Decision Support at the FAAAir Traffic Control System Command Center
(ATCSCC)
Michael Eckert
Nat’l Aviation [email protected]
ATCSCC GoalsBalance air traffic demand with the capacity of
the National Air Space (NAS), focusing on Safety and Efficiency
But… We have a Problem…~ 70% of delays in the National Airspace System (NAS) are attributed to weather which results in Aviation Industry loses in excess of $20,000,000,000 each year.
How do we mitigate weather impacts to the NAS?
The AWC NAMs provide Integrated Decision Support Services (IDSS) to the FAA in support of the NAS
Weather Ready Nation AWC NAMs are trained in Meteorology and Traffic Flow Management Partnered with FAA, CWSUs, WFOs, Airline Mets and NCEP Centers Developing innovative methods/products to deliver weather impact information
Typical Day(all times UTC)
Scheduled:
TAF Updates - 09, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23 & 01 5-Day Terminal Outlook - 0930 Day 1-8 Impact Graphics - 1030 NY/PHL TAF Coordination - 1040 & 1640 Aviation Previous Day Impacts - 1100 NWS HQ Standup - 1145 local ATCSCC Standup - 1200 & 2000 NAS Day-1 Convective Outlook - 1245 FAA NAS Sys Rev (Day 2-4+) - 1400 FAA HQ (High Impacts as needed) -1430
Impact Driven:
CAWS Collaboration SWPC, VAAC & Mtn WV Ad-hoc ATCSCC Briefings/Telcons/chats – 15+ each day Holiday Outlooks, Special Events, Tropical…
Most IDSS is: Terminal (Airport) Impacts
Arrival/Departure Gates Weather at Airport Ground Stop (GS) Ground Delay Program (GDP)
Enroute (Cruising) Impacts Route blockage
Traffic Flow Management Portalhttp://testbed.aviationweather.gov/page/public?name=TFM%20Portal
Ground Stop (GS) Holds aircraft at departure airport Can be immediate/unplanned Used when Weather will directly impact an Airport for ~ 1 hours Emergency situation at airport Airplanes need to land…they don’t have to take off
RED = In Air
YELLOW = Ground Stopped
GREEN = Airborne Soon
Ground Delay Program (GDP)
Used when Weather will directly impact an Airport for > 2 hours Control Air Traffic to Airports where demand > capacity Each flight gets a specific departure time Each flight gets a delay
Air Flow Program (AFP) Control volume through an en route volume of airspace Usually one-way, i.e. East Coast volume to Florida (spring break) Assigned time to cross an line rather than arrival time at an airport
Typical Daily Enroute Map
GOLDEN TRIANGLE
Peak periods NAS Traffic ~ 6,500 aircraft
MILATARY RESTRICTED AREAS
Q-Route
ARRoute
Military areas offer very limited corridors with little variance for
lateral adjustment of route
Radar courtesy NEXLAB – College of DuPage
Where is the bigger “aviation” impact?
JFKEWR
LGA
NY Airspace is most congested in the NAS
It’s all about the real estate…
Location…Location…LocationTiming…Timing…Timing
CAWS(Collaborative Aviation Weather Statement)
CAWS - Valid 2100Z - 0000Z Radar Image - 2300Z
Saving $$ TS SW ORD...WILL IT REACH THE TERMINAL? ORD TRACON/TOWER ASKS FOR GROUND DELAY PROGRAM Program length = 2 hours #Flights affected = 154 #Passengers affected = ~15,400 Average Delay (per flight) = 21 min Total Delay in NAS = 3,200 min or 53.3 hours $$ Savings (per 2012 - $4,690 per hour cost of delay)
NAM briefed NO TS impacts to ORD/MDW
SAVINGS$250,000
Air Flow Program (AFP) requested by ZJXReduce traffic thru ZJX to ~90 flights per hour 14z-02z due to Thunderstorms
949 Flight Delays
80,656 minutes of delay
152.8 min average delay
Over 90,000 passengers affected!
Normal Traffic Flow
AFP Flow (dashed line)
$6.3 million of delay saved NO AFP
Eagle, COFog Event12/29/13
EGE Fog Event 12/29/1315 Min before GOES-R probability indicated clearing20 minutes after GOES-R probability indicated clearing30 minutes after GOES-R indicated clearing
Savings ~ $228,000.00
Questions?
Wall of Weather
PC N-AWIPs TFMS AWIPs PC
ATCSCC Weather Unit
Joey Mike Frank Brandon DanCarr Eckert Brody Smith Kremnitzer
