Data Communications DCIT #16 Flight Deck Working Group Presented to: DCIT FDWG Breakout Session By: Andy Fry, Thane Inc. Date: July 11, 2012 Federal Aviation Administration Agenda • Review of work schedule for 1st DCL Ops • Review of End2End changes and flight deck impacts • Review of New Pilot Questionnaire • DCIT Ops Management Discussion topics – Matrix for DCL trial outcomes – What do we measure • S1P2 Transfer of Control discussion • Next Meeting – August 22-23 Herndon, VA Data Communications Program July 11, 2012 Federal Aviation Administration 2 Work schedule for 1st DCL Ops • Flight Deck User Guide v 1.0 – Updates? • Airline DCL Ops Support – Aircraft testing the week of August 27th • CAF and AFN test verification – FedEx – Jon is the POC KMEM MD-11 & B777 – United - Rick is the POC (KDEN) B777 and (LAX) 747 & 777 (KIAD) 777 – FedEx (Assume Nov 1 Start for DCL Trial @ MEM) • CMO/APM meeting on August 17 w/MD11/777 fleets KMEM • 60 days prior to DCL trial start bulletin to FAA APM for approval • Flight Manual Bulletins delivery to flight crews 30 days prior to trial – United (Assume Feb 1 Start DCL Trial @ KEWR) • Request to start early – move the start date sometime in January? – Delta Data Communications Program July 11, 2012 Federal Aviation Administration 3 End2End changes and flight deck impacts • PDC FRC modifications via flight planning – Automatic Fallback to PDC • Causes to fallback to PDC – Outages – Planned – Flight Crew/AOC notified via NOTAM – Change in filing status from the airline » Airline Failed to include FRC DCL in amended FAA Clearances » Short Term Outage or Aircraft related issues, - In all cases revert to Voice (Verify FDWG User Guide) » ATIS notification for the DCL trial is not required – Local notification by the airline will meet flight crew notification of DCL Service availability • How do we notify Users? – Flight Deck » See comments above – AOC • Impacts – Increase in workload – Flight Crew reverts to voice – Possible, no impact – Unable to determine which mode (PDC, DCL, and/or Voice) to obtain clearance, Possible, but in all cases they revert to voice – no impact – CPDLC not available – Controller increased workload (TBD – ATC Workgroup) Data Communications Program July 11, 2012 Federal Aviation Administration 4 End2End changes and flight deck impacts, Con’t • Logon – When ATC Comm is not established within 10 minutes after logon, • A second attempt to Logon should be accomplished – Made a comment in FDWG User Guide 4.2 » Or ATC Comm has not been established within 10 minutes of Logon, then – Production System • Logon will be accepted, but ATC Comm will not be established until flt plan correlation at strip print time – FedEx would like to discuss Data Communications Program July 11, 2012 Federal Aviation Administration 5 New Pilot Questionnaire • Review of the Draft Flight Deck Questionnaire and Interview Questions – Discussions concerning flight crew comments on questionnaire • Very Detailed • Likelihood to provide feedback issues – Long – Not broken why comment • Review 2nd - Shorter Questionnaire • DCL Trial Plan for flight crew interviews and Questionnaire feedback • Suggestion by the FDWG – Web based program – Outreach effort by the DCP??? • Suggested to be hosted by Outside Group e.g., MITRE, FAA DCP/DCIT website?? • Not to be used for DCL operational related issues Data Communications Program July 11, 2012 Federal Aviation Administration 6 Success • Safe Implementation – Flight Crew acceptance – Continued Use • DCL Trial performed as expected per the trial guidance – Logon failures, not requested clearances, loading failures of route clearances, revised clearances?? – Reduced number of ATC Departure Clearance Delays? • How do we track delays – Savings? • Flexible for User operations? – Tactical off schedule operations, company request? – Reduced voice congestion on ATC Clearance Delivery Freq – Reduced workload – How do we measure this? – How many times did we have to revert to voice to clarify or obtain ATC clearance? – Revised Clearances delivered via CPDLC vs. voice PDC environment – What/How do you compare it to vs. today’s procedures? What is the baseline? Data Communications Program July 11, 2012 Federal Aviation Administration 7 S1P2 Transfer of Control discussion • Review of proposed TOC Enroute ConOps Monitor Message – Original ConOps • TOC sent from Sending Sector, • CAL (Confirm Assigned Level) sent from Receiving Sector concatenated with VAF (Verify Assigned Frequency). Monitor Message – New ConOps • TOC/CAL sent from Sending Sector. • VAF sent from Receiving Sector Contact message used inter-facility Data Communications Program July 11, 2012 Federal Aviation Administration 8 TOC – Monitor w/ VAF • Operational Benefit – TOC Monitor Capability • • • • Supports DCP Benefits to increase voice channel accessibility, and reduces routine controller voice communications via with controller supported CPDLC technology Monitor w/CAL Supports a real time Altitude Confirmation via CPDLC and Controller Automation Supports the quiet cockpit concept during enroute operational environment Operational Issues – Flight Deck Original ConOps Possibility of aircraft leveling off during climb. Double aural alert on every frequency change. Delay of Altitude Conformance Monitoring on handoffs New ConOps Double aural alert on every frequency change. VAF is isolated message causing aural alert Could become pilot nuisance / loss of value Discussion Data Communications Program July 11, 2012 Federal Aviation Administration 9 TOC Monitor Operating Method • Monitor Message – Flight Deck Workload – TOC “Monitor” Operating Method • Sending ATSU – Uplinks Monitor Message w/CAL • Aircraft Receives “ ATC” or “ATC MSG” with Audible Tone – Uplinked Monitor – Accepts Message, then – Constructs Downlink CAL message with Manual Input of altitude information, then Sends » Manually enters New Frequency into Audio Control Panel • Sending ATSU – Receives Wilco Monitor Message with CAL Report • Sending ATSU transfers aircraft via GND to GND to Receiving ATS • Receiving ATSU – Sends a VAF to Aircraft • Aircraft Receives “ ATC” or “ATC MSG” with Audible Tone – Uplinked message “Verify Assigned Frequency 123.45 Houston Center – Aircrew Responds to Message with a Roger, and – Verifies Audio Control Panel VHF Frequency is properly set Data Communications Program July 11, 2012 Federal Aviation Administration 10 Monitor Discussion • What generated the VAF for Monitor TOC’s? – – – – • Potential Mitigation to the Hazard – Monitor 121.5 w/CPDLC – • Requirement definition – AFS / AVS? Voice Channel availability after new VHF Freq is selected VHF failure indication? Multiple cockpit events triggered by a single CPDLC message Change in flight crew behavior • Flight Confirmation and verification of set VHF frequency in the audio control panel – Similar to setting ALT in the Flight Guidance Panel • For All CPDLC Ops - second Radio must be tuned to 121.5 • 3 concurrent modes of communication – CPDLC, Radio 1 – Assigned ATC Freq, Radio 2 - 121.5 – Missed Tuned or improperly assigned ATC Freq still results in 2 means of connectivity • TBD: Future requirements??? Recommendation – – – Review FAA Build 1 results of the use of Monitor TOC within Miami Airspace DCIT FDWG Position Paper with Recommendations for Monitor TOC’s Work with the regulators for an implementation plan to determine future requirements related to TOC/IC’s • What do we need to study and what supports the ConOps of a single flight crew TOC workload event Data Communications Program July 11, 2012 Federal Aviation Administration 11 Next Meeting – August 22-23 Herndon, VA • Work Activity – Workspace for discussion – OT&E Validation with FAA Tech Center • FedEx on Aircraft validation effort Data Communications Program July 11, 2012 Federal Aviation Administration 12 Backup Data Communications Program July 11, 2012 Federal Aviation Administration 13 Contact Message Data Communications Program July 11, 2012 Federal Aviation Administration 14