IFATCA The Controller - 1st quarter 1990

Failure

The sky's filling up. If someone doesn't do something soon, it'll be major gridlock.

At Thom son -CSF - a world leader in the field of air traffic control - we have done something. We've develop ed the world' s most advanced systems for controlling the flow of air traffic.

On -the -cusp technology incorporating network architecture, Ada programming and high-definition color CRT displays - backed up by expert systems - that's custom-designed to deliver the right information at the right hme sifted and sorted by powerful processors so that controllers are presented with a total picture of the air situation in a form that simply gives them more control.

And we've got more good new s where that come from . Especially for the airlines. With the integration ... "' of the world's flight data networks finally gelling off the ground, now we can really help manage the flow_ 2 in fact the whole show - by pulling our powerful computer brainpower to work to organize the problems ~ 8 of space and time, ground-to-air coordination, and interfacing civil and military operations. z 0 At Thomson-CSF we're helping to make the skies more ~ .... .;; z t: friendly.

More user-friendly. , • ,, I ~

No one packages the sky for you better than us.

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THE BRAINPOWER.THE WILLPOWER.THE WONP<>WER. 1

DIVISION SYST~MES DEFENSEETCONTROLE- 18, av. du M' -Juin - 92363 Meudon-la-ForetCedex - FRANCE - Tel. (33-1) 40.94.30.00 - Telexâ&#x20AC;˘ THOM 616780 F

IFATCA JOURNAL OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL

THE CONTROLLER Geneva, Switzerland, March, 1990

Publisher International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations. P.O. Box 196. CH-1215 Geneva 15 Airport. Switzerland Officers of IFATCA E.F. Sermijn. President and Chief Executive Officer U. Windt. Executive Vice-President Administration.

T. Gustavsson. Executive Vice-President Finance.

W. Rooseman. Executive Vice-President Professional.

D.C.B. Stuart. Executive Vice-President Technical.

P. O"Doherty. Executive Secretary Editor H. Harri Henschler 1998 Glenmore Avenue. Sherwood Park.

Alberta. Canada. TBA OX8 Telephone (403) 467-6826 Management and Advertising Sales Office The Controller. P.O. Box 196.

CH-1215 Geneva 15 Airport. Switzerland

Volume 29 · No. 1

In this issue ATC Simulators from Sweden

page

2

ATC Simulators from Brazil

page

6

ATC Simulators from Canada

page

9

Pilot Error and System Failure

page 11

IFATCA Activities

page 14

Human Error in Aviation

page 16

Uniting Europe's Skies

page 23

Administration/Subscriptions Bernard Laydevant. Tel. (022) 782 79 83

Accounting Michel Henchoz. Tel. (022) 792 56 82

Advertising/Production

Editorial

Patrick Schelling. Tel. (022) 66 26 84 Fax (022) 66 43 05

H. Harri Henschler

Printing House · Der Bund". Verlag und Druckerei AG Effingerstrasse 1. CH-3001 Bern.

Telephone (031) 25 12 11

The very first thing which readers of 'The Controller· will have noticed about the very first issue of the 1990s is the new. colorful cover.

After some considerable period of time during which the desirability. rationale. and feasibility were studied and discussed. the decision was made to go ahead with a new cover design to replace the timehonored map of the world on a radar screen. with different color backgrounds. which has been the trademark of the magazine for a considerable number of years.

From now on. the cover will be different for each issue and the intent is to always have an interesting or unusal photo of an air traffic control facility. equipment. or related item from around the world. and its is hoped that such variety will overcome any residual nostalgic longing for a continuation of the previous magazine cover_.It is_also hoped that the worldwide readership will offer suggestions on possible subjects for a cover.

Another thing readers will notice is that a considerable amount of space has been used to report on the UK Convex '89 where the theme was 'Uniting Europe's Skies·. This theme brought together such a variety of experts. interested parties and observers. all with their own theory of how European harmonization could best be achieved. or could only be achieved. that. for reasons of fairness and completeness. the report on the gathering developed into a fair-sized article.

It is hoped that the article will convey a balanced review on the ideas offered. and

Subscriptions and Advertising Payments to: Union Bank of Switzerland. Airport Branch CH-1215 Geneva 15 Airport. Switzerland Account: IFATCA/The Controller No. 602 254.MD L Subscription Rate: SFrs. 20.- per annum (4 issues). plus postage and package : Surlacemail: Europe and Mediterranean countries SFrs. 4.80. other countries SFrs. 5.80.

Airmail: Europe and Mediterranean countries SFrs. 6.20. other countries SFrs. 10.60.

Special subscription rate for Air Traffic Controllers.

Contributors are expressing their personal points_ of view and opinions. which may not necessarily coincide with those of the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers· Associations (IFATCA).

IFATCA does not assume responsibility for statements made and opinions expressed. it does only accept responsibility for publishing these contributions.

Contributions are welcome as are comments and criticism. No payment can be made for man~scripts submitted for publication in 'The Controller . The Editor reserves the right to make any editorial changes in manuscripts. which he believes will improve the material without altering the intended meaning.

Written permission by the Editor is necessary for reprinting any part of this Journal.

Advertisers in this issue AEG Electrocom. Selenia. Swissair.

Thomson-CSF. TASA Photos TASA. AIT. AEG. Sylvester-Thorne.

Thomson-CSF Cartoons British Airways THE CONTROLLER/MARCH1990

reflect the feeling many partIcIpants had. that what is an owl to one person is a nightingale to another.

There can be no question that civil aviation is an international undertaking and that in today's shrinking world there is a requirement for national systems to be able to cooperate efficiently. This will require some reasoned compromises. some give and take. and the willingness to accept. after through discussion. standards and policies of a supranational nature.

Europe. with a relatively restricted availability of airspace and a large amount of civil air traffic. may well require solutions to existing problems more urgently than other areas of the globe. Many of the shortcomings have been identified. including the shortage of air traffic controllers. and one can only hope that solutions which will be developed for Europe. and quite possibly for a larger area than was originally envisaged. will lend themselves as possible examples for other areas in the world.

Cover

The new Zurich-Kloten Tower operated by swisscontrol, the company providing ATC services in Switzerland. Below the tower sits Apron Control. These services are provided by the Zurich-AirportAuthorities.

Located on top of the tower. is a CARDION ASDE-3 ground movement radar. used to survey the airport's busy traffic. Photo: Courtesy of swisscontrol, by Rob Gnant.

tion disp lay . meteorological data present ation . and flight progre ss strip boards . The trainees inter act with twelve pseudopilots . each controlling up to ten aircraft. A comprehensive traffic procedure library is included to ease pilot workload .

ATC Simulator (ASIM) for Bundesanstalt fi.ir Flugsicherung

Training Environment

Berti/ Gustavsson, Bofors Electronics AB, formerly Ericsson Radar Electronics AB This paper was presented at the Technical Panel at IFATCA '89, Frankfurt

ASIM comprises two identical highly adva nced ATC tra ining simulator syst ems at the national ATS Training Ac adem y in Langen, FRG. The ma in contractor for ASIM is Ericsso n Radar Electronics AB, the custo me r is t he Bunde sanstalt fur Flugsi c herung . BFS. The simulator capa bilit ies allow the running of a mul t it ude of exerci se scenarios , from very simp le init ial radar trai ning wh ere the t rainees w ork independently of each oth er t o c om plex system exer-

cises where a number of working positions cooperate to simulate a small ATC centre or part of a larger unit.

Eight trainee suites. each with a radar controller trainee position and a planning and coordination controller trainee position. are included in each simulator. They are equipped with 23inch synthetic dynamic displays (SOD) with a rolling ball and a keyboard as input devices . The trainee suites are also equipped with consoles. complete with aeronautical map projec-

Application

ASIM is principally de signed for basic and advanced training of radar controllers and coordination controllers. The system can also be used for specialized training of qualified controllers in new techniques. Abnormal and emergency situations may be introduced realistically without risk to flight safety.

Exercises are based on a defined airspace covering the entire FRG with simulation of all existing air navigation facilities. The properties of the airspace, maps . aircraft performance . radar stat ions . etc ., are defined by basic data in plain language .

Flights taking part in different exercises are preplanned and defined to the system interactively. A large number of standarized exercises for all levels of training may be stored in the

Pictures

Training Systems

Test and serv ice room

Computer room

ASIM A TC Simu lator System Lange n FRG

2

ERICSSON THE CONTROLLER/ MARC H 199 0

system. Programming knowledge is not required to operate the system or to prepare basic data and exercises.

The number of working positions which take part in an exercise is arbitrary. Eight separate exercises may be run simultaneously in each of the two ASIM systems.

System Configuration

Computer Operator

Comm System

Central Nodes

RDP

MCS

FDP

PDP(3X) Local Area Network

Operator Tasks

(4x)

(Bx)

Exercise preparation The person in charge of exercise preparation is responsible for the preparation and maintenance of the basic data. He is also responsible for the complete exercise preparation during which the exercise area and organization are defined (the Exepln) and the Simplns are selected. This exercise environment can be stored and reused arbitrarily.

Computer Operator The computer operator has the following main responsibilities: to perform exercise installation and termination. to define strip printing control modes. supervision and control of the ASIM computer system in order to provide a continuous availability of the hardware during the execution of the exercise. supervision and control of additional functions. such as evaluation of statistics.

Exercise Supervisor Controls the execution of an exercise or of several exercises running simultaneously. For this purpose he can select the exercise he wants to supervise from his working position.

He can now influence the execution of the exercise by ·start'. ·stop'. or 'freeze· commands.

He can introduce radar failure and emergencies to increase the pressure on the trainees. or slow down simulation speed. or delete targets to ease the pressure. By selecting the SDD picture of a trainee for display on his own SDD he is able to monitor closely the actions of any trainee.

TR

(4x)

Working Positions

(2x)

TC

Trainee

Pilot

Exercise Supervisor

Dummy

Pilot (Double Workstation)

Exercise Realization

D

RPL Tape

PPL

Plotter

list Cont list

'.=====~Prog

Line Printer

=

111111111111111111111

VAX

=====Ex con 11st Plotter run

Bar chart(prel)

Bar chart (final)

EXEPLN LIBRARY

Select Enter Modify Validate

Remove Disk

SIMPLN LIBRARY

+ ';'JCERCISE

12!9-1NSTALL

On-Unomodo~ETUP EXERCISE

Off-line mode

1

Chock made CHECK E,l(ERCISE

SPL LIBRARY

RYN CONTROLIEXERCISE ~ERMINATEj

olce Communication System • Operator Facillilies • Reconfiguration • lnlercomm

Sensors

Work Station • Exprep • Compop • Ex supervisor

• Telephone

• Trainee • Pilot

• Radio

• Dummy

o Radar o OF

Pilot Main functions are to communicate reports and to insert clearances and instructions received by 'radio' or 'interphone' from the controllers. The complete traffic scenario is preplanned and defined during exercise preparation. The pilot nevertheless has the possibility to deviate from the preplanned routings during the exercise by issuing vectors to single aircraft.

Reports are displayed to the pilot on his EDP and communicated to the controller by radio or interphone/ telephone.

THE CONTROLLER/MARCH

1990

Systemcontrol and monitoring o System Control • System Monitoring • Slatus and Error Handling o System Related Slalislics

o Off Line Testing

Simulation Administration

GDS o Display of Generaled Air Situation

o DisRlayof Radarinfluenced Air Silualion

o CodeAdministration o OP Input Funcllons

o Flight plan handling o Route conversion o ETOICFL handling o Automatic flighl plan activalors o Slrip generation o OIi iine slrip prinling handing

o Aircrall Simulation o Target Detection o Weather Simulation

o Clock nme Processing

Exercise Administration o Ex Preparation

o lnslallalion o Ex Conlrol o Recording

o Evaluation

3

To ease the normal pilot situation the working position has ready access to all normal aircrah flight and navigational data on his EDP (Exercice Data Processor). Easy access is also provided to 9 comprehensive traffic procedure library for automatically flying departure and arrival routes, approach procedures, holding patterns, etc.

Trainee

The t rainee position replicates the working position of the radar controller and the planner/ coordinator in the operational centres. The sector or sectors to be simulated are defined in the Exepln.

other system function in need of it . All basic data can be modified (within validity limitations) to any set-up desired by the user of the system .

Exercise Administration Before an exercise is executed in the simulator, certain data regarding the exercise itself must be defined and entered in the Exepln. The Exepln gives detailed information about the organization of the exercise, such as number of trainee and dummy positions, weather conditions , exercise start time, participating aircraft, runway-in-use , communications, etc.

Dummy The dummy positions play the part of other sectors or units within and adjacent to the exercise area, they are not acti vely trained in this exercise.

possible to search the Simpln library to retrieve already stored Simplns and check if they are useful or lend themselves to use after minor modifications.

Simpln Library

The Simpln library is a general storage area of all flights in all exercises in the simulator. One Simpln Basic Data may be used in more than one Exepln Basic Dat a is a system function for due to the general nature of the providing genera l purpose data to any , Simpln (Simulated Flight Plan). It is

Exercise Data 8 Simultaneous exercises (forASIM 1+2=16) Trainee positions in one exercise 8 Pilot positions in one exercise _ 12 Dummy positions in one exercise 2 Simplns in one exercise _1,000 Active aerodromes in one exercise 4 DF stations in one exercise 2 Radar stations in one exercise 12 (for all exercises 24) 180 Aircrah total for all exercices 10 Aircrah per pilot 50 Exercise areas 200 Sectors 600 Aerodromes 1,000 Exepln 10,000 Simplns 150 Aircraft types 30 Aircrah performances

Extension of Egyptian ATC System Thomson-CSF recently sig ned a turnkey cont ract worth severa l hundred million francs w ith the Egyptian civil aviation organ ization for the modernization and extension of Egypt's ATC system New radar stat ion s and ground-toair telecommunicat ions facilities will be instal led as system coverage is extended to include the whole of Egyptian territory.

Thom son-CSF will also supply the¡ Egyptian c ivil aviation organization with an auto nomou s satel lite system linking the Nati onal Air Nav_igation Center in Cairo with the d ifferent stat ion s in service.

The air navigation infrastructure will be strengthened by the insta llation of VOR and DME stations along air traffic routes and on Egyptian airport s.

The National Navig at ion Center and the Cairo control tower are also due to Cairo Area Control Center be outfitted w ith additiona l new hardware.

Since 1980, Thomso n-CSF has Under the terms of the contract been pa rt icipating in the Egypt ian c ivi l Thomson -CSF will prov ide logistic support for the complete system for a aviat ion author ity's ATC moderni zation prog ram by o utfitting the 5-year period.

4

Nat ion al Air Navigation Center and supp lying radar and te lecommun icat io ns equipmen t and nava ids systems.

THE CONTROLLER / MARC H 1990

TASAC is the most economical among reliable training systems for Air Traffic Controllers.

It was developed by TASA , and provides you with a very flexible and low cost set of ATC training possibilities based on microcomputer devices. You have TASAC available in several versions according to the specific training problem , supporting from the very elementary students class of radar use principles to a sophisticated APP or ACC control retraining exercise .

The BASIC TASAC is described as the most fundamental configuration for flexible low cost ATC training. It comprises a set of two to five (IBM-PC compatible) microcomputers interconnected in a tree model network.

In the BASIC TASAC one PC executes the pilots ' procedures and controls the exercises, while the other PCs present the radar image , each one shows the work area for ATC training . Many console functions

Student(radar procedures)

are available in these work areas , such as ZOOM , target tags, video-maps , centre alteration, collision avoidance system , primary and/ or secondary target, . etc ...

The BASIC TASAC support s up to 100 airplanes at the same time. The speed , course , rate of climb and rate of descent , rate of turn , altitude and azimuth are controlled by the PC pilots . The effect of wind speed and direction can be introduced at two different levels, chosen by the exercise.

The ATC consoles can select one desired sector to work on, allowing the division of the control area among several controllers. Transfer control of airplanes from one area to another area is also available.

The BASIC TASAC is readily available at TASA RIO. Other versions should be subject to previous ordering.

Instructor(pilot procedures)

TELECOMUN/CA(:aESAERONAUnCASSA .

Ponta do Galeao - Ilha do Govemador -Tel.: (021)383 7091 Caixa Postal 3112 - End. Telegrafico - T ASARIO TLX (021)23372e 30679-CEP 21941-Riode Janeiro -Brasil

TASA - A Third World Organization Faces the Challenge of Automation

-A syste m of automation, providing simplicit y, portability, fle xibil ity and low cost but at the same time performing with high efficiency, a challenge the Thi rd World is facing , has been devised by Brazilian technicians with the development of TASAC- the S imulator fo r Training Air Traffic Contro llers.

The technology w hich the industrialized countr ies have to offer is not always appropriate to the resources avai labl e to Third World nations. That technology mainly calls for large integrated systems, acco mp an ied by problems hard to cope with when resources are meagre. It entai ls sophisticated hardware, computers. complex softwa re, specia lized operations, stringent maintenance requirements and, above all, on-going and costly updating.

The Problem and the Solution

talent at a considerable level of development which can and has succeeded in devising technologies suited to the current requirements of the developing countries . Th.is is what has been done by the technicians of TASA Telecomunicac;:oes Aeronauticas . Sociedade Anonima - a Brazilian air traffic control firm. serving this country of continental dimensions .

What TASA Stands for The important role of commercial aviation in so vast a territory has led to the establishment of a company also on a large scale . serving modern. large-sized airports. smaller facilities in far-flung places. and specialized airports alike.

But though the company ' s requirements are substantial. resources are somewhat limited . To cope with this situation. its technicians are on the look-out for low cost automation

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TELEC0.UUN ICAC0ÂŁS AERONA.UrtCAS SA

approaches such as the TASAC - designed around microcomputers which carries out simulation exercises in terms of selective fidelity ; clients pay only for what they really need to utilize . The line of products is low in cost, simply designed. portable, flexible but with the necessary efficiency in performance .

TASA - aimed at flight safety activities all over Brazil - has proved capable of developing flight safety systems, developing plans and projects conceived in terms of this new approach. implementing in the field projects worked out on the drawing board. operating and maintaining the systems created by its technicians. and training personnel for these purposes . TASA' s functions cover everything that has to be done on the ground for flight safety in aircraft operations . Its foremost concern is with seeking solutions that are tailored to fit the specific features of a developing country.

To implement large integrated system tec hnology, Third World countr ies have to import it at considerab le expense. Yet that same technology is itself advancing by leaps and bounds. It ca lls for constant up-dating, at corresponding ly high cos ts. Otherwise, it becomes downg raded and ceases to render the required services . Lacking such new complementary investments , the initial invest ment is fo rfeited . since the systems soon become obsolete. But the Third World's requirements are the other way around: Initial investments must not be high. yet the equ ipment must last a long time in use.

There is one compensation avai lable. however : Thir d Worl d countr ies such as Brazil have the know -how and 6

THE CONTROLLER/ MARC H 19 90

What TASAC Means TASAC-the Training Aid Simulator for Air Traffic Controllers- comprises a family of systems intended for training of air traffic control personnel. The extreme flexibility of the system fits it to any particular kind of training, from an initial course on the principles of radar to refresher courses for seasoned professionals.

The TASAC program unit operates simult aneous ly on two or more 16- or 32-bit PC type microcomputers which are interconnected (on-line operations) . The first microcomputer is for the instructor , and simulates the procedures adopted by aircraft pilots . The other microcomputer (more than one can also be used) , simulates the radar console operated by the air traffic controllers . It is also possible to include a comp lementary component for verbal communication between air traffic controllers and pilot s. Thi s makes simu lation approach even more c losely the actual operating condit ion s.

Complementary support programs involve thr ee modules : the video-map generation and maintenance module , the parameter gen eration and main tenance module , and the exerc ise generation and maintenance module.

The TASAC system is designed in line with the concept of selective fid elity: functional simu lation capacity is limited to a selected group of major attributes. This provides for effective training as on the traditional simulators. The diff erence resides, however, in th e fac t th at the latter, on account of their high cost, are accessib le o nly to a small number of tr ainees.

Selecti ve fidelity makes it poss ible for student s to obtain effective practice start ing from th e initi al concepts THE CONTROLLER/ MA RCH 199 0

of basic radar training. Right from the sta rt the system deals with concepts such as those of blind speed , tangential speed , attenuation of the effects of meteorological conditions, and effective range . This visualization helps to speed up professional achievement in training, encouraging and stimulating trai,1ees.

For the refresher training of air traffic controllers on the job, furthermore ,

the TASAC family of units contributes to the evolution of the training process, as costs are low, programs flexible and the equipment is portable.

This means cutting down on the length of time the professionals are off the job during operations. The greater the frequency of the refresher courses, the quicker routines can be sta ndardized and procedures up-dated .

There is also a higher degree of control over the shortcomings occurring in one-man operations .

This cuts down on undesirable delays between didacti c encouragement and the benefits derived from actual practice .

Another result is the fac ilit y of readapting professional s to new op erating location s, since TASAC makes it possible to simula te the new environ ment, with all its scenarios, traffi c idiosyncrasies , aircraft indication s common to the region , etc.

Examples of Exercises A look at the group of exerc ises propo sed in the M anual acco mpanying th e TASAC system gives a good idea of the usefulne ss and all-encompassing nature of the system for t he entire process of training of air traffic contro llers. The se exercises, broken down by phases, bear out th e fact that

the TASAC system satisfactori ly m eets both the requirement s of operating facility suitable to initial training and the stringent needs in term s of performance involved in comple x sequencing and land ing exercises set for the final stages of th e training.

In the first phase the trainees acquire basic skills in measurement of speed and heading, get to know the area of operations through familiari ¡zation with local fixed points of reference, make estimation calculations and master the initial phraseolog y.

In the second phase they engage in maneuvers with simulate d echoes , control enroute \ crossing ',o f air planes and become well acquainted with the principles of safety and the appro priate phraseology .

In the third phase the y receive training in the elementary procedures for practicing the interception of I LS .

In the final phase , trainees become qualified in a shorter time period .to attain the ability of radar controllers.

New-Generation Approach and Landing System under Development Marc oni Defence System s Limi ted announced t he development of a new high- acc uracy all-weather approach and landing aid fo r helicopters using helidec ks on oil rigs and platforms.

The product , to be launched in the first half of 1990, will also be applicable for fixed-w ing aircraft flying into airstr ips with poor or no existing landing inst rumen tation.

Th e new product draws on Mar coni' s extens ive experience of microwave techno logy spanning some 40 years in the busine ss . This development proje ct, conducted in collaborat io n with Bristow Helicopter s, is part of a concerted po licy of bringing experience ga ined from the company's many military contracts to benefit civilian and co mm ercial customers.

The system require s minimal ground equ ipment, with most of the installation confined to the rotary and fixed-wing aircraft assigned . The new equipment provides users with the ability to approach and land in weather conditions that would nor mally prohibit such movements wi thout the prohibitive cost of ILS or MLS installation. The product will permit more reliable servicing of small outly ing communities as well as an easier and safer approach to helidecks on oil rigs and platforms.

7

II ~

Simulators for ATC Training: A Canadian Perspective Peter Smithers. Director ATC Programs, AIT Corporation

Simulation has been used as a training aid for many years and the . past two decades have seen computer based simulators as the predominant approach. Air traffic control training is one of the many complex operational problems which has benefitted from simulation and the capabilities of ATC training systems are continually being expanded and enhanced.

Air Traffic Services branch of Transport Canada has used computer based simulators for both training and ATC research and development since the early 1970s. In a major procure" meAt announced in November 1989.

Transport Canada has made a further commitment to simulators as the basis of training at all skill levels .

Within the scope of a 2.4-million dollar contract Transport Canada will install ATC training simulators at the Transport Canada Training Institute (TCTI) and at seven Regional Training Centres across Canada .

In common with most countries, Canada has a severe shortage of controllers . The economic slow down in the early eight(es precipitated a restriction in the recruiting and training of new controllers . This, coupled with subsequent air transport growth and an ageing controller population. has resulted in a shortage of about 400 qualified controllers in an establishment of about 2,400. With a training time approaching three years and high trainee drop out rates. this shortage is expected to continue in the future .

THE CONTROLLER / MARCH 1990

Training needs in Canada are threefold : ab-initio training regional training to qualification level conversion training and requalification.

Ab-initio training is centralized at TCTI where recruits from all regions are trained in basic communications. tower and radar procedures. In addition to training for its own requirement, Transport Canada provides abinitio instruction for Canada's Department of National Defence military controller specialists and, on space available basis, to ATC staff from other states .

The systems under procurement for TCTI will provide twelve trainee controller positions with twelve pseudopilot or feed positions. These trainee controller positions will be used to develop basic radar control capabilities.

Graduates from TCTI return to thei r Regional Training Centre for more advanced and site specific training. This is accomplished through a mixt ure of simulator based instruction and actual on4he~ob(OJT) experience.

Each region has had an earlier generation computer based training simulator capability which will be replaced under the new procurem ent.

The replacement system will include facilities for three or four trainee positions and pseudo-pilot positions. plus an exercise control position.

AIT , Advanced Information Technologies Corporation of Nepean. Ontario. Canada. who has developed a flexible system called NATSIM (Network Air Traffic Simulato r) is supplying systems to meet the Transport Canada requirements across Canada.

AIT had previously provided prototype NATSIM systems for use in the Toronto and Montreal Regiona l Centres where they have been actively used since November 1988.

Brief Description of NATSIM The basic building block of NATSIM is a workstation computer dr iving a student controller radar position , comprising a display. a keyboard and a computer mouse . plus a feed or pseudo-pilot position. which includes an alphanumeric display, keyboard and a repeater of the controller ' s display . This is shown in Figure 1. A network of these basic building bloc ks provides training capabilities for many students plus support facilities for control of the exercises (see Figure 2 ).

Networking not only provides for interconnection between controllers so that a multi-sector environment can be simulated. but also provides for resource sharing and redundancy so that system costs can be m inimized and system flexibility maximized .

The student controller positions closely emulate the real world in terms of data presentation at t he display and in functional capabi lities available to the controller . A typical Joi nt Enroute Terminal System (JETS) display is shown in Figure 3. Through changes in the computer software . the functional capab ilities of different operational systems can be realistically emulated.

The system inc lude s facilities for the automatic generation of aircra ft tracks which are the n 'viewed' by both primary and secondary radar models to provide the appropriate information to the controller in accordance with the radar capa bilit ies and the display

9

selections made by the controller. The aircraft tracks may be modified by ' pilot' inputs as requested by the student co ntroller using a communications syste m to the pilot. Pilot inputs permit full maneuverability of aircraft suitably constra ined by mathem atical models using performance data appropriate to the particular aircraft type and its mode or phase of flight .

Up to 32 airc raft can be handled by a pilot using function keys on a keyboard and specia l displays which show the detail associated with one aircraft or summary data for many aircraft .

Exercises ca n be c reated to involve on ly a sing le sector or multipl e sectors, typical ly up to four. Mul t iple pilot positions pe rm it more than 100 aircraft to be co ncurren t ly flying in an exercise with up to 500 aircraft defined for an exercise . W ithin one system, severa l students may use the same single sector exercise or different exercises, or an exercise with multi-sectors may be run.

During the runn ing of an exercise, all essentia l data are reco rded to disk so that the exercise may be played back to review performance with th e student and if necessary to switch int o simu lation mode so that corrections c an be made and the exercise cont inued .

10

Exercises can be readily generated using a powerful exercise editor. Exercises access a database containing the navigation environment, e.g., fixes, airways, navigational aids, airports , etc. ; map data representing operational map s based on the navigation environment; and aircraft performance data for different aircraft types and airline operating procedures.

These database items are used by all exercises and can be tailored to the operating area using special editors which provide simple user-friendly fa ci lit ies for input and revision . Within the simulatio n software, various model s use the basic data to generate three dimensional and timed tracks app ropriate to the flight phase so that the aircraft flight path appears reali stic to the st udent contro ller.

Objectives and Trade-offs for NATSIM Development Transport Canada's requirement for a new training system was spec ifica lly tailored to suit the installed operational systems across Canada. These systems, JETS - Joint Enroute/Terminal Systems, were com missioned in t he mid - to late sevent ies and use monochrome cursive displays to present compu t er processed radar

data to the controller. Inter actio n with the system employs specia l keyboards and a joy st ic k. The keyboa rds include function and category keys which may be backlit when selected, together with an alphanumeric keyboa rd using an ABCDE layout.

Simulator system cost was a primary facto r in procurement, together with expansion potential beyond simulation of JETS since a major rada r and associated controller di sp lay upgrade/ expansion program is also currently underway in Canada . RAMP (Radar Modernization Program), includes the replacement of actual radar heads and the introduction of new displays and computer processing systems in most control centres .

These RAMP systems still use monochrome display technology but include increased processing capabilities and new controller functions such as conflict alert and minimum safe altitude warning. The RAMP system s also use conventional QWERTY alphanumeric keyboards . The NATSIM simulator uses low cost computer technology and the potential to upgrade NATSIM to provide RAMP features through software changes was an important consideration in the selection of NATSIM. NATSIM has been designed to provide close emulation of the JETS co ntroller capabilities and the same system is used through all levels of training . This ensures that the skills acquired during basic training are directly applicable in the regional training . JETS functions and capabilities will be part of the training environment starting at TCTI and there is, in general, no requirement to learn new method s of carrying out a particular function when moving from ab-initio to sit e sim ulation and then to operation al contro l. For example , keyboard sequences attempt to repli cate the operational actions, simi larly the resulting displays. However , compromises or trade -offs are inevitable when using standard computer interface capabilities to emulate cu stom designed display and interface devices . NATSIM is based on Apollo work stations which use high reso lution raster display graphi cs ( 1280 horizontal X 1024 vert ical) to output to monochrome, singl e bit , i. e., black or white , display screens. The oper ational JETS displays are vector (cursive) and utilize grey sca le so th at various operational feature s can be differentiated or enhanced through indi vidual picture element brightness controls.

NATSIM use s 23-inch diagonal rectangular displays while JETS uses 20 -in c h c ircular displays. Difference s THE CONTRO LLER/ MARCH 1990

in symbology and display appearance due to resolution. grey scale capabilities and size are minimized through careful design and selection of data so that the simulation closely emulates the operational display. In the area of keyboard input devices there have been two conflicting requirements JETS is ABCDE plus special separate function keyboards while RAMP is QWERTY. NATSIM was developed as a low cost system and a standard PC style QWERTY keyboard has been utilized with definition of the function keys so that equivalent functional capabilities are available. are grouped and are used in sequences which replicate the JETS functional capabilities.

Therefore. in performing a hand-off for example. the key sequences. resulting displays and functional actions duplicate the operational systems.

JETS has special control panels to select display parameters such as data block character sizes. display range. range ring scales. etc. Similar capabilities are provided in NATSIM through functions selected as keyboard entries or via pop-up menus on the display. In JETS the controller can see the current settings for the various parameters by inspecting the physical switch settings. A specially defined function key in NATSIM initiates a temporary display of these parameters and thus provides the same capability.

JETS uses a joystick for positioned entry of data while NATSIM uses a mouse since this is the standard device available with the workstation of the system. Significant effort has been made to emulate the operational capabilities as closely as possible and training experience with the Toronto and Montreal systems has not identified any particular problems with the approaches and compromises taken.

Initial feedback from the user related to aircraft performance during certain phases of flight. e.g .. during climb out from takeoff and refinements to the performance models have been made to provide realistic track generation and yet limit the computational load which a true performance model entails.

Simulation involves many tradeoffs and compromises and the developer and end user must both understand each other's requirements/ problems particularly where relatively low cost systems are required for training personnel for complex operational roles. NATSIM has been and will continue to evolve in this cooperative spirit thus ensuring that ATC training requirements are realized in the most efficient and cost effective way.

THE CONTROLLER/MARCH 1990

Pilot Error and System Failure There have been several dramatic air transport category accidents in the last 24 months that provide ample evidence of human errors. A closer look at those errors committed by pilots in aircraft reveals system errors that preceded the accident and contributed. sometimes crucially. to the outcome. It is the system breakdown. as much as the pilot error. that gives aviation safety officers a feel for the Zeitgeist. the spirit or feeling. present in an air transport system.

Unfortunately. the failures of the individuals at the controls. the pilots. receive the most attention. But there are system failures that are caused by weak management. inadequate training. an aging or absent technology. It is these shortcomings that. in combination with particular errors in aircraft handling and decision-making. result in accidents.

All pilots have been asked embarrassing questions about crashes; it goes with the territory. It may be your mother. your boyfriend. your dentist. your bartender (you fill in the blanks). but most questions about flying safety seem to begin and end with the pilot.

The question usually posed is 'why' rather than 'how¡. Does this sound familiar?: 'Why did the pilot land so hard?'

'Why was it so bumpy after takeoff?'

'Why is that airliner so noisy?'

To the public. a bumpy flight reveals the bad decision-making of the pilot. and noise and hard landings are conclusive proof of the pilot's physical incompetence. If the flinty-eyed stares from passengers seem to be on the increase. blame it on the Zeitgeist.

The mantle of infallibility has fallen from the shoulders of the heroic airline pilot.

If these same passengers had an insider's look at some airlines. the senior management. the training and maintenance divisions. their apprehension about flying might increase.

But they would also appreciate that pilots are a crucial. but not the sole. link in the chain leading to an accident. They would understand that the system can fail to support the pilot. and thereby start the chain of events leading to death.

The crash on takeoff of a DC-9-10 in November 1987 during a snowstorm at Denver. Colorado. was a

characteristic. but not unique example of system as well as pilot error.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators determined that the aircraft had been rotated twice as fast as it should have been by the first officer to a higher than recommended pitch attitude. Due to ice contamination on the wings. the stalling speed of the aircraft was higher than usual. and the stall angle of attack lower. Therefore. the stall warning stick shaker did not activate. Th~ aircraft stalled. the engines experienced compressor surges. the left wing dropped and struck the ground. and the aircraft rolled over onto its back.

The aircraft was an early 10 series model without leading edge slats on the wings and. therefore. particularly affected by ice contamination. Twenty-eight people including the captain and first officer died. 54 others survived. 28 of whom had serious injuries.

The NTSB concluded that ¡ ... the accident was precipitated by the captain's failure to return for a second deicing after the extensive delay before takeoff because the upper wing surface contamination that existed was sufficient to cause the loss of control during the takeoff attempt .. : The captain with about 33 hours PIC time on type. and 133 hours as a F/ 0 on type. was a very experienced airman with over 12.000 flying hours as a second and first officer. He had returned to the company in July 1986 as a second officer after two years and ten months on strike. The first officer. newly hired by the company. with 36 hours on type, had never flown with or met the captain before. The trip planned was only the captain's third on the aircraft as a line captain. and the first officer¡ s second as a DC-9 first officer. The first officer. who had not been on duty for 24 days before the accident because he was a reserve pilot. had been substituted for another pilot to help him maintain proficiency.

Investigation showed that the company had allowed the pairing of an inexperienced captain and first officer. both newly trained on type. on a day when the weather at Denver was forecast at 500 overcast. 2 miles visibility in light snow. winds gusting to 25 knots. However. the actual conditions 2 5 minutes before the accident were 11

ceiling indefinite, 500 feet obscured, moderate snow and fog, visibility half a mile, and RVR only 1,200 feet.

Twenty-five minutes after the crash weather conditions were 300 feet obscured, visibility 3 / 8ths of a mile, RVR 600 feet.

The NTSB stated· ... the pairing of pilots with limited experience in their respective positions can, when combined with other factors. such as adverse weather, be unsafe and is not acceptable .. .' The Board also noted that · ... The 24-day period. which had elapsed since the first officer's last flight trip sequence, was excessive for a pilot of limited experience [and] ... probably eroded his retention of newly acquired knowledge [and] skills .. .'

The company management said after the accident that it was very difficult to develop a crew scheduling system that would take account of crew experience. and, in any case, the captain and first officer had met the FAA requirments as line pilots. System failure number one: inadequate risk management by the company.

The first officer satisfactorily passed his checkout on the DC-9 but analysis of his training record revealed a pilot with a turboprop aircraft background. no large jet experience, and marginal skills demonstrated during simulator training. His employment history revealed a slow learner in previous flying jobs, who had been fired from one position after repeated check ride failures. Perhaps this pilot might well have improved to a higher standard when paired with an experienced training captain and closely monitored. System failure number two: inadequate training followup on a marginal pilot requiring additional supervision. .

The Denver airport was not equipped with airport surface detection· equipment (ASDE). and controllers were unable to see the aircraft on the ground due to poor visibility. A series of misunderstandings by controllers about the location of the DC-9 and another company aircraft occurred. in part. because the DC-9 crew did not inform ATC that they were going to taxi to their company's deicing pad some distance from the gate.

After the aircraft was deiced, the DC-9 crew contacted clearance delivery for their next movement from the deicing pad t0 the runway. But the clearance delivery controller. having no markings on the flight progress strip of the DC-9's location, believed they were asking to taxi to the deicing pad from the gate. Moments earlier, the controller had mistakenly directed another company aircraft to the run up 12

area for the departing runway. This Air Traffic Control aircraft. in fact. wanted to go to the deicing pad and did so, despite ac- Trainer Commissioned at knowledging instructions to proceed Schiphol to runway 35L. Later, when instructed to move onto the runway by ATC, the The National Dutch Civil Aviation crew of this aircraft did not respond to Authority (NDCA) has enlarged its fatransmissions because they were sit- cilities for training air traffic control ting in the deicing pad. personnel at Schiphol with the comOwing to this misunderstanding, missioning of a new ATC training controllers were giving takeoff clear- simulator. The system has been deance to other aircraft behind the DC-9. signed and installed by Ferranti Comallowing other aircraft to take off puter Systems Limited of Fleet, ahead of it. The result was a 27 min- Hampshire, under a contract worth ute delay for the DC-9 between being approximately three million Dutch deiced and receiving takeoff clear- guilders. (£850,000 sterling) The trainer has been specifically ance. The captain should have returned for another deicing session, given · designed to provide an introduction of the heavy snowfall and the unacceptATC radar control procedures before able delay. But how had the system let students move on to more advanced In him down? What tools did the system simulators or live equipment. provide for this flight crew to assess addition to its primary role as a basic trainer, it will also be used to assess the risks, and make sound decisions? the aptitude of prospective recruits.

There is no way for the pilots sitting The system provides primary and in the cockpit to monitor the amount of snow accumulation on the air- secondary surveillance radar informaframe, and there does not appear to tion to synthetic radar displays at six be any invention on the drawing board student control positions. These posthat will provide cautionary advice on itions are supported by six ·pilot'/ ice and snow accumulation (maybe supervisor stations. Either one intethere should be). It thus becomes very grated exercise can be run, or the positions may be allocated into any difficult to calculate the deterioration combination of individual separate in performance due to wing contamiexercises of different types. nation.

The 'pilot' positions are equipped It is easy to say, when in doubt. pull with a Ferranti designed touch sensiout of the line and return to the ramp.

But thousands of airline pilots out tive plasma panel keyboard in order to ease the work load during more comthere in the system know the complex plex exercises when a large number of pressures that militate against a flight aircraft are involved. cancellation. It takes strong discipline Ferranti has also designed the and independence to pull out of a long line of aircraft because you have eight channel radio communications and intercom system. decided that the weather conditions Maximum use has been made of will not permit a safe takeoff. It takes commercially available hardware even greater character for a copilot to indicate that he or she is not up to rather than using real radar displays or attempting to replicate an actual ATC these weather conditions, and would prefer to return to the ramp. and fly on centre. The software, however, provides facilities comparable to many of a better day.

The safety of air transport relies on the large types of ATC simulators.

Principal operational parameters this strength of character and judgment; but does the company man- include six airfields; an exercise area of 1024 X 1024 miles up to 100.000 agement and the training department. feet; simulation for 32 different airin combination with the air regulations and air traffic system, fully support craft types; a maximum of 60 active that judgment?

Sometimes the flight plans and 200 ATC routes.

The simulation runs on two Digital answer is no, and the result is an accident. As Professor Kenneth Andrews Equipment Corporation Micro Vax of the Harvard Business School ob- mini computers. A third computer has served in 1950, 'Every accident. no been provided for off-line operations, matter how minor, is a failure in or- in preparing exercises. software deganization'. velopment and maintenance. etc.

(From 'Aviation Safety Letter' 1189)

It Pays to Advertise in The Controller THE CONTROLLER/MARCH 1990

Hypertension Aviator

and the

Dr. George Y. Yakahashi, Director of Civil Aviation Medicine, Medical Services Branch, Health and Welfare Canada Editor's note: The information below is of interest to holders of air traffic controller's and pilot's licenses. It must be remembered that it was directed originally at a Canadian audience, that medications listed may or may not be acceptable in other jurisdictions, and that trade names of medications may vary.

Just mentioning the topic of hypertension, another word for high blood pressure. has caused more worry and concern amongst aviators over the years than any other medical topic. In fact. some pilots became so concerned about their blood pressure levels during medical examinations that it was impossible for the medical examiner to obtain a 'normal' reading.

Owing to significant advances in the knowledge and treatment of hypertension in recent years. pilots and air traffic controllers may be reassured that the medical status of their license will not be threatened merely on the basis of elevated blood pressure.

Firstly, a few basic physiological facts. Blood pressure is required to promote adequate blood flow to all body tissues and cells requiring oxygen and other nutrients. The hea:i is the pump that generates this pressure through th~ arteries.

Because, under certain conditions such as physical exercise and emotional stress, the body cells require more oxygen and nutrients, the heart pumps faster and harder to raise your blood pressure to promote greater blood flow.

However. under normal resting conditions your blood pressure should return to 'normal' levels. If your blood pressure consistently remains at high levels during norr:ial activities and resting conditions. then you may be suffering from the condition called 'hypertension' or 'high blood pressure'.

The early detection and treatment of hypertension is very important as. in most cases. hypertension causes no symptoms for some time. If left untreated, however, hypertension causes strain and enlargement of the heart. premature development of arteriosclerosis or har~ening a_ndthickening of the arteries. resulting in heart._brain and kidney damage. In addition there is increased risk of sudden incapacitation due to a 'stroke' or 'heart attack'.

Hypertension is also now recognized as a major risk factor in the development of coronary artery disease. the primary medical cause of pilot ¡grounding' in the western world.

Although family history is a significant factor in the development of hypertension. much can be done to lessen one's chances of developing the condition. A sedentary lifestyle with the lack of regular exercise. when coupled with smoking and regular alcohol consumption. will encourage the development of hypertension.

Dietary factors such as excessive salt or sodium intake. and foods containing high levels of cholesterol are also contributing factors to hypertension. Naturally, excessive eating resulting in overweight and obesity also contributes to this condition.

If you are a pilot or an air traffic controller and have been told by your physician that your blood pressure is elevated.

THE CONTROLLER/MARCH 1990

do not panic! Your blood pressure levels should be checked on several occasions on different days for. as previously mentioned. blood pressure levels vary from moment to moment and from day to day.

If your physician establishes that your blood pressure is consistently elevated. however, then he/she will determine whether your condition will require medication, or that adequate control may be achieved by other means such as modification in lifestyle and dietary habits. Many cases of mild hypertension may be controlled by changes in diet and lifestyle, along with regular medical supervision.

If your physician decides that medication is required to control your blood pressure. he/ she must select one that is safe to use within the aviation environment. Fortunately there are now available several anti-hypertensive medications that aviators may take and continue flying activities. A medical list is included here for your information.

Please be aware that the majority of effective modern medications have many undesirable side effects, some serious and unacceptable. while others may be minor. The possible occurrence and severity of side effects vary from individual to individual.

Therefore, even though a medication may be approved for usage by aviation personnel, you and your physician must be assured that the medication selected must not only be effective in adequately controlling your blood pressure. but that no serious side effects will be encountered.

With the professional supervision of a physician. the adoption of a healthy lifestyle. and the availability of choices in approved anti-hypertensive medications for aviation personnel, Canadian pilots. professional or recreational. should no longer worry needlessly about losing their flying status solely as a result of hypertension or high blood pressure. ('Aviation Safety Letter' 7/88)

Classification of medications for the treatment of hypertension in aviators Acceptable

NotAcceptable

acebutolol (SECTRAL)

captopril(in combination witha diuretic)

amiloridecombined with hydrochlorothiazide (M0DURET)

clonidine(CATAPRES)

atenolol(TEN0RMIN)

debrisoquine (aloneor in combination) (DECUNAX)

captopril(CAP0TEN)

enalapril(in combination with a diuretic)

chlorthalidone (HYGR0T0N) (100 mgmdailymaximum)

furosemide (LASIX)

diltiazem (CARDIZEM)

guanethidine (ISMELIN)

enalapril(VAS0TEC)

hydralazine (alone)(APRES0LINE)

hydrochlorothiazide (HYDR0DIURIL) labetalol(TRANDATE) hydralazine (APRES0LINE) in combination witha betablocker

methyldopa (aloneor in combination) (ALD0MET. ALD0RIL)

indapamide (LOZIDE)

minoxidil(L0NITEN)

methylclothiazide (DURETIC)

prazosin (MINIPRESS)

metoprolol (L0PRES0R. BETALOC)

rauwolfia (aloneor in combination) (RESERPINE)

nadolol(C0RGARD)

sotalol(S0TAC0R)

nifedipine (ADALAT)

spironolactone (aloneor in combination) (ALDACTONE. ALDACTAZIDE)

oxprenolol (TRASIC0R) pindolol(VISKEN) (VISKAZIDE) propranolol (INDERAL) timolol(BL0CADREN) triamterene (DYRENIUM. DYAZIDE) verapamil (IS0PTIN) NOTE:Nameof drugsin bracketswithcapitalletteris thecommontradename 13

I FATCA Activities

Report on the 6th Joint European Meeting in Barcelona D. C.B. Stuart, Excutive Vice-President, Technical

The joint European (JEUR) meeting was held in Barcelona on 14 and 15 October 1989.

Barcelona, on the Mediterranean coast of Spain is the capital of Catalonia and one of the largest cities in Europe. Catalonia is the name of the Spanish territory stretching from the Pyrenees to the lower course of the Ebro river, to the Mediterranean. It is an autonomous community within the Spanish state. Barcelona was founded by the Romans some 2.000 years ago. The city is a fascinating mixture of the old and the new. and has developed into a major European convention city.

The JEUR was held at the Barcelona conference centre. which has eleven meeting rooms for numbers varying from six to 1.000. It also has an auditorium capable of holding 1.500 people.

The meeting commenced at 0900 on Saturday the 14th without ceremony. In attendance were representatives from Belgium. Denmark, Finland. Iceland, Federal Republic of Germany. Austria. Ireland, Luxembourg. Netherlands and Hungary. Also in attendance representing the Executive Board were the President. Executive Vice-President. Finance, and the Executive Vice-President. Technical. The meeting was jointly chaired

by Philippe Domagala (RVP EUW) and Kurt Kihr (RVP EUC).

After acceptance of the minutes of the 5th JEUR meeting Kurt reported to the meeting on his activities as RVP EUC. In particular. he provided an update on FEATS (future European air traffic management system concept) and on the FLO(E) (informal flow control meetings Europe east) meeting he had recently attended. He advised that he would be providing a full brief14

ing on that meeting to the RVP EUW for his participation in the forthcoming FLO(W) (informal flow control meeting, Europe west) meeting.

Kurt advised that he had been in contact with Romania and had provided help and information following a request from them. He also advised that he had had several telephone briefings with the Soviet Union, who had indicated a willingness to participate in international affairs. It was therefore disappointing that they had been unable to attend this meeting.

Kurt was followed by the report of the RVP EUW, Philippe Domagala who listed the prodigious number of his MAs that he had visited during his last year in office. He had also visited non-MAs such as Greenland. which currently only has an AFIS. Of particular interest in his report was the prosecution of controllers in Iceland for alleged negligence causing a nearmiss. This had resulted in suspended sentences. This means that these controllers must not be charged with any offense during the period of the suspended sentence or the case can be reopened.

Philippe also reported on the FEATS meeting in Budapest and outlined his anticipated involvement in the GATCO CONVEX. FLO(W). FANS (future air navigation systems) and the RNAV meeting coming up in Luxembourg. He also introduced Freddie Meyers as the liaison officer to the European community.

Philippe was followed by the report of the Executive Board which. apart from listing special liaison visits by EB members (Soviet Union. Namibia, Kenya. South Africa. Tanzania and Zambia) and the location of the Board meetings in the previous year (Adelaide. Acapulco, Frankfurt. Vancouver and Lisse), gave a rundown on the recent Council Meeting in Lisse with particular emphasis on the restructure of the Federation. The president also listed the many ICAO working groups and panels with which the Federation is now involved. The president also emphasized the excellent working relationship we have with IFALPA.

which, amongst other things. had resulted in a joint statement to the memberships of both organizations encouraging cooperation between ATC and pilot groups at the regional or local level. Contact had also been renewed with IAOPA and maintained with the ILO who had recently announced approval for the ATC scholarship program for Tanzania.

Following the report of the Executive Vice-President. Finance. the RVP EUW gave an excellent presentation to the meeting on the restructuring of the Federation. This was one of the major items for discussion and engendered considerable interest. In particular, the future method of operating Regions was discussed at great length with many ideas being canvassed. Member Associations were also urged to find a candidate for the new position of RVP Europe as neither Philippe Domagala nor Kurt Kihr would be standing. However, both indicated that they would be willing to provide whatever help they could to the new incumbent.

Importantly. the meeting wholeheartedly endorsed the restructure.

In addition to the normal business of the conference. an excellent presentation was made by INISEL on the proposed new Spanish ATC system (SAATCAS). This company was also one of the sponsors of the conference.

Another major item on the agenda was the report of the various MAs attending. It is particularly significant that nearly all reported shortages of staff. Also highlighted was the problem facing many administrations of the age distribution of ATCOs. which will result. in many countries. in the loss of up to 50 percent of ATCOs within ten years due to retirement. In some areas. doubt was expressed at the ability of the training systems. in some cases. to cope with such a drain. Staff shortages had also resulted in increased overtime and elimination of familiarization flights and refresher training.

Air Traffic Flow Management was another major item of discussion.

Once again. Europe had experienced THE CONTROLLER/MARCH 1990

a summer of severe traffic flow problems. This had also been exacerbated by staff shortages. The meeting reiterated the I FATCA policy that air traffic flow management was not the answer to staff shortages or lack of equipment. A press release was issued by the meeting highlighting the many problems causing bottlenecks and traffic flow problems.

Before concluding the meeting. the MAs expressed their unanimous appreciation to Kurt and Philippe for the tremendous amou~t of work they had both done for their membership over the preceding year. Thanks were also ~xpress~d to the organizer of the meeting. Luis ?uarez. The meeting, howe_ver. reaffirmed that Regional Meetings must be working meetings and that costs had to be kept to an absolute minimum.

Lest it be thought that it was all work and n_oplay, Luis had organized excellent din~ers e~ch evening which allowed for d1scuss1onsto continue in a more relaxed atmosphere.

IFATCA Regional Meeting North and Central America, Tegucigalpa/ Honduras 3 / 4 November 1989 Ul/i Windt, Executive Vice-President, Administration The IFATCA Regional Meeting North and Central America was organized by CENAMER and held in Tegucigalpa. the capital of Honduras.

The I FATCA Executive Board was represented by the Executive Vice-President Administration, Ulli Windt, and the Executive Vice-President Finance.

Tord Gustavsson. The Regional VicePresident Hugo Esquivel, Costa Rica. welcomed delegations from Canada, CENAMER. El Salvador. Honduras.

Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama.

All Member Associations gave an update on the situation of the air traffic controllers and the ATC system in their country and on the problems they are facing. A great number of problemstechnical and financial ones - were identified.

The Executive Vice-President. Administration. reported to the meeting on the activities of the Federation in the various technical and professional areas. and the Executive Vice-President. Finance. on the present financial situation. A lengthy discussion took place on the proposed new structure of IFATCA and many questions were asked to the representatives of the THE CONTROLLER/MARCH 1990

Executive Board. The general consensus of all delegates at the Regional Meeting North and Central America was that a new structure is not only necessary but has to be implemented as quickly as possible.

Introducing New Member Associations

... ~TC

----~--.--.-,:.

;,_-~

6th I FATCA Regional Meeting Caribbean, Port of Spain, Trinidad, 14-16 November 1989 Ulli Windt, Executive Vice-President, Administration Port of Spain, the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, was the venue of the 6th IFATCA Regional Meeting Caribbean. Although last year Antigua had_ been _elected as venue for the meeting, this had to·be changed at very short notice as Antigua reported difficulties because of the aftermath of hurricane Hugo and was therefore not in a position to host the meeting.

The Regional Vice-President Vivian Hanenberg welcomed delegates from the Member Associations of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Netherlands Antilles, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago as well as representatives of the ·air traffic controllers' associations of Anguilla.

Aruba and Sint Maarten.

The main discussion at the 6th IFATCA Regional Meeting Caribbean cantered on the reports of the Member Associations and non-member associations, and the eventual solution of mutual problems and, of course, the proposed new structure of the Federation.

The Trinidad and Tobago Air Traffic Controllers' Association had invited Mr. Chan-Fong of the Airports Authorities of Trinidad and Tobago and Dr. Sankar of Raytheon Canada to address the meeting as guest speakers.

Mr. Chan-Fong gave an interesting report on the current situation and the future possibilities of the aviation industry in the region whereas Dr. Sankar updated the delegates on the introduction of radar in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

The Trinidad and Tobago Air Traffic Controllers· Association (TIATCA) has to be congratulated as they not only arranged this 6th Meeting of the IFATCA Caribbean Region at very short notice but also organized it excellently. The meeting was. as were all his previous regional meetings. chaired excellently by the Regional VicePresident Vivian Hanenberg. from Suriname.

NAMATCA

Namibian Air Traffic Controllers' Association After World War One, the German colony Sudwest Afrika became a C-Mandate within the League of Nations and was placed under the administration of South Africa. The official name of the country became South West Africa. During the early 1980s most of the country's administrative functions were taken over by local bodies, including civil aviation.

The country is now known as Namibia, named after the Namib Desert, which covers the entire eastern part of the country.

The control centre at Windhoek Airport is the FIC of the Windhoek FIR, an area of approximately 396,000 square nautical miles. Although the country has an excellent road network, the vast distances between towns make aviation a necessity. Prevailing good weather results in pleasant flying conditions and therefore most of the flights are conducted under the VMC. At Windhoek airport, the following procedural ATC services are being provided - aerodrome control, approach control. area control and flight information service. Six forward remote VHF relay stations enable controllers at Windhoek airport to cover approximately 65 percent of the FIR with VHF communications. The remainder of the FIR is covered by HF SSB. Eros, the capital's urban aerodrome, is the busiest aerodrome in the country and is considered to be one of the busiest in southern Africa. Keetmanshoop provides full airport facilities and procedural control for aviators operating in the south of the country.

A total of 18 ATCOs and 14 ATC assistants known as air traffic communicators in this country. provide air traffic services at one international airport, one airport and one aerodrome.

15

Human error in aviation can be deliberate, inadvertent or reflect expertise Dr. Carlton E. Melton, Consultant, Human Factors, and Professor of Biology, Oklahoma City University (USA)

'Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous. But to an even greater degree than the sea. it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect. · Anonymous 'There are two kinds of pilots those who have landed gear up and those who will.' This cynical old saying trenchantly makes the point that erroneous behavior is inherent in all pilots. Maybe everything has been said on this subject that can be said; but then. again. maybe some new perspectives can still be offered.

To me. pilot error is not a one-dimensional concept. At the peril of adding to an already lengthy taxonomy of error, I distinguish at least three broad categories: • Deliberate errors encompass conscious. intellectual decisions to carry out imprudent acts, such as a flight into known severe weather or in an aircraft with known defects. or both.

• Skill errors are those engendered by inadequate training and/ or experience.

• Inadvertent errors involve indecision, confusions, reversals, forgetfulness, negligence. etc .. exemplified by gear-up landings and confusion of controls.

The generally accepted, traditional single remedy for all errors is more training. However. no amount of training in flight manoeuvres and procedures will cause an immature individual to make a mature decision.

Anyone who deliberately flies into known severe weather does so not because of ignorance but because of a personal defect.

Supplied with the same data, some people will make good decisions and some will make bad ones. · I did it against my better judgment' is a comment that affirms an awareness of erroneous behavior and a conscious decision to go ahead anyway.

Pilots are not much different from 16

automobile drivers in thinking that accidents happen to other people but not to themselves, an attitude called 'self-serving bias'. Indeed. people's attitudes vary widely regarding attribution of cause for life events, ranging from those who feel personally accountable for their actions to others who believe that luck. fate. divinity or destiny determines what happens.

Wichman and Ball [1 ], human factors researchers. classified such beliefs under the term 'locus of control'.

People who feel personally responsible for their acts are said to have an internal locus of control; those who feel that outside forces determine what happens have an external locus of control.

Wichman and Ball found that general aviation pilots as a group were somewhat more internalized in their locus of control than were non-pilot comparison groups. However. pilots expressed self-serving bias (internalizing successes, externalizing failures) in the feeling that they were betterthan-average pilots and less likely than their peers to have an accident.

These psychological concepts generally delineate some of the dimensions of maturity in that they speak to people's capacity for self-deception and delusion. The pilot who should be watched most carefully is the one who offers his accident-free flying history as evidence that he is accident-proof. The longer he goes without an accident the more he thinks he is unlikely ever to have one.

This primitive probability theory reinforces self-serving bias and leads to delusions of invulnerability. Regardless of his flying history. a pilot must exercise the same caution every time he flies because the potential for a human-error accident is always there.

The germ of self-serving bias is in us all; as a denial mechanism. it is a trace ingredient of self-confidence. Safety must lie in the middle ground. where people are confident of their abilities but knowledgeable about their limitations and are able to recognize and admit that there is always room for improvement.

Deliberate Errors I have examined reports of 6,691 civil aviation accidents and incidents not related to equipment failures that occurred over the two-year period of 1981-1982.

There was sufficient information in the reports regarding cause to allow their categorization according to type of error.

About half (3,300) of the occurrences resulted from poor decisionmaking and 22 per cent of that portion involved fatal accidents. accounting for the loss of 1,602 lives. In other words. the way each of those pilots thought about flying, involving a conscious decision to take risks, was the proximal cause of over 1.600 fatalities.

In his book, The Love And Fear of Flying. Douglas Bond [2]. a World War II US Army Air Corps psychiatrist, explains deliberate risk-taking behavior in terms of the deeper psychiatric symbolism of flight. Bond points out that subconscious aggressive and sexual motivations may be the drive for risk taking. Although he was writing about World War II combat pilots, much of what Bond says is relevant to unsafe civilian flying of the present time. (A fighter pilot's victory roll over an air base in England in 1944 is ancestrally connected with the buzzing of a girl friend's house by a presentday pilot.)

Bond wrote: 'The temptation to defy death constitutes a very common disciplinary problem among pilots and contributes heavily to ,, pilot error". which is the most frequent cause of THE CONTROLLER/MARCH 1990

1 .I

aircraft accidents.· Later. in referring to pilots who often seem to treat death as a kind of living rival. Bond says: 'Here one can see plainly the anthropomorphization of death into a living. threatening father who dwells appropriately in the sky. Every dangerous success ... mocks the authority and power of the father and thereby brings reassurance of omnipotence ... · A remedy for deliberate errors in civil aviation that is totally effective will probably never be found. although there is evidence that a dedicated attack can yield near-perfect results. It has been reported by A. F. Zeller [3]. a human factors researcher. that the US Army Air Corps in 1943 lost more pilots in noncombat flying than were lost in battle (3.426 vs. 2,392). As a consequence. a flight safety programme was ordered that. together with improved equipment and reduced flying activity in the postwar period. cut the yearly number of major accidents from 20.389 in 1943 to 1,555 in 194 7.

Peer pressure, according to Zeller. has been identified as an important determinant of pilot behavior; postaccident analyses have indicated. however. that performance is directly related to the expectations of the group. 'If the social climate is one where adherence to discipline and procedures is the accepted standard and where deviates are ostracized. ther:i precision accomplishment can generally be anticipated.· Zeller asserts. 'On the other hand. if the social atmosphere is one where violations and deviations are the accepted norm and are not only condoned but rewarded. then this kind of activity can be expected.'

Total system management is possible in the military services, but in the civil sector the only available actions are regulation and education. distinctly distant runners-up to total system management. Civil aircraft accidents are investigated. but such investigations frequently provide little more than a chronology of destruction. with external co-factors such as weather identified as the probable cause.

A dreary fact is that accident investigation does not necessarily prevent accidents; year in and year out. accidents are attributable to the same repeated causes.

Skill enhancement through directed training and skill maintenance through regular practice are the only true remedies for skill-related accidents. However. the biennial flight review is the only time many US pilots depart from the takeoff-climb-cruiseletdown-land routine. Most ofthe time such a routine suffices; that is. until an emergency occurs. then lost skills are sorely missed.

When you think about it. just about all aviation training is directed toward skill assessment. The paradox is that a pilot's skill is usually mentioned only when he extricates himself from a situation he instigated by an earlier bad decision.

Inadvertent Errors This third error category includes those that are inadvertent- the type of behavior for which many people reserve the word ·error.' preferring instead to use descriptors such as human factors. mistakes. blunders. lack of judgment. recklessness. inexperience. or earthier terms. for my other two categories.

These errors are intriguing but. at the same time. they are the least significant from the standpoint of loss of life. In fact. they account for only 25 deaths in 999 accidents out of the 6. 691 total number of accidents in my sample. They are interesting also because they provide some insights into the workings of the error-prone human mind.

The brain. of course. is the anatomical correlate of the mind and is organized in much the same way as a large corporation. It is hierarchical in nature with mutually dependent areas of delegated responsibility (departments) that normally communicate freely with one another.

Higher level conscious brain function is analogous to top management; it cannot be bothered with small details. so it merely sets policy or declares intentions. Execution of the declared policy is turned over to lower. largely subconscious echelons.

Sometimes the intention is not clearly stated and sometimes communication between different areas is faulty. resulting in a variety of erroneous acts such as slips of the tongue. word reversals. tangled speech. confusion of controls. etc.

Unless one chooses words carefully and speaks slowly. one does not know Skill errors in advance exactly what words will The second most common cause come out. So-called Freudian slips are of accidents in my sample was skill familiar to everyone; and. sometimes deficiency. accounting for 2.392 ac- what does come out can be embarcidents or 36 per cent of the total: of assing.

Inadvertent errors can be subthese. 235 were fatal accidents re-. categorized according to the particusuiting in 371 deaths.

THE CONTROLLER/MARCH 1990

lar confusion that results. Donald A. Norman [4] has summarized some of these concepts. He identifies description errors as being those that result when the brain lays out the wrong plan. .

Consider the following actual occurrence. A general-aviation pilot. 8 kilometres from the airport. requested Runway 21 because of the prevailing wind instead of the assigned Runway 17. The tower approved and noted that the last 900 meters of Runway 21 were closed for construction. The pilot erroneously understood that the first 900 m were closed and was chagrined to find on short final that he was high and had less than 750 m of open runway. Nevertheless. he negotiated a successful landing because of the strong headwind.

The pilot made this error because he described the situation vaguely to himself: ·All of the runway is not available.· Memory was searched for a recent similar experience and came up with a scene calling for construction on the first part of the runway. 'First' and 'last' parts are easily confused because they are both remainders of the runway. Attention was divided among other concerns and tasks (turbulence. strong wind and dust-restricted visibility) that overloaded higher levels of the brain. causing it to envision the wrong part of the runway as usable.

Selection errors. like description errors. occur because the mental description of the task is vague. Take the case of the pilot on an IFR flight plan who was asked by the en-route air traffic control centre for his estimate to the next fix. The pilot was unprepared and totally discomfitted. so he lowered the landing gear. The conscious brain sounded a non-specific alarm and subconscious levels selected a specific action to forestall the thing most feared by that pilot - landing with the gear up.

Another case involved a pilot who left the wheels of his Bonanza extended to save wear on the gear motor and other moving parts while he practised touch-and-go landings. When he called it a day and came in for his final approach. he raised the gear and landed with the wheels up. He even used the GUMPS'" mental checklist; when he came to the u for undercarriage. he moved the gear handle the only direction it would go - upl Capture errors occur when something triggers a habitual response. I take the same route frequently that involves a right turn to go north on an expressway. On more than one occasion when I intended to go south. I have found myself entering the north17

bound ramp. My behavior was captured by a strong habit.

These inadvertent errors can be reduced by strategies designed to bring their occurrence into consciousness.

Such strategies go by the name of 'forcing functions' and are known to pilots as checklists, warning horns. lights. taped commands and stick shakers. Of these devices. good printed checklists are probably the most effective in preventing errors of neglect. forgetfulness and confusion.

There is evidence that many human errors die aborning; that is. they are detected and corrected before they become apparent in some observable act.

One psychologist has estimated that four errors are thus thwarted for every one that is apparent. In the United States, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration found a crew error rate of 11.4 per hour on a simulated New York-to-London flight.

Thus, it can be seen that the normal brain is mostly an error-making, error-detecting and error-correcting organ. Sometimes it fails to detect and sometimes it fails to correct.

The rate of occurrence of externally observable errors may be influenced by modulators of error that either increase or decrease the level of arousal of the brain and. therefore. alertness.

Stress, fatigue. drugs (including alcohol). workload. etc .. are culprits frequently identified as causing error when, in reality, they are modulators that allow inherent errors to become manifest.

Errors are commonly judged by their consequences. It is usually said that an error has occurred if the outcome is negative, meaning that something bad happens. However. if the outcome is inconsequential or even positve. then it is assumed that an error has not been committed. We even have a vocabulary for dealing with these latter situations. We say.

'No problem.' 'Forget it,' or 'He came up smelling like a rose.· Shakespeare also contributed: ·All's Well That Ends Well.'

This manner of thinking about error was brought home to me by a personal experience. I keep similar plastic bottles of glue and eyedrops on my desk.

One day I intended to put some glue on a recycled stamp, but I got the more frequently used eyedrops by mistake - a typical capture error.

There was no harm done; I swore a little. wiped off the eyedrops and applied glue as I originally intended.

• Gas. Undercarriage. Mixtures. and Props 18

But. consider a slightly different scenario. Suppose I had intended to put eyedrops in my eye but had gotten the glue instead. In the first case I was inclined to say. 'No problem·; the second case may have necessitated an emergency trip to an ophthalmologist.

For another example with a slightly different twist. consider the Western Airlines DC-10 crash in Mexico City on 31 October 1979. The crew committed a rather common inadvertent error. They made an approach to the wrong runway- 23L. which was under construction. instead of 23 R. A dump truck on the runway made a catastrophe out of what otherwise would have been only an embarrassment.

Random and unpredictable external factors such as the dump truck ohen determine the outcome of errors committed many times previously without discernible consequences.

Aviation incident reports do not give us any idea of true error rate because they only report negative or potentially negative outcomes that represent an unknown fraction of total errors.

Errors do not always_have negative consequences; they may even have positive outcomes.

Lindbergh's transatlantic flight in 192 7 is a case in point. By his own statement. he did not sleep the night before the flight.

He took off in a heavily loaded aeroplane from a soh field, became lost. flew into icing conditions, and experienced extreme fatigue; yet. he landed safely in Paris.

If he had not made it across the ocean, no doubt there would have been endless cataloging of the errors he made. One could probably argue effectively that heroes are people who have made conspicuous deliberate errors that have had such positive outcomes.

Safety is usually one of the expressed justifications for system improvement; but let us face facts such improvements are really made mainly to enhance utilization of the airspace. Some of these so-called improvements have actually made the system more, not less, vulnerable to human error. Although their reliability is greatly increased, the greater mass and size of modern jet airliners have made their operation more critical than was the case with their pistondriven predecessors. Certainly, the negative consequences of human error are much increased in the big commercial jets.

In the mid-air collision of a TWA Constellation and a United DC-7 over the Grand Canyon in 1956, 128 people perished; 583 people were killed in the collision of the KLM and

Pan American 74 7s on Tenerife's Los Rodeos Airport in 1977. That is a casualty inflation rate of 355 per cent over a 21-year period. Both accidents are believed to have been caused by human error.

In our present-day system when failure of the machinery is rarely the cause of an accident. safety. in my opinion, can be equated with tolerance for human error which translates into time available for selection and exercise of options.

Because the terminal event in an aircrah accident is a collision (fires and in-flight breakups possibly excepted). the separation of aircrah and object - usually Earth or another aircrah- is the prime safety consideration. As separation becomes less, time available for selection and exercise of options becomes correspondingly less. For this reason, many accidents involve the approach and landing phases of flight; as closure with the ground takes place, the availability of and time to exercise options decrease and human error of all types becomes more critical.

The bottom line is that the present fairly stable accident rate is primarily due to undesirable human behavior.

This morbidity. in theory, could be reduced by stringent police-like governmental action that would serve mainly to restrict use of the airspace to an elite few. Such governmental action would be inconsistent with generally held concepts of liberty and. thus, would be unacceptable.

Enforcement would certainly be terribly expensive. The only practical and acceptable solution lies in enhanced education and persuasion in an attempt to imbue pilots with mature attitudes toward flying. If the present accident-rate resistance level is to be penetrated, greater effort is called for to reach pilots refractory to existing safety programmes.

Every pilot will have to exert peer pressure to encourage compliance with safe flying practices, including objectivity and restraint in decision making, in the scrupulous observance of all regulations and procedures. in thorough preflight inspection of the aircraft and in preflight introspection about one's present condition and capability to carry out the flight by constant inflight vigilance and, especially, in the use of good printed checklists. Such self-discipline would go a long way toward mitigating the effects of human error.

On the hardware and procedural side, human error can be mitigated by ensuring that changes intended to promote system utilization do not reduce tolerance for error. Only those THE CONTROLLER/MARCH 1990

changes that provide increased tolerance for error can legitimately be called safety impro veme nts.

Without co nsideration of the se human factors, the present accident rate can be expec ted to continue indef initely .

Remembering

the First

It was about 40 years ago when th e fir st jet airliner to reach co mmercial service took to the skies . On July 27, 1949 , a de Havilland DH 106 Comet rolled down a Hatfield.

England runway and into the history books . It entered serv ice w ith BOAC in M ay, 1952 . The airplane carried ju st 36 passengers , me aning that it was not nearly as large as the Canadair Regional Jet th at tod ay battles the

7. Wichm an, H. and J. Ball, 'Locus of Control, Self-Serving Biases and Attitudes Toward Safety in General Aviation Pilots,· Aviation.

Space and Environme ntal Medicine, 54:

507-570 . 7983.

2. Bond, Douglas D. . The Love and Fear of Flying , Int ernational University Press, New York, NY, 7952 .

charge that it is too small . Although sma ll , the Comet's impact was substa ntial .

Unfortunately , it pioneered more than its c reator s realized, the unexpected stre ss of repeated pressurization s and high- altitude flight s causing the in-flight breakups that grounded the Comet I. It lost its lead over the B 707 and DC-8 but came back in improved form to provide the fir st tran satlanti c jet service. a Comet IV beat ing a B 707 for the honor s by

3. Zeller. A.F., 'Three Decade s of USAF Efforts to Reduce Human Error Accidents. · AGARD Conference Preprint No . 264. 79 78 .

4. Norman, Donald A. , 'Post-Freudian Slips,· Psychology Today, April , 7980 .

(Reprinted, with permission, from '/CAO Bu lletin, October 7988)

seve ral weeks. In 15 years of production, just 113 Comets were built, the last in 196 4. Th e Comet was the basis for the British Nimrod surveil lance aircraft and , in addition, several rema in in flying condition today.

To the industry and travellers wor ldw ide , the Comet should be remembered as t he airplane that revealed a new age of air travel.

(Air Transport World 9 189)

De Havill and Comet 4 THE CONTROLLER / MARCH 1990

19

COM PAS -A Planning Aid for the Coordination of Inbound Air Traffic

General Flying has become a more and more common means of trav elling and a necess ity for transportation of perishab le or urgent goods . Thus , statistics are reporting and predicting a conti nu ous incre ase in air traffic movemen ts .

This development lead s to even mo re traffic congestion , especially in the already heavily crowded terminal areas of airports.

The German ATC authority , BFS, led the development of a system to support air t raffic control in handling inboun d fl ights. Th is system aims to improve the traffic flow and the use of th e avai lab le airport landing capacity while reducing coord ination effort of ATC personnel. Thi s ComputerOriented Metering , Plan ing and Advisory System (COM PAS) has been in operation at Frankfu rt Air po rt since Septemhe r 1989 and has already proven i;s effectiveness.

The General Situation Th e basic informat ion for planning of air traffic is obta ined from flightplan data and radar observat ion . Ad equa t e aircraft sequenc ing based on thi s information is not eas ily realized because inbound traff ic to one ai rport is

COMPA S funct iona l keyboa rd .

20

handled by different control sectors .

independent

The Aim If there were a means to assist inbound flights to arrive at predicted or planned times at the landing gate, then a smooth and uninterrupted approach with minimal coordinaton efforts between controllers , and with pilots, and maximum usage of available landing capacity could be achieved.

In addition, such a system should reduce controllers ' workload and not cause any remarkable additional load .

The Solution German air traffic controllers , in cooperation with the scientists of the DLR (German Aerospace Research Establishment) developed the COMPAS system which calculates optimal landing sequences and generates corresponding control information to make sure that the calculated time will be made good .

For this calculation, COMPAS automatically uses filed flightplan- , weather - and radar information . Thus inputs required from controllers are reduced to input of the actually used landing direction and the standard

separation between approaching aircraft (flow) . For these inputs and for desired modifications of the computer-generated landing sequence, the controllers have a functional keyboard.

The planing results of COM PAS are presented to the controllers on colour displays .

For each control sector, the display shows the sequence of flights and their calculated hand-over times for the particular control sector.

The vertical time scale moves downwards with the actual time being displayed at the bottom of the scale .

So the example shown in the photo means that DLH 213 should pass over the particular reporting point at 10 :40:30 .

Different colours of the callsigns indicate the ATC sector from which the aircraft are coming. The information to the left of the time scale indicates whether the aircraft is on time with respect to the planned time over reporting point (Ok) , too early (Reduce) or too late (Xpedite) . The controller can determine from his radar position display what measures to take to ensure on time arrival .

For aircraft which are not planned to land at the corresponding airport (and which, therefore , cannot be planned by the system), the controller may introduce an additional time slot at a fitting position on the time scale using his functional keyboard. Likewise , he can change position of planned aircraft to suit his intentions.

As the planning process starts well outside of the terminal area and takes into account aircraft from all enroute sectors, the planning results are presented at an early stage to the respective controllers . Thus, coordination between controllers is reduced considerably and directions to the aircraft can be issued already during cruising and descent phase s . So , if everbody involved in control of rn-

COMPAS display with planning results.

THE CONTROLLER / MARCH 1990

bound traffic succeeds in fulfilling his ·con tract' . to reach planned times at predetermined positions no additional vectoring is necessary in the approach area to fit landing times .

The Benefits The operation at Frankfurt Airport has shown that controllers· workload for coordinaton has been reduced considerably, landing capacity is used to a higher extent. calculated landing times are realized within close limits so that ground support can be timed likewise .

So the installation of COM PAS is a contribution to ecological improvement and to economical execution of approaches. to physical and psychological stress reduction for controllers and pilots . Last but not least. the COMPAS design enables an easy adaption to existing EDP environments.

The Supplier AEG Electrocom has taken over the rights to distribute COMPAS and provides, besides the delivery of COMPAS, consultancy for its integration with operational EDP equipment and executes required interface adaption.

Cockpit Voice Recorders Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) in the US threatened to disable cockpit voice recorders on their aircrah aher a Texas judge ordered the release of the CVR recording of the Delta air Lines 8 7 2 7 crash last year at Dallas/ Ft. Worth Airport. The tapes were released to national news media, which broadcast the conversation as the pilots awaited takeoff . and through the crash.

Pilots always have considered CVRs to be invasions of privacy and only agreed to them after being assured that the tapes would be used only for safety purposes. The threatened action was called off aher FAA (Federal Aviation Administration} and the National Transportation Safety Board backed ALPA's insistence that Congress pass leg islation to prohibit future releases . Congress is expected to go along with the idea.

(Air Transport World 9 / 89)

THE CONTROLLER/ MAR CH 19 90

Modernization of the French Air Navigation System

The Air Navigation Department's (DNA} program to increase the safety and regularity of air traffic in France. has brought about a contract between the French Air Navigation Technical Department (STNA} and ThomsonCSF for the updating of part of the radioelectronic network for air navigation.

The radioelectronic aids supplied 45 conventional VOR 540s and 10 Doppler VOR 540s - are part of the program to update the existing equipment used on air routes . This generation of VORs has a highly advanced RMM (Remote Maintenance and Monitoring} system . This system. which ensures high operat ing safety and enables major cuts in operating and maintenance costs. has already been ordered by many countries .

Thomson-CSF has also signed a contract to supply a second experimental mode ·s· and monopu lse secondary radar station .

This contract is part of the Air Navigation Department's program to modernize France's cover in secondary radar by gradually installing 19 RSM 970 monopulse radar systems and then transforming these stations into mode ·s·.

Mode ·s· is an airc rah ·sel ective address ing inter rogation ' system . It is fully compatible with the existing radar system. and provides a high operational performance thanks to the precision of the monopu lse technique . It enables a reduction in the number of interrogations . very high positioning precision, and identification of aircrah .

The new RSM 970 monopulse secondary radar station comes with equipment for process ing mode ·s· data. With the first experimental station already installed at Orly . it will enable communication exchange procedures betw een stations to be establ ished . and will lay the groundwork for a national network .

(Air Transport World 9 1 89)

The Last DC-10 The last DC-10 . and the last aircrah bearing the famous 'DC' designation. was delivered in late July . whe n Nigeria Airways rece ived a DC-10- 30 . The sole DC-1 that launc hed the line was delivered in 1933 ; the first DC-10 was delivered in 1971 .

21

Cybernetic Decision-Making

Cybernetics is the study of communications and control. between machines and between people and machines. The name was coined by a scientist. Norbert Wiener, from the Greek word 'kubernetes'. which means 'steersman' and from which is derived the word ·governor'. This field of science developed during the Second World War when new weapons such as radar-guided cannon and guided missiles became a practical reality.

Thousands of simple and complex devices rely on cybernetic principles: for example, the electrical door opener of an office building, the thermostat of a furnace. and the aircraft autopilot.

These inventions rely upon servomechanisms. simple devices that are sensitive to preprogrammed kinds of information and react in accordance with the inventor's design, to only that narrow range of information.

Servomechanisms do not have to weigh alternatives. analyse options. or scan for new sources of information.

Nevertheless. they are able to perform often very complex task with no requirement for intelligence, rationality or analysis. In fact. the field of computerized artificial intelligence is built upon cybernetic theory.

At the same time as cybernetic was born. cognitive psychologists were conducting experiments to show how the mind collects information and handles ambiguity. In one study, psychologists built a distorted trapezoidal room, with a sloping floor and ceiling.

Looking at the room though a peephole, one saw nothing unusual. But when a person walked across the room. the observer saw a logical conundrum - due to the uneven shape of the room. the person appeared to change in size as he or she moved.

Many observers were unable to explain the illusion. but rarely thought that the room was the cause of the illusion because it looked normal. But if a person known to the observer walked across the room. the observer was more likely to guess that the room was the cause of the apparent change in the person· s size.

These and other experiments in cognitive psychology produced an interesting notion of how the mind 22

works. In complex decision-making situations where trade-offs between goals are difficult, the human mind tends to avoid analysis. because such thinking violates the mind's well-established, subconscious methods of handling uncertainty. The mind operates to keep internal beliefs consistent with one another and as simple as possible; it resists changes to internal beliefs in order to perserve stability.

A social scientist named John Steinbruner combined cybernetic theory with cognitive psychology and organizational behaviour in the 19 70s to propose a model of cybemetic decision-making for people. He applied the model to political events. but much of what he proposed is applicable to individuals in all walks of life, and particularly to pilots and the companies they work for.

Most of us operate on the principle that 'If it looks like a sheep, it must be a sheep'. Quite often we do not fully analyse or even question the obvious.

Ninety-nine times out of a hundred the simplicity principle works for us. and accords with the evidence of our senses. This craving for simplicity will on rare, but important. occasions get us into trouble because we are actually behaving, most of the time, like a servomechanism in a cybernetic device. When we have to solve a complex problem, we may not easily shake off our taste for certainty and simplicity. Steinbruner said. ·... the two values of a complex problem will not be related to one another in the mind of the decision maker, but divided and pursued separately. as if they were independent considerations. The information processing operations of the human mind strain to set up single-value decision problems ... · Two organizational theorists, Richard Cyert and James March, wrote a book in the 1960s about corporations. What is true for individual decision-making holds true for companies. Companies that respond cybernetically can, on occasion. get into the same trouble as individuals by filtering out confusing, but vital. facts.

Cyert and March said that companies avoid uncertainty by two rules: firstly, solve pressing problems before

the long-range problems; secondly, deal with the immediate environment.

Predictability is achieved for the organization by the use of standard operating procedures, industry traditions, and short-range planning.

An important part of this theory is that a company will search for solutions only when it perceives it has a problem. The quality and nature of this search are biased by experience, tradition. training, hope, expectations, and the distortions in the company's communications network. Experience can teach us to change, establish new goals, and search more widely for solutions. But our first instinct is cybernetic, not analytic.

Some of the signposts of cybernetic thinking are: • • • • •

It worked last time, it will work this time It did not work before, and cannot work now.

It does not look good, but events will change the outcome.

That cannot happen, so do not worry about it.

If I do not take a hard line now, something worse will happen.

Most of the time cybernetic thinking helps us take short cuts to the right decision, just like an electric door opener. But sometimes it can kill us because we adhere to the same recipe for a new problem, when a more comprehensive analysis is required.

References Richard A. Cyert and James G. March. A Behavioural Theory of the Firm. Englewood Cliffs.

New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. Inc., 1963.

James G. March. and Herbert A. Simon. Organizations. New York:John Wiley & Sons. Inc ..

1958.

John D. Steinbruner, The Cybernetic Theory of Decision - New Dimensions of Political Analysis. Princetown. New Jersey: Princeton University Press. 1974.

Norbert Wiener, The Human Use of Human Beings - Cybernetics and Society. New York: 1950. Avon Books. paperback edition. 1967.

From: 'Aviation Safety Letter'. 1190

The IFATCA Policy of Training Document, 2nd Edition, February 1989, is now available from the IFATCA Secretariat.

A GAMBLER TAKES CHANCES AND RELIES ON LUCK. A PROFESSIONAL SELDOM TAKES CHANCES AND NEVER RELIES ON lUCK. THE CONTROLLER/ MARCH 1990

Convex'89 Uniting Europe's Skies A Positive Approach

-

H. Harri Henschler

The United Kingdom Guild of Air Traffic Control Officers (GATCO) has, over the years, displayed an uncanny ability to chose topical themes for its biennial International Convex well in advance of the actual gathering.

This year was no exception. The air traffic situation in Europe, approaching chaos in particular during the European summer of 1988, the ensuing delays to airlines and the increasingly unhappy passengers who may well be turned off air travel altogether, demanded that a close look be taken at possible solutions. To do exactly that, to investigate the causes of too many aircraft demanding to fly at a given time in an airspace which is crowded and reduced in available space by military demands, and which suffers from the incompatibility of existing air traffic control systems, some of which are highly advanced while others are still at a very basic level of sophistication, an impressive number of experts from all sectors of aviation gathered in Newcastle upon Tyne on 19 and 20 October 1989.

These experts represented civil and military aviation interests, the airlines, aviation administrations, international aviation organizations, pilots and operational air traffic controllers, as well as the air traffic control equipment manufacturing sector, which had mounted an impressive technical exhibit.

The venue of Convex '89 was the Holiday Inn outside of Newcastle, some miles from the city and the airport, located in still pleasantly green countryside. A well-attended opening ceremony heard an introduction by the Convex '89 Chairman, A. Shaw.

He invited the Rt. Hon. Patrick Mcloughlin, MP, Ministerfor Aviation and Shipping to address the gathering. The minister thanked the Guild for the invitation and expressed confidence that. out of the meeting, valuTHE CONTROLLER/MARCH 1990

able guidelines and suggestions on 40 years to start to realize the ideals of possible solutions to the problems the Treaty of Rome. Civil aviation does under discussion would arise. He ex- not have the luxury of time.

It is essential to any concept to pressed his confidence in the integrity of the national air traffic control sys- determine boundaries. Europe has tem and his determination that im- grown historically through many inprovements required to the system terludes into a group of 30 states. would be brought about. With this, the Contained within this geopolitical Mr. Mcloughlin officially opened grouping we also find: Convex '89.

199 Airlines In reply to the minister, the Presi50 ATCCs dent of GATCO, Chris Stock, express30 countries ed the Guild's appreciation for the 60 FIRs confidence and assurances and affirmed his organization's determi- as well as a myriad of airports and a nation to contribute its utmost to plethora of languages.

Through this geographical tapesmaintaining and improving the national air traffic control system, and he try, commercial aviation has to transit offered any possible assistance in well in excess of 30 frontiers. This complexity of state contributing to overcoming the prob- bewildering bureaucracies is compounded by the lems faced by aviation in Europe.

The first session was introduced by numerous trade and political alliances its guest chairman, Christopher Tu- that form modern day Europe.

What does commercial aviation gendhat, the Chairman of the UK Civil Aviation Authority. On behalf of GAT- require from this geopolitical quagCO, the President of its London Re- mire - the problem of 40 frequency gion, Reg Simmonds, presented the changes for a 400-nautical-mile flight first paper, titled 'Uniting Europe's is certainly well known.

What must be provided for is, at Skies'. least, a coordinated effort and, most The GATCO paper stated, in part: preferably, a unification of air traffic In 1989 Europe finds itself on the services within a prescribed area. threshold of developments in air What is Europe? Anybody looking at transport and ATC which have the flows of traffic on an aeronautical most profound implications for all chart will soon see that the rational Europeans. The intention of this paper answer would be the ICAO European is to provoke discussion on the issues Mediterranean region. This therefore involved and offer some solutions to represents the goal. Any developwhat seem to be intractable problems.

Today, commercial aviation in Eu- ments must extend to the very reaches of this area -failure to do so will mean rope faces a threat to its success. As an intolerable burden on commercial air traffic controllers we should not be aviation - the intense interdepenproud of the sudden realization that dence of ATC demands this. The Guild the ATC infrastructure of Europe is inrecognizes that this is a long term capable of meeting the burgeoning ideal. growth of a new era in European aviIf the 23 ECAC States can boast ation. What is required, therefore. is 42 ATC centres. then the corollary is commitment to a series of radical and 23 separate planning organizations innovative solutions which will subsume the dogma of the past and pro- within the region. The ICAO EUR Regional Plan and Eurocontrol medium vide a basis for the future. It-has taken term plan both impose conflicting the European Economic Community 23

pressures upon the allocation of resources that ATC authorities have. Is this sensible or efficient? Does this benefit anything other than national pride? We are all painfully aware that our planning organizations are heavily committed to resolving short term problems; in many areas the resources available for. long term planning are inadequate.

The starting point of any move to unite Europe's skies must be a concerted. dedicated effort to bring together the planning directorates to work for a common plan rather than the 23 isolated groups working for 23 selective interpretations of a common plan. Of necessity. this will mean member states dedicating themselves to the goal of a unified common policy and. for the first time. the efficient utilization of national airspace within a European context. Is this realistic? The Guild believes so. but it also certainly serves to illustrate one of the attitude changes which the exigencies of today demand.

National security and areas of territorial dispute will no doubt cause some limitations. The significant gains to be made from a unified European ATC service. when observed to be highly beneficial will. however. fuel the inertia for change.

In order to achieve the goal of unification. one single organization is required to take responsibility for the coordination. development and implementation of such plans. What organizations are available?

ECAC (European Civil Aviation Conference) ICAO EEC (European Economic Community) Eurocontrol others It should be evident from this list that no perfect solution exists. The agency that shoulders this onerous task must somehow be acceptable to the varying geopolitical affinities or peccadillos but equally must have a background of involvement in the relevant issues. It is the view of the Guild of Air Traffic Control Officers that only one organization meets these criteria - Eurocontrol. One must recall one of the aspirations for the embryonic Eurocontrol 26 years ago - a unified ATC system for the airspace above FL250 - aspirations never attained.

Once again the cries go out for unified ATC in Europe. What would ATC be like today if the 1960 Eurocontrol convention had been fully supported?

Any move towards Eurocontrol as a supranational ATC body will not be popular but it offers the only viable 24

proposition. The visions of planners in the 1960s are still attainable; they are just considerably more difficult to realize.

system in our region must be capable of uniformly providing the highest in ATC system efficiency. In the not too distant future. mode 路s路 datalink equipped aircraft will be common datalink has the potential to be as revolutionary a change as the introduction of radar. ATC must meet this challenge by providing a region-wide ATC system which can uniformly operate to radar separation minima. have rapid interchange of data between ATC data processing systems and reliable VHF R/T and datalinks.

However. the character of mode datalink is such that it will require an upgrade of existing or planned infrastructures. If the aviation community is to gain the significant benefits in ATC system efficiency. full use of an automation datalink throughout the region is necessary. This must mean that within our defined European region. common separation minima and control methodology is required. The innovation of datalink must be incorporated into ATC system plans today.

All over Europe. States are planning resource intensive. elegant upgrades on a national basis. The deliberations of the Eurocontrol Datalink taskforce are happily being integrated into these. but the transition must be made to plan ATC developments on a regional basis; greater importance must be paid to a unified approach to ATC system planning and the compatibility of equipment and procedures.

Throughout Europe there are nearly as many equipment fits for as many ATC units. This has forced a market fragmentation upon the ATC manufacturing industry with nationalism prevalent: each state pursuing its own unique solution to equipment procurement.

Any unification of European ATC must be predicated on equipment which meets a common European performance standard. is compatible at the very least and. as an ideal. common throughout the region - an ideal which will hopefully evolve into reality. A controller in one centre must be able to work with controllers in other centres as though they were operating an internal sector - silent radar handovers at radar separation minima being the norm. This must extend. as far as is practicable. to the interface between the UIR and the underlying FIR. Advances in telecommunications technology today means that resources can be employed far more efficiently. There is no need to have extensive overlapping radar coverage across boundaries. The Radnet/ lntnet concept. which will integrate the

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Upper airspace division Eurocontrol' s establishment. bureaucracy and internal rivalries are legendary and there is duplication of effort in many areas of the organization. Any enhancement of its role must be such that the agency is as dynamic as the industry it serves. and rises above the laborious processes that have caused us to be in the predicament that we are today.

Thus far we have presented only a series of bold statements of what we believe to be the way forward. We must now turn to the specifics to which this organization must direct itself. in order that the goal of a unified European ATC system is achieved.

Throughout Europe. ATCOs work under differing professional standards; for example. UK controllers are licensed. French controllers are not.

Radar separation standards vary throughout the region - in some circumstances UK controllers use 5 nm separation at 160 nm. whereas French controllers would be required to use 8 nm. Some units use shortterm conflict alert. others not.

To overcome the grave shortfall of ATC personnel. of all types (IFATCA estimates that the shortfall of controllers alone is in the order of 1500+) will require the concentrated use of all aviation training facilities within the region. Why not use a French instructor in an Italian or UK training establishment?

Matters Technical Sections of the aviation community are investing heavily in advanced avionics. If the aviation community is to maximize the potential from this investment. then the ATC

THE CONTROLLER/MARCH 1990

Compas creates more space ~.. in the air a good 110 NM before Frankfurt Tower.

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ronments of existing air traffic conand airport-

AEG

radar display facilities of Amsterdam, Brem en, Brussels, Dusseldorf and Maastricht ACCs illustrate the form that future developments should take.

At Convex 1980, the Guild called for a move away from the ad hoe, nationalistic, approach to research and development into the problems of ATC. Since then we have seen major steps forward in international collaboration in R & D projects - the GARTEUR (Group for Aeronautical Research and Technology in Europe) action group 'Integration of flight management and air traffic management system', the PHARE (Programme of Harmonized ATM Research in Eurocontrol) programme and the joint PROSAT (Promotional Satellites) trials. But greater emphasis must be given to extending these programmes such that the various research resources int o ATM can be harnessed and us·ed for the benefit of the region as a whole . This is especially so given that we can expect the FEATS (Future European Air Traffic Systems) group to report in the near future. The Guild fully supports an R & D programme that works in a structured , coordinated approach into a civil aviation R & D programme which includes ATM research; as a start the Guild would commend to the European Commun ity that a development programme of Air Traffic Man age ment (ATM) for FEATS be included in the BRITE/ EU RAM (European Communications, R & D) programme by the end of 1990.

Recent Developments The resultant of the chaotic summer of 1988 has been the adoption of the Eurocontrol Central Flow Management Unit (CFMU ) as the way forward. It would seem that at last there is progress towards the Eurocontrol ideal - or is there?

From the limited information available, the CFMU will rely upon a database including flight and radar data processing from ACCs. Yet all this data will be used to prov ide litt le more than what we have today - only centraliz ed. While this is obv iously a major step, we would consider it to be little more than an elegant refining of the current system .

The CFMU should be more than a management information too l. It shou ld be a faci lity akin to the CF2 fac ility that the FAA has at Washington.

In the time available to Eurocontrol i.e.

October 1989 to Octobe r 1993 such a facility could be built and equipped to prov ide immediate and effective relief in an advanced form to airlines thus making a quantum step forward in European ATC. 26

There are two concerns that come to the fore when reviewing the CFMU. Firstly , flow management should not be used as a screen behind which inadequate investment planning and resources can be hidden . A great deal of effort and money will be expended upon the CFMU but there must not be a corresponding reduction in investment of both material or human resources elsewhere in the ATC infrastructure .

Secondly, the future of ATC is inseparable from ATFM . In future systems ATC will be the executive element of flow management. In modern day parlance 'flow management' has unfortunate connotations, as a restrictive element in air transport , and it is unfortunate that the older term of 'flow regulation' was not retained for the existing ATFM service. The ATFM techniques. which FEATS and FANS (Future Air Navigation Systems) endorse, bear little relationship to current practice . It will dictate scheduling on a continental basis, and the airlines will of necessity have to sacrifice their timetabling preferences in order to achieve an optimized ATC capacity in Europe . Essentially an aircraft will always have a slot which would be its scheduled departure time . This would encourage on-time departures and penalize bad timekeeping and will ensure an optimal profile through the ATC system. Once airborne the prog ress of each aircraft will be monitored throughout the system, and delays enforced by weather, diversions , speed changes, etc. will be catered for by revised clearance terms transferred by datalink , to ensure that holding is

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minimized and occurs only as a last ditch contingency to cope with the unexpected . Such clearance changes may be initiated by controllers· action or by the central ATC database in control of the flight's progress .

Thus the Guild calls for an immediate start leading to the early implementation of a Central Traffic Management Unit for Europe .

Conclusion

Today we have presented a number of concepts . It is possible that they may well be the subject of initial _derision in some quarters. but the way forward really must be in the direction we have indicated . Only then can an optimal ATC service be provided .

Hans-Dietrich Genscher said to the Bundestag on the 28th of April 1989 : ·our debate is taking place at a time of movement in Europe. It is evident that the people of Europe are separated, but Europe is indivisible nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come.'

Guild Convexes in the past have heard the call for changes to ensure that Europe's ATC works together. Let us now hope that finally, there is a unanimity of purpose and that our ideas become reality.

Reg Simmonds was followed by Wolfgang Philipp , Director of Oper ations, Eurocontrol.

He reiterated some of the problems the ATC systems and air traffic controllers are faced with daily, such as traffic congestions, working at their physical limits, working with technical equipment which is below the state of the art of the air-

_

Keynote Speakers . (I tor) C. Tugendhat, Chairman CAA, R. Simmonds . GATCO W. Philipp . Director Operations Eurocontro l. Sir Thomas Stoner. Controller NATS. THE CO NTROLLER / MARCH 1990

borne equipment. Mr. Philipp gave a short history of the Eurocontrol Agency and its specific objectives and role. and suggested that changing realities such as the single European market in 1992 and a shift in the political climate have placed matters into a new perspective. Where. he asked. does this changed political scenario leave Eurocontrol? Various bodies. such as the Association of European Airlines (AEA). the Commission of the European Communities. the Committee of Transport of the European Parliament and the Transport Ministers of the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) have all discussed existing shortfalls and have developed models to solve these problems.

These range from calls for a threelevel organization for political control. standard setting. planning and implementation of a single ATC system (AEA). through the vision a single. fully-integrated ATC system to the demand by the transport ministers of the ECAC for a comprehensive approach to both increase the capacity of the European air transport system and to make optimum use of what is already available.

Mr. Philipp outlined major initiatives in the foreseeable future. These were the creation of a central flow management unit serving all 23 ECAC member states. the creation of a European coordination team to work on the on-going harmonization process. and a common medium-term plan. This plan is designed to achieve a compatible system. using equipment subject to common performance and technical specifications.

In conclusion. the Eurocontrol representative stated that 'the calls from the users as well as from the media to take immediate steps towards harmonization. integration and unification cannot be ignored. The political framework for developing a European ATC system. based on common standards and common procedures. must be encouraged.· He assured the audience that 'Eurocontrol is prepared. in a Europe of the nations. to act in collaboration with the states ... ·.

The morning's session concluded with a presentation by the Controller National Air Traffic Services (NATS) of the UK. Air Marshal Sir Thomas Stoner. titled 'NATS in the Nineties·. He said. in part: 'Two years ago my predecessor Keith Mack talked to you about the National Air Traffic Services· plans for the future. You may recall that he said then that NATS was facing a tremendous challenge in meeting the increased demands of air traffic. Well. nothing has changed. We are still in THE CONTROLLER/MARCH

1990

the same situation. Traffic continues to grow and each year we see the previous years· records being broken.

Perhaps I could illustrate this by some recent figures the CAA has published. Gatwick had its busiest day ever on 15 September 1989 when it handled 705 movements on its single runway. Heathrow's busiest day ever was on 25 August 1989 when it handled 1.160 movements while Manchester's record day was on 15 June 1989 when it handled 583 aircraft movements - and at LATCC. this year's millionth movement took place on Sunday. 15 October 1989 in comparison with 1988 when it took place on 6 November.

In the first half of this year the London Air Traffic Control Centre handled 7. 6 percent more traffic than in the corresponding period of 1988. During the same period the Oceanic Area Control Centre handled 12 percent more aircraft. The Scottish Air Traffic Control Centre also handled more traffic than ever before but it is difficult to make direct comparison with previous years because of the recent changes in the tasking of the unit.

These record figures come on top of an 11 percent increase in the number of flights controlled by Britain's air traffic controllers in 1988, and a 9 percent rise the year before.

Despite the increases in traffic. we did not experience the chaos and misery at UK airports which were so much a feature of the summer of 1988. I accept that there were far too many delays. But the efforts we made at home and abroad during last winter. enabled us to manage the delay problems much better than in previous years.

This brings me to the key challenges as I see them which face NATS in the 1990s. We readily admit that the implementation of our project work. particularly the CCF and NERC, to time and on cost will have to be most carefully managed whilst we maintain safe and expeditious day-to-day operations. We have improved our project management organization and are now recruting experienced engineers from outside industry to act as our project managers. Ours is a complicated organization but I am convinced the changes we have made will give us the means to complete the tasks we have ahead of us.

However. there are two factors which need to be borne in mind if we are to gain the full pay-off from our investment programme. One of them coincides with the second dominant problem in managing NATS. This is the overriding need to have sufficient trained controllers to match the in-

creased ATC capacity potential inherent in our investment programme.

The second factor is the requirement to have an efficient Europe-wide system of air traffic management.

I refer first to manpower. You don't need me to tell you again that NATS is currently some 160 ATCOs below strength because since I became controller I have said it often enough. I will not go into the reasons why this situation has occurred now - that is water under the bridge. But I would stress that ATCO shortages are a European problem; none of us could have anticipated the increases in demand which have been experienced.

The flow measures all European authorities have had to impose are a direct result of matching demand to available capacity. However. our own manning difficulties have been. and will continue to be exacerbated not only by the need to staff the evaluation exercises for CCF and NERC. but also by the seedcorn requirement to boost our training system and also cope with the subsequent increased number of trainees going through to OJT. Controller training is way behind pilot training when you consider that. for example. a pilot can be type-rated on modern aircraft after only one hour at the controls of the real aircraft having spent 20 to 25 hours operating the type simulator. However. at the end of the day. controller validation can only be achieved by a trainee convincing his or her mentor that he or she is able to deal with live traffic.

Turning now to the European dimension. the UK has a substantial interest in ensuring that there is adequate ATCcapacity across Europe.

There are two major aspects to this civil air transport and defence.

Air traffic flow management has been necessary in Europe in recent years to smooth demand by spreading traffic as evenly as possible over each day's operating hours. The techniques and facilities for flow management have been developed and further improvements are in hand. particularly the establishment of a Central flow management Unit (CFMU) under Eurocontrol direction in Brussels.

These improvements will lead to a better utilization of available ATC capacity. but of themselves they will not increase it. In the final analysis. it has to be recognized that in improving flow management we are treating the symptoms and not the disease. The disease for which we must strive to find the ultimate cure is shortage of capacity.

ATC systems in Europe have developed at different rates and. to some extent. independently of one another.

27

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Much has been achieved through the interfacement of different systems; but taking Europe as a whole there is a patchwork of systems at different levels of automation and intercommunication. Radar sensor. radar data processing and display, flight plan processing and display, and data and voice communications are quite different - in some cases markedly so in their levels of sophistication and technology between states and across Europe. It is an understatement to say that this patchwork of systems hinders the flow of traffic across national frontiers. For example. longitudinal spacing of aircraft is usually extended from the radar separation achieved within some states e.g. 3 and 5 nautical miles (nm) in the UK. to a larger minimum spacing, e.g. 30 nm. across some national airspace boundaries.

Apart from work on flow management there are several technical initiatives in hand to increase European ATC capacity by addressing the problems I have just mentioned. These include: firstly. the European Coordination Team (ECT). a Eurocontrol initiative focussing on measures which can be implemented in the short term.

28

such as harmonization of ATC pro- senger growth up to the year 2000 will be around 6 percent per annum cedures of neighbouring states; secondly. the Eurocontrol Com- and the growth in air transport movemon Medium Term Plan (CMTP). ments is likely to be not too dissimilar which invites states to harmonize depending on the developments the development of their ATC sys- which will take place in carrying capacities of passenger aircraft. tems; To handle this growth in traffic. not thirdly, the ICAO future European Air Traffic Management Systems only does a strategy need to be agreed Concept (FEATS). which is a long- at a high political level by western European governments. but of equal term initiative and not expected to importance a mechanism must also be fully implemented until well into be create~ to enable the strategies to the next century; and fourthly. the programme of be turned into plans which will be imharmonized ATM research in Eu- plemented.

The recent AEA report. you will be rope (PHARE) aimed at researching new European ATM systems based aware. proposed a politically ambitious unified ATM system for Europe on FEATS concepts. directed by an independent' central Although each of these initiatives holding company operating on a will go some way to increase capacity. commercial basis with a board of it must be recognized that collectively they will be insufficient to provide ad- directors and several operating divequate ATC capacity in the short to isions. including about 6 transnational medium term. I cannot emphasize area control centres for Europe. Euroenough that a greater political com- control would be responsible for setmitment and technical drive towards ting and supervising safety standards.

It is suggested that this long-term goal the planning and provision of air traffic services will be needed if western would be achieved by a step-by-step Europe's system is to be able to process. handle the traffic growth predicted by The first step would be states bodies such as Eurocontrol. ICAO. operating their ACCs under the holdIATA and the AEA. The forecast pas- ing company before control of the THE CONTROLLER/MARCH

1990

ACCs is formally acceded to it . The AEA ca lls on European governments to help achieve their objectives.

A further report for the German airspace users· association generally supports these conclusions but places greater emphasis on expanding Eurocontrol to plan and operate European ATC centrally.

Both experts recommend the ulti mate achievement of a unified European ATC system and describe how such a system should be both planned and controlled centrally. Whilst applauding and supporting the general thrust of the reports. I have to say that I believe there are problems with this approach: first it will take a long time; second. it would deflect effort from improving our own systems ; and third. we think it better to build on the close partnership between states and on the Eurocontrol organization.

It seems more logical therefore to move towards greater integration of national systems so that the intersector, inter-ACC and interstate transfer of aircraft is transparent and wherever possible a 5nm radar separation is achieved. In other words we set integration rather than unification as a more realistic achievable goal . and w e do not believe there to be any reason why it shou ld not meet the op erational requirement .

of member states to implement projects with clear milestones and completion dates. NATS took this proposal for commitment to Eurocontrol earlier in the year and as a result a time-based implementation programme is now being drawn up.

A further major task is to look again at the management and structure of the airspace which could well be bet ter suited to major traffic flows . Eurocontrol has a particular strength in computer simulation of complex route networks . and their expertise should be harnessed to investigate these possibilities . Operational interfaces with bordering regions could also be developed by Eurocontrol. It would be logical therefore that Eurocontrol should be strengthened to support the planning and implementation activity.

Similarly. the agency· s contacts with manufacturing industry should be enhanced and the processes and procedures for consulting airspace users should be developed and refined .

NATS is making considerable effort towards the integration of European ATM systems , working with the government to secure the necessary political commitment from our continental partners . We have already secured wide agreement to the CFMU programme and we see the plans being developed apace. We intend to build further and press for agreement for better integration of Europe 's ATC system.·

The first session of the afternoon. chaired by the Guild's Martyn Cooper. listened to Leif Klette. chairman of NATO's Committee for European Airspace Coordination (CEAC) give a historical perspective of the CEAC objectives and activities . and the challenges the future will bring with increases in civilian air tra ff ic and military airspace requirements .

He was followed by Ms. V. Bjarnadottir . Manager of Research and Economic Studies of the A ssociat ion of European Airlines whose presentation was titled 'Toward a Single System for Air Traffic Control in Europe '.

The last paper of the session . ' Uniting Europe Skies - The First Step' . was presented

by Peter Somers. Associate Direc tor - Planning . of Dan-Air services on behalf of the International Air Carrier Asso ciation (IACA ). He expressed his conviction that Europe had indeed already taken the first step through its plans for Air Traffic Flow Management with the intended establishment of two centra l executive units. one in western . and the other one in eastern Euro pe to provide 'three phases of ATFM activities : Strateg ic ATFM activities take place up to the start of pretact ical operation ; Pre-tact ic al ATFM activities take place in the 24-hour period prior to the day of operation ;

The Challenge We shou ld not delude ourselves that integration of the many_Eu~opean ATM systems will be easy; 1t w1_ll_bea formidable challenge both pol1t1cally and technologically . Furthermore . states will have to make commitments to technical improvement s and to agreed timescales so that projects will be delivered and implemented on time.

Technically there will be a need for: firstly . states to have real-time online data interchange between them to ease coordination ; secondly, common radar capab _ilities including Monopul se SSR with Mode ·s· enhancements to follow; thirdly. common radar separation standards to be achieved between sectors, between ACCs and between states; fourthly, convergence of co_ntroller workstation design internationally; and finally. the maintenance of the highest levels of system s integrity.

While these requirements are set out in Eurocontrol ' s Common Medium Term Plan, the plan would be made more effective by secu ring agreement THE CONTROLLER/ MARCH 1990

P. Mcloughlin , Minister for Aviation and Shipping , being presented with Guild tie by GATCO President C. Stock.

29

Tactical ATFM activities from 0001 on the day of operation until actual time of departure (ATD).

After that it is ATC and not ATFM.' 'Along with many others I do not believe that an FAA Europe is entirely practical, but the ICAO CIMO concept was in my opinion the first step to unite Europe's skies. The ECAC ministers, who knew something had to be done made the political climate suitable for a new initiative to be taken.

'Eurocontrol which had been held from taking a major role was given clearance and told to takeoff. We now have to ensure that politics and national sovereignty do not stop the initiatives and plans now being developed.

'A sophisticated ATFM service is no cure for lack of capacity and the next initiative must be to improve the imbalance between the public's demand for air travel and the lack of airspace systems capacity.

'The next step we would suggest from IACA, is let us make the best use of what we have and integrate our ATS systems in a new European way. Let's stop saying it cannot be done, because it can, we have proved that if the politicians say yes, the professionals in this industry can produce a multi-national plan.

'Our final suggestion for uniting the skies of Europe - is let us get the communications in which I include the radars that watch the aircraft correct and working; the national boundaries of air traffic services that follow hedges, ditches and river into the history books, and last, but not least let us train our staff and ourselves to cooperate and communicate as Europeans to get the job done.'

Lesley Austin was the chairman of the second session of the afternoon which was dedicated to 'The Airline View'. The lead-off speaker was Colin Hume, Manager, Air Traffic Services, British Airways, who contributed a very entertaining, if serious, presentation 'ATC - A Plan for Europe'. showing that the cost of ATC inefficiency in Europe amounted to 4.190 million US dollars in 1988 and offered a model of what the airline industry would consider to be a technically efficient ATC system (Figure 1 ). He said: 'The way ahead clearly lies in political will. determination. commitment. cooperation and leadership! During the present ATS environment. in which we operate. especially that of the United Kingdom. dominated by ATCO shortages. fixed ATDs, MDls, low acceptance rates. frequent and prolonged delays, frustrated crews and passengers, it is not an easy task to look up 30

A TECHNICALLY EFFICIENT SYSTEM

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could remain under control of and be operated by the individual states.

over the horizon and firmly believe that a new European sun will one day rise.

One of smooth uninterrupted flows. no delays. instant communications, RNAV precision accuracy. reduced separation standards. Mode data links, etc. All these benefits finally being fulfilled from significant airline investments over many years.'

Next was Captain Neil Burrows, Flight Operations Director, Air 2000. who addressed the subject of' Airline/ ATC Communications'.

He was followed by R.A.G. Willis. Operations Manager, Dan-Air who saw the solution to problems in increasing both voice and electronic communications and data interchange between national ATC units.

All sessions were followed by open forums. and the evening ended with a very enjoyable wine and cheese party sponsored by Dan-Air. The morning of 20 October brought 'Developing the TechnologyDevising the Procedures·. The first speaker was George Oliver of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) who gave a short outline on historical developments in Europe. in particular the recent unforeseen growth in air traffic and its consequences on the airline industry and he indicated that steps taken to harmonize systems in Europe lacked the required speed and efficiency. He looked at existing ICAO machinery and how other organizations. such as Eurocontrol and ECAC have complemented, and could do so in the future. the ICAO European structure. However, he called for increased and expanded efforts since 'time is pressing and patience is a luxury we cannot

·s·

afford'. Mr. Oliver suggested a plan which would: Establish as part of the common medium term plan. common standards for European ATC systems.

No element which could lead to incompatibilities should escape scrutiny. Target December 1990 Conclude work designed to establish a common training syllabus for controllers.

Target December 1990 Work toward the establishment of common operating procedures for ATC and study the operating/ procedural impact of RNAV. Target December 19 91 Develop plans, in detail, with implementation sc~edules of groups of states, involving national planners and Eurocontrol specialists working together for extended p~riods. This effort to be integrated with work of the European Coordinatio_n Team and the planning working group dealing with the common medium term plan. Target December 1991 Develop a plan for a common procurement strategy for ATC systems, radar replacement (e.g. Mode 'S') and maJor system elements, such as comms/ data link. This excludes navaids and stand-alone items.

Target December 1993 The chairman of the session, David Brocklebank. then called on the next speakers, Graeme Altern. Divisional Manager Operations. International Aeradio pie. and Steve Lawley of British Telecom International to address the topic 'International ATC Communications Networks'.

THE CONTROLLER/MARCH

1990

They were followed by H.W. Cole of Marconi Radar whose paper 'Mode ·s·. Data link and ACAS- a Status Report' will be reproduced in full elsewhere in 'The Controller·.

After the coffee break. under the chairmanship of Roger Bartlett.

Thomson-CSF representative Roger Kahane gave a presentation on · Radars and Displays - New Developments for ATC'. Next. Group Captain J.W. Tritton of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators presented 'The Pilot's View of Unified Procedures·.

He expressed regret that. historically. national ATC systems use equipment which is not compatible with that of other systems and looked into the future where airborne flight management systems may eventually be linked to ATC computers. increasing efficiency and decreasing controller workload. He concluded by saying that the short term solution lies in 'having all the ATC systems in Europe working to the same ATC rules and. above all. providing interface units between the many air traffic computer systems so that computers talk to each other .. .' · For the long term. we must work toward a new modern air traffic management system for the next century. Using more automation to reduce the workload on controllers by utilizing the capability of computers and Mode data link. In addition. this plan must also strive to more effectively utilize the airspace available.· To close the session. Peter Forth and Paul Taylor of Plessey Radar presented two papers: 'Raster Display Systems for ATC' and ·A Status Report on MLS.' The afternoon session carried the heading ·A View from the Sharp End' and was chaired by GATCO President.

Chris Stock. He called on the first presenter of the session, Captain D. Leonard. whose paper on behalf of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA) was titled ·Jam Tomorrow?'. He likened air traffic control and airline operations to a novel chess game where 'all the players use the same pieces. moving them in the same direction and. instead of trying to exterminate the other side. the aim of this game is to keep it going indefinitely without losing any pieces·. He predicted that there will be a need to reduce separation standards on the North Atlantic and improve communications. navigation and surveillance. likely through the use of satellites. He reiterated IFALPA's opposition to a reduction of the 2,000 ft separation standard above Flight Level 290 because a 1,000 ft standard would not meet the target level of safety. Instead. he

·s·

THE CONTROLLER/MARCH 1990

offered as a possible alternative the ICA system developed by the University of Oslo which would, if put in use. increase capacity. Captain Leonard pointed to the lack of airport capacity which would impede effective ATC systems by ground delays and he suggested that airports and aircraft. kept idle at night. are being wasted.

But he cautioned that humans are not like machines which can perform at thei~ peak at any given time of the day or night. He ended by saying: 'It will need great determination by the individual authorities in every state and a firm commitment of the European Community as a whole to spend effort and money in a massive restructuring, providing facilities and human resources. Will we get that commitment or will there be JAM tomorrow?'

Next. the head of the RAC/ SAR section of the European office of ICAO. Daniel Oudin. presented his paper 'The ICAO Future Concept for the Management of Air Traffic in Europe'. He concentrated on the working party of the European Air Navigation Planning Group (EANPG) called Future European Air Traffic Services System Concept Group (FEATS) on the future concept for the management of air traffic in the European Region which embraces the whole of Europe and the Asian part of the USSR. north to the north pole and includes Turkey. He provided a short history of the group and stated that 'FEATS confirmed that ATC was the primary component of air traffic management. The FEATS concept gives a comprehensive description of the

functions of ATC and discusses the methods and means to support these functions. The elements of communication and surveillance are considered essential and the role of automated assistance is given high priority.· He concluded by saying that· Efforts by all concerned are evidently identified to bring in solutions to the immediate problem of congestion in Europe.

Through FEATS. the aviation community is engaged into looking further ahead to develop the system of the future. Future is tomorrow; the impetus must be kept.'

The head of the London Flow Management Unit. Peter K. Marks. then contributed a paper 'The Eurobowl - A View from the Rim' which detailed experiences. problems and suggestions on flow management as seen by one at the rim of Europe.

The last paper of the session was given by the Regional Vice-President.

Europe. of IFATCA. Philippe Domagala. It was titled 'The Future European Air Traffic Controller· and touched on such subjects as automation. motivation. social peace and legal liability. One major topic was the existing shortage of air traffic controllers in Europe which was reported to range from a low of 5 percent short in France to a high of 48 percent short in Spain. and all Member Associations in the Europe West Region indicating a shortage, with very little relief in sight.

The Final Open Forum followed the session which allowed and encouraged a great many questions to be raised and answered. Convex '89 was for31

mally closed by GATCO Preside nt Chris Stock in the late afternoon .

In Conclusion It was most interesting to observe the vario us interpretations given to the word 'uniting路 in the theme of the Convex. They range from total centr alizat ion through the establishment of a European equivalent of the US Federal Av iation Agency ( FAA ) to the con tin uation of national systems wi th greatly increased cooperation and standardization.

There appears to be no disagreement that steps to solve existing problems and shortfa lls have to be take n.

The question is, how to best go about finding th e most promising. acceptable, and effective solution.

Whil e the cr eation of a centra l agency in charge of all air traffic control services in the region and the establishment of six enroute facilities instead of the present 42 , as suggested by the Association of European Airlin es in their Wh ite Pap er. may be see n as the panacea by some, such a mo ve would give rise to some fundamental questions of the socioecono mi c impact. the human cost to the per sonnel involved through the d isruptio n of lives, loss of tax base to affected com munities, to men,1on but a few. On the other hand. is it possible to synch ronize existing nat ional systems so t hat equipment is compatible, adequate to allow the same separation standa rds to be used by equa lly qualified controllers anywhere in the reg ion? There is no question that exist ing technology allows such interrelationship between separate systems. As many control lers have already experienced da ily, and for quite some time, phys ical distance is no longer a detriment to commun ications or automated excha nge of data. It can be as easy to communicate with the respective sector in another unit as it is to communicate with the secto r next to one路 s own in the same unit, radar identification can automat ica lly be handed off to an othe r unit as it ca n be w ithin a unit.

The technology exists. what is needed is the po litical w ill to proper ly emp loy it, to esta bli sh technica l standards and paramete rs w hich ensure equipment compat ibility and equa lly qualified cont ro ller s.

IFATCA has. for many years now. maintained that aviation and air traffic contro l wor ldwide form one system, that shortcomings anywhere have a negat ive imp act on the whole. It wil l be interesting to watch developments in Europe. Whatever solution is finally agreed upon . however . the human air traff ic contro ller ' s needs and aspirations must not be forgotten.

32

Prototype Equipment for a European Radar Network As an important step towards the integration of Eurocontrol 's and national air traffic control centres, the Eurocontrol Agency 路 has developed, with its member states, a programme to im prove both radar coverage and radar data reliability. This is being achieved by implementing a radar network which allows the shared use of all available radar information .

For the execution of this programme, a contract to develop and supply prototype Radar Message Conversion and Distribution Equipment (RMCDE) was awarded to Comsoft, a German computer systems company, following an international call for tenders .

The RMCDE is based on a modular microprocessor board system. The RMCDE hardware and software will enable the adaption and conversion of radar data to the va rious interfaces , protoco ls, formats and line speeds of the radars connected to the system.

After exhaustive testing of the prototype equipment, it is planned as a first step to implement a radar network linking the five air traffic control centres at Amsterdam, Bremen, Bru sse ls, Du sseldorf and Maa str icht with all releva nt radar stations of this area. This network may subsequently be extended to other air traffic control centres with the aim to create a European net wo rk for the rapid, automatic exchange of radar data, and possib ly also flight plan data, and it has thu s the potential to contribute to the imp rovement of the safety and efficiency of air traffic contro l in Europe .

Subscription

European Traffic Up Again Traffic in Europe at the half-year point was continuing to increase, but the rate of gain began to taper off a bit, according to the Association of European Airlines (AEA). Total international traffic increased 6. 7% in revenue passenger kilometers during the month, down from 8.8% in the preceding month. Capacity failed to keep pace, however, resulting in a 0. 7 point rise in load factors to 69.6%.

For the half-year period, international traffic was up 7. 3 % .

The real story in Europe, according to AEA, is not the booming traffic, but the booming rate of departure delays.

The month of June set an all-time record, AEA said, with 30.8% of all international departures delayed at least 15 min., 7.1 points greater than the previous all-time record. AEA expected that July and August resu Its wou Id be worse.

(Air Transport World 101 89)

ILS in China Wilcox. a subsidiary of Thom sonCSF, has become the leading supplier of Instrument Landing Syste路ms to China.

The Civil Aviation Authority in China again contracted Wilco x to provide seven ILS in 1989, after eight in 1988 and more during previous years.

The China Aviation Authority ha s ordered 40 systems from Wilcox.

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THE CONTROLLER / MARC H 1990

Corpora e Members of I FATCA AUTODIAGNOS,

Stockholm,

Sweden

Bofors Electronics AB , Stockholm, Sweden Borge Pedersen A/ S , Allerod , Denmark Cardion Electronics, Woodbury, USA CAE Electronics Ltd., Saint-Laurent, Canada Cecsa Systemas Electronicos SA, Madrid, Spain CISET S.p.A., Rome, Italy CON RAC Communications Software GmbH, Rodermark-Wa Cossor Electronics Ltd., Harlow, UK Dictaphone Corporation, Rye, USA Ferranti Computer Systems Ltd., Cwmbran, UK FFV Airport Technology AB, Froson, Sweden Hollandse Signaalapparaten B.V. , Hengelo , Netherla nds EB NETCOM, Nesbru, Norway

ldac ke r, FRG

ISS Videotex A/ S, Charlottenlund, Denmark Jeppesen & Co. GmbH, Frankfurt, FRG Jerry Thompson & Associates Inc., Kensington, USA Marconi Radar Systems Ltd ., Chelmsford, UK McDonnell Douglas Electronics, St. Charles, USA Mitre Corporation, McLean, USA Norcontrol Surveillance Systems A.S ., Shipping Sa dbury , UK Racal Avionics Ltd., London, UK Raytheon Canada Ltd., Waterloo, Cana da Schmid Telecommunication, Zurich, Sw it ze rland SCICON Ltd ., London, UK Selenia lndustr ie Elettroniche, Ro m e, It aly SEL-Standard Elektrik Lorenz, Stuttgar t, FRG Siemens Plessey Radar Ltd., Chess ingto n, UK Societe d'Etudes et d' Ent re pris es Elec t riques, Malakoff, Sofreavia, Paris, France

France

Software Scie nces Ltd. , Fa rnborough, UK SW EDAVIAA B, Norrkop ing, Sw eden TAS A, Teleco muni ca,;oe s Aeronauticas S.A., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Te lef unken Syst emtec hnik GmbH, Hamburg, FRG Thomson -CSF, M eud on, France W estinghouse Electric Corp., Baltimore, USA The Interna t iona l Federa t ion of A ir Traff ic Contro llers' Assoc iation s wo uld like to invite all co rporations , organ izat ions, and inst itutions intere st ed in and concerned with the ma intenance and promotion of safety 1n air tr aff ic t o jo in th eir organiz ation as Corporate Member s Corporate Member s support the aims of th e Fede rat ion by supp lying the Fede ration with techn ica l info rmat ion and by means of an annual sub sc ription The Federa t ion ' s international Journa l 'The Cont rol ler ' is offered as a platfor m for t he di sc ussion of technical and procedura l deve lopments in the f ield of air traff ic contro l .

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