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This presentation explores the need for a system-wide network connectivity for aircraft to improve information handling and reduce operational errors in the National Airspace System. The objective is to develop a ubiquitous network capability for aviation using managed open standards, demonstrating the value it brings to all stakeholders. The presentation also discusses the Multi Aircraft Flight Demo Series, which aims to advance netcentric aviation capability and comply with Congressional mandates.
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Airborne Networking…Information Connectivity in Aviation Presented to: RTCA SC206 Ralph Yost, Systems Engineering (FAA Technical Center) April 3, 2007
Discussion Items • Background • Problem Statement • Objective • Approach • Multi-Aircraft Flight Demo Series • Products • Summary
Background • Airborne Networking began as a Tech Center idea in support of the NASA SATS Project proposed in July 1999. (But not limited to SATS aircraft.) • In December 2004, the JPDO published the NGATS Plan, validating this premise, and institutionalizing a plan for network enabled operations for the NAS (i.e. NGATS). • We have been engaged in airborne networking research for several years based upon NASA SATS, NGATS support from ATO-P-1 (Keegan), and Congressional earmarking
PROBLEM: Currently Do Not Have System Wide Network Connectivity For Aircraft • Premise is that network capability to aircraft will improve the way operators of aircraft and the NAS handle information. • Various commercial solutions are emerging • Most are satellite-based technology • Most do not provide aircraft-to-aircraft connectivity • An early implementable network connectivity solution is needed that will allow all aircraft types to participate in and join the network: • transport, regional, biz jet, GA, helicopter • Information flow will remain stove-piped unless a ubiquitous network solution for aircraft is determined • Assumptions Made for Ground Networks Do Not Apply to Airborne Network Links
Impact of Air-to-Air Link PerformanceAssumptions Made for Internet Links Do Not Apply to AN Links
Reducing Operational Errors • Several analyses indicate that approximately 20% of all en route operational errors (OEs) are communications related • 23% found in CAASD analysis of 680 OEs in 2002 and 2003 • 20% found in 1,359 OEs in FY04 and FY05* • Communication OEs are usually more severe • 30% of the high severity FY04 and FY05 OEs were communication related* • Categories of communications-related OEs include: • Readback/hearback • Issued different altitude than intended • Issued control instruction to wrong aircraft • Transposed call sign • Failure to update data block FY05 En Route OEs High Severity OEs Remaining OEs With data communications, most of these OEs could be eliminated “23% of all operational errors at Miami Center for the five year period from January 1998 to September 2003 could have been avoided by [data link]” – Miami ARTCC Communication OEs * Based on preliminary reports. Detailed analysis underway. (From briefing by Gregg Anderson, ATO Planning Data Link Workshop, Feb 2006)
The single most deadly accident in aviation history, the runway collision of two B-747s at Tenerife, begin with a "stepped on" voice transmission. (1977)
Objective • Develop a ubiquitous network capability for aviation, based upon managed open standards to make it safe, secure, reliable, scalable, and usable by all classes of aircraft. • Demonstrate that network capability for aircraft generates value for the National Airspace System (NAS) (at minimal equipage for all stakeholders) and begins to put into place the building blocks required to achieve NexGen in 2025 • Identify equipage incentives that provide the NAS (FAA) and the aircraft operator both benefits and economic value that can be measured and received on an aircraft-by-aircraft basis
Airborne Networking Multi-Aircraft Flight Demo Series: Purpose • Facilitate the early adoption of NexGen netcentric aviation capability into the present National Airspace System • Advance the basic netcentric capability for aviation (demonstrate Assured Communication and Shared Situational Awareness; a key enabling technology) • Comply with Congressional mandate to perform three aircraft demonstration
Airborne Networking Multi-Aircraft Flight Demo Series:Aircraft Flight Demo Applications • 4-D Trajectory Flight Plan: sent from ground to aircraft; aircraft acknowledges and accepts • Aircraft position reporting displayed on EFB • Weather – low/high bandwidth apps • Text messaging: cockpit-to-cockpit and to/from ground • Web services, white board, VoIP • Live video images telemetered to the ground (planned April 11) • Security: VPN, encryption, etc. • Pico cell: use of special encrypted cell phones (US AF AFCA)
Wx Application Level Characteristics • Reliability of broadcast is questionable without dependency upon discovery and reachability information • Our program tests and demonstrates the following: • Auto-segmentation and reassembly of large products. • Acknowledge delivery of uplinked products. • Target (receiver) location used to optimize delivery priority. • Aircraft knowledge permits transmission and “stopping transmission” once appropriate delivery requirements have been met.
Assured Broadcast Product Distribution • Auto-segmentation and reassembly of large products • Ack (and selective reject) of fragments to optimize delivery • Target location used to optimize delivery (e.g., aircraft on final MUST have latest arriving ATIS) • Aircraft existence knowledge permits knowledge of “who” has received what and “who” needs what-when to dynamically manage broadcast product mix
Datafeed • Ground station retrieves information from internet through one of a series of methods (either ground station pull or central server push) • Ground station fragments product into smaller chunks and broadcasts chunks in reserved slots • Air stations receive fragments and reassemble original product • Air stations acknowledge both partial and complete products to optimize uplink schedule • Ground station receives acknowledgments and refrains from transmitting fragments that have been acknowledged by all aircraft in the region.
Airborne Networked Weather: Data and apps already demonstrated Prog Charts: Surface, 12 hr, 24 hr Airmets: Turbulance, Convective Pireps (Northeast) Icing Potential Satellite: Albany, BWI, Charlotte, Detroit Radar: Sterling, VA; Mount Holly, NJ Custom app to bring RVR to the cockpit
Weather To the Cockpit: Graphical • US Map with selectable product overlays to show • Terrain, States, ARTCC, VORs, Airports, TWEB • Airmets: Icing, MTO, IFR, Turb • Sigmets: WS, WST • Pireps: Icing, Turb • Misc: METARs, Radar Reflectivity • Satellite
Wx Graphical Overlay ExampleTWEB (Transcribed Wx Enroute Broadcast)
FIREWALL SWIM and AFCA Airborne Networking Multi-Aircraft Network Capability Demonstration: Two Systems, Three Planes N39 PMEI PMEI N35 TCP/IP, VHF AeroSat N47 ISM/L-Band 1-2Mb/s 45 High Bandwidth 90 Mb/s Ka/KU Band TCP/IP, VHF Position reporting, situational awareness Low Bandwidth 19.2Kb/s 45 PMEI AeroSat Airborne Networking Lab
Play Flight Date Here Run EFRMON Playback Here
Products • AeroSat: • K-band, directional antennas each end. • ISM band omni air-to-air. • TCP/IP, network management software developing. • Approach is potential oceanic solution. • PMEI • VHF, 25Khz channels. • Has Beyond Line of Sight relay capability (potential oceanic solution). • Potential terminal, enroute, Oceanic, CONUS solution. • These are early approaches to network connectivity that meets basic criteria of network connectivity for air-to-air, air-to-ground, usable by all classes of aircraft, relatively low cost. • They are learning opportunities, not product endorsement.
Summary • Wx and AIS are building netcentric information services. Airborne Networking can easily connect to deliver information to the aircraft. • NexGen requires airborne networking. • Reliability of broadcast is questionable without dependency upon discovery and reachability information • Airborne Networks can deploy any data or application that can be deployed on ground networks, as long as standard protocols are used. • Weather applications will run the same as “normal” applications will run on any networked computer system.
