IFATCA - The Controller - 4th Quarter 1986

ISSN 0010-8073

JOURNAL

OF AIR TRAFFIC

CON T ROL

4 / 86

IFATCA ' 86 TECHNICA L PANEL BERN, SWITZERLAND

4th QUART ER 1986

VOLUM E 25

Sfrs 5.-

26TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS' ASSOC IATIONS

IFATCA '87 Nairobi, Kenya, 27th-30th

April 1987.

NAIROBI The green city in the sun.

GENERAL INFORMATION

CONF ERENCE THEME:

FOCUS ON CIVIL AVIATION IN AFRICA .

LOCATI ON:

KENYATTA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRENAIROBI .

MAIN HOT EL:

Sixeighty Hotel - Five minutes walking distance from the Conference Centre.

200 Room s reser v ed :

Please confirm reservation before 1st February 1987.

REGISTRATION

Kenya shillings 1700- (equivalent US $ 100).

Registration desk will open at the Sixeighty Hotel from 26th April 1987.

FEE:

AIR TRANSPORT:

Kenya Airways is the main conference carrier and has agreed to grant to conference participants and accompanying persons, 50% rebate on full fares for those staying for less than 14 days and the same rebate on excursion fares for those staying for more than 14 / 45 days applicable from 20th April 1987 .

Details of other airlines which have agreed to grant rebate facilities will be made available in due course.

ACCOMPANYING PERSONS PROGRAMME:

In addition to the general social activities in which accompanying persons will participate, a diversified programme has been arranged for the accompanying Tours to Wildlife Parks have been included.

Exper ience the African tradition s, beaches and wildlife .

I FATCA M embership card is recognized by 14 hotels well distributed Make IFATCA '87 your IFATCA history year .

in the country .

persons .

IFATCA JOURNAL

OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL

THE CONTROLLER Bern, Switzerland, December , 1986

Publisher : International Federat ion of Air Traffic Controll ers· Associations. P.O. Box 196. CH-12 15 Geneva 1 5 Airport. Switzerland

Volume 25 · No . 4

In this issue

Editorial H. H. Henschler

IFATCA Tech nical Panel

page

Fly-A-Controller

page 72

Flight Data Exchange in Sensitive Areas

page 78

Canadian Aviation Safety Board

page 20

Satellites in Civil Aviation

page 24

Wake Turbulen ce

page 26

Production · Der Sund'. Verlag und Druckerei AG Effing erstra sse 1. CH-300 1 Bern.

Telep hone (031) 25 66 55

Medi cat ion and Air Traffic Control

page 27

Subscriptions and Advertising Payments to: IFATCA/The Contro ller. Union de Banques Suisses P.O . Box 237 CH- 1 2 1 5 Geneva Airport. Switzer land Acc . No . 602 254.M D L

Book Review

page 29

Civil Aviation in Sweden

page 30

Perception and Illusion in Aviation

page 3 7

Officers of IFATCA: E.F. Sermijn . President and Chief Execu tive Office r. H.H. Henschler. Past President . Lex Hendr iks.

Executive Vice- President Technica l.

U _Windt. Exec uti ve Vice-President Adm inistration.

T. Gustavsso n. Exec utive Vice- President Finance.

P. o· Doh eny . Executive Secretary Editor ad interim: H. Harri Hensch ler. Past President 1998 Glenmor e Avenue. Sherwood Park.

Alberta. Canada. TBA OX8 Telephone (403) 467-6826 Management and Advertising Sales Office: The Controller. P.O . Box 19 6.

CH- 1 21 5 Geneva 1 5 Airport. Switzerland H.U. Heim. Subscriptions and Publicity.

Tel. (022) 82 26 79 M . Henchoz . Accounting. Tel. (022) 92 56 82 B. Laydevan t. Sales Promotion . Tel. (022) 82 79 83

Subscription Rate : SFrs. 20 .- per annum (4 issues). plus postage and package : Surfacemai l: Europe and Mediterranean countries SFrs. 4 20. other countries SFrs. 5 .40.

Airmail : Europe and Medit erranean countries SFrs. 6 .20. other countries SFrs. 10 .60 .

Specia l subscription rate for Air Traffic Controllers .

Contributors are expressing their personal points of view and opinion s. whic h may not necessarily coi ncide with those of the Intern ationa l Federation of Air Traffic Controllers· Associations (IFATCA).

IFATCA does not assume responsibi lity for statements made and opinions expressed. it does only accept responsibi lity for publishing th ese contributions .

Contributions are welcome as are com ments and criticism . No payment ca n be made for manus cripts sub· mitted for publication in 'The Controller' _ The Editor reserves the right to make any editorial changes in manuscripts. w hich he believes will impro ve the material without altering the intended meaning .

Written permission by the Editor is necessary for reprin t ing any part of this Journ al.

Advertisers in this issue: KATCA, Schmid, Thomson CSF, Philip s. Marconi , Air Canada, Selenia Photos: H. Tade, MBB , Airb us Ind ustr ies.

FATCA Cartoons: Vd F THE CONTRO LLER/ DECEMBER 1986

Kenya Airway s A370-300

2

The October / November period has, over t he years, become the busiest part of the year for the members of the Executive Board and for many of the Regional Vice-Presidents.

With the success of the Federation· s regionalization effort much of the work and problem-solving in the IFATCA Regions takes place at the Regional Meetings, and it has now become a tradition that most of these are held during the months of October and November.

Thi s year offered an added feature, a full Execut ive Council Meeting , with all Region s represented, took place in late September. This meeting will noticeably contribute to the success of the Regional Meetings.

Member Associations are making a determined effort to attend their respective Regional Meeting in the full know ledge that they will be heard, their problems discussed , and solutions - in the regional context found. Regional Vic e-Presiden ts are able, from the input of the Memb er Associations . to gauge the needs and ach ievements of their Region s and to help translate this knowledge into Federation advice and assistance required, or into information available to Member Association s outside their own Regions .

Regional Meetings , their input and resulting pol icies, are of great value to the Federation. They represent a ·grass-roots ' discus sion among a group of Member Associations all in a similar environment which allow the Executive Board to keep a 'finger on the pulse· of the Federation . Hence . to come back to my first paragraph, the long-standing and worthwh ile policy of the Executive Board to be represented, whenever possible , at all Regional Meetings . Despite all the travel requirements they are too valu able to be missed .

The Technical Panel at I FATCA '86 Over a number of years the Technical Panel. opportunity for the Federation ·s Corporate Members to address directly the participants in the conference. has become a valued tradition. The Silver Jubilee Conference was no exception , and a large assembly was available to listen to the representatives of the participating companies . The Panel was under the direction and guidance of the Vice-President Technical, Lex Hendriks , and the outgoing Corporate Members Coordinator, Bill Canty.

Four representatives of Corporate Members spoke to the audience, first Mr. Antonio M. de Vicaris of Selenia. His presentation was on the subject of:

Bill Canty

The Evolution of the ATC Workstation In this period. a number of st udies around the wor ld are w orking on the modernization of the Radar Controller's workstat ion. Though potentially very promising for advanced automation t he introduction of new techniques has been made w ith small and safe steps.

Unlike office automation . eco nomical and product ivity incenti ves have played a very minor role in th e development of the control ler position. The consequence hereof has been that new techniques were introduced as a consequence of adva nces in technology rather than a de lib erate work to im prove t he wo rking conditions for the contro llers.

Th e c lassica l rad ar controller's position was fairly we ll established by the mid f ift ies. wi th an eight or twe lve inch PPI. Electronic cu rsor line s using joysticks. toget her w ith the f irst videomaps we re introd uced before 1960 .

Thi s compos iti on rema ined virtu al ly unchanged for 10 years. until the use of individual SSR code was introduced in a larger sca le.

The co nt roller of that period had around 5- 10 ai rc raft under his respons ibilit y, b ut these aircraft we re rather slow. and he contro lled a sector with a relative large physica l exten sion . The conseq uen ce was that cha ng e of frequen cies took place with far larger interv als. The bu lk of the R/ T traff ic co nce rned reporting ot altitude. as the env ironm ent was ch iefly a mon itored procedural environment w ith altitude sepa ration rather than horizontal radar separation.

The radar data were presented as 2

· raw video · necessitating a CRT phosphor wit h a long afterg low. The controller was therefore forced to work in a dark ambient.

19 70 saw the introduction of a number of new systems as results of the improvements in SSR techniques.

The PPI was extended to 16 inches. and the alphanumeri c label substituted scr imp-boat s, grease-pencils. etc. However. as the precision of the SSR generally was poor, and still quite a number of aircraft was not transpo nder equipped. the primary radar remained the main source for position information. The primary radar target extraction was not perfected until 1980. so for abou t 10 years the presentation of raw radar video was still required. This let to the development of the mixed phosphors. where attempt s were made to obtain long aft erglo w for the PSR video. and very short afterglow for the synthetic SSR video. w ith results w hich we re not all together sati sfacto ry.

The introduction of the General Purpose Digit al computer in the beginn ing of the sevent ies opened new possibilitie s for development of the man-machine interfaces. However. during thi s period the design engineer did not utilize the experience of the cont roller as we ll as we cou ld have wished.

The man-machine int erac tivity became. in many cases. too c umber some. and the cont roller felt th at he had become a computer operator rather than a contro ller.

These prob lems were especially addressed by Selenia during the development of the Rome ATCAS and the SATCAS system .

Studies therefore were undertaken to decrease the workload of tedious tasks. permitting the controller to concentrate on his primary function: the control of aircraft.

The new SATCAS workstation operates in full daylight environment, and the layout has been optimized to improve the ergonomic design. The aim of the study group has been to design a position where all relevant inform ation is displayed automatically and correctly in a way which is easy to perceive by the controller. The aim of the automation introduced has been to ease the workload by reducing the introduction of data by the controller.

In the 'o rderly' air traffic environment. the data required by the system are. mostly. already present in the system. either derived from t he rad ar data or from flight plan data. or from computer correlation between these data.

The SATCAS work station is modular , and tailored to the secto r. Generally it consists of a 22-inch DDS-80 daylight stroke display and a number of CDS-80 graphics/ alphanumeri cs displays for flight data. The DDS -80 presents the radar derived information. correlated by flight information . as flight identify and ass igned flight level . further to act ual leve l and speed.

The layout of the workstation is made according to the work to be performed. APP positions. TMA pos ition s. en-ro ute con trol . etc .. and may be reconfigured by the technical supervisor . even to perform c ontroller tr aining in a simul ation role . In thi s connect ion . the total integration of the radio -telephone communicat ion system is very impo rtant in order to be ab le to reco nfigure th e syste m in real time .

THE CONTROL LER/ DECEMBER 1986

The contro ller· s main tool is the 22-inch radar position displ ay. Next to the radar display. are two auxiliary 19 inch raster scan displays, the CDS-80 Common Disp lay System, with 1000X 1200 pixel definition .

The se displays can present both graphic and alpha-numeric inform at ion .

They have full colour capabilities and may present up to 10 OOO alphanumerics . The main use of the displays are presentation of flight data, flow control data , met. data, AIS and other relev ant data. At the same time, the graphic capability allows the CDS-80 display to present radar information, either for coordinations work, or as back-up in c ase of failure of the main display. Ancill ary small alphanumeric displays are used for seconda ry data.

The keyboards used by the controller have been studied to facilitate the man -machine interactivit y . All standard input s are performed by single key ac tion to acce lerate the input, and reduce th e risk of forgetting a cumbersome compo sed order procedure w hen urg ently needed. The orders are de signed to keep the controller's attention on the disp lay and not on the keyboard The use of light-pen has long been abolished, and the use of track-ball has virtuall y been eliminated as being too comple x. Instead, variou s forms of autom atic and semiautomatic hooking and sequen c ing techniques are pref erred.

The new con sole inc lude s the radio / telephon e communication s panels as a vital and integr ated part of the syst em. Th e setting of the used frequenci es are displayed. and direct access, non blocking commun ication line s are used .

The operational superv isor and th e te c hnical supervisor w ill , in many system s. share a console , equipped w ith both a DDS -80 radar di splay and CDS80 rast er sca n di splays. The ope ration al supe rvisor will have fl ow con trol and system load information available. together w ith a co mplete ove rview of c urrent syste m configurat ion. The commun ication s pane ls are spec ially de signed for thi s po sition, with the po ssibilit y to m on it or each position. Cordle ss tel ep hone s allow the superv isor s to go to any po sition and to dia l int o monitoring or co mmuni ca tion s. The te c hni ca l supervisor uses his CDS-80 rast er sca n d isplay to monitor the Multir adar Track ing System , all radar senso rs. and to reco nfig ure th e entir e syst em . using rada r sensor from insi de or out side th e FIR, even using sensors fr om oth er co unt ries, link ed by t elep ho ne data tra nsm ission.

The SATCAS syst em is able to m eet all the c rit eria envisaged above The TH E CON TRO LLER/ DECEM BER 1986

use of intelligent displays , each with built-in microcomputers , and the implementation of the concept of Local Area Network (LAN) already some years ago . have given Selenia an unpar alleled experience in the design of a fully, integrated air traffic control system which incorporates all the aspects of air traffic information networks, and which has as a main aim

the design of t he best possible con troller w ork station .

The Selenia experien ce has confirmed the indispensable requ ireme nt to have controller participation and feedback during the design and evaluation of the very comple x air traffic cont rol syst em s in order to ach ieve w ork stations satisfying all the criteria put forward .

The second speake r was Henry W. Cole from Marconi Radar Syst em s.

Harry addressed the question of: 6

How to be Specific about Imprecise Things'

Introduction Man y IFATCA members and readers of the 'Controller· w ill know my concern , some would say obsession, to impro ve comm unication between users. their technical advisers and equipment designers. I have drawn attention to the fact that some tim es users are unable or unw illing to frame their operationa l requir ement s w ith sufficient c larity. Coupled w ith thi s, it could also be that technical advisers get so close to th e te c hnical problem s th at the y lose sight of the reason for w riting a specification in the first place. or run out of pati enc e in trying to get users to be more speci fic The aim of this paper is t o encourage users to reappraise their role in speci fying requir ements by giving an examp le of how to become mor e specif ic about their needs. This comes from expe riences in trying to lay down ce rtain design aims for azimuth acc uracy in M arco ni Radar's 'Mes senger' Monopul se SSR System .

Cole's Dictum No . 7 -O n Probability: Nothing is ever - ·a lways·; nothing is ever - ' never' ; everything is always - ·sometimes·.

(See Appendi x 1 ).

As is w ell known, Monopu lse technique s can improve track smoothnes s a very great deal. A nother improvemen t is in azimuth discrimination i .e. t he abi lity to register two aircr aft at the same range and in the same area. Both are important in determi ning the radar 's use in maintaining separation standards.

It was real ized early in the 'Me ssenger' des ign study phase that the to lerable system errors required spec ifica tion so that the desired dis crim inat ion could be achieved without putting undul y severe pressure on designer s. This would result in higher t han necessary equipment co st s.

Equally , to stay alive commercially in a fiercly compet itive market place . th e des igne rs must come up wi t h

Harry Cole (/) and Ham Henschler

3

performance at least equal and preferably better than the competition. So two questions needed an answer. a) What is the tolerable azimuth error? b) What azimuth discrimination should be provided?

To answer these questions we must first realize the implication of azimuth error and limited discrimination.

Impact on Operational Requirements In order to judge the minimum acceptable performance of a Monopulse SSR system it is necessary to state the operational requirements.

As usual this is easier said than done. During the study phase, reference to Operational Staff produced some useful guidelines. Their main concern was related to reduction of separation standards. Nevertheless, all the operational features of the current SSR system have to be maintained when Monopulse permitted reduced separation standards to be used: That is the provision of: a) b) c) d) e) f) g)

Range of all Bearing aircraft in Altitude the radar Identity cover.

Defruiting Degarbling Emergency Detection ... , etc.

Operational Aspects and Their Technical Implications Visits were made to a number of relevant authorities.

Discussions with them yielded the following: a) Their main concern was and remains the maintenance of aircraft separations when the radar is used for control. b) Current separation standards are wider and more wasteful of airspace than desired. This was due to limitations of current radar instrumentation. c) Track wander was still greater than desired even with modern 'sliding window' extractors. These sometimes gave plot displacement up to ½ nm 'across track' error for radar targets at about 60 to 80nm. d) They look to monopulse technique to achieve the desired aim in separation: A commonly desired aim was to achieve separation standards as follows: 4

3nm From O to 100nm From 100nm upwards Maintenance of 3nm 'for as far as possible'.

Display Symbology The following assumes that positional data is displayed without the aid of a computer tracking routine.

Consider first what is meant by 'separation standards' and why such concern is now deeply felt: The concern is rooted in past practice with real-time decoding and display systems: The operator saw radar responses as arcs on the screen. The dimensions of the arcs were set by the radar parameters (effective beamwidth and display pulse duration).

General control discipline said (and still says) 'if two blips touch each other, the radar must not be used to control the aircraft concerned'.

In plot extracted non real-time displays, targets are indicated as a small symbol and previous plots as 'trail dots'. Two things follow from this: a) There are no arcs to keep apart. b) Track wander becomes much more obvious.

The problem has been thought of as curable by making the plot header symbol large and making the trail dots into short 'slashes', i.e. to restore the 'lost arc'. This produces an entirely subjective apparent smoothing of the real jitter.

Separation by Radar What the user means by this is 'when you show me two aircraft positions, I want to be certain that when all errors in the radar system are considered as worst case, I can still be assured that the targets are not closer than 3 nm in space'. For the radar engineer this implies two qualitites: a) Position reporting accuracy. b) Azimuth discrimination.

The positional reporting accuracy improvement required to help achieve the desired separation standards is given by use of monopulse technique.

The more difficult problem is the achievement of discrimination required by the desired separation standards.

Concerning Accuracy of Plot Positioning During discussion with various user authorities the subject of track wander was of course discussed. No specifi-

cation of errors was forthcoming.

However, several significant points were made and, with other inferences, led to the following: a) Civil ATC officers do not often concern themselves with the individual position reports of the radar: They are more concerned that tracks expected are made good. b) Civil air traffic controllers do not keep constant watch on the PPI and only concentrate continuous attention upon it at times of potential conflict, departures from planned tracks, or to check that requested changes of flight path are executed. c) Military operators pay much closer and more frequent attention to individual plots since quite often unplanned tracks are flown and are required to be monitored closely. d) Civil controllers would only regard 'wide' deviation from expected plot positions on an expected track as a probable turn after two or three consecutive 'wide' deviations. e) Military operators would probably take the same view but because of their closer scrutiny of the PPI, would be more often alerted by false alarm. f) To the question of what degree of track wander is tolerable, no specific and quantitative answers were given.

The effect of track wander upon the operator is difficult to quantify but can be expressed as follows: a) As mentioned above, if the indicated mean track corresponds to that expected, then the operator does not mind too much. b) When close attention to consecutive plots is required, any deviation of plot positions from those expected can cause the operator to think the aircraft is not performing its expected track.

If two successive azimuth errors occur in the same direction, the operator would be justified in mentally raising the probability that the aircraft navigation is at fault, rather than the radar system. This is an intuitive judgment based upon experience that errors are even-handed with as many positive as negative in a long sample time.

Questions We now had to ask the question 'If we wish to improve the SSR system's existing performance, how little error must be present and how often can it be tolerated?'

THE CONTROLLER/ DECEMBER 1986

The first part of this question was answered by examination of current 'sliding window· plot extractor performance. A large number of quantitative results from various users of different manufacturer's equipment was gathered. Analysis showed that the average performance gave track wander of about nine minutes of arc for one Standard Deviation (SD) of what is generally considered to be a Gaussian or Normal Distribution.

It follows then that for 100 successive plots of track, reporting errors are going to fall somewhat in the above proportions because 100 is a fairly large sample. Note that if SD = 9 mins, 1 % of plots would have an error of 27 mins of arc. (¾nm across track

ler separation. Equally, registrations of 3 nm separation could in fact sometimes be actually less. We suggested to operations staff that an acceptable rate of the malregistration under these circumstances is 1 plot in 1000. This was accepted (on the basis that it 'seemed reasonable') and will be used in later argument.

Azimuth Discrimination Plot position accuracy and track quality are not the only consideration.

The search for reduced separation standards forces consideration of Azimuth Discrimination. (The quality to see two targets when they are close together at the same range.)

A good working rule is:

± 1

standard standard ± 3 standard ± 3.3 standard

± 2

deviation deviation deviation deviation

contains contains contains contains

68% 96% 99% 99.9%

error at 100nm).

Advice from operators is that a trend in changing plot positions will only be seriously regarded at the third example. This is one guide we have regarding Track Quality.

Track Quality The above discussion centers upon statements regarding the average performance of azimuth-telling. Although this has meaning in engineering and mathematical contexts, the picture is very different from the operator's viewpoint. In one shift, at a busy time, he experiences about 25,000 plots.

Quite often he will be interested in four or five consecutive plots in a track and his attention is then on individual events going into the massive population making up the mathematical sample from which the average performance is derived.

We have therefore to consider not the average error but the rate at which the tolerable error is exceeded in such a manner as to mislead the operator.

Control and operations staff are instructed not to accept radar separations which are below the permitted minimum. They nevertheless know that radar systems subject to 'noise· can have errors in plot reporting. There is thus realization that two aircraft actually separated by the 3 nm could be registered on the display as a smalTHE CONTROLLER/DECEMBER

1986

of of of of

the the the the

Probability of a greater error 32 in 100 4 in 100 1 in 100 1 in 1000

population population population population

In SSR the range structure is fine (approx. 1/,s nm). Separation standards can thus be considered as limited by the performance in the azimuth domain. The system will need the azimuth discrimination under the very

special condition of garbling (two replies overlapping in range for most of their azimuth history because of equal times of arrival at the ground station). Figure 1 illustrates this situation.

Plots will be formed on the basis of validating range and azimuth and code data. This means processing replies to a number of repeated interrogations on each of the modes in use.

Reference to Fig. 1 indicates how suitable processing logic could make best use of a given set of aerial radiation patterns in providing lowest azimuth discrimination: A situation is represented in which two aircraft are at precisely the same slant range ± the system's range discrimination and very slightly different azimuths to the radar. When both aircraft are caused to reply simultaneously, their framing pulses appear in the same range cells and the codes of each will become a composite of both. Each aircraft generates a reply train with run length of 'N'. Assuming clockwise rotation of the aerial, the first aircraft to reply is No. 1. Its data will exist in isolation for 'n' replies.

After this point. both aircraft reply and a change of code content (at least on one of the interlaced modes if altitude or identity or 'mission' codes are different) will be detectable for a given set of range cells.

IIEGIOH o, ~ SYNCHlll0NCIU5

8AIIIIL&

~

~~/ ,U:IMUTH-

Ale@-'

I

I I A/c:(D

I'

:

:

1._ ______

1- ..

I

DIIU!CTlOH 01'" AERIAi.

MTATION

I

I

-1

f,

I •:

M ----:

_,I

~~-I I

I I I

I

INlERR.o&A"Tf PATT"ll:RN

(ONltoL PATT!RN

Fig. 1: Representation of 2 aircraft totally overlapping for part of azimuth history 5

For any completely overlapping reply pulses, the monopulse-derived azimuth data will be confused because the transponders will almost certainly not be synchronized in phase and their frequencies can be anywhere in the range 1090 MHz ± 3 MHz. This circumstance will pertain until the system beamwidth determines that aircraft No. 1 no longer replies (at the end of N, the run length of the system). At this point, aircraft No. 2 will still reply, now in isolation, and another change in code content will be detected for the same given range cells. Provided the 'n' replies left for the second aircraft are sufficient. its azimuth and code data can be obtained with the requisite validity.

This means that the azimuth discrimination is limited by the run length minus the arc over which there is complete reply overlapping. It should be remembered that a very special but important case is being treated here. It must also be realized that 'SSR is at its most vulnerable when it is most needed' (Coles Dictum No. 2). To the user it is most needed when two aircraft are apparently close to each other. The closer they are. the more desperate the need.

The above argument infers processing logic which could associate at a given range: a) A constant code and constant azimuth with a single aircraft. b) A code change associated with unstable azimuth (caused by two aircraft replies of different frequency and phase). c) A return to constant azimuth different from that in (a) and another code change associated with a second aircraft.

Figure 2 is a simple expression of the azimuth discrimination required to achieve the stated 3 nm separation at 100 nm. From this is seen that it must be not more than 1. 72 degrees. Figure 3 shows across track error as a function of azimuth error. lfwe accept that a processing logic as described above is implemented. three statements can be made.

First In the very special case of two sets of replies. some of whose pulses totally overlap for part of the system's azimuth history. Figure 1 indicates that we must have 'n' replies in the clear from each aircraft.

6

Dt!GS-1'% OISCRIMIH~TIOHt!QO

t ~

4

v .. /

3

.,

t

.-'

V

V

/

17"

1•7%.

V

a

,/ ,.

..

..

3

-

n. mls S~TlOH

5

.~

7

G,

!,

AT lcJOn.ml~

Fig. 2: Azimuth discrimination

9RDR ANGIZ.IN MINS OF AR/:. ,,._T 100 n.ml.

t

C~MMOH SPEC

L

RMS UMIT

to-1-------l-,oll~---+----+-_--_--+--

~

~

~ -TRACK ERRD«

0~

~

n.m\5 ~

100

5'ST&t

·~ n.m\s

Fig. 3: Displacement vs angular error at 100nm

Second Provided we have the required 'n' replies for each aircraft. the value of 'N' is. for all practical purposes immaterial.

The azimuth discrimination in a monopulse system is not a function of system beamwidth per se. but of data gathering and processing time plus system azimuth errors; i.e. the dwell time of ·n·.

beamwidth must not be less than the angle equivalent to ·n·.

Accepting that a true separation of 3nm at 100nm can be allowed to be registered on the display as less, at a probability rate of 1 in 1OOO cases. we can express the following relationship, illustrated in Figure 4.

A= Third The limiting case is where ·n· for the first of two aircraft is immediately followed in the azimuth domain by ·n· of the second craft. Thus the system

R + 6.60

( i)

Where R = Required Resolution (no errors); A = Dynamic Discrimination (including random errors; bias errors are assumed as calibrated out); o = 1 s.d. of azimuth error THE CONTROLLER/ DECEMBER 1986

The required separation standards (3nm at 100nm) leads to a value of A = 1. 72 °. Figure 5 is an illustration of the 'rate of exchange' between o and R to achieve the required Dynamic Discrimination, 1.72 °.

From this it is seen that R must be not more than 1.06 degrees if o = 6 min.

This in turn requires all data on a given target to be gathered within 1.06 degrees. Other values of R can be found for different values of o.

I

I

I

I

111111111

111111111 _ -1

I I

A/C Na.L-+ I

A/CNo.Z-+

How Does This Help The User To Be Specific?

First, and once again, it shows how often the concept of probability must be invoked. There are no guarantees that a given accuracy will be achieved - only a probability that it will be present. The principles are not complicated, requiring (in the example cited) only reference to the Gaussian or Normal Distribution curve and a little arithmetic. It shows that by a little thought, vagueness can be avoided and standards by which an equipment is judged can be made amenable to measurement.

It also shows that if users attempt framing their requirement in acceptable probabilistic terms, their advisers will be encouraged to help them - if only to show off their skills!

I- nI

_.,1__l_____j _ __.!

TK AIIILABLE 10/ [El.ARE ~

l l l.-.,~ n1

1111£Ml 181E 10 ~a.ARE

b

t3·3cr

1tJ BE ,- 1·729(WITH

P• 10-1 OFBEING ~ LESS THAN1·7r) 10 BE ~ 1·72"-b-6cr

What Did Such Consideration Result In? Using the precepts above and the results of the design study, a specification for beamwidths, azimuth

AW WIDEENOUGH 10 EMBRACE n

Fig. 4: Definition of azimuth discrimination angle

FI"I f• -n-••of, fT ( OIVU

an"''·Sl!PARATION AT IOOnmts)

t3,----+------+----+----+----+------1,-

..,o Ro

t

0

3MIN9

-,o

.,o

-20

bMIN!I

12MIMS

,r-

accuracy and permissible error was raised. It was that for the available antenna patterns the total azimuth system error should not be greater than six minutes of arc rms. ( = 1o).

The results can be judged from the following graphs of dynamic measurement. The design aims have been exceeded by a significant margin.

Figure 6 shows range measurement errors of only± 50 ft ( 15 meters) for 1 sd. Figure 7 shows azimuth error of only 2 .14 minutes of arc for 1 sd.

t

Fig. 5: Showing trade-off between resolution and azimuth error THE CONTROLLER/DECEMBER1986

....

7

+ 3MIN

OF ARC

APPROX

SO NU:ER

30

NUMBER

OF REPLIES

REPLIES

50

40

130 REPLIES FROM 10 SAMPLES

20

TAKEN OVER 1 MONTH t LSB

=

30

118 REPLIES FROM RANDOM AIRCRAFT TAKEN OVER 2 MONTHS 1LSB= 1' 19•

= 100ns

APPROX.

5011

20

10

10

oL-_L__L__-+-_....L___-L -3

-2

-1

O

_..1:==

_ +1

+ 2

normalised

+3 range

+4

LSB's

Fig. 7: Decoder reply azimuth spread - live aircraft (The dotted lines contain 91 % of results so sd is 2.14 mins of arc.)

Fig. 6: Decoder reply range jitter - live aircraft ( 1 sd is just about 1LSB or 50 ft.)

Captain Filippo Sansalone was the third speaker representing:

Ansafone Ellettronica Ansafone Elletronica is a company of the Telefin group, based in Rome.

Italy. operating in the electronic. telecommunications and precision mechanics field.

The company is concerned with the application of the technologies and systems internally developed and with design. industrialization and production on its own account and on behalf of third parties. Recently an Airport Department has been established able to provide a diversified spectrum of realizable services and equipment.

The Airport department Is organized in three divisions: Civil Airport Consulting.

Airport Equipment. and - Installation.

It is to be noted that Ansafone is operating in close cooperation with AEG-Telefunken with regard to airport equipment. research and development of new systems.

You may all be aware of the many collisions or near-collisions that frequently occur on airports and the dangerous operating conditions during low visibility.

These events emphasized the need to bring together ATC systems along with an equally efficient ground control system. in order to provide safety. fluency and order on a 24 hours basis.

The ASM E/ 4 system philosophy and specifications have been de8

signed in complete accordance with ICAO Standards and Recommendations (Annex 14. Aerodrome Design Manual. Part IV Visual Aids).

The system has been designed not to replace ground controllers. but to provide them with all the necessary information to perform their duty in any weather conditions. and to provide pilots with clear visual references in the taxiing phase.

ASM E/ 4 consists of the following parts: Sensors They are the system's main information source. Their role is to communicate to the central unit all data concerning aircraft and vehicle movements on the interested airport surface.

Auxiliary Microcomputers They are connected to the central computer and each one of them is one unit module. collecting data fed by several sensor interface units.

Activating Relays They are controlled by the auxiliary microcomputers I/ 0 cards.

Vehicle Transmitters In order to allow vehicles¡ identification by the control system. each authorized vehicle should be equipped with a special transmitter. made of simple low cost electronic circuits.

Central Computer Its role is to supervise ground traffic. calculate optional taxi-paths and settle possible traffic conflict situations. it controls Stop/Go bars and the lighting system for pilots guidance through a network of auxiliary microcomputers and activating relays. The central computer maintains communications with the ground controller by means of a standard video terminal (operator console) and function keyboard which allows command and information exchange.

Videographic Display The ground traffic situation is shown on a color display - the ground controller is provided with realtime updating of all surface movements.

Stop/ Go Guidance Systems The activating relays directly control the lighting of taxiway centerlines. the group of amber coloured lights of the parking area. Stop/ Go bars and the emergency blinkers.

ASM E/ 4 functions:

Performs

four

basic

1.

2.

3.

4.

Surveillance Control Guidance Rescue This is a brief description of the system and ASME/4 System will be installed at the new Malpensa airport in Milan and preliminary contacts have been made by AEG-Telefunken to consider the possibility to install the system on the new Munich airport in Germany.

THE CONTROLLER/DECEMBER

1986

Our Contribution to Air Traffic Safety

RESCO Remote Surveillance and Control System for Radio Navigation Aids

vocos

- Data transmission over the switched telephone network with autodialing or via leased two-wire circuits

-

- Reliable data transmission thanks to the HDLC protocol - Various interfaces to the navaids: parallel on/off signals , CCITT V.24 (RS 232) or IEEE-488 - Intelligent remote stations facilitate data collection and preprocessing, transmission of analog data for remote measuring , etc.

- Storage and printing of remote control commands and status reports, calculation of availability statistics - Processing of the status messages from the navaids and transfer to the air traffic controllers - The user can adapt the system to new navaid installations very easily by simple modification of software tables - Flexible and expansible

52

Voice Communication Switching Systems Ideally suited for medium-size installations Built from reliable, proven off the shelf modules Adaptable to a great variety of individual needs Completely doubled equipme nt from the controller positions to the radio station interfaces. Each controller can select any of the two half-systems as his operation system at will. Hence optimum redundancy and reliability ¡- Channel cross-connection for automatic retransmission - If several stations receive the same radio frequencies , the best signal selection feature automatically routes the signals with the highest signal-to-noise ratio to the controller positions - Integrated intercom system with conference call capability and automatic call re-routing - Automatic monitoring of the system functions with print-out of diagnosis messages - Very low power consumption

Schmid Telecommunication Rieterstrasse6 CH-8002 Zurich

Zurich

Telephone01/201 23 53 Telex815875sz eh

The last but certainly not the least valuable presentation was made by Gian Guolf Bardo/a, Sales Director of Schmid Telecommunication (Zurich). Gian gave his presentation on the subject:

Innovations in Swiss ATC Systems

Radio navigation aids are installed at sites dictated on the one hand by the geographical position of the airways and runways and on the ¡other hand by the propagation laws of the radio waves. These sites are often far away from the airports and not easily accessible, especially during the unfavorable seasons. There are often no special remote control lines and the only telecommunication link is via the switched telephone network.

Thanks to Schmid Telecommunication's RESCO. the navigation aids can be remotely monitored and controlled from the technical maintenance center. The system is rapidly amortized because it frees the technicians from travelling to the remote sites for routine checks.

The system consists of a central equipment located at the technical maintenance center of the airport and a large number of individual repeater stations installed in the navaid shelters. Data communication between the central and the repeater stations is possible via leased telephone circuits or the switched telephone network.

Remote control commands to the navaids are entered by means of the alphanumeric keyboard of a terminal connected to the central station.

Status reports are also remoted to the supervisor positions of the air traffic controllers.

In the central station all the reports coming from the repeater stations are stored on a floppy disk and logged on an external printer. The data are used to ca!culate monthly statistic reports on failure rates. times when the navaids were out of order. etc. . The repeater stations are equipped with powerful microprocessors which store all events together with automatically attributed time labels. These repeater stations then dial the telephone number of the central station in case the repeater is connected via the switched telephone network- and transmit the new status report together with the time label.

The user can adapt the remote control commands and the status message processing to new navigation aid in~tallations very easily by simple mod1f1cat1onof texts displayed on the terminal display.

10

Thanks to the intelligent repeater stations and the detailed reporting from the navaids, the technical maintenance group has the possibility to perform remote diagnosis. This is especially important for remote sites or mountainous regions where it is difficult to reach the navaids for maintenance purposes. The remote control and monitoring system, therefore. allows to economize time and travelling expenses of the technicians and will be amortized within a short time.

Schmid Telecommunication's voice communication switching systems are especially suited for mediumsize air traffic control centers. Thanks to the modular structure. the electronic sub-units are reliable and proven off-the-shelf standard equipment. but the air traffic controllers¡ operating units are tailor-made to the individual needs of the various users.

Schmid Telecommunication's voice communication switching systems are fully doubled from the air traffic controllers¡ control units down through the central equipment and to the output interfaces to the radio stations. This way, the redundancy is maximum. i.e. each air traffic controller can decide by himself whether he wants to operate through System A or System B. This gives an optimum fail soft configuration which allows the air traffic controllers to overcome any minor failure in the system. In the very unlikely case of total system breakdown. each air traffic controller has one frequency wired directly from the radio station interface to his working position. by-passing the whole voice communication switching system.

This feature allows the controllers to use the normal long range radios even in case of a complete system breakdown and does not compel them to use the local emergency radio equipment.

The control units at the working

pos1t1ons are microprocessor controlled and offer the air traffic controllers a maximum of operational features and the easiest way of handling the system. The frequencies are selected by a simple key stroke and the switch-over between monitoring and working a frequency is just as easy.

Two selected frequencies may be coupled for retransmission if the software program allows to do so. i.e. if the two frequencies belong to a group of frequencies which may be coupled for operational reasons.

The voice communication switching system also features an automatic best signal selection based on a signal-to-noise measurement of the different receiver stations. This system automatically switches the best received signal to the working positions. The air traffic controllers may select as many frequencies as desired for monitoring. and the frequencies may be monitored by several controllers at a time without deterioration of the voice level.

The voice communication switching system also comprises an intercom system connecting the individual air traffic controller working positions.

The intercom system features conference call and re-routing capability.

The latter allows the controllers to carry out the functions of several working positions; the intercom calls are then automatically routed to the air traffic controller in charge of the function of the called intercom party.

The Technical Panel at IFATCA '86 was another success in the Federations ongoing quest to bring together, in particular at the Annual Conference. the manufacturer of equipment used in air traffic control and the user of that equipment. the controller. It is an accepted fact that exchanges between the manufacturer and the user can contribute to improved acceptability and understanding of limitations as well as to help prevent unjustified or wrong expectations. The dialogue which continues from conference to conference. and in between among national Member Associations and the industry is a valuable component of the ongoing effort to provide the most adequate and trouble-free equipment to the user and thus benefit all of the airspace industry. its passengers and customers.

It Pays You to Advertise in "The Controller' THE CONTROLLER/DECEMBER

1986

mere ink on paper, so after the meeting the real work for IFATCA had only just begun. With ILO's encouragement. IFATCA disseminated the conclusions among all air traffic controller's associations. whether or not they belonged to it. It has regularly provided the ILO with up-to-date information on the progress made in applying the meeting's conclusions in the various countries, and incorporated some of them into its policy guidelines. Some of its member associations have requested the I LO to undertake on the spot investigations in a view to giving effect to the ILO meeting's conclusions according to national requirements, and such an investigation was carried out in Peru in The need for a more concrete I FATCA has received a number of 1981. congratulatory messages on the cel- approach to the problems of air traffic However, the above events are ebration of its 25th Anniversary. The controllers was put forward by IFATCA only the highlights of a close relationwriter of the ILO message. Mr. Avi Gil. at the ILO Preparatory Meeting for ship which IFATCA and the ILO have is well known to many air traffic con- Civil Aviation in 19 7 4. As a result of developed over the years. This trollers and their authorities for many I FATCA's efforts, one of the Meetings' relationship includes regular consulyears as a knowledgeable specialist on recommendations called on the I LO to tations with the ILO on all the social air traffic control matters. Avi has hold a meeting of experts to discuss and labour aspects of the working attended a great number of IFATCA problems concerning air traffic con- conditions of controllerswhich may be conferences as well as those of our trollers. IFATCA was also present at affected by technical and legislative Member Associations. He was deeply the ILO's full Tripartite Technical developments. On its part. the I LO has participated regularly in all IFATCA's involved in the preparation. carry-out. Meeting for Civil Aviation in 1977, annual conferences that dealt with and follow-up of the 1979 Meeting of where it was instrumental in the matters of ILO concern, and has conExperts on Problems concerning Air adoption of a resolution reiterating the call for such a meeting of experts. tributed to the debates. On the one Traffic Controllers. (H.H.H.) IFATCA's efforts were not in vain, hand, IFATCA's input has helped the for the Governing Body of the ILO ILO to direct the focus of its activities Twenty-five Years of ILO approved the holding of a bipartite in air traffic control at the major social Collaboration with IFATCA Meeting of Experts on Problems Con- and labour problems affecting air traffic controllers. On the other hand, the In September-October 1960. the cerning Air Traffic Controllers in 19 79. very year in which IFATCA was This discussion resulted in a period of ILO provides the only international created. the International Labour intensive collaboration between the forum where air traffic controllers. two organisations, as IFATCA through their representative organisOrganisation held its second tripartite embarked on an extensive programme ations, may discuss such problems Ad Hoe Meeting on Civil Aviation.

A request by that Meeting for an of collecting the comprehensive with their employers on an equal footI LO study on conditions of employ- information needed by the ILO for ing.

The ILO believes that this relationment and service of air navigation ser- drafting the working document servvices personnel led first to the publi- ing as a basis for the experts' dis- ship has been of benefit to both cation of an article entitled ¡con- cussions. With the assistance of organisations and is confident that its IFATCA, the ILO specialist was collaboration with IFATCAwill develop ditions of employment in air traffic service' in the September 1963 issue granted access to many ATC facilities yet further in the future. of the International Labour Review. It and was able to gather first hand was written by Professor J. Schenk- information and insights on the nature Avishai Gil mann, an air traffic control expert, on of the controller's job and his working Transport Specialist Basic Industries and Transport Branch the basis of contributions from several conditions.

The ILO's bipartite meeting of International Labour Office professional bodies, among which was IFATCA. Subsequent contri- experts was held in May 19 79. Geneva butions from IFATCA were used to I FATCA played a decisive role in guidpresent the problems of controllers to ing the air traffic controller experts and the 1966 Session of the ILO Inland consolidating their positions. The Transport Committee and ILO's col- meeting's 52 conclusions on all toplaboration with IFATCA received a ics pertaining to the controller's confurther impetus in the preparation of a ditions of employment and service study on Conditions of Employment constitute the first specific ILO document on matters concerning air traffic and Service of Air Traffic Controllers, produced by the ILO with the assist- controllers which has been used by air traffic controllers all over the world in ance of ICAO and published in 1972. negotiating their terms of employHere again, I FATCA made a significant contribution to the study by providing ment.

But unless applied and impleinformation on working conditions of mented. all¡ principles would remain controllers in several countries.

Message from the International Labour Organisation

THE CONTROLLER/DECEMBER 1986

11

Message from I ALPA on the Occasion of IFATCA's Silver Anniversary IFATCA and IFALPA are simil ar organisations. in that they are both dedicated to ensuring the safet y of all who t ravel by air by means of cont ributing their professiona lism at their place of w ork. and by co -oper at ing as voluntary organisa tions in the w ork and studies of other internat ion al bod ies.

When IFATCA was formed 25 years ago. I FA LPA freely provided it w it h examples of its own str ucture. organisation. and methods. and although much has changed since t hose formative years. the present simil arities between the two organisatio ns greatl y exceed the differe nce s The pilots of th e world. on a dai ly

basi s. have vo ice contact w ith the air traffic controllers. and the public expect that their own safety is ensured by th e co-operation that exists bet w een pilot and controller.

Neither organisation is complacent about their present and future problems. but by co-operating together in their professional activities they will be able to make sig nificant progre ss toward objectives that are not defined by selfish am bitions. but by a shared w ish to ens ure air safet y .

IFALPA congrat ulates IFATCA on its ac hievements over the past 2 5 yea rs and con fidentl y expects to pass a simil ar message on your 50th Anniversary.

Fly-A-Controller H Ham He nschler

The Air craft Owner s and Pilots A ssoc iat ion (AOPA) in the United Sta tes has introduced a program encou rag ing its member ship to offer air traff ic co n troller s familiarization fligh ts on general aviation aircraft . as previ ou sly reported.

Such p rogr ams have the definite pote n tial of co ntribu ting to much g reate r understanding between the airspace users and con troller s. AOPA is to be co ng ra tulated on its initi a tive and one w oul d hop e its progr am will be emu late d by ot her g ener al avia tion p ilots and their organ ization s.

Below are excerp ts from AOPA ·s information package to its mem ber sh ip on the 'Fly-a-Contro ller · proj ec t.

How often have you thou gh t that air traffic cont ro l was ru nni ng yo u all over the sky7 Have you ever wish ed that the contro ller could see what fly12

ing w as like fr om the front seat of an airplane?

AOPA' s Fly-A-Contro ller program let s you do ju st th at: show a contro ller. first hand. w hat ope rating in an air tr affi c co ntrol environment is all about . fr om the general aviat ion pilot' s perspect ive The program pro-

vides you w ith an opportunity to introduce and orient the non-pilot controller . via a familiarization flight. to the world he speaks and listens to. but never sees.

By taking an air traffic controller on a gener al aviation flight. you w ill be making a large contribution to enhanced under standing and communication between pilots and controllers. The mutu al exchange of information which will naturally occur will serve to enhance and impro ve services given and utilized within the air traffic control environment .

There 's no better way to impro ved communication and understanding than seeing what it's like yourself Let an air tr affic controller experience a flight from the front seat - you'll be doing yourself a favor . as well as the control Ier. How Do Pilots Participate?

1. Contact yo ur neare st ATC facility and tell them you wish to · FlyA-Controller'. You can contact a control tower. approach or terminal unit . or area control center.

2. Arrange to meet the controller at a mutuall y convenient location at the airport of departure.

3. Brief th e controller about the flight prior to ac tu ally departing. You may want to discu ss. for example. w hat m aneuve rs w ill be co nduct ed on the flight . the duration of the flight. and particul ar characteristics about the airplane to be flown. The controller might be espec ially interested in the airpl ane·s rate of climb speed. approach speed. and cruise speed. Information about the airplane ·s equipment and systems such as gear and fl aps sho uld be discussed so th at th e cont roll er und erstand s the pilot' s neces sary division of attention and work load.

4. Conduct a loca l flight in th e airspace th at 1s most close ly associated w ith the controller' s area of expe rti se. For examp le. if the co ntroll er works prim arily as a to wer controller you should stay c lose to a co ntroll ed airport. but contac t s w ith app roach control or FSS w ill be helpful. also.

5. After the flight has been co mpleted. debrief w ith the con troll er by mutu ally sharing yo ur obse rvations. que stion s. concerns. and suggest ions.

6 The controll er w ill be asked to submit to the FAA a synop sis of the f light and list any sugge stio ns or co ncerns brought to light during the debriefin g. This inf ormat ion w ill on ly be utili zed in the effort t o m ake air tr affic control serv ice better.

THE CONTROL LER/ DECEM BER 198 6

WE'REN°1 IN OURFIELD.

OURSYSTEMS CANPUTYOU '.

AHEADIN YOURFIELD. We've been getting new air traffic control systems off the ground for over thirty years.

And for the last twenty we've been among the leading suppliers of ATC systems in the world market and No. l manufacturer of ILS (600 sold to date).

Our systems really can put you ahe::i,d, too.AtLugano airport in Swit'~ --·a · -.-:-..::. ::-- fir . zerland , for ~.~~ -:~. :;-~ i t~~ ~ ·"\"' ~= : example, since Thomson-CSF ~; ./ ·. / . ..... installed an IL S 381 · Luga no Airport . advanced ILS, landings are possible the whole year round.

Resulting in a considerable increase in the number of passengers using the airport - and in a considerably happier airport manager .

At Thomson -CSF our commitm ent to and investment in research and development is designed to keep us in

the lead into the twenty-first century.

Already; building on our experience with ILS and confirming our leadership position in the market, we've developed our own MLS - new range of all-weather microwave landing systems designe d for both small airfields and large , busy airports. In rigOrOUS tests in MLS 840 - AZ Ant enn a the field, these systems far exceeded ICAO recommendations.

Thomson-CSF. Leading-edge technology for your airport into the nineties and beyond.

DIVISION SYSTEMES DEFENSE ET CONTROLE 40, ru e Gra nde-Dame-Rose - BP 34 92360 MEUDON-LA-FORET - FRANCE Tel.: (1) 46.30.23.80 -Telex : 270 375 F

~ THOMSON·CSF HE BRAINPOWER~ THE WILLPOWER.. THEW NPOWER..

Do 1. Give the controller a thorough briefing as to the content and the conduct of the flight .

2 . Answer all of the controller's questions to the best of your abil ity.

3 . Allow the controller to work the radios and take down c learance s dur ing the flight.

4. Emphasize to the contro ller yo ur willingness to learn from him or her.

5. Put the contro ller at ease during the entire flight.

Don't 1. Cont in ue the flight if the co ntro ller becomes ill or uncomfort able .

2. Conduct a VFR flight dur ing · marginal' V FR conditions.

3 . Use the flight as a means of ventilating all of yo ur comp laint s about the air traffic contro l system an d / or the FAA.

Flight Profile • Pilot contac ts facil ity directly.

• Controller meets the pi lot at the airplane or other agreed-upon location.

• Pilots briefs the contro ller: w hat is to be conducted on the flight.

• A 'local' IFR or V FR flight is conducted

MBB-UTand China Plan a New Generation in the Aircraft Industry The Me sserschmitt-Bolkow -Blohm GmbH Transpor t. Aircraft Group (MBB-UT) . w ith headquarter s in Hamburg has decided to enter into cooperation with the People's Republic of China to design together a regional aircraft in the 60- to-8 0- seat category.

The name of the project is MPC 75 .

The People 's Republic of China and MBB are agreed in their market prognosis that there is a world-wide potential fo r an aircraft for service in region al shuttle traffic.

In this context. both partners are at present wo rkin g on a feasibility study w hic h . on successful completion . should lead to mutu al cooperation . in addition to the already existing German-Chine se work ing groups. a joint office was opened for this purpo se in Jun e 1986 in Hamburg . with the ta sk of coord inating these activitie s in connec tion w ith customers and suppliers. An ag reement to this effect was sign ed at the ILA on June 6 . 1986 .

MBB and CATIC. People' s Repub lic of China (import and export sec tion of the Ministr y of Aviation) gave t he go-ahead on October 3. 1985 . in a Memorandum of Under standing for the first phase of cooperation in preparation for the fo unding of a joint compan y. By 1987 . the objecti ves and sco pe of work will be defin ed . a common field of operations will be created . the market opportunities for a joint strategy will be estimated and details laid dow n for potential cooperation in Germany and China. Thi s joint project w ith China represents for M 88 a new phase of inno vat ion s in the German aircraft industry . The extensive A sia n market and the link with the German supplier of the latest technology indic ate promising pro spec ts for the future. As program leader in this cooperation project M BB will not only be pointing the way ahead. but will also exte nd its position in Europe as a partn er in intern ational programs .

Emphasize: 1. Environment of ATC that is the co ntroller· s area of expertise 2. Limitations and performance of the airplane such as c limb . app roach. and cruise speeds.

3. Systems of t he airplane as they affect work lo ad.

Tow ard Ever-Better Communication . It is to everyone's advantage - the pilot. the cont roller. the enti re aviatio n com munity - if und erstand ing and comm uni catio n between all concerned are enhanced. A ll those who ope rate within the air traffic control env ironment stan d to gain from the Fly-A-Co ntro ller program . Suggestions. concerns and ques t ions shou ld be openly discussed.

Pdots sho uld also make the effort to v,s,t the cont roll er's fac ility. to see what ATC is like from his or her end. It may g ive you a diffe rent perspective the next t ime you feel t hat you are getting pushed around the sky Together . we can make a differ ence in improving the environment In wh ic h we fly . So don ' t waitl Have fun . and safe flying!

14

Inside the MPC 75-MBB

The MPC 75

THE CONTROLLER / DECEMBER 1986

IFATCA Corporate Members Ron Mahendran Ron Mahendran was born and had his early education in Ceylon . On graduation from the Royal Military Academy . Sandhurst. United Kingdom . he wa s commi ssioned into the army in 1955 . After a short period in the army . he joi ned the Royal Air Force and w as commissioned in air traffic control specialization . During his service with the Royal Air Force he was responsible for a busy airfield . and

Coordinator

served in area radar units and control centers. In addition. he served on the staff of National Air Traffic Control at both nation al and regional level in the UK. Since he joined Ferranti Computer Systems some four years ago he has been respon sible for sales and marketing of air traffic control and air defen se system s worldwide . Ron w as elected by the Federation ' s Corporate Member s as their representati ve at IFATCA' 86.

New Members on the Executive Council Philippe Domagala Started his aviation care er as a pilot in 1967 . joined the Frenc h Air Force in 1969 . became an air traffic controller in 1971 in France . th en join ed Eurocontrol in Luxemburg in 1973. Since 1974 acti ve as an area radar controller in th e Euroco nt rol Maa stricht UAC .

In 1979 he was elected to represent the French controller s w orking out side metropolit an France in the APCA Council. He w as vice-president of the Eurocontrol Guilde from 1978

till 1986 and represented EGATS to IFATCA Confe renc es since 19 7 6.

Philippe was elected to the posit ion of Regional Vice- President .

Europe West. at IFATCA'86.

R.M. 'Mario' Salazar M ario started his air t raffi c control ca reer in 19 5 1. He w orked as a tower controlle r until 19 5 7 . th en as an appro ach / area controller in Caracas ACC and as w atch supervisor. He served on th e Infraction s Council of the Civil Aeronautic al Admini stration.

Mario was a found er memb er of th e Venezuela Air Traffic Controller s Assoc iation and lat er a Director / Deputy of th e org anization . He att ended his first I FATCA Conference in 1964 in Brussels and all Conferences since 19 78 exce pt Cairo and

Split . The South-Am erica Region nominated him and he was elect ed Region al Vice- President SAM in 1980. Five very acti ve years fo llowed during w hich he contri buted great ly t o the reactivation of th e Brazil Assoc iation and wa s instru me ntal in t he organizin g of th e Ec uador Association .

At IFATCA'86 he was nominated by th e Brazil Assoc iati on. of w hic h he is a me mb er. and elected agai n to the positi on of Reg iona l Vice- President.

South Am erica .

A.Y. El Karimi Mr. El Karimi first beca me invo lved in civil aviati on as a w ireless maintenance offi ce r and c hief of maintenance section in Cairo between 196 1 and 19 6 9.

In 1969 he bega n his air traffic con tr ol caree r and was lice nsed and wor ked as Towe r. ACC procedu ral cont ro ller and supervisor. and as ACC radar con t roller and supervisor. Mr. El Karim i is deep ly invo lved in c ivil aviation sec urity programs at Cairo airport.

He Joined the Executive Board of

THE CONTROLLER/ DECEM BER 1986

t he Egyptian M em ber Association in 19 7 8 and has attended seven I FATCA Conferences since then .

In add ition to his involvement in civil aviat ion security programs Mr . El Karimi has taken a number of civ il aviation cou rses outside as well as within Egypt and und ertaken various liaison visits to many parts of the world. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in M anagement and Organi zation.

Mr . El Karimi was elected Regional Vice-Pres ident . Africa North . at IFATCA "86 .

15

Twenty kilometers altitude, 400 kilometers radius .

That' s the unprecedented operational reach of the new long -range radar we've installed in the centre of the Netherlands.

Developed by SIGNAAL,Philips' specialist radar company, the system utilizes pulse compression techniques to supply Eurocontrol, Schiphol (Amsterdam) and Military ATCcentres with very high-definition data on all flights within the Dutch FIR and beyond .

Although the system is new, its operational capability has already been well proven in ATC networks in: Paraguay, Portugal, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. We have also equipped many ATC centres with advanced radar data processing, flight data processing and displays.

You will also find Philips extending aviation safety and efficiency in many othe r ways.

Our computerized AEROPP switching systems for AFIN and CIDIN handle vital data/message information such as: flight plans, NOTAMs, OPMET data, departure / arrival messages and ATC da ta swiftly and securely from source to pertinent users , na tionally and internationall y, on dedicated networks.

And our voice logging systems, access control and intruder detection systems , closed circuit surveillance television, porta ble radio networks and voice, image, text and data co mmuni cations equipment enhance security an d efficien cy at airports the world over.

Philip s. The sure sign of expertise worldwide ..

PHILIPS Phil ips Cor porate Marketing Commun ications. Eindhovcn, the N<:thcrbnds .

Flight Data Exchange in Sensitive Areas of the World H. H. Henschler , Past President

No one w ho watched and listened to news reports in the early days of Sept em ber 1983 w ill ever forget the politica l hysteria, the allegations , accusations and counter-accusations, silences, and myriads of theories which enveloped the tragedy of the destruction of KAL 007.

It will be recalled that the B74 7200B had entered prohibited airspace, clear ly marked as such on aeronautical charts, over the eastern Soviet Union and was shot dow n by Soviet fl ighter aircraft in the early hours of 1 September 1983, near Sakhalin.

It will also be recalled that this most recent downing of a civi lian aircraft was by no means the only one . In February 1973 Israe li fighte r aircraft destroyed a Libyan airl iner over the Sinai and in Apri l 19 78 a Korean Air Lines B707 aircraft was fired upon and crash- landed in the northern Soviet Union. Other inst ances could be listed, but I think the pat tern has been estab lished. . M any, if not most, nations have set aside airspace for military and defense pu rposes, in_most cases such airspace 1 s c learly identi fied. For whateve r reasons, unauthorized aircraft, in some cases civilian, stray int o suc h airspace and are subject t o milit ary reaction - interception and if that fails. attack . ' 1

FATCA felt, and feels, very st ro ngly at t he lives of civ ilian passengers mu st not be jeopa rdized thr ough unau th0 rized operatio n in prohibited airspace and that aven ues and means must be estab lished to prevent fu tu re tragedies th

In Press Releases of 3 and 9 Septe mber 1983 IFATCA expressed its st rong concerns that safety procedures on the Pac ific Ocean had apparent ly broken down, and ca lled for an improved and rapid exchange of c ruc ia l information during possible situations of c risis and unp lanned occ urr ences, as well as greater coop era ti on between nation al search and resc ue orga nizat ion s 18

The se concerns were reiterated in a lette r on 16 September 1983 to Dr. Asad Kotaite, President of the Council of ICAO , from the then President of IFATCA, together w ith an offer of any possible cooperation to achieve the aim of preventing future tragedies. As w ell, cop ies of IFATCA's statement s and an offer of coope ration we re forwar ded to the Director General of the Int ernat ion al Air Transport Association, and the International Federatio n of Air Line Pilots was kept informed .

At IFATCA's 1984 Annual Conference the Federat ion 's Executive Board introduced a Late Paper, having delayed its introduction to the la_test possible time in the hope of posItIve development s, propo sing the sett ingup of an Ad -Hoe Committee of IFATCA Member Association s on the ' Establishment of a System of Flight Dat a Excha nge in Sensitive Area s of the World ' under the chairmanship of the Exec uti ve Board The reaso ning given in th e Wo rking Paper was th at , at the ti me, ' no int ernat iona l, positive , drive towards prevent ing rec urrence of suc h tr agedies, other th an the possible re-app raisal of existing int ercepto r proce dur es¡ appea red to exist . It further stated th at, 'va riou s Member Associat ions of IFATCA are located in "se nsit ive" areas of the wo rld and IFATCA has. on behalf of c ivil aviation and the safety of passenger s, a

responsibility to contribute in the attempt to prevent recurrence of any civilian tragedies' and that ' it is important that IFATCA '84 go on record in favor of establishing an international system of exchange of aircraft movement information ' .

The Conference voted in favor of the forming of the Ad-Hoe Committee as proposed by the Executive Board , and provided the necessary funds. The Executive Board subsequently charged the author of the Working Paper and President with the establishing, guiding and allotting of responsibilities of the Ad-Hoe Committee. In June 1984, after having received replies from Member Associations to the invitation to serve on the Committee, the following were selected: Canada for the North Atlantic and North Polar Areas , Costa Rica for Central and South America, Cyprus for Middle East and North Africa , Federal Republic of Germany for Central and Southern Europe. Finland and Japan were invited to participate for the Northern European and Asian Areas respecti vely. The Member Associations were requested to identify 'Sensitive Areas', i.e . those areas where hostile military action is either known or advised to be a matter of course or can be expected. They were further requested to identify 'Air Traffic Control Unit s, civil or military, into whose airspace aircraft could be expected to stray, together w ith their frequencies, VHF, HF, and UHF , and w hether they monito r 121 .5 and/or 243.0' .

Based on these details the Ad-Hoe Committee would 'consider the most efficient means of data exchange, e.g.

AFTN, direct telephone links, or the establishment of cent ral information units sponsored, for instance, by ICAO ; as we ll as identification procedure s for unknown aircraft by use, for instance , of SSR, etc.,. The I FATCA Corporate Member Jeppesen provided full sets of world air navigational charts for the use of the AdHoe Committee.

In August 19 84 some positive developments became apparent wit hin ICAO. Its Air Navigation Commi ssion (ANC) set up a plan for discu ssion at its session due to start in late September 1984 w hich wou ld includ e: ' Ident ification of airline route s bordering sensitive t erritories .. New procedur es governing milit ary interception of c ivil aircraft Insta llat ion of V HF radio capabi lity on milit ary int erceptor s ' ICAO regional offices wo uld ident ify ai r route s w here ther e is a possibility of interception , suc h as the THE CONTROLLER/ DECEM BER 1986

northern Pacific routes, Polar routes , several in Africa, the Middle East and the South China area. An ANC spokesman said 'The key is improving the coordination within and between states. first on a controller-to-controller basis and also during interception .. .'

At the end of October 1984 the President wrote to ICAO: As you will be aware the 1984 I FATCA Annual Conference established an Ad-Hoe Committee of the Federation on the Establishment of Flight Data Exchange in Sensitive Areas of the World.

It appears now that its conclusions and those of the ICAO Air Navigation Commission on the subject are very similar, in particular the need to identify 'sensitive areas· .

The Federation feels, however, that other factors should be taken into consideration: a) The availability to Air Defense Units of flight data on possible inadvertently intruding aircraft on 8 24hour-a-day basis.

Such data could be made available by: i) Timely provision of flight data information in flight plan format; ii) Immediate availability of infor mation on respective aircraft movements from the responsible air traffic control unit; iii) Immediate availability of information on respective aircraft movements through the offices of a third, 'neutral', party , preferrably ICAO. IFATCA favors the approa c h as outlined in (iii). b) The requirement that all agencies involved in air traffic surveillance immediately advise the respective civil air traffi c control unit of any ob served deviation from standard routes within such sensitive areas. c) The requirement that civil air traffic control units and Air Defen se Unit s be equipped w ith tr ansmitters / recei vers on VHF 121. 5 MHz , remoted as neces sary. to cov er airspac e und er their respective respon sibilitie s.

We feel that th e above point s should be incorporated in any plan aimed at preventing futur e tr agedie s and would positively contribut e to wa rds ac hieving thi s obje cti ve, an obje cti ve in w hic h the Federation . of c ou rse, is mo st int erest ed May I assure you t hat IFATCA 1s always availabl e should elab oration on the above or furth er infor mat io n be requ ired .

At the same time the memb ers of th e Ad- Hoe Commi tte e were advised THE CO NTROLLER / DECEMBER 1986

Colleagues : The ICAO Air Navigation Commission , in a parallel effort to ours, has addressed · new procedures for coordination and communications · between air traffic control services and aircraft in sensitive areas .

They are in the process of identifying air routes bordering sensitive territories and individual coordination and communications programs tailored to meet specific needs of each of ICAO's seven regions .

Since these ICAO efforts are identical to the task of the Ad-Hoe Committee the Executive Board feels that, at this time , the only additional points required to be made are those contained in the attached copy of our letter to the Secretary General of ICAO .

The Executive Board, on your behalf also , will thus recommend to the Directors at IFATCA ' 85 that the Ad-Hoe Committee be put in abeyance, and re-activated by the Executive Board should future developments so require .

On behalf of the Executi ve Board it is my pleasure to expres s to your Association our appreciation for being willing and available to contribute to this effort to eliminate one of the unnecessary dangers to international civil aviation.

And a Working Paper produced by the Executive Board to IFATCA ' 85 concluded and recommended as follows: 'The Executi ve Board con sider s, based on the activities of ICAO , th at there is no need at this t ime for a parallel activity by the IFATCA Ad-Ho e Committee·, and 'that the Ad -Hoe Committee on Establi shm ent of a Flight Data Exch ange in Sensit ive Area s of the World be put in abey anc e, to be reactivated by the Exec uti ve Board as required '.

During the middle of Augu st 1986 a telephone and telet ype communi cations system wa s acti vated , linkin g Japane se. Soviet and US area co nt ro l centre s in Tokyo , Khabarovs k and Anchor age , w ith Tokyo in ch arge of daily system c hec ks and settin g up conference calls.

A fir st step has succ essfull y been t aken . One ca n onl y hop e t hat government s and authoriti es in oth er sensiti ve areas are w illing t o learn and follow th is example. While milit ary force s w ill no doubt co nt inu e to probe each other s' syst ems. test for reaction time and att em pt t o learn more about t he ot hers· defenses. radars and communi cation s, th e nort hern Pac ific ro utes enj oy an internationa l ' luxury · to w hic h all air passe ngers shou ld be ent it led . the know ledge th at interna tiona l coope ration has defused a situa tion w hic h has proved fat al in the past

It is with deep sorrow that we report the death of our former President

Maurice Cerf France , on 9 November 1986.

Aged 62, Maurice served on the Federation 's first Executive Board as 1st Vice-President from 1961-67 and as President 1968-70, Born in Brittan y, Maur ice worked many years as TWR / APP controller at Pari s Le Bourget airport and spen t the years after retirement at Viens in the south of France.

ILA '86 - A Success The Hanover Air Show. ILA '86 , took place from 6 to 15 June. It attracted. despite a rainy beginning, 160 OOO visitors. Among t hem were 45 OOO aviation industry representatives from all its facets. of more than seventy countries, seeking information and advice from 428 exhibitors who came to Hanover from seventeen nations.

At t he outside display the aircraft ranged from the ultra-lights thr_ough business and commuter types. military trainer and fighters, to the Airbus widebodies.

The show was opened by the Chancellor. Dr. H. Kohl, indicating the importance the government attributes to the aviation and space industries. !LA ' 86 offered ten symposiums and seminars bringing together 1500 participants from seventeen countries.

Emphasis at ILA was on a number of themes: aircraft maintenance. and international forum on new developments in helicopters. business aviation and general aviation.

Air traffic contro l handled an additional 1800 flights during the displays and sales efforts Also. up to 150 daily arrivals of privately registered aircraft carrying ILA visitors were recorded.

The next ILA- lnternat1onale LuftfahrtAusstellung - will take place 5 to 12 May 1988 . again at the ILA grounds 1n Hanover 19

• • •

The Safety Medicine Branch; The Safety Programs Branch; The Administration Branch.

The Board conducts its affairs through its head office in the National Capital Region (Ottawa). its Engineering Branch and modern laboratory in Ottawa. and its six regional offices in Moncton.

Montreal.

Toronto.

Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver.

The Canadian Aviation Safety Board From the Annual Report 1985 of the Canadian Aviation Safety Board

The Canadian Aviation Safety Board is an independent government agency whose sole objective is to advance aviation safety. The Board was established in late 1984, and many of its activities in 1985 revolved around the implementation of a new organization. During the same period the Board was also occupied with carrying out its primary operational responsibilities of investigating aviation occurrences. identifying safety deficiencies. and formulating safety recommendations.

History of the Board Over the years there have been several attempts to create an independent aviation safety board. They have included private members'bills and a government bill to create an independent multi-modal safety board.

In August 1979, an Order-inCouncil appointed Mr. Justice Charles Dubin as commissioner to conduct an inqui~ into aviation safety in Canada.

A primary recommendation of that commission was the establishment of an aviation safety board. to be independent of all other government departments and agencies. As a result. the Canadian Aviation Safety Board (CASS) was created on 18 April 1984. It was established officially on 1 _May 1984, and became fully operational on 1 October of that year.

Independence of the Board Several changes were brought a~out as a result of the Canadian Aviat1~n Safety Board Act and the Regulations that govern the operation of the Board_.One of these changes was the creation of a truly independent safety board with its own corporate status. Alt_ho~ghit is independent. the Board ma1~tams working relationships with certain departments. especially the Department of Transport.

Object of the Board _The object of the Canadian Aviation Safety Board is clearly defined in the Act. Its mandate is to advance av1at1on safety by: 20

• conducting independent investigations and. if necessary, public inquiries into aviation occurrences (i.e.. accidents. incidents or safety hazards) to make findings about their contributing factors and causes; • identifying safety deficiencies as evidenced by aviation occurrences; • reporting publicly on its investigations and inquiries and on the related findings and making recommendations designed to eliminate or reduce safety deficiencies.

However. it is not the object of the Board to determine or apportion any blame or liability in connection with aviation occurrences.

Organization of the Board The Board consists of the Chairman and eight members. The other key components include: • The Officer; • The • The • The

Chairman. as Chief Executive Executive Director; Investigation Branch; Safety Engineering Branch;

Civil Aviation in Canada To better understand the role and mandate of the Board. it is essential to realize the extent and significance of civil aviation in Canada. The following statistics help underline the importance of civil aviation in Canada: • more than 50 million enplaned and deplaned passengers annually; • about 1300 airports and several thousand unlicensed airstrips; • more than 1200 licensed Canadian air carriers. and over 900 carriers of foreign registration operating in and out of our airports. The Canadian carriers range in size from national airlines. such as Air Canada and Canadian Pacific. to the regional and smaller carriers that serve many of the remote areas of the country; • more than 85 OOO licensed personnel in civil aviation in Canada. including professional pilots. private pilots. student pilots, air navigators, air traffic controllers and aircraft maintenance engineers; • approximately 26 OOO registered civil aircraft; • more than 40 OOO people employed in Canada by Canadian airlines.

Worldwide accidents statistics, passenger operations Passenger Deaths 2000

Fatal Accidents

1800

66

A

60

1600

I I / I

I

54

\

•

fjldH', I '

48

I \

I

I

42

II

\I\" l \I

J \I I I "' \

I

1400 1200

\ I

'l

36

1000

30

800

24 18

600

12 -IOO

6

0

~ =

200

.,,

!!: ~ Scheduled Services

~ -----

.,, .,, ~

i

~

!

~

.,, ~

~

.,, ~

Scheduled plus Non-Scheduled Services

Source: lnlernational Ci\'il Aviation Organization

THE CONTROLLER/DECEMBER 1986

V

Safe,dependable ATC.

Yourbusiness and ours.

MESSENGER - an important development in monopulse SSR from Marconi Radar Systems .

MESSENGER - so accurate and dependabl e that it will fulfil the A TC function with out the need for asso ciated primary radar.

MESSENGER - a first and most econ omical step towards Mode S, yet fully compatible with existing SSR systems .

MESSENGER -its highly modula r design permits an evolutionary approa ch to SSR, starting with a traditional system and pro gres sing to monopulse and Mode S as A TC environm ents and budgets dicta te.

MESSENGER - one of a new range of award-winning, high technology Mar coni Radar products. The use of the most modem

arcon1•

Radar Systems

technology guarantees econom y, reliability and high data integrity. Features include : • Large Vertical Aperture (LVA) antenna designed using a new CAD method , which gives exceptional efficiency and high gain (29dB). Fully proven and adopted as standard by the UK Civil A vi.ation Authority .

• Dual phase monopulse system gives greatly improved azimuth accura cy.

• Advanced decoder and plot extractor designs provide a powerful degarblin g capability and high'fruit'rejection.

Whether you are planning new A TC systems or updating existing ones, find out more about MESSENGER. Please contact John Lancaster or Nick Hyam at A TC Systems Marketing, Marconi Radar Systems.

~

+ 1 9 B 6

Marconi Radar Systems Limited, W ritt le Road, Chelmsford, Essex CMl 3BN , England . Te l: 0245 2671 11 Telex: 99108 Facsimile: 0245 357 927

1i

I

Ii I

Statistical Overview Public interest in international aviation in 1985 was dominated by accidents involving large passenger aircraft. Almost 2000 passengers were killed in airline crashes in 1985. the worst single year in history. However. most of this year's increase is attributable to five or six major accidents. The total number of accidents in 1985 is no higher than the average of recent years. and it is lower than the level of the 1970s and earlier. This fact supports the argument that 1985 is simply a statistical anomaly. The charts below illustrate the exceptional nature of the 1985 statistics. Nevertheless. the magnitude of the problem this past year is clearly cause for concern.

In contrast to the international statistics. the Canadian aviation safety record improved in most respects in 1985 (see table below). The major exception. an increase in the number of fatalities. is the result of one accident involving a foreign-registered aircraft. the Arrow Air DC-8 at Gander.

(Although the Air India B-7 4 7 accident off the coast of Ireland involved many Canadian casualties. this was a foreign accident; it is not. therefore. included in Canadian statistics.) For Canadian-registered aircraft. the number of accidents. fatal accidents and fatalities all declined in 1985.

These declines occurred despite an increase in hours flown by Canadian aircraft.

average rate has fallen to 13. 7 accidents per 100 OOO hours - 35% below the 19 7 4 average.

24

22

20

18

16

Three Year Moving A,â&#x20AC;˘erage

14

12

Accident Rate (per 100.000 hours tlown)

Most aviation accidents in Canada. as in other countries. involve small aircraft in non-commercial operations.

In Canada in 1985 there was one fatal accident (Arrow Air) involving passenger aircraft over 5 700 kg (the International Civil Aviation Organization definition of a large passenger aircraft).

Private aircraft. which account for roughly one-third of the hours flown by Canadian aircraft. are involved in more than 60% of accidents. By comparison. scheduled operations. representing more than 10% of the hours flown. are involved in less than 1% of the accidents.

Canadian aviation accidents - 1985 versus 1984 (excluding ultralight aircraft) Accidents

Canadian-Registered Aircraft â&#x20AC;˘ In Canada â&#x20AC;˘ Out of Canada Total Foreign-Registered Aircraft Canada Total Accidents in Canada

in

1984

1985

Fatal Accidents 1984 1985

452 6

436 5

55 2

34 2

458

441

57

36

28

488

464

The improvement in the accident rate (the number of accidents per 100 OOO flying hours) continues a strong recent trend. Accident rates have been declining since the mid19 70s. but the rate of decline has quickened in the 1980s. To illustrate. the accident rate tor the three years ending in 19 7 4 was 21.1 accidents per 100 OOO hours. Five years later. for the three years ending 1979, the rate had dropped to 18 3-13%. For the three years ending In 1985. the )2

Fatalities 1984

1985

115

62

36

3 118

3 65

8

4

13

265

63

38

128

327

The contributing factors in aviation accidents are usually grouped into three categories. as follows: those associated with the human involvement in flying; those related to the machine (aircraft); and those related to the environment (primarily weather). The relative involvement of each of these factors in Canadian accidents is shown in the illustration. Almost all accidents (88%) have been assigned some human factor (51 % ); more than half involve environmental factors;

and relatively few accidents ( 23 % ) are machine-related. Generally. accidents are caused by a combination of factors as illustrated by the overlapped areas in the chart. For example a large proportion of Canadian aviation accidents involve a combination of human elements and environmental conditions.

Public Inquiries The Canadian Aviation Safety Board Act empowers the Board to conduct public inquiries into aviation occurrences. These inquiries are nonadversarial; they are fact finding and form part of the overall investigation process. Before the Board was established. only a few aviation-related public inquiries were held. always into high-profile occurrences. They were conducted as Commissions of Inquiry under the Inquiries Act. The Confidential Aviation Safety Reporting Program In April 1985 the Confidential Aviation Safety Reporting Program was introduced to the aviation community.

More than 86 OOO brochures were sent to holders of permits and licences issued under the Aeronautics Act. A further 6500 brochures describing this voluntary program were sent to the Canadian Air Line Flight Attendants Association for distribution to its members. Other copies were sent to Department of Transport facilities including airports. air traffic control units. flight service stations and regional offices.

The first responses were received in early May. and as of 31 December 1985. 216 voluntary reports on incidents or safety concerns had been received. The investigation and analysis of the de-identified reports have provided the initial information for the CASB database. and several reports have already prompted remedial safety actions.

The data in the accompanying tables categorize the 1985 reports by occupational group. type of activity or operation. and nature of report.

Reports received by occupational group Pilots Flight Attendants Aircraft Maintenance Engineers Air Traffic Controllers Flight Service Station Personnel Passengers in Aircraft Other Personnel

145 12 2 14 5 9 29

Total

216 THE CONTROLLER/ DECEMBER 1986

Members of the IFATCA Executive Council visit Israel

Andreas Avgoustis Editor, 7979-7986

U. Windt

On the invitation of the Air Traffic Controllers· Association of Israel the President and Chief Executive Officer.

Erik Sermijn. the Executive VicePresident Administration. Ulli Windt. and the Regional Vice-President for Central Europe, Basil Hakiamis, visited Israel on 24 / 25 June, 1986.

During their visit to Israel the Members of the IFATCA Executive Council had talks with the Director of the Air Traffic Services Division of the Israel Airports Authority and with the Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel.

All talks took place in a very pleasant atmosphere and aher e~plaining the objectives and Jhe organization of IFATCA. talks mainly focused on the professional aspects of the air traffic controller's profession. particularly on early retirement regulation. payment structure and proficiency checking systems.

After their talks the members of the IFATCA Executive Council visited the new Ben Gurion Tower, Approach. and Training Center. It is worthwhile to mention that the operational staff has been involved to a maximum in defining the specifications of their wor~ing environment and that the result 1s a very positive one. .

A further meeting was held with the Director Flight Operations Divi~ion and Director Systems Operations Control of EL AL Israel Airline Ltd to

discuss the specific problems of EL AL: • security at airports and in-flight; • flight planning and route structure due to the necessity to avoid certain countries and certain parts of the Mediterranean Sea; • no operations on Saturdays due to religious reasons. (A delay of two hours imposed by flow control measures on a Friday afternoon could mean to delay the flight until Sunday morning.)

While. as ohen stated in the past. the Federation cannot take on the responsibility of representing national air traffic controllers in the national context - that. aher all. is the role of the national association - there is again a repeat of a valuable lesson in the successful visit to Israel: Well organized and well timed visits by members of the Executive Board and Council, meetings with aviation authorities. airline representatives and pilots all contribute to increased understanding of the role. responsibilities and requirements of the air traffic controller and of the active involvement and contribution of the Federation in all aspects of civil aviation.

The exchange of information and experiences between all these groups will. no doubt. further increase the trust and cooperation between all members of the aviation community.

e,QlACc:_ ~ ~ Y\A~'r llt\E~

Do

I 1-\A.\l'E. iO "1ELL'(0./1: Do\Ji KlC\< 1\-\t 11~ES

Over the years of its existence 'The Controller', IFATCA's journal of air traffic control, has only had a total of four Editors. This small number must speak for the high quality and effort of those individuals who held the office, and that is certainly true for the one with whom I was best acquainted, Andreas Avgoustis, Editor of 'The Controller'. 1979-1986.

Andreas accepted the position, in addition to his duties as the then VicePresident Professional, during a difficult time in the magazine's history and he was able, in spite of all problems. to offer a highquality and always interesting production.

The Executive Board has. over the years and in particular at the Annual Conferences, publicly acknowledged Andreas· s dedication and contribution to 'The Controller'. It is my pleasant charge, on behalf of the Executive Board of IFATCA, the Member Associations and the readership of 'The Controller', to put on record thanks and appreciation to Andreas Avgoustis for a job well done.

H. H. Henschler.

Past President

THE CONTROLLER/ DECEMBER 1986

23

Satellites in Civi Aviation

by Capt. Fintan Ryan Aeronautical services. lnmarsat

Profession al pilots are on ly too we ll aware of the great contribution w hich good and intell igentl y used co mmunication can make towar ds the safe and economi cal ope rat ion of aircraft. The possibilities are limited onl y by the creativity of th ose wh o design and use the syste m.

The int roduction of secondary survei llance rada r by many ATS authorities and the increas ing use of Acars-type services by airlin es has released th e pilot from many routine communication tasks, permitt ing him to concentrate on his pr imary respon sibilit y , the operation and safety of the aeroplane and the safety of all perso ns on board. The introduction of satellite technology is likely to add a quantum jump to the efficiency and safety of aviat ion.

The ICAO Future Air Navigatio n System s ( Fans) committee has identified satellit e technology as the likely f utur e pro vider of com muni cat ion, navigation and surveil lance (CNS ) c ap ab iliti es. New techno logy has incre ased the performance of sate llite tr ansmitter and receive r systems and geo synchronou s satel lites are already ava ilabl e for use by suitab ly equipped aircraft To c ommunicate via satel lites it is nece ssa ry to inst all a special an t enna on t he aircraft . Contra ry to popu lar bel ief . the ant enna requ ired , particularly for a data link service. is not very expen sive or comp lica t ed In a system propo sed by lnmar sat for use w it h its exist ing sat ellite s. two types of service wo uld be pro vided

Minimal

Drag from Antenna

A sm all patc h antenna , about 15 cm squ are and mount ed flu sh w ith the airc raft skin wo uld supp ort a dat a service. A larger ante nn a, about 50 c m sq uare a nd also flu sh wi th th e airc raft skin wo uld be ade qu ate t o provi de a vo ice se rvice In eit her cas e. drag wo uld be m ini mal In futu re systems. us ing sate llites wh ich may have spot beams , the smaller antenna cou ld

24

support a voice service when the aircraft is w ithin spot coverage.

The great advantage of a sate llite system operating at the frequencies alloc ated to ships and aircraft is that, w ithin the co verage area, the same high quality comm uni cation is consistent ly available regardless of location, w eather or ionospheric effects.

Th ere is nothing new about any of this . Indeed. sate llite data service s to aircraft have been successfu lly demonstrated many times. particularly in rece nt years.

Navigat ion is another sate llite service. The most prec ise form of navigation available over w ide areas w ill be the Global Position ing System (GPS), w hich is to be operated by the Uni ted States arm ed forces. A simi lar system called Glona ss Is being imp lement ed by the USSR. Origin ally desig ned t o use a constel lation of 24 low -orb itin g satel lite s, GPS is now be ing implem ented w ith 18 . Tw o codes a re needed to use th e system.

The coa rse acqu isition co de . w hich is to be made avai lable to the civil community, w ill give acc urac ies in the regi on of 10 0 m in three dimen sions.

The prec ision co de, as yet confined to the military. has demon strated accuracies in the reg ion of 6 m in three di men sion s. Given thi s accuracy the poss ibi lity of providin g verti ca l separat ion by me ans of satellit es co uld eventua lly be attr ac tive.

Navigat ion be m eans of geo sync hronous sate llites is also a possibilit y and co uld even be integrated as part of a co mmuni cat ion syst em . One system proposa l is based on a maste r ground station int errogati ng airc raft tran spo nder s t hrough satel lite s. co mputi ng the pos itio n and tr ansmitting thi s posit ion back to t he aircraft.

A useful by-produ ct of thi s co ncep t is that each airc raft co uld decode the pos iti on and altit ude of nearby tr affi c and di splay thi s informat ion to t he pilot as an ind epe ndent means of monito ring aircra ft separation The t hird element. surveillance, has many ways of being ac hieved.

Conventio nal primary radar is usually t hought of as being indepen dent . in

that no equipment is requir ed on the aircraft. A full position repor t require s altitude information. This is suppl ied by the pilot using his altim eter and commun ications system. Due to the resources required it is extremely unlikely that completely ind epende nt surve ill ance w ill ever be avai lab le except perhaps in very loca lised areas clo se to airports.

A second method of ac hieving survei llance is cal led 'independent cooperati ve surveillance ¡. whic h relies on inform ation der ived from the reply from a transponder on board the aircraft. Secondary Surveillance Radar is of this type and a sim ilar system could be impleme nted w orldwide by mean s of sate llit es.

The third, and mo st controversia l, type of survei llance is ca lled 'dependent survei llan ce ¡ . In this concept information is taken from the on-board navigation system, w hether INS .

Omega I VLF, G PS or any other system demonstrating the required accuracy and reliability. The aircraft position , as determine d by the navigation syst em and displayed to the pilot, is transmitted automatica lly to the ground on a data lin k. Given the accuracy and degree of redundancy achieved in modern syst ems. thi s procedure would appear to be sati sfac tor y, particularl y in oceanic or other remo t e areas.

A track error co uld be dete cted by an initi al chec k of aircraft posi tion before or imm ediately aft er takeoff and by co ntinuou s compa rison of c leared tr ack w ith achie ved tr ack d uring th e fl ight. With the use of a data link it is probab le th at m any erro rs related to copy ing of ATC cle arance s wo uld be elimin ated . since thi s information would be tran smitted dir ec tly to th e fli ght deck CRT or pr int er It is a so urce of am azement to man y th at one of th e m ost im po rtant pieces of information the pilot rece ives. th e ATC c lea rance. is co mmun ica ted to him w hen he is very busy either t axiing th e airc raft or t rying to sort out one of th e thou sand and one prob lems w hic h have to be att end ed to j ust befor e th e doo rs are c losed It is impo rt ant that any aerona ut ical sat ellite co mmuni cat ion system shou ld be desig ned so th at t here is a common uniform st anda rd in use wo rldwide. Acces s shou ld be availab le to all users. regard less of nati o nality. allowi ng th em to co nt act one ano ther anyw here. insta nt ly and econom ica lly.

Histo ry shows th at very oft en th e full potentia l of a new system is not realized until long after its introduct ion. 'Who need s satellite c ommuni cat ions for ships?' was the qu estion TH E CONTR O LLER ! DECEMBER 19 86

often asked when a system was proposed for the maritime community .

The demand has constantly exceeded all expectations.

Shipowners and captains found that their fleets could be operated more safely and efficiently if instant and reliable communication was available.

The introduction of aeronautical satellite communications could make reliable . long-distance communications available to the aviation community . The massive investments in satellites which are necessary for maritime communications - around USS 1 billion by the end of the 1980s - has already been made and spare capacity is available. Sharing the system with maritime users offers economies of scale to the benefit of both communities and gives aviation the chance of a low cost. low risk and earliest po ssible entry into satellite communications .

(The above article first appeared in Aeronautical Satellit e News ¡. June 1986 issue. Ed.)

Introducing: New IFATCA Member Associations

-----:----~ crvu..AIR

OPEAATIONS

OFFICERS

ASSOctA.TIOf"'

OF AUSTRALIA

The Civil Air Operations Officer's Association of Australia was formed on August 24 . 1948 . as a registered employee organization. It repre sents air traffic controllers. Bureau of Air Safety investigators . flight engineer inspectors and airport managers . all of whom are employed by the Commonwealth Department of Aviation .

Of its 1315 total membership it is predominately male oriented. with 1256 male members and only 59 female members as at June 30.

1986 .

We Canadians have a refreshing approach to life o We're enterprising.

Enthusiastic. Energetic o And we bring these attitudes to our airline o We look at every aspect of the business of business travel. From check-in to check-out o And where we can, we do things a different, better way o We're succeeding too.

We've just won Air Transport World's Passenger Service Award o

The un ion is also a professional association which deals with actual working standard s . It has a 16-man Central Counc il. w hich is the supreme governing bod y . Counc illors are elected every two years.

The f uture of the association seems a bit unclea r at t his stage as there is currently a major review being conducted into the indu stry by the Standford Resea rch Institute. The Institute will be loo king at air traffic services and systems. The fact that the review is currently taking place gives the potential for significant changes in the near future.

The A ssociat ion does not have any compulsory unionism . but around 99 % of peop le eligible for membership. belo ng to the Association.

We believe that airline travel needs a fresh approach. So when you have the option, opt for Air Canada o We think you'll enjoy the breath of fresh air we're bring ing to flying.

@ A BREATH OF FRESH AIR THE CONTRO LLER/ DECEMBER 1986

AIR CANADA 25

Wake Turbulence - Vortex Generation H. Harri Henschler

Aircraft accidents caused by wake turbulence. especially vortices. have occurred in the past. generally because an aircraft operated too closely to another aircraft. on arrival, departure. or in flight, when the other aircraft generated significant wake turbulence.

In addition to a moral responsibility. in some jurisdictions a part of the legal blame for the cause of the accident was assigned by the courts to air traffic controllers and/ or the air traffic control systems for allowing the concerned aircraft to operate in another's wake turbulence.

Such assignment of blame brought about, as long as 15 years ago, the introduction of ·wake turbulence separation standards'. These require increased separation. either in time or distance units. when wake turbulence generation can reasonable be expected. They have caused frustration to pilots and concern to aircraft operators when take-off clearance was delayed or spacing on final approach was increased behind or because of another aircraft. even when parallel or crossing runway operations are involved.

Canada introduced wake turbulence minima in the early 1970s.

Recently, the previously mandatory appl1cat1on of these minima was relaxed. allowing controllers to waive the minima when requested by pilots.

To ensure that controllers, in the face of the relaxation. continue to be vigilant in anticipating the presence of wake_ turbulence. Transport Canada has issued an Information Bulletin which is reproduced here in part: A light helicopter was on a southerly heading at 800 feet AGL. Two Jet fighters were on an easterly heading approximately the same altitude. The first fighter passed about 1000 feet in front of the helicopter. and the second passed to the rear. The helicopter was seen to nose up and pieces fall from it before it crashed inverted.

A single-engine. fixed-wing aircraft entered the traffic pattern following a Chinook helicopter The Chinook pilot

26

made his approach over the active runway to a pad adjacent to the runway and terminated to a hover over the pad. As the landing fixed-wing was starting its roundout. the left wing dropped suddenly. The pilot added full power and initiated a pull-up maneuver. The aircraft then rolled violently to the right, the right wing struck the runway, and the aircraft crashed.

These occurrences were a result of the invisible culprit - vortex wake turbulence. When in flight. every aircraft generates a pair of counter-rotating vortices that trail from the wing tips.

Helicopters create downwash while at hover. In forward flight they generate vortices that trail below the rotor tips at the left and right extremes of the rotor disk.

As indicated in the examples above. wake turbulence is a factor in every aircraft movement and we must be cognizant of this fact and act on it.

Vortex Generation

As we know, lift is created by the pressure differential affecting a wing· s surface. As an aircraft moves through the air, the high pressure under its wings rolls up into the low pressure over the wing, causing a swirling action to occur behind and downstream of the wing tips in the form of two (one for each wing tip) counterrotating vortices.

The strength of these vortices is governed by the weight and speed of the aircraft. and the shape of the wing producing the lift. Vortex characteristics of any given aircraft can be altered by changing the wing shape during flight, i.e. using flaps. slats. etc. These characteristics can also be affected by the varying speed of the aircraft - the slower the speed. the stronger the vortex generated. Vortex strength increases proportionately with weight - the heavier the aircraft. the stronger the vortices. Thus it can be seen that the greatest vortex strength comes during landing ortakeoff. when the aircraft is slow. heavy and at a high angle of attack.

The behavior of the vortices is affected by the ambient wind and is predictable to a certain degree. The vortex created by the left wing rotates in a clockwise motion. and the one from the right wing in a counterclockwise motion. Tests show that the diameter of the vortex core ranges from 25-to-50 feet. but the area that each vortex ultimately influences is much larger.

The vortices remain close together. at about three quarters of the wingspan of the generating aircraft until dissipation. In the case of a heavy aircraft. they begin to descend at a rate of about 400-to-500 feet per minute and begin to level off at 800-to-900 feet below the aircraft's flight path.

Vortices generated low enough to reach ground level tend to separate and move over the ground at about five knots. Winds on the ground can affect the movement of the vortices. i.e. cause the upwind vortex to remain over the runway for longer periods of time. the downwind vortex to drift to a parallel runway, or other portion of the maneuvering area.

The effect and seriousness of encounters with vortices depend on several things. For example. the greater the distance from the generating aircraft. the less the effect on the encountering aircraft. Low altitude encounters provide the pilot with less time to react and compensate for the effects of turbulence on the aircraft.

Aircraft flying across vortices encounter an updraft followed by a downdraft. and then another updraft. all in a very short time and distance frame.

When flying along the longitudinal axis and between the two vortices. a downdraft is experienced. Longitudinal flight in the core of the vortex produces a violent roll. often beyond the structural roll limits of the aircraft.

Helicopter-Induced Turbulence When a helicopter is at hover. the rotor tip vortex reduces the effectiveness of the outer portion of the rotor blades. The vortex created by the preceding blade remains a vicious swirl for several seconds. the continuous creation of new vortices. and the ingestion of existing vortex creates a situation that requires high power settings during hover.

Also during hover, the rotor blades push large volumes of air forward and downward. This 'pumping action· accelerates air to relatively high velocities around the helicopter. As can be seen, one of the helicopters strongest abilities - hovering - can turn into a THE CONTROLLER/DECEMBER

1986

liability when the aircraft hovers in its own turbulence.

Controller Requirement What does all this mean to the air traffic controller? It means that: Wherever there are aircraft operating. there will be wake turbulence generated.

The experienced pilot is in the best position to assess the impact of wake turbulence on his aircraft in any given circumstances.

The controller must ensure that the pilot is made aware of possible turbulence from other aircraft which might affect their aircraft.

The pilot. in an effort to minimize the effect of turbulence on the air-

craft. may deviate from 'normal' flying. i.e. remain higher on approach. land well down the runway. climb at a higher than normal rate of climb. etc.

Helicopter pilots may not always accept instructions to reduce or discontinue forward flight.

The paragraph ·controller Requirement' is included in this reprint as an example only and may well not be applicable to any or all other air traffic control systems and jurisdictions. It must be read in the context of only being able to waive the 'turbulence separation minima· at the request of the pilot. and such ·waiver' may not be legally possible at all in some judicial systems.

Medication and Air Traffic Control

While the information and advice given below was directed to air traffic controllers and those concerned with the use of medication in air traffic control in the United Kingdom. it is equally applicable to air traffic controllers anywhere. This information was distributed in an Aeronautical Information Circular published by the Civil Aviation Authority and is reprinted with the CAA ·spermission. hhh.

1. There is evidence that many flying accidents and incidents have occurred as a result of pilots flying whilst medically unfit. and we can draw a parallel in air traffic control.

Although common ailments such as colds. sore throats. abdominal pain and diarrhoea may cause relatively unimportant discomfort or hazard in the normal course of events. they can be dangerous when associated with air traffic work. and the more exacting the task the more likely are minor indispositions to be serious. The ideal situation would be. that anyone requiring medication for the treatment of illness should not carry out air traffic control duties. but this is not always THE CONTROLLER/DECEMBER 1986

practicable. The illness may be relatively mild and not seriously affect the performance of these duties and the medication needed may not conflict with the standard of fitness required.

However. since many common drugs and remedies have powerful side effects. all air traffic control personnel should know how these may affect their work performance. The response to drugs is a very personal matter and. although there is an average response. it can vary widely from person to person.

2. Any form of medication whether prescribed by a doctor or purchased over the counter. and particularly if being taken for the first time. may have serious consequences in the aviation environment unless three basic questions can be satisfactorily answered: i. Do I really feel fit for work? ii. Must I take medicines at all? iii. Have I given this particular medication a personal trial for at least 24 hours before going on duty. to ensure that it will not have any adverse effects on my ability to work?

3. Confirming the absence of adverse effects may need expert advice and general practitioners experienced in aviation matters. authorized Medical Examiners are all available to assist in this matter.

4. The following are some of the types of medicine in common use which may impair work performance. i. Sleeping tablets - these dull the senses. cause mental confusion and slow reaction times. The duration of effect is variable from person to person and may be unduly prolonged. Controllers should have expert medical advice before using them. ii. Fear is normal and provides a very effective alerting system. enhancing the arousal state. Many tranquillizers and sedatives depress this alerting system and have been a contributory cause of fatal accidents. You should not. therefore. work when taking them. iii. Antibiotics (penicillin and the various -mycins and -cyclines) and sulpha drugs may have short-term or delayed effects which affect work performance. Their use indicates that a fairly severe infection must be present and. apart from the effects of these substances themselves. the side-effects of the infection will almost always render a controller unfit for work. iv. Anti-histamine drugs are widely used in ·cold cures·. and in the treatment of hay fever. asthma and allergic skin conditions. Many easily obtainable nasal spray and drop preparations contain anti-histamines. Most of this group of medicines tend to make you feel drowsy. Their effect combined with that of the condition. will often prevent you from answering the basic three questions satisfactorily.

Admittedly very mild states of hay fever. etc.. may be adequately controlled by small doses of antiallergic drugs. but a trial period to establish the absence of sideeffects is essential before going on duty. When controllers are affected by allergic conditions which require more than the absolute minimum of treatment. and in all cases of asthma. one of the above mentioned sources of advice should be consulted. v. 'Pep· pills (e.g. containing caffeine. Dexedrine. Benzedrine) used to maintain wakefulness are often habit forming. Susceptibility to each drug varies from one individual to another. but all of them can create dangerous overconfidence 27

Over-dosage may cause headaches. dizziness and mental disturbances. The use of 'pep' pi lls whi lst working cannot be permitted. If coffee is insufficient. you are not fit for work. vi. Drugs for the relief of high blood pressure cause a change in the mechanism of blood circu lation which can be hazardous. If the blood pressure is such that drugs are needed a controller is probab ly not fit for work. but this wi ll be determined by the type of dru g which is be ing taken . If in any doubt about your blood pressure do not hesitate to seek advice. vii. Anti-malarial d rugs in normal ly recommended doses do not usually have any adverse effects. However. ensure that the drug is taken in good time so that Question 3 above can be satisfactorily answered. viii. Oral contraceptive tablets in the standard dose do not usual ly have adverse effects. although regular supervision is required.

5. Although these are common groups of drugs which may have adverse effects on performance it should be pointed out that many forms of medication. which although not usually expected to affect efficiency . may do so if the person concerned is unduly sensitive to the particular drug.

You are therefore urged not to take any drugs or medicines before or during duty unless you are completely familiar with the effects of the medication on yourself . Again. the medical sources of advice mentioned earlier in this Circular should be consulted in cases of doubt.

8. To sum up , the effect s of med ica tion on work performance are the direct concern of the indiv id ual . This Circul ar gives some guidance. but it

ca nn ot be comprehens ive. If in doubt co nsult the medical so urces men tioned for adv ice.

IFATCA Visit to Rovaniemi (as reported in a local newspaper)

Kansainvalisia

lennonjohtajia

Rovaniemella

Lennonjohtajien kansainvalisen jarjeston, IFATCAn , johto vieraili keskiviikkona Rovaniemella. Helsingissa kokoustaan pitaneet lennon johtoliiton hallituksen jasenet tutustuivat viela vihkimattomaan Rovaniemen uuteen lennonvarmistuskeskukseen seka tekivat perinteisen kaupunkikierroksen . Hallituksen kokouksen jalkeen Rovaniemelle ehtivat IFATCAn nykyinen presidentti Erik Sermijn Belgiasta seka edellinen presidentti Harri Henschler Kanadasta . Heidan isantanaan matkalla oli Suomen yhdistyksen puheenjohtaja Tapio Moilanen.

Helsingissa pidetty hallituksen kokous keskittyi miettimaan liiton 25 . juhlakokouksessa Costa Ricassa huhtikuussa paatettyja asioita . Juhlakokous oli painottunut hallinnollisiin, ammatillisiin , koulutuksellisiin ja lentoturvallisuuteen liittyviin asioihin.

- Talia hetkella kansainvalisen liiton tarkeimpia ratkaisua vaativia asioita ovat koulutusasiat ja tyoolosuhteiden parantaminen. Na.ma asiat koskevat erityisesti Afrikkaa ja Latinalaista Amerikkaa . Maailmanlaajuisesti tarkeinta on uuden teknologian kayttoonottaminen ja kayton hallinta, sanoo rovaniemelainen lennonjohtaja Jaakko Alakulppi. Han on kansallisen yhdistyksen ulkomaanjaoston puheenjohtaja .

Suomen yhdistyksella ei ole voimavaroja auttaa Afrikkaa koulutusasioissa. llmailuhallitus on jarjestanyt asiantuntijoita Afrikkaan kouluttamaan kansainvalisen llmailujarjeston kautta . Sen sijaan teknisissa asioissa on mahdollista on kahdenkeskinen apu Afrikan maihin .

IFATCA on yksi ilmailualan kansainvalisista jarjestoista . Jaakko Alakulpin mukaan se on tarkea lennonjohtajien kansainvalinen tiedon vaihdon vayla. Jarjesto perustettiin 1961; Suomi on ollut mukana perustamisesta lahtien .

6. Alcohol has similar effects to tran quillizers and sleeping tablets. and may remain circulating in the blood for a considerable time. especially if taken with food. It should be borne in mind that you may not be fit to go on duty even eight hours after drinking large amounts of alcohol. Special note sho uld be taken of the fact that alcohol and sleeping tablets . or antihistamines. can form a highly danger ous and even lethal combination.

7. Rem ember that. following local and general dental and other anesthetics a period of time should elapse before returning to duty . Thi s period w ill vary depending on individual circumstances . but may even extend up to 24 or 48 hours An y doubts should be reso lved by seeking app ropriate med ic al adv ice 28

Rovaniem,. Finland . Area Control Center and Control Tower

THE CONTROLLER / DECEMBER 1986

Book Review ~The Air Controllers' Controversy' Lessons from the PATCO Strike Arthur B. Shostak, Ph.D. and David Skocik, M.A.

Both authors. to some extent . have an insider· s knowledge of the events prior to, during. and after the 1981 strike by PATCO (Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization) and a majority of its membership .

Shostak has been an advisor and consultant to various trade unions in the United States. among them . at the time. PATCO. Skocik was an active air traffic controller from 1977 to 1981 and a PATCO public relations officer during the 1981 strike.

Their book outlines and discusses the development of air traffic control and the profession; the history and growth of PATCO; relationship with the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA); the preparation of both parties for a possible strike; and the strike itself.

The second part of the book provides glimpses of the lives of some former co_ntroll ers in the aftermath of the mass-dismissal. the attempts by former PATCO officers to keep contacts alive between the str ikers. and to set up support groups on the regional and national levels. The las! twenty pages discuss · PATCO' s Legacy and w hat lessons can be learned. the aims of the strike and whethe r they were achieved. whet her the strike was ·won· or 'lost'. and the long-term impact. if any. _of the strike on the FAA management and its practices. The book closes. in the appendices. w ith a number of essays. and interviews with union - mostly PATCO leader s. and PATCO activists.

Shostak and Skocik have put together a very readable and. at tim es. very detailed. informative package on an event which shook, to its roots. aviation in the United States and. to some extent. internationally. The authors describe the various forces at work. and often in confl1_ct. w ithin PATCO. w ithin the th e labor union movement in the US. within the FAA. political circ les. and the federal government.

These forces . coup led with judicial decisions. advice from legal counse l. econom ic realities and opportunities of the airlin es; coup led with mistakes made and opportunities missed- possibly not alwa_ys by chance - on all sides; coup led w ith mistaken perceptions of what reactions to expect from the other side. and the imba lance in successful pub lic relations and pub lic support culminated in over 11.000 dismis sed contro llers. as well as an air traffi c control system wh ich. by most accounts. is stil l struggling with a serious understaffing problem. a lack of full -performance contro llers. and a rapid growth in aircraft movements.

THE CONTROLLER / DECEMBER 1986

The authors describe. vividly, the chain of events leading up to the strike, the undere stimating of strike preparations, the overestimating of the impact of the wit hdrawal, and the escalation of a labor / management struggle into. as the public perceived it. an attack against the integrit y of the State and its systems.

What could not have been predicted was the 'b lacklisting · of former controllers and the reported vengeful refusal of rights and benefits they were entitled to. Shostak and Skocik also trace the economic surviva l, and the tragedies , in the wake of the dismissals through. often moving. stories of solidarity. family and group support.

Although set entire ly within the US labor / management. political, and judicial environment and system - this may cause difficulties . initially. in understanding terms . abbreviations , and relationsh ips 'The Air Controllers · Controversy· is a book worth having and reading, not only because of the interest in the subject matter but also because it outlines developments . the study of which might prevent their recurrence.

'The Air Controllers ' Contro versy'. 280 pages, is published by Human Sciences Press. Inc. , 72 Fifth Avenue . New York, N.Y. 10011-8004. USA. The cost is US $ 34.95 Cloth / 15.95 Paperback.

H. Harri Henschler

29

Civil Aviation in Sweden From the Annual Report of the Board of Civil Aviation of Sweden for 798417985 Some of the Board's main overall objectives: a) The task of the Board of Civil Aviation is to promote the development of civil aviation based on sound economic conditions and help achieve and maintain a satisfactory air transport system at the lowest possible cost. Either alone or in cooperation with other organizations interested in the civil aviation sector, the Board shall undertake or initiate measures to improve the longterm competitive strength of this sector. b) The operations of the Board of Civil Aviation are to be carried out with the objective of total cost coverage. In addition, it shall achieve an earnings target that will provide a return on the funds invested by the State. This targeted return on State funds equals the current yield on certain government securities.

Strong Growth for Swedish Civil Aviation The overall trend in air traffic at Swedish State-owned airports was favorable during fiscal 1984 / 85 despite a major nationwide labor dispute in May. The number of passengers on scheduled and charter flights rose 5% to 10.2 million and the number of landings by 4% to 160 OOO.

Outlook for 1985 / 86 During 1985/86. the overall number of landings and passengers is expected to increase by 11 % compared with 1984/85.

All types of air traffic are expected to show an increase.

SWEDISH DOMESTIC /IIR TRAFFIC AN INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON

-

190

90

1980

1981

1982

1983

JS84

So far during the 7980s, Swedish domestic air traffic has grown substantially faster than total domestic air traffic in the world - an average increase of 73.5% per year. compared with 2. 5 % for countries belonging to the International Civil Aviation Organization (/CAO). Internationally. domestic traffic accounts for about 80% of total scheduled air traffic. compared with 60% m Sweden.

30

Swedavia Swedavia is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Board of Civil Aviation.

Its main tasks are to market the services of the Board internationally, to organize and implement projects abroad and to promote Swedish exports within the field of civil aviation.

During 1984/85 Sweda~a ea~ ried out major marketing campaigns. mainly in China. Thailand and certain African states. These programs included visits by foreign d3legations to Sweden. in which other Swedish exporting companies were invited to participate. Swedavia also participated in China· s first civil aviation exhibition. held in Beijing during December 1984.

Swedavia has broadened and deepened its cooperation with other Swedish exporting companies within the aviation sector. Export sales in cooperation with the Swedish Air Traffic Services Academy (SATSA) at the Malmo-Sturup airport increased that school's revenues by about 30%.

SATSA completed its training program for air traffic controllers from Saudi Arabia. and 2 7 students graduated.

The school provided a number of special courses for students from China. Nigeria. Saudi Arabia and other countries.

Swedavia sponsored flight safety courses for 62 students from 20 countries through the Institute of Aviation Safety (IAS) in Stockholm.

The following are some of Swedavia's current projects: Continued work toward modernization and upgrading of the air traffic services system in Pakistan.

Consultation and implementation of the first radar instructor· s course at the Aviation Academy in China.

Continued cooperation in a project in Saudi Arabia related to flight calibration of navigational aeronautical aids.

Cooperation in simulator projects for West Germany.

Extension of the Banjul International Airport in Gambia in cooperation with the Swedish engineering consultancy company SWECO and studies regarding the establishment of a new civil aviation authority in that West African country.

Air Traffic Services Academy The Swedish Air Traffic Services Academy (SATSA) at Sturup is responsible for basic. refresher and advanced training as well as specialist courses in the air traffic services (ATS) field. A total of about 2500 students have completed training programs at the academy since it opened in 197 4.

The demand for training of Swedish air traffic controllers has gradually decreased as the country's ATS system has been expanded and streamlined. As a result. it has been possible to take increasing advantage of the academy's resources in order to train foreign students.

Since 1981 three groups of 50 young men from Saudi Arabia have each completed a 1.5 year basic training program for air traffic controllers. A fourth such group recently began its studies.

In addition. students from more than ten other countries have completed specialized programs. such as basic radar courses. instructors· courses and courses for flight information. communications or investigative services.

In addition to these standard programs. the academy has produced tailor-made courses and provided ATS simulation programs both for domestic and foreign clients.

With its advanced technical equipment and a staff with years of international training experience.

SATSA enjoys a good international reputation. There is a strong likelihood that the academy will be able to expand its activities further. thereby continuing to make a positive contribution to the Board's earnings.

Area Control Center at Malmo-Sturup Expanding Malmo FIR 80 The Malmo flight Information Region (Malmo FIR 80) - part of the Swedish air navigation service system THE CONTROLLER/ DECEMBER 1986

for the 1980s and 1990s authorized

by Parliament - went into service on March 14. 1985. This marked the completion of Sweden's largest air traffic control project to date.

Because of its size. the project was implemented in two stages. with the first going into operation in March 1983. This made it possible to introduce an area control system in southern Swedish airspace that enables civilian aircraft to use more direct routes than the previously available airways. while maintaining the same flight safety standards. For the Swedish Air Force. the project means improved cooperation between civil air traffic controllers and Air Force officials. making it easier to carry out military maneuvers. Civil aviation will save an estimated SEK 15 M annually as a result.

The second stage involved further refinements to the system. At the heart of the Malm6 FIR is the Area Control Center (ACC) at Sturup. consisting of a new radar and flight plan data system and a computerized communications system.

The final phase of the project involved a redistribution of responsibility for Swedi_sh~irspace_.Respo~sibility for air navIg~tIon and informat1?n services in the airspace over a maior portion of west central Sweden was moved from the Area Control Center at Landvatter airport to the ACC at Sturup. leaving behind at Landvetter a terminal control center for the Gothenburg area.

The unit that handles control services for the Swedish A.(r Force's bases at Ljungbyhed and Angelholm in southern Sweden. which was previously located at Ljungbyhed. has also been moved to the Sturup ACC. Because the Sturup ACC has been given a larger a_reaof traffic control responsibility. this has created a need for better technical conditions for radio communications in the area. For this reason. new radio stations have been built various locations and connected to the Sturup ACC. Radar coverage has also been expanded to include data from two more radar stations. There are plans to add information from a new radar station during the late 1980s.

The Malm6 FIR 80 project has involved work at more than 50 civil and military installations. Because of the major changes that have taken place. personnel have undergone intensive training in both theoretical and practical matters. including simulator exercises.

Aviation in southern Sweden is benefitti ng from one of the world's most modern air traffic control cenTHE CONTROLLER/DECEMBER

1986

ters. It is also one of few such workplaces where the staff can operate the radar equipment under full daylight conditions.

Ground Movement Radar Installed at Arlanda Situations of low visibility due to fog. precipitation or darkness quite naturally affect the ability of an air traffic controller to keep traffic flowing smoothly at an airport. Because it is not possible in such situations to check visually that aircraft and vehicles are moving according to instructions, there are delays and the possibility of misunderstandings.

To avoid this. the Board of Civil Aviation has looked for a system that can compensate for the air traffic controller's loss of vision under these conditions. The most cost-effective device has turned out to be a special type of radar equipment known as ground movement radar. It has been important to find such a solution at Arlanda airport.

The ground movement radar system installed at Arlanda during the first half of 1985 consists of a specially adapted radar device with an antenna located on a 40-meter ( 130 ft) high, centrally placed mast. The radar equipment works in the so-called X band, 9.38-9.41 GHz. This equipment underwent technical and operative testing during the summer of 1985 and went into full operative use on October 1, 1985.

Perception and Illusions in Aviation Georgette Buch, PhD

Dr. Buch is a member of the Canadian Aviation Safety Promotion Division and holds an Airline Transport Pilot license. The article. first in a series on human factors and aviation safety. appeared in the Transport Canada Aviation Safety Letter and is reprinted with the kind permission of its Editor. H. H. H. Visual perception is one of the most crucial facilities to good performance in the aviation world. However. our perception of that physical world can be disrupted or completely fooled by visual illusion.

What is a visual illusion? The first. and simple answer to this question is that an illusion is a human fallibility. A medical validation certifying perfect 20/ 20 vision. or better. does not protect the unwary pilot from the severe consequences of believing the wrong visual cues. IFR pilots. who must transition to visual references during final approach. are especially susceptible.

Unfortunately. many pilots are caught unprepared by unfamiliar visual cues. The result can be dangerous.

For example. a DC-8 approached an airport reporting a 500-foot ceiling with one mile visibility. The first officer who was flying looked up at 400 feet and saw what appeared to be strobes identifying the runway end. However. they were wingtip strobes of another aircraft.

Fortunately. this pilot was prepared for the unexpected. and was able to avoid what could have been a disastrous accident. However. one can see from this pilot's past experience that the strobe lights were assumed to mark the runway end. Past experience is a very valuable commodity in aviation but it is also one of the strongest ingredients contributing to visual illusions.

Approximately 80% of our information about the real world is obtained visually. Our hearing is also an important sense for providing information during flight. However. with the heavy emphasis we place on visual information. it is no wonder that we tend to rely more on visual cues and our sense of balance than the aircraft instruments. To believe the instruments you must fight your own instincts.

Although we have suggested that an illusion is evidence of fallibility. we have not defined it. A visual illusion is the perception of something objectively existing but in such a manner as 31

these visual cues and how they are used. Three main factors can be said to contribute to human visual perception. These factors are color. light and depth perception. The latter factor is the most important in aviation. Depth perception makes it possible for a person to locate himself in space and adjust his behavior according to the objects surrounding him. It is essential for a pilot to judge aircraft altitude and speed. evaluate the distance between himself and other aircraft and to judge the relief of the terrain. Judgment is needed for critical and quick maneuvers with accuracy and safety when the use of instruments is insufficient or ineffective.

There are two processes involved in depth perception. These are: 1. a peripheral process of information related to the physiology of the eyeball; In number 1. do you perceive the 2. the central process of information lines as being non-parallel? In number related to the visual cortex activity.

2. do you perceive the bottom line as The first process involves only the shorter than the top? In number 3. are eye and the act of seeing. whereas the the oblique lines running through the parallel vertical lines separate or one second process involves processing line? This last illusion is called the the visual information through the Poggendorf illusion and often occurs brain. in aviation. The oblique lines are a The factors that disturb depth percontinuation of one line even though ception are extrinsic. that is. existing they appear separate. If you answered apart from the pilot's perception. An yes to numbers 1 and 2. you were example of an extrinsic factor is the wrong again. Use a ruler if you are still lack of a visual horizon such as in not convinced. snow. water or the desert. An Another common visual illusion in approach against a uniform backaviation is the black hole phenomenon ground causes an overestimation of at night. This occurs when only the height if the runway slopes up. and an underestimation of height if the runedge and end runway lights are available for vertical guidance during an way slopes down. approach at night. Peripheral cues so In fog. the distance and size of helpful in daylight are absent. and objects are also likely to be evaluated pilots tend to seriously misjudge their incorrectly. At night. mis-evaluation of height and fly lower approaches. This distance and movement can disturb error often can be compounded by the the pilot's spatial orientation. Depth location of the_airport with respect to perception disorders can be aggracity lights. vated by flight fatigue. air sickness and Sloping runways or runways with a noise. different length or width than the pilot Coler is another factor that conis used to can also cause visual illusion tributes to visual perception. This facon approach. If a runway is shorter or tor is particularly significant during wider than the pilot is used to and he night approaches. The primary cues lands using his usual perspective for landing in certain conditions are cues. he will come in at a steeper color. and the position and brightness angle and round out too high. Visual of the lights. The common red and experience on a certain runway over a white visual approach slope indicator short period of time has proven to be system does have some deficiencies. enough to bias responses. Approach This aid relies on color discrimination angles increase as runway lengths which is difficult under certain decrease. The pilot becomes used to a atmospheric conditions. Haze. low certain length of runway and judges sun angles and low cloud ceiling make the approach glidepath by the lengththe signals difficult to interpret and to-width ratio he has learned. Telling misleading because the color contrast the pilot about the actual runway size has greatly diminished. Sun and haze has no effect on the illusion. may cause a reddening of the white To understand how these various lights. Nevertheless. color coding is cues are distorted it is important to frequently used because it is easier to know the relative importance of all interpret than patterns and symbols.

to cause misinterpretation of its actual nature. For example. the following diagrams illustrate how our visual perception can be deceived.

G)~

©)< >< ©

32

V

/

Another problem affecting color vision in flight is not due to the viewer. but the aircraft windscreen. Aircraft windscreens tend to be selective in the transmission of visible light. Sunglasses frequently worn by pilots also reduce color contrast in different objects. This reduction in contrast is significant because colors are often identified by tones. and human beings are sensitive to the relative brilliance of colors.

Rain can change the optical characteristics of aircraft windscreens as well. The raindrops have a prism effect that disorients and causes faulty distance judgment by acting as a filter so that lights appear less intense.

It is very difficult to manufacture windscreens that don't suffer from some distortion. It is especially difficult when the windscreen is of a multilayer construction and highly curved.

Therefore. the manufacturer must compromise between optical perfection and severe distortion. A recent study concluded that pilots were much more critical of windscreen distortion than the windscreen manufacturers.

Finally. light is an aid to perception.

It is very important to pre-adapt to the light conditions before a flight. especially a night flight. The eyes· adaptation to low luminescence is very slow to reach the ideal threshold.

Any glare caused by a high intensity light in the process will cause the adaptation to be lost. In low luminescence levels the sense of depth perception and movement is changed and the visual cues reduced. There are individual differences in the time it takes to adapt to this low level. Low luminescence can also occur in other weather conditions which are as challenging as nighttime.

Noise. vibration and anoxemia can also add to poor visual performance.

In conclusion. accidents caused by visual illusions are very difficult to evaluate. No doubt it is a factor often thrown under the catch-all heading of 'pilot error·. With modern technology and more sophisticated aircraft. there is less room for error. Therefore. the best guard against visual illusion which we are powerless to reduce is to 'Expect the unexpected!'.

THE CONTROLLER/ DECEMBER 1986

Corporate Members of IFATCA AEG Aktiengesellschaft, Ulm, FRG Ansafone Electronic s.p.a., Pomezia, Italy Cardion Electronics, Woodbury, USA CAE Electronics Ltd., Saint-Laurent, Canada Gecsa Systemas Electronicos SA, Madrid, Spain Cossor Electronics Ltd., Harlow, UK Oictaphone Corporation, Rye, USA Eaton Corporation, AIL Division, Farmingdale, USA International Advisory Group Air Navigation Services, Stallwang, FRG Ericsson Radio SystemsAB, Stockholm, Sweden Ferranti Computer Systems Ltd., Cwmbran, UK Hollandse Signaalapparaten B.V., Hengelo, Netherlands EB TeleCom, Nesbru, Norway Jeppesen & Co. GmbH, Frankfurt, FRG Litton Communications Switching Systems, Frei burg i. Br., FRG Marconi Radar Systems Ltd., Chelmsford, UK Mitre Corporation, Mclean, USA PhilipsTelecommunicatieen Data Systemen Nederland B.V., Hilversum, Netherlands Plessey Displays Ltd., Weybridge, UK Racal Avionics Ltd., New Malden, UK Racal Recorders Ltd., Southampton, UK Raytheon Canada Ltd., Waterloo, Canada Schmid Telecommunication, Zurich, Switzerland SCICON Ltd., London, UK Selenia lndustrie Elettroniche, Rome, Italy SEL-Standard Elektrik Lorenz, Stuttgart, FRG Societe d'Etude et d'Entreprises electriques, lssy-les-Moulineaux, France Sofreavia, Paris, France Software Sciences Ltd., Farnborough, UK Thomson-CSF, Meudon, France Westinghouse Electric Corp., Baltimore, USA

The International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations would like to invite all corporations, organizations, and institutions interested in and concerned with the maintenance and promotion of safety in air traffic to join their organization as Corporate Members.

Corporate Members support the aims of the Federation by supplying the Federation with technical information and by means of an annual subscription. The Federation's international journal 'The Controller¡ is offered as a platform for the discussion of technical and procedural developments in the field of air traffic control.

-- I

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SELENIA

S/R-M OPEN ARRAY ANTENNA MOUNTED ON G-14 ANT ENNA.

SIR, the Monopulse family of secondary surveillance radars

--

SIR CABINET DUAL CHANNEL CONFIGURATION.

The new Selenia Secondary Surveillance Radar family is a true modular system, available as standard SSR: SIR-R, Monopulse SSR: SIR-M, and Mode-S SSR: SIR-S. Programmable Receivers and transmitters provides for RSLS and IISLS. An SSR channel consist of a solid state programmable transmitter, a receiver, a processor/controller and a power supply.

The very sophisticated processor/controller is a firmware programmed unit, which forms the extractor, and provides all control signals, timing, BITE, remote control functions and narrow band formatting. Furthermore, all the programmable functions of the transmitter and receiver are provided by the processor/controller .

SELENIA IS ESPERIENCE IN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS.

INDUSTRIE ELETTRONICHE ASSOCIATE Sp.A RADAR AND SYSTEMS DIVISION

Via Tiburtina Km 12.400, 00131 ROME , ITALY Telex 613690 SELROM I, Phone 06-43601

RAGGRIJPPAMEKTO SElENIAEL.SAG