Trajectory-Based Operations (TBO) - Joint Planning and ...

Trajectory-Based Operations (TBO)
Study Team Report
and any needed re-acquisition. For this flight, however, the military’s mission needs are as originally
planned, and Sunset 42 can maintain its original 4DT.
In addition to the weather over the Gulf, convective activity has intensified in South Florida. New
probabilistic forecasts show an increased chance of convective weather that will reduce airport
capacity near the time of Sunset 42’s arrival. Using decision support tools incorporating this
probabilistic weather, the MIA ANSP, in coordination with the ANSP’s Command Center, has decided
to reduce the airport acceptance rate. Time-based metering is extended to a longer planning horizon.
The ANSP contacts Sunset 42 via data link with a new RTP at a point just prior to TOD. The flight
crew uses the RTA functions in the FMS to set this time performance requirement. This solution
allows adequate time for Sunset 42 to reduce speed to a more economical setting and prevents the need
for inefficient delay maneuvers when closer to the airport. The Sunset crew acknowledges the change
and executes the new RTA in the FMS. When the crew executes the change in the FMS, a
confirmation of the change is sent to the ANSP via data link. Based on onboard FMS calculations,
Sunset 42 can meet the RTA by maintaining its current flight profile at a slower speed.
Sunset 42 crosses the Gulf coastline and proceeds toward self-separation airspace. The aircraft receives
a data link message from the ANSP advising the crew of the change in separation responsibility from
the ANSP to the flight crew prior to reaching the airspace boundary. The message confirms the
boundary marking the beginning of self-separation airspace and formally hands off separation
responsibility to the flight deck. Sunset 42 acknowledges the message and accepts responsibility for its
own separation when entering the airspace. The ANSP then confirms receipt of this handoff with an
additional message.
Self-separation airspace includes mixed operations for separation management. These operations
include appropriately equipped and participating aircraft that separate themselves from all other traffic,
based on right-of-way rules. The airspace also includes ANSP-managed aircraft that are unequipped
for self-separation. While in self-separation airspace, equipped and participating aircraft are
responsible for resolving their own traffic conflicts and avoiding trajectory changes that create nearterm
conflicts for others. Onboard automation, called Conflict Detection and Resolution (CDR),
provides clear guidance for pilots, enabling them to accomplish these tasks. Priority flight rules are
embedded in conflict-alerting algorithms, and the automation notifies the appropriate flight crew when
its aircraft must resolve a conflict. Flight rules always require self-separating aircraft to maneuver to
avoid controller-managed traffic. In self-separation airspace, the ANSP remains responsible for
resolving conflicts between ANSP-managed aircraft (those not equipped for self-separation). However,
constraints. This concept reduces traffic manager workload and allows more control over traffic in
uncertain weather situations. SEVEN also gives NAS customers greater flexibility to operate flights
according to business priorities under TBO. SEVEN recaptures system capacity, currently lost due to
severe weather or other capacity-limiting factors. Presently, the Collaborative Decision Making
(CDM) Future Concepts Team (FCT) is evaluating SEVEN through a series of storyboards,
simulations utilizing Integrated Simulation Environment (ISE) and Human-In-The-Loop (HITL)
exercises with aviation stakeholders, as a part of the Concept Engineering and Development (CED)
process.
Joint Planning and Development Office
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