asks whether CPDLC will confuse, stress and increase workload for controllers and pilots, the latter being distracted from flight duties such as monitoring the instrument panel. The FAA\and the airline industry turned to CPDLC after^abandoning attempts to use the existing airline datalink, the Airborne Communications Addressing and Reporting •-r* CPDLC implementation will start at the Miami ARTCC in June 2002 Systems (ACARS). CPDLC uses VHR Data Link Mode 2 (VDL-2), deemed to provide faster and more reliable data exchange between aircraft and controllers than ACARS. Recognising die difficulty and cost in develop ing ATN-compliant systems, the FAA entered into a consortium in 1995 with ATN Systems (ATNSD, a privately held corporation owned by 14 US air carriers, to develop CPDLC soft ware. A year ago, the FAA awarded Computer Sciences a contract worth $86 million to imple ment the next generation digital air-to-ground communication system. In June 2 002, Miami ARTCC will be the first 4-site in die USA to receive CPDLC. A major participant in Build I activities is American Airlines, which will test CPDLC using Boeing 767-300ERs and 737-800s equipped with Rockwell Collins CPDLC avionics. The CPDLC Build IA project is to become opera tional atMiami in June 2003 and nationally in phases bSginning six mondis later at the coun try's other 19 ARTCCs. VDL-2 will continue to be used in Build IA, as die avionics will be designed to handle the larger message set. More air carriers are set to take part in Build 1A as CPDLC gains acceptance. .According to Michael Hawdiorne, the FAAs CPDLC programme manager, Build I will only offer four initial services: transfer of communi cation, initial contact, altimeter setting and information firee~fext menu capability. Build IA adds five services - it increases the message set to accommodate assignment of speed, heading and altitude/as well as a route clearance function and a capability to handle pilot-initiated altitude change requests. The FAAs CPDLC roadmap has changed in recent years, the original plan calling for four steps, but only the first two funded. The third step, Build II, had called for 114 services and continued use of VDL-2. Togedier widi Build HI, it would implement CPDLC at tower, terminal and oceanic air traffic control facilities. As envisioned, Build III, which would offer a complete message set, would have used the Next-Generation Air/Ground Communi cations (NEXCOM) equipment, including VDL-3 technology. The FAA is moving cautiously, however, focusing on the first two phases before going on to the next. Hawthorne says: "Build II is not defined. We are in the initial stages of invest ment analysis work. The vision for Build II is to look at a spiral development effort that will eventually provide gate-to-gate capabilities for CPDLC. We will eventually work in die termi nal environment with Build n." Build II will be phased in, but services, domains and timeframe have yet to be deter mined, says Hawthorne. "It's hard to say when we will complete the analysis since we don't know what we're getting into," he adds, main taining: "Build in doesn't exist." COMPATIBILITY ISSUES FAA officials say they are in close contact with Eurocontrol to ensure that both systems are compatible. The FAA is also watching closely the Preliminary Eurocontrol Test of Air/ Ground Data Link (PETAL) programme - Europe's ground-breaking validation of air- ground datalinks in an operational ATC envi ronment. The three-phase project is designed to obtain first-hand, factual data on operational benefits, requirements, human factors, proce dures and problems associated widi CPDLC. The DoT IG office says: "The PETAL trials represent an important step in the development of CPDLC, and we believe that die FAA must actively monitor these tests to reduce future costs and prevent duplication of effort. At a min imum, these tests will generate data that will prove useful in deliberations about CPDLC'Q FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 20 - 26 February 2001 41
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