Also in this Issue

4 ATC Display Design

4 EGNOS Flight Event

4 IFATCAS 2015 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

THE CONTROLLER

Journal of Air Traffic Control July 2015

INTE

R-NA

TIONA

L FEDERATION OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

From the ANSP to the controller to the technician everyonersquos better off with KVM

For the service provider KVM adds flexibility to IT infrastructure It enables emergency work-arounds improves workflows adds reliability to redundancy concepts and provides continuous uninterrupted IT availability

ATCOs enjoy a computer-free environment Moving the computers to a central location creates less noise less heat and more space to create better working conditions in the control room And the systemrsquos more reliable too

With KVM technicians can access several systems from a range of locations - not just their workplace Administration is made easier and maintenance too the computers are stored centrally so no more crawling under desks Therersquos also more time for maintenance because ATCOs can be simply switched to a back-up system whenever itrsquos required

For optimum IT system control improved working conditions and increased system safety therersquos only one all-round answer ndash KVM from GampD

LEADING THE WAY IN

DIGITAL KVM

wwwgdsysde

KVM FROM GampD IT control that towers above the rest

GampD TowerAW A4indd 1 30032015 1557

From the ANSP to the controller to the technician everyonersquos better off with KVM

For the service provider KVM adds flexibility to IT infrastructure It enables emergency work-arounds improves workflows adds reliability to redundancy concepts and provides continuous uninterrupted IT availability

ATCOs enjoy a computer-free environment Moving the computers to a central location creates less noise less heat and more space to create better working conditions in the control room And the systemrsquos more reliable too

With KVM technicians can access several systems from a range of locations - not just their workplace Administration is made easier and maintenance too the computers are stored centrally so no more crawling under desks Therersquos also more time for maintenance because ATCOs can be simply switched to a back-up system whenever itrsquos required

For optimum IT system control improved working conditions and increased system safety therersquos only one all-round answer ndash KVM from GampD

LEADING THE WAY IN

DIGITAL KVM

wwwgdsysde

KVM FROM GampD IT control that towers above the rest

GampD TowerAW A4indd 1 30032015 1557

Contents

THE CONTROLLER

In this issue

Cover photo Felix Gottwald - Aviation Photography wwwfelixgottwaldnet

July 2015Volume 54 Issue 2 ndash ISSN 0010-8073

The editorial team has endeavored to include all owner information or at least source information for the images used in this issue If you believe that an image was used without permission please contact the editor via httpwwwthe-controllernet

Foreword from the Executive Boardhelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 4IFATCAs Annual Conference 2015 5

IFATCA ICAO - Reflecting on the Past amp the Future 12ATC Display Design 14

IFALPA Annual Conference 2015 16IFATCA Statement on the Future of Global 17

Europe Be Ready for Change 21 NM Vision for Eurpean ATM 22

AsiaPacific The Blame Game 24Mobile Learning for Controllers 26

EGNOS Flight Event 28Book Review Skyfaring by Marc Vanhoenacker 31Flying VFR in Norway 32Charlies Colmn 34

EXECUTIVE BOARD OF IFATCA

Patrik PetersPresident and Chief Executive Officer

Scott ShalliesDeputy President

Duncan AuldExecutive Vice-President Technical

Eric RisdonExecutive Vice-President Professional

Jeremy ThompsonExecutive Vice-President Finance

Keziah OgutuExecutive Vice-President Africa and Middle East

John CarrExecutive Vice-PresidentAmericas

Mike ONeillExecutive Vice-President Asia and Pacific

Željko OreškiExecutive Vice-President Europe

Philippe DomogalaConference Executive

REGIONAL EDITORSPhil Parker Asia PacificSerge Tchanda Africa amp Middle EastIgnacio Baca Technical

COPY EDITORSPaul Robinson Jez Pigden Brent Cash David Guerin Alasdair Shaw amp Helena Sjoumlstroumlm

DISCLAIMER The views expressed in this magazine are those of the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllersrsquo Associa-tions (IFATCA) only when so indicated Other views will be those of individual members or contributors concerned and will not necessarily be those of IFATCA except where indicated Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this publication is correct IFATCA makes no warranty express or implied as to the nature or accuracy of the information Further distribution of this publication is permitted and even encouraged as long as it is not altered in any way or manner No part or extracts of this publication may be reproduced stored or used in any form or by any means without the specific prior permission of the IFATCA Executive Board or Editor except where indicated (eg a creative commons licence)

VISIT THE IFATCA WEB SITES wwwifatcaorg and wwwthe-controllernet

PUBLISHERIFATCA International Federation of Air Traffic Controllerslsquo Associations360 St Jacques middot Suite 2002Montreal Quebec middot H2Y 1P5 middot CANADA

Phone +1514 866 7040Fax +1514 866 7612Email officeifatcaorg

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFPhilip MarienVan Dijcklaan 31B-3500 Hasselt Belgiumemail editorifatcaorg

DEPUTY EDITORPhilippe Domogalaemail dpthe-controllernet

CORPORATE AFFAIRSVacant

3 THE CONTROLLER

4 Foreword

4

WERE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

^ by Patrik Peters IFATCA President amp CEO

We had not yet commenced our travel back home from the an-nual conference in Sofia when

the tragic news about the devastating earthquakes in Nepal reached us We contacted our colleagues in Kathmandu to get some first hand information on the status of the fellow air traffic control staff and their families and to learn about the level of destruction With the aftershocks still ongoing we were told that lsquoourrsquo peo-ple were safe In the following days when the level of devastation and the number of victims became clear we witnessed how the air traffic controllers did their utmost to keep the vital air traffic control structure fully operational They spared no effort to facilitate urgently needed rescue and relief efforts coming and going from the over-burdened airport

Thanks to their efforts search and rescue flights as well as transport aircraft were handled in a safe and efficient manner in extremely difficult circumstances Kath-mandu airport which many of you have flown in and out of when we met in 2012 for annual conference was kept open 247 to accommodate the vastly increased number of flights This ensured that inter-national assistance and relief flights could take place as expeditiously as possible

Our Nepalese sisters and brothers per-formed an outstanding task placing the need to maintain the air traffic control service above the needs of their own fami-lies Most controllers and their families were recommended to not return to their homes due to the ongoing threat of after-shocks Several of them had their house destroyed in the quakes ndash as thousands of others controllers and their families were forced to spend the nights under tarps and in tents that barely sheltered them from the elements

Whilst the IFATCA Executive Board ap-pealed to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to assist our colleagues we also reached out to the regional ICAO office in an attempt to have urgently re-quired material assistance provided Un-fortunately this has proven to be a very difficult logistical undertaking

At the same time several of our member associations approached the Executive Board offering financial support

We therefore decided to collect funds for those sisters and brothers having lost their family homes Donations can be transferred to the following IFATCA account

IFATCA EUROPEAN SUPPORT FUND(PPetersPhDomogala)

IBAN NL95 ABNA 0494 4481 05BICSWIFT ABNANL2ABank details ABN AMRO Markt 11 6191 JH BEEK-LB The NettherlandsClearly state DONATION NEPAL

All funds will be handed over to our mem-ber association to assist the Nepalese col-leagues in rebuilding their homes

Our Nepalese colleagues have testified to being true professionals and we are proud to count them as members of the global controller family

We know that this feeling is shared by people around the world our Facebook post recognising the part our Nepalese colleagues played and continue to play reached well over 20000 people Many friends and colleagues posted supportive

comments It has been by far the most prominent post on our IFATCA Facebook page

Thank you all for the excellent work and your continued support

Professionally yours

pcxifatcaorg

SOLIDARITY WITH NEPALESE COLLEAGUES

THE CONTROLLER

4 Conference

THE CONTROLLER 5

by Philip Marien Editor

20 - 24 APRIL 2015 SOFIA BULGARIA

IFATCA ANNUALCONFERENCE2015

Our Bulgarian Member Association BU-LATCA hosted the 54th Annual Confer-ence of IFATCA The Kempinski hotel in the Bulgarian capital Sofia was the venue for the conference Delegates from some 65 countries attended with some 400 delegates in total The hotel featured an integrated conference centre in which all meetings and ceremonies took place

Opening PlenaryOn the first day IFATCA President and Chief Executive Patrik Peters and his Ex-ecutive Board welcomed the delegates at the Opening Plenary in the auditorium of the conference centre In a new-style opening address Mr Peters highlighted the fact that the Member Associations made the Federation and that the Execu-tive Board relied on their guidance and contributions to determine the direction the Federation took The theme lsquoWersquore all in this togetherrsquo would feature prominently in the rest of the Conference proceedings

An emotional moment was when the PCX requested a moment of silence to remem-ber the victims of aviation accidents that took place around the world in the past year The moment served as a powerful reminder for those in attendance of how brittle the concept of safety is and how it should remain the ultimate consideration in everything we do as a Federation

A number of dignitaries then addressed the meeting Mr Iveco Moskovski Bulgari-an Minister of Transport Information Tech-nology and Communications highlighted the significant increase in flights overfly-ing Bulgaria As a result they plan to in-crease the number of controllers over the next years by 40 to 60 He further spoke about the achievements of the DANUBE Functional Airspace Block which further optimizes the route network delivers real fuel savings saves flight time and lowers the environmental impact

Mr Georgi Peev Director-General of BU-LATSA the countryrsquos Air Traffic Service Provider himself a former controller ex-pressed his support for the Conference motto ldquoATCOs ndash the Heart of the ATM Systemrdquo This feeling was echoed by Mr Assent Tabakov the President of BULAT-CA who also thanked the Member Asso-ciations for having chosen his association to host the 2015 Conference

Finally Mr Mincho Tzvetkov the Director-General of the Civil Aviation Administration addressed the meeting He acknowledged the increasing importance of regional and global professional organizations in terms of protecting the interests of workers and as an engine for development of a specific domain

As part of the opening ceremony the at-tendees were treated to one of Bulgariarsquos greatest treasures singer Valya Balkan-ska performed her song ldquoIzlel e Delyu

4 Imtradex represented by Susanne Lastein(L) was presented with the first IFATCA Technology Award by Ben Gorrie (M) TOC Chairman and Alfred Vlasec (R) PLC Chairman

Photo BULATCA

4 Valya Balkanska performing ldquoIzlel e Delyu HaidutinrdquoPhoto BULATCA

^

4 Conference

Haidutinrdquo The song was selected as one of 27 other music fragments to travel on a golden disc attached to the Voyager 1 spacecraft which was launched in 1977 Thirty-five years after its launch Voyager 1 left our solar system officially becoming the first man-made craft to do so

The final part of the opening ceremony saw the very first IFATCA Technology Award presented to Imtradex for their AirTalk 3000 XD Flex headset Marketing Manager amp Sales Manager ATC Susanne Lastein who accepted the award empha-sized that air traffic safety is very much dependent on interference-free com-munications between everyone involved ldquoMisunderstandings between air traffic controllers and pilots can have serious consequences It is therefore crucial that they understand each other clearly which makes communication equipment a real safety factorrdquo said Susanne Last

After this ceremonial part of the opening plenary Patrik Peters declared the con-ference formally open After the roll call the Directors accepted the report of the previous annual conference (Gran Canaria

Spain) PCX amp CEO Peters asked the dif-ferent IFATCA Executive Board members present their view on the lsquoState of the Fed-erationrsquo A number of them highlighted the dynamism and good atmosphere with-in the Board and the enhanced motivation resulting from this

The chairmen of the three committees received their gavels and the Plenary was suspended to allow the three commit-tees to debate their working papers and reports

Committee AThe Committee was once again chaired by Mr Paul Robinson (New Zealand) who was assisted by Mr Julian Ogilvie (UK) as Com-mittee Secretary and Vice-Chairman Mr Georgi Petkov from Bulgaria Mr Jeremy (Bob) Thompson EVP Finance ad-interim and Mr Scott Shallies Deputy President completed the head table

Dealing with administrative issues of the Federation Committee A reviewed the past year by hearing the reports of differ-ent elected and appointed officials These

included reports of the Deputy President and the EVP Finance who also presented an overview of the Federationrsquos finances Also discussed was the budget for the up-coming fiscal year (2015-2016) The Fed-erations financial situation is strong with substantial reserves A new reserve fund has been created for the purpose of assist-ing MAs to attend Regional Meetings The work program for the Finance Committee for this coming year includes a review of our reserve funds and to propose a rec-ommendation to Directors on a suitable process for determining a mediumlong term financial strategy for the FederationThe affiliation of three Member Associa-tions was terminated bringing the total number of members of the Federation to 128

The Constitution and Administration Com-mittee (CAC) reviewed the IFATCA Panel the structure of the Technical and Pro-fessional Standing Committees closed sessions at Conference and at Regional Meetings and expanding the use of the Conference Attendance Fund Following a paper from South Africa provisions were included for restricting the attendance of observers at closed sessions This year the CAC will consider the creation of a Com-munications Steering Committee the evo-lution of the role of Conference Executive examine the status of the Federations subsidiary documentation and look at li-ability issues when travelling in an area for which travel advisory cautions have been issued New Zealand EGATS and South Africa were elected to the Constitution and Administration Committee

The Controller Steering Committee and the Executive Board have considered the Fed-erationrsquos communication strategies Their plans will be integrated into the manual next year by CAC The Web Manager set up a system on the web site to enable on-line collaboration for various committees and a presence has been maintained on Fa-cebook Twitter and Flickr at minimal cost

4 President amp CEO Patrik Peters addressing the delegates during the Opening Plenary

Photo BULATCA

4 Were all in this together taken quite literallyPhoto BULATCA

6 THE CONTROLLER

4 Conference

Mr Scott Shallies (Australia) was elected to serve another term as Deputy President while Duncan Auld will serve another term as EVP Technical Current EVPs Keziah Ogutu (Kenya) Mike ONeill (Hong Kong) and Željko Oreški (Croatia) will serve an-other 2 years as EVP AfricaMiddle East EVP AsiaPacific and EVP Europe respec-tively Jeremy Thompson (New Zealand) who has been acting as EVP Finance since late last year is confirmed as EVP Finance for one year

Philippe Domogala (EGATS) was re-ap-pointed to the position of Conference Ex-ecutive for a one-year term and the Board and CAC will consider the evolution of this position during this year Mr Jean-Franccedilois Lepage was appointed as Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission succeeding Dr Ruth Stilwell who was the Federationrsquos representative for the last five years

Finally Committee A also considered the venues for forthcoming conferences It confirmed the venue for the next annual conference this will be organised by our North American colleagues of NATCA in Las Vegas from March 14th until 18th 2016 The conference will be held just be-fore the annual Communicating for Safety (CFS) event For 2017 Tunisia was elected to host the 56th Annual Conference in 2017 No less than 6 Member Associa-tions - Canada Costa Rica Egypt Ghana Jordan and The Maldives ndash expressed an interest in hosting the 2018 edition

Committee B - TechnicalThe Committee was chaired by Mr Mat-thijs Jongeneel (Netherlands) Assisting him were Mr Alasdair Shaw (New Zealand) as Committee Secretary and Mrs Antoan-eta Boneva (Bulgaria) as Vice-Chairman Mr Duncan Auld IFATCArsquos Executive Vice

President Technical completed the head table

IFATCA representatives to the differ-ent ICAO Panels presented their reports which gave an overview of the continu-ous and extensive amounts of work they do on behalf of the Federation Although the panel structure is changing at ICAO level our participation continues to be highly valued and appreciated The Fed-eration is involved in the establishment of new separation standards in the creation of new phraseology to be used for SIDs and STARs and in creating standards for Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Com-mittee B recognised the significant con-tribution that Dr Ruth Stillwell has made in her role of Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission over the past five years

The Technical and Operations Commit-tee (TOC) worked on no less than 13 work items this year Several studies introduced new technologies for example the studies on GNSS based approaches and GNSS based altitude Besides describing these developments they also highlighted ad-vantages and limitations

The work on SIDs and STARs continues this year the TOC focused specifically on the ambiguous responsibility for provision of separation with terrain and obstacles in case of weather avoidance TOC was able to clarify the subject and to propose policy which was adopted by the Member Associations

Triggered by a discussion at last yearrsquos IFATCA Annual Conference responsibility for providing separation after completing a TCAS RA manoeuvre was also reviewed New policy agreed that ATC should take responsibility and should issue instructions

as required to achieve separation The work-studies on Future Weather Distribu-tion Flight and Flow Information for a Col-laborative Environment (FF-ICE) and Flight Planning Accuracy showed that accurate data is increasingly critical

The committee further discussed the TOC work programme for 20152016 This in-cludes a wide variety of items Digital Flight Strips Flight plan quality and conform-ance checking RNAV Visual Approaches Free Route Airspace and Flexible Track Systems Commercial Space Operations Pronunciation of Words Space Weather Autonomous Passenger and Cargo Air-craft Principles for Alerts and the Display of Information (with PLC) Review of Policy on Advanced Approach Procedures

In addition the composition of the Tech-nical and Operations Committee (TOC) was voted upon Ben Gorrie (Australia) will continue as Chairman of TOC Besides the technical representatives Nigeria Slove-

4 Bill Holtzmann (NATCA USA) presenting a working paper in Committee B

Photo BULATCA

4 Probably the hardest working people at Conference the committee Chairmen and SecretariesLeft to Right Paul Robinson amp Jules Oglevie (Commitee A) Maria Serrano Mulet amp Peter Van Rooyen (Committee C) Alasdair Shaw amp Matthijs Jongeneel (Committee B)

Photo BULATCA

THE CONTROLLER 7

4 Conference

THE CONTROLLER

nia Spain UK Netherlands and USA will serve as members of the committee and will prepare work-studies for next yearrsquos conference

Joined Committee B amp C (Technical and Professional affairs)A full day combined Committee B and C meeting was also held this year The meet-ing was very well attended and was co‐chaired by the chairmen of Committees B amp C Matthijs Jongeneel and Peter van Rooyen The agenda comprised of reports from global representatives reports from the Regional Vice Presidents and a num-ber of work-studies Dr Ruth Stilwell our ICAO ANC Representative demonstrated once again the value of the position of having our Federation represented at the ANC Many of the subjects she encounters on an almost daily basis have been dis-cussed in committee B and C during pre-vious conferences She stressed the need for a constructive approach of IFATCA at

the ICAO level and she highlighted the great teamwork with the IFATCA Panel Representa-tives and the Ex-ecutive Board Dr Ruth Stillwell is stepping down from the position and the committee rewarded her out-standing work with a standing ovation

The report of our representative to the IFALPA ATS Committee Kimmo Koi-vula demonstrated the excellent relation-ship between our Federation and IFALPA Mr Rip Torn Chairman of the IFALPA ATS Committee who was representing IFALPA in the Conference also acknowledged this and stressed the importance of the

close cooperation between IFATCA and IFALPA Our representative on the Air Traffic Management Requirements and Performance Panel gave an excellent ex-planation on the highly technical concept of Trajectory Based Operations

8

4 Committee C Professional in sessionPhoto BULATCA

IFATCA Panel Performance Based NavigationOn Thursday a panel discussion was held followed by an interactive workshop on Competency Based Training

The title of the panel discussion was ldquoPer-formance Tomorrow ndash How PBN Is Shaping Our Professionrdquo After a short introduction by IFATCA President Mr Patrik Peters in which he briefly outlined the topic panel moderator Philippe Domogala introduced representatives from ICAO IFALPA NAT-CA (USA) SESAR JU and EUOCONROL Each one was given a few minutes to intro-duce the subject ndash and challenges of Per-formance Based Navigation ndash after which they discussed the subject prompted by questions from the audience

Mr Saul Da Silva - ICAO Montreal - is an ATM Technical Officer at ICAO HQ in Montreal Secretary of the Air Navigation Commission Air Traffic Management Re-quirements and Performance Panel (AT-MRPP) and Secretary of the Separation and Airspace Safety Panel (SASP) Mr Da Silva talked about the current situation on PBN what are the implementation plans regulatory oversight training plans

Captain Rip Torn IFALPA ATS Committee Chairman IFALPA representative to the ICAO Data Link Working Group Surveil-lance Panel ATMRPP USALPA ATS Group Chair and USALPA Neaten Project Co-ordinator As a Captain on B757767 for Delta Airlines he is based in Atlanta Capt Torn discussed PBN workload in the cock-pit and perceived benefits of its use

Mr Jeff Woods NATCA (USA) is cur-rently a NATCArsquos Program Manage-ment Office (PMO) Representative He has over 25 years of ATC experience in-

cluding towers en route and approach facilities Jeff has been involved in special projects and assignments In addition Jeff also serves as the NATCA member to the Air Traffic Procedures Advisory Commit-tee Mr Woods shared his experience how PBN has been implemented and works in practice in USA using a video which dem-onstrated the benefits of PBN over con-ventional techniques

Mr David Bowen acting Chief ATM of the SESAR Joint Undertaking with overall responsibility for the technical and opera-

IFATCA Panel amp Workshop

4 Philippe Domogala moderating the panel left to right Mr Da Silva Mr Torn Mr Woods Mr Bowen and Ms Pavličević

Photo BM

4 Conference

THE CONTROLLER 9

4 Committee C Professional in sessionPhoto BULATCA

tional content of the SESAR programme David leads a team of operational and sys-tems experts who provide strategic guid-ance and review the work within SESAR Da-vid has over 20 years of experience in ATM including a background in ATM standardisa-tion avionics and ground system develop-ments Mr Bowen talked about the role of PBN in the SESAR target concept

Ms Franca Pavličević is the Head of the Navigation and CNS Research Unit at EU-ROCONTROL She is also the chairman of ICAOrsquos PBN Study Group and was involved in the development of ICAOrsquos PBN Concept as a member of CAOrsquos RNPSORSG and ICAOrsquos Separation and Airspace Safety Pan-el (SASP) She is a former air traffic controller she has wide-ranging experience in terminal airspace design amp planning Ms Pavličević talked about the PBN overall challenges in the ATM part

The discussion focused on the lack of infor-mation and training in the PBN field in many places and on the huge differences between what is expected with PBN and what the reality is Emphasis was also on the mixed mode operations which is not something that controllers like While everyone agreed that ideally there should be a once-for-all switchover the reality will be quite different In all likelihood it will not be transparent to the users (pilots or controllers) Mixed-op-erations will have to be accommodated for the foreseeable future making a transparent

implementation anything but easyIt was also clear that training for the users will be vital The fact that the technology is far from trivial (the number of abbrevia-tions for example is staggering) and actu-ally has a wide variety of possible applica-tions means that the training will need to be well considered And whether staff will be made available for such essential train-ing is another issue that will need to be carefully considered

Workshop - Competency Based TrainingIt has been recognized by the internation-al aviation community that there will be an anticipated shortage of skilled aviation professionals in the near future In order to ad-dress this important issue ICAO launched the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) ini-tiative to ensure that enough qual-ified and competent aviation pro-fessionals are available to operate manage and maintain the future international air transport system

Competency-based training plac-es emphasis on achieving bench-marked standards of performance more precisely training that fo-cuses on what a person will actu-ally be required to do in the work-place after completing a program of training

Through role playing Nicole Barrette Technical Specialist at ICAO and Ashley Laureyssen Training Strategies Manager at EUROCONTROL demonstrated the different approaches that could be taken towards a trainee Throughout they en-gaged and challenged the audience to explain the anticipated benefits of Com-petency Based Training in an ATC unit compared to the more conventional ap-proach ^

The Technical and Operations Committee and the Professional and Legal Committee produced three combined work-studies this year The subjects System-Wide Infor-mation Management (SWIM) and Screen Design Process are good examples how combining the two committees provides added value for the Federation The study on Screen Design Process highlighted the various aspects of this process It pointed out risks associated with immature intro-duction and looked at possible solutions to avoid unwanted effects The Executive Board was tasked to collect best practices which will become available for Member Associations

The combined TOCPLC work-study on Crisis Management discussed an increas-ingly important topic for many ANSPs and Associations It provided general guide-lines on the different phases in handling crisis situations and stressed the impor-tance of the availability of an up-to-date

crisis management plan Furthermore this paper encouraged going beyond the local policy by communicating across borders and consulting experts It also introduced a model to assist Member Associations when dealing with a crisis

The PLC work-study on the handling of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) was added to the agenda as this subject is evolving extremely quickly and is of interest to many colleagues With the huge increase in the use of RPAS Air Traffic Management needs to focus on how to seamlessly ef-ficiently and safely incorporate RPAS into the global civil air traffic management en-vironment IFATCA is working with other stakeholders at ICAO to develop the in-ternational standards and recommended practices (SARPs) that will form the basis for the regulatory framework

Finally the committee also adopted an up-dated version of IFATCArsquos Statement On The Future Of Global Air Traffic Manage-

ment This statement can be found else-where in this issue

Committee C (Professional) Mr Peter Van Rooyen (South Africa) chaired the committee He was assisted by Ms Ma-ria Serrano Mulet (Spain) as Committee Secretary and Mr Raia Alayi (Bulgaria) as Vice-Chairman Eric Risdon (Switzerland) IFATCArsquos Executive Vice President Profes-sional completed the head table

Following a number of reports from rep-resentatives who represented IFATCA in numerous meetings around the world the Committee discussed the work-studies car-ried out by the Professional amp Legal Com-mittee (PLC)

Amongst the information papers present-ed one highlighted how Aviation System Safety relies on the constant flow of safety data provided This can be done on a vol-untary or mandatory basis but it relies on the belief that such data would only be

4 Competency Based Training lively illustrated by Nicole Barrette (L) and Ashley Laureyssen (R) Photo BM

4 Conference

THE CONTROLLER10

used for safety purposes It is therefore vital to ensure it is adequately protected

The Multi Sector Planner concept was pro-posed as a means of workload manage-ment The debate that followed showed that this subject could be controversial Fa-tigue Risk Management was an interesting discussion it highlighted the importance of the on-going FRMS Taskforce setup by ICAO There is currently little overlap between IFATCA policy and ICAO Annex 19 but an on-going study should address this in the future Just Culture has been at

the forefront of IFATCAs profes-sional and legal debates for years A very interactive session on this subject with Dr Anthony Smoker challenged the floor to new ideas

Other information papers of in-terest informed about the EURO-CONTROLIFATCA Prosecutor Expert Training Course New Poli-cy was introduced to highlight the importance and the implementa-tion of TRM in an ATCOs career the operational role of the OJTI and the importance of not com-bining the provision of surveil-lance approach and aerodrome control cervices A Policy changes was introduced on the design developm`nt and implementation of a new ATM systems

And as in the other committees there was a vote on the chairman and member as-sociations for the committee that will pre-pare the work-studies for the next confer-ence The PLC will be chaired by Mr Alfred Vlasek (Austria) and his committee will consists of representatives from Australia Germany Hong Kong Italy New Zealand The Netherlands South Africa Spain UK and the USA

Closing Plenary SessionOn Friday afternoon IFATCA PCX Patrik vPeters reconvened the plenary assembly of the Federation This assembly formal-ised the decisions taken in the different committees by accepting the reports of the Committee Chairmen

Mr Geert Maesen (Belgium) and Mrs Ruth Stilwell (USA) were received the IFATCA Executive Board Award Geert was praised for his tireless work on the Information Handbook (IHB) over the past decades while Mrs Stilwell was recognised for rep-resenting IFATCA at ICAO ANC level for the past 5 years

Mr Dale Wright (USA) as Chairman Organ-ising Committee 2016 then addressed the plenary meeting He thanked the del-egates for having confirmed the USA to host next yearrsquos annual conference in Las Vegas

In his closing remarks IFATCA PCX and CEO Patrik Peters thanked the organising committee and BULATCA for an excellent conference ndash a feeling that was shared by the delegates by a long applause and standing ovation^

edthe-controllernet

4 Dr Ruth Stilwell receiving the Executive Board Award from IFATCA PCX amp CEO Peters

Photo BULATCA

If yoursquore planning to attend the 2016 IFATCA Conference in Las Vegas start thinking about your visa requirements NOW To attend a Conference US regulations state that you need to apply for a BUSINESS Visa ndash not a Tourist one If your country is not one of the ones that participate in the Visa Waiver program for the USA then the process to get a visa can take 6 months

The website of the 2016 Organising Committee wwwifatca2016com has links to all the necessary information go to the tab ldquoPlan your visitrdquo then Travelling to the US This will re-direct you to the USA Government Visa website where each country is listed If you need a visa the procedure to apply for one is also there There is a 160 USD non-refundable application fee a visit to a US embassy or consulate is mandatory in most cases As indicated before the time to process your application can take up to 6 months Since the Conference takes place in March there is no time to waste Itrsquos also worth noting that this is not something IFATCA or the Organising Committee can influence or change This has been made clear to us by the US immigration authorities that exemptions or special rules will not be made so there is no point in contacting the OC or IFATCA office for exemptions

Philippe Domogala IFATCA Conference Executive

PLAN AHEAD FORVEGAS 2016

copy ro

xana

balin

t ww

wfo

tose

arch

com

v

THE CONTROLLER 11

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER12

^by Dr Ruth Stilwellformer IFATCA Representative to ICAO

4 Ruth and Jean-Franccedilois at ICAO HQ in Montreacuteal Photo Mervyn Fernando

REFLECTING ON THE PAST

Over the past 5 years IFATCA has used its position as Permanent Observer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission to evolve the Federationrsquos contribution to the ICAO process With the creation of the IFATCA Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission we have grown into an integral part of the development of ICAO standards

This progress did not come from the posi-tion or the title it was the result of a ex-traordinary team effort It took the support of the IFATCA Executive Board to make our ICAO participation an organizational prior-ity and the commitment from our Member Associations to fund the position and en-sure that we are a daily presence at ICAO While the final approvals come inside the ANC Chamber much of the work to reach a positive consensus occurs through the daily interaction with the ICAO Secretariat other members of the Commission and the industry representatives

An organization cannot build credibility by showing up at the final stages of an amendment process and expect to con-structively shape the outcome It starts much earlier than that Our ICAO repre-sentatives and EVP-Technical supported by the work of both our Technical and Op-erational Committee and our Professional and Legal Committee help to develop a deep understanding of the issues Their work helps develop solutions and advo-cate for the concerns of the air traffic con-trollers long before a proposal is drafted This sets the stage for our success

The work is not done when a proposal reaches the Air Navigation Commission The ICAO representatives continue to work with our team to make sure the is-sues brought forward in the Panel and Expert Group meetings are well known to the Liaison Officer to the ICAO ANC It is a continual exchange of information as the proposals wind their way through the

ICAO process While the IFATCA ANC li-aison officer is a solo post it serves as part of a large internal team in the Federation Our responses in the ICAO consultation process reflect the input of that team ndash it is not the view of a single officer or rep-resentative it is the collective view of the profession expressed through our techni-cal and professional teams

The TOC and PLC work programmes play an important role in building our influ-ence It is through the deliberations and adoption of policies at conference that we achieve a global voice It is our ability to build a global position within the air traffic controller community on matters critical to our profession that gives us the credibility necessary to build our reputation and our influence

Over the last 5 years the Federation has reshaped its internal processes to take advantage of the op-portunities we are presented We have increased the num-ber of ICAO expert groups on which we serve We have ex-panded the input from our committees in the ICAO process We have restruc-tured how we identi-fy issues for our work programmes to con-sider ICAO priorities Finally we have in-troduced new com-munications tools to facilitate the work of our committees and engage our ICAO representatives

These changes have put us in a strong po-sition as we move forward but like ATC modernization it is a never-ending road We cannot be satisfied with where we are we must continue to move forward build-ing our expertise and capacity to shape the future of our profession Our new Li-aison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission Mr Jean-Francois Lepage is well positioned to take the Federation to the next level ^

ruthstilwellgmailcom INT

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4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER 13

^by Jean-Franccedilois LepageIFATCA Representative to ICAO

LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE

Immediately following the Annual Con-ference in Sofia IFATCArsquos handover for the position of IFATCA Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission be-gan We have been working hard to make the transition transparent for everyone in IFATCA and we are on track for a smooth transition

The current ANC session is coming to an end and we will continue our work through the Fall session ending in November 2015 The 200th session will be full of challenges to overcome as it will include an unprec-

edented number of amendments reaching the final stage of the ICAO process At this point the outgoing and incoming ANC li-aison officers will work side by side in the ANC Chamber This will ensure a continu-ous voice for the Federation as we work the numerous upcoming issues important to the Federation

The topics before us are numerous and in-tricate and the realities with which we will have to work are just as varied and com-plex as a Federation we have to keep in mind that our role is to present a global view It could be the rapid growth of traf-fic in Asia the lack of resources of certain countries in Africa the issues encountered with space vehicles and balloons launches in North America and Oceania the inte-gration challenges in Europe These are

just a few examples that show how important the work we are all doing for this Federation is for its members and how im-portant it is to make sure our interests are best rep-resented at ICAO

In short there will be a lot of topics of great in-terest for the Federation and a lot of issues where the ANC liaison officer will have to defend our interests There is only one way to achieve this since no one can accom-plish such a task alone the key words are indubi-tably communication and synergy

Communication because it is essential to use all the resources we have and share what we know the volunteers of the Federa-tion are incredibly talent-

ed and everything has to be put in place to take advantage of all this expertise and knowledge It is paramount to continue the excellent work of Dr Stilwell in devel-oping mechanisms to take advantage of all this richness to better represent us at ICAO

Synergy which is the interaction of two or more elements to achieve an outcome greater than the sum of its parts allows us to accomplish a lot more than every one of us separately this is another of the many strengths of IFATCA Nowadays technol-ogy among other things has made our world more complex than ever Systems procedures and networks tend to become heavily interrelated and one can easily get confused while trying to navigate through these webs

Again IFATCA has two excellent com-mittees Professional (PLC) and Technical (TOC) within its structure that can ease this constraint Communication between the PLC TOC and the ANC liaison officer will be the key to continued success in making our voice heard at ICAO

Finally I would like to express once again my gratitude to the Executive Board for the vote of confidence and for the sup-port in the transition Additionally I must acknowledge the excellent work of Dr Stilwell training me for my new role Her deep knowledge patience and support will ensure that we remain strongly repre-sented and well regarded at ICAO ^

jeanfrancoislepagegmailcom

4 Technology

^ by Ignacio Baca IFATCA Technical amp Operational Committee (TOC)

ATC DISPLAY DESIGN

It is a fact that modern Air Traffic Control relies on automation Computers are be-hind every modern (and even not so mod-ern) ATC system To interact with these machines we rely on screens A visitor to an ACC or a Tower is often baffled by the number of screens that are a part of the Controller Working Position (CWP) or at least by the amount of information presented on them Besides a screen that shows radar or surveillance data there are usually a number of screens with ad-ditional information such as meteorologi-cal data flight plan information health of the systems etc An extreme example is that of the Bodoslash Oceanic ACC (Norway) where the working positions are literally overloaded with screens that are linked to different systems

While the number of screens and their placement on a working position is a subject in itself the way the information is presented on a given screen needs to be considered it needs to be optimised to suit the needs of the operator so he or she can use the information in the most efficient way IFATCArsquos Technical and Op-erations Committee (TOC) looked at this and presented a working paper at the Fed-erationrsquos Annual Conference held in Sofia Bulgaria last April

When developing new systems develop-

ers tend to rely on standards which nor-mally incorporate best practices or lessons learned by experience in the past Surpris-ingly however there are no official stand-ards for the design of ATC systems Some efforts have been made for example in a project called Eurocontrol Core Require-ments for ATM Working Positions (CoRe) Finalized in 2002 it tried to identify and mitigate problems within the CWP Devel-opment Process The FAA also produced a report in 2003 to assist in the design development and evaluation of FAA sys-tems Despite such efforts nothing in the domain of ATM compares to for exam-ple the situation in aircraft cockpits where there is a high level of standardization

Generally we can distinguish four areas in design requirements

4 Simplicity simple systems are gener-ally easier to use and maintain and require less training

4 Consistency it is desirable that the same layout and style is used as much as possible As an example of the im-portance of this factor the time that a person needs to mentally process the information in a screen may double when the position of the elements is varied

4 Safety as safety is paramount in ATC the system must be verified validated and certified for both normal opera-tions but also in degraded and emer-gency modes

4 Usability meaning that the system must be easy to use and learn and ef-ficient to apply for performing a cer-tain task

A user-centred approach is desirable to improve the usability of the system This is why controllers should be involved in the design of ATC systems from the begin-ning an article about the subject was pub-lished in The Controller issue of April 2014 (Put a controller in your team) Controllers also need to be involved in validation and in further developments and upgrades to help keep the system user-friendly and not feature overloaded But what about con-sistency Different cultures communities and even individuals can have different perceptions of the same problem As such the display of information and the differ-ences between ATM systems clearly show a lack of consistency

Letrsquos consider alerts for example An alert is a way to focus the attention of the con-troller to a particular piece of the informa-tion being displayed Well-designed alerts clearly contribute to safety but false warn-ings and nuisance alerts if these occur too frequently can result in the control-ler ignoring a genuine warning or simply overlooking it Our systems tend to have an increasing number of warnings conflict alerts area proximity warnings level busts hellip It should be easy to quickly determine the actual nature of the warning and using colours to differentiate seems like a logical thing to do In the absence of any stand-ards however every control system has its own set of warnings with its own colour schemes and its own set of parameters

If colours are used to draw attention to an issue or to distinguish different problems it can in fact cause issues as well In the January 2015 issue of The Controller there

4 Screen overload at Bodoslash Oceanic ACC Photo Terje Dahlseng Eide THE

CONTROLLER14

NEED FOR GUIDING PRINCIPLES amp STANDARDS

4 Technology

is an article (pages 14 and 15) about the new Pegasus Sys-tem implemented in Poland The author writes One of the main issues is how colours are used (hellip) it appears for exam-ple very easy to miss situations close to sector boundaries due to the so-called ldquowhite-label syndromerdquo

The lsquowhite label syndromersquo is also known in other systems In Spain the labels are green for traffic in the sector and white for traffic outside the sector Sometimes controllers over-look the white traffic close to their sectors because their attention is focused in look-ing for conflicts affecting the green planes While colours provide an additional source of information to the control-ler therersquos also a risk that infor-mation is too easily discarded ie without actually interpreting it In fact the system lsquodecidesrsquo that certain information is worth looking at more than otherhellip

Itrsquos also easy to overdo an extensive use of colours can also lead to overload for controllers An example is the following list of colours used in Belgium

4 White aircraft currently on the frequency

4 Yellow aircraft coordinated to enter the sector

4 Brown aircraft transferred to the next sector

4 Green aircraft entering the sector but not yet on the frequency

4 Blue aircraft is selected 4 Red conflicting aircraft 4 Grey information label aircraft wonrsquot

necessarily be entering the sector

Not only the high number of colours make difficult to keep track of the traffic but grey labels are often overlooked due to all the other colours creating a problem simi-lar to the white-label syndrome mentioned above

The three systems just mentioned Span-ish Polish and Belgian use a dark back-ground in line with the lsquotraditionalrsquo ra-dar scopes But the lack of standards is evident even here A number of systems such as the VAFORIT system introduced in Karlsruhe in 2010 (see The Controller July

2011) used a white background This was later changed to light greyThe training sessions for VAFORIT showed that the colour scheme was not welcomed by the controllers Every change in the de-sign resulted in more problems because changing one colour impacted the en-tire colour palette After the system was brought online the colour scheme was implicated as a contributory factor to sev-eral incidents Eventually DFS asked the Institute for Labour Sciences of Darmstadt University for assistance This was a unique opportunity to have a scientific analysis of the issue They suggested a particular range of colours which was accepted by the controllers and finally implemented

Another issue is the readability of the in-formation presented It is tempting to think that the type of font used in a system is only relevant from an aesthetic point of view but it can easily lead to confusion An example was mentioned in an IFATCA working paper (presented at the Amman Conference in 2011) on the use of alpha-numeric callsigns this mentioned that us-ing the letters B I O S and Z in callsigns could easily create confusion with the numbers 8 1 0 5 and 2 While this ap-plies no matter what font is used a badly chosen font can easily create more confu-sion than a well-designed one

The experience of our German colleagues and their VAFORIT system is a perfect ex-ample of how a scientific study can improve a system It could be tempting to think that science is universal and that it could there-fore help to develop some universal stand-ard to be followed by every ATC system Unfortunately this is not completely true Colours are useful as an example again How to define a standard for colours when they may have different meanings de-pending of culture Being educated in a western culture I would probably choose red as the colour to be used for a warning In my culture red is associated to danger and prohibition A Chinese controller on the other hand could think otherwise for him red is associated with celebrations and as a symbol of good luck

To conclude there is no universal set of rules to decide what information must be included in an automated ATC system and how this information should be presented Definition of a standard is not an easy task because of factors like cultural differences and the transition from existing legacy sys-tems Nevertheless at least some stand-ardization is desirable For this reason TOC recommended that the Federation develops guiding principles for alerts and for the display of operational information ^

ignacioifatcagmailcom

4 The Pegasus system in Poland susceptible to the white-label syndrome Photo PANSA

15 THE CONTROLLER

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER16

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

MADRID HOST TO 70TH EDITION

4 Capt Martin Chalk newly elected IFALPA President

Photo IFALPA

IFALPA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The 70th annual conference of the Inter-national Federation of Air Line Pilotsrsquo As-sociations (IFALPA) was held in Madrid on 10-12 April 2015 Nearly 500 pilots attend-ed and debated a wide range of subjects

ContractsOne of these was the new pilot employ-ment contracts being devised by many airlines more particularly those operat-ing as so-called low-cost operators One such practice is the ldquoPay-to-Flyrdquo contract whereby mostly young pilots looking for a job and requiring to buildkeep experi-ence have to pay between 20 and 50000 USD in exchange for the ldquoprivilegeldquo of working as a pilot for an airline

Another deplorable one is the so-called ldquozero hoursldquo contract Here pilots are only paid when they fly In other words they have no fixed income and are not paid during months where traffic is low The last one is referred to as ldquoself-employmentrdquo where companies (Ryanair was mentioned) only employ pilots that have their own ldquocompanyrdquo This avoids the airline hav-ing to pay pension contributions social and medical benefitsetc Needless to say that job security in all these schemes is non-existent

While the main reason is of course cost-cutting they also undermine collective bargaining for working conditions etc These tendencies are extremely worri-some and we have to be careful that con-trollers will not be the next victims of this form of modern slavery

GermanwingsThere were of course long discussions on the aftermath of the Germanwings crash As other professional organisations IFAL-PA strongly condemned the witchhunt by the worldrsquos media the release of details of the Cockpit Voice Recorder to the press within 36 hours of it being recovered and especially the rash measures taken by au-thorities and some airlines without await-ing the outcome of the full investigation The European Cockpit Association (ECA the European Branch of IFALPA) made a resolution opposing the requirement to re-place a pilot leaving the cockpit saying it actually increases risks They also opposed publishing medical records of pilots which would only result in pilots avoiding medi-cal treatment They also reacted strongly against regular psychological assessments by the employer which they argued would also be counterproductive as people would lie to protect their job A better overall solution would be a Peer Interven-tion Program similar to CISM combined with a good loss of license insurance cov-ering mental illness

Most strongly condemned was the unprec-edented statement of a state prosecutor which identified a crew member as ldquothe only culpritrdquo Without awaiting all the el-ements of the investigation it is clearly a grave and unprecedented violation of ICAO Annex 13

Safety SeminarTheir safety seminar this year dealt with emergency responses and media commu-nications after incident or accident includ-

ing how to handle social media This has becomes one of their priorities similar to what IFATCA is currently embarking upon

Changes In Training IFALPA allows presentations from outsid-ers to be made during their plenary Tra-ditionally this privilege is for Airbus andor Boeing but they included Embraer this year as well Essentially all 3 manufactur-ers promoted the new features of their latest-generation aircraft

One excellent presentation came from Captain Harry Nelson an Airbus senior test pilot He talked about the drastic changes needed in training following a number of recent accidents where automation or rather how humans interact with this au-tomation played a major role According to Captain Nelson less books and class-rooms lectures were needed but self train-ing using laptops and tablets were the way forward ldquoTraining must be fun againrdquo he said ldquowith an emphasis on hands-on ex-perience rather than on written materialrdquo

ElectionsDeputy President Martin Chalk from the UK was elected to become the new IFAL-PA President Martin is the former Presi-dent of the European Cockpit Association and he is keen to continue the very good cooperation with IFATCA Their next Con-ference will be in New Orleans USA from April 15 unitl 18 2016 For once it doesnrsquot clash with our own IFATCA Conference ^

dpthe-controllernet

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THE FUTURE OF GLOBALAIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

This is version 20 of the IFATCA Statement on the Future of Global Air Traffic Management It was formally adopted at the IFATCA Annual Conference in Sofia Bulgaria in April 2015 For more information contact our EVP Technical via evptifatcaorg

8 INTRODUCTIONAir traffic control at its core is a safety service Many future systems focus on increasing system capac-ity and efficiency It is not that capacity concerns have overshadowed safety as priority instead it is an acknowledgement that a system operated in excess of available capacity creates unsafe conditions To remedy an overcapacity condition one can either restrict access or increase capacity IFATCA recognizes that restricting growth in global aviation is not a realistic approach In order to maintain the necessary standard of safety in air traffic control moving forward we must be willing to take advantage of innovation in technology and procedures that will build the needed system capacity

8 PERFORMANCE BASED ATM4 AIR NAVIGATION SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE

Air navigation infrastructures develop on an evolutionary path that requires cooperation between ground based providers and airborne users Moving forward with advanced technologies to build sys-tem capacity requires coordinated investment from governments air navigation service providers and system users

In other modes of transport the infrastructure can be developed independently from the network us-ers For example adding a new lane to a highway increases system capacity without the need for new investment in vehicle technology With the exception of new runways this is not the case for aviation

Moving toward a performance based model for Air Traffic Management requires more than placing performance targets on outputs It requires a fundamental rethinking of the air traffic infrastruc-ture and standards development process Each element of the system should be developed using a performance-based process By shifting to a true performance based model we change the concept of standards making in a way that encourages technological advancement and allows system users to take advantage of the benefits new systems offer This concept embraces the ideas embodied in Required Navigation Performance Required Surveillance Performance and Required Communication Performance

4 REQUIRED SURVEILLANCE PERFORMANCERequired Surveillance Performance is a concept within the ICAO community Transition to a true RSP environment requires the establishment of clear standards for precision update rates and latency of any surveillance system Ideally this will lead to the concept of simplified surveillance separation standards that replaces the current process of developing new separation standards to accommodate new technologies

Rather than evaluate new surveillance systems and develop separation standards necessary to uti-lize a new technology a performance based approach requires the sensor technology to meet the specifications to allow the existing separation standards to be applied1 This provides developers and manufacturers with a clear design target In addition moving away from sensor based standards can reduce sector complexity in a mixed mode operation allowing for increased capacity

It is not necessary for air traffic controllers to know the source of a surveillance target only that the displayed target meets the necessary requirements for accuracy and reliability This approach allows both users and ANSPs to take advantage of developing technologies more rapidly and can expand the amount of airspace where surveillance based separation standards can be applied As we move away from radar dependent surveillance in the long term we introduce new flexibility for airspace design capacity and efficiency

1 Separation standards are not solely based on the surveillance system they also require standards for com-munication and navigation availability and precision

4 IFATCA Statement

illustrations copy csp_Harlekino | wwwfotosearchcom

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4 REQUIRED NAVIGATION PERFORMANCEThe development process for Required Navigation Performance can provide an effective model for the continued development of RCP and RSP RNP has illustrated that continual improvements in the on board precision coupled with effective airspace design can provide substantial and measurable benefits The application of a rigorous safety case is a fundamental part of the process Moving away from a technology based standard to a performance based one has improved the process and allows for operators to conduct independent evaluations on the business case to support the on board investment Operational benefits from increased airspace capacity are demonstrated This approach formed the basis for PBN (Performance Based Navigation)

4 REQUIRED COMMUNICATION PERFORMANCEExisting standards are dependent upon direct air to ground voice communications While this is cur-rently the preferred means of communication when possible opportunities for development of less infrastructure dependent communications technologies are foreseeable A focus on the performance requirements of alternative systems that includes the human factors elements may allow for develop-ment of alternative systems with equal or greater levels of reliability than existing air to ground voice concepts

4 SERVICE PRIORITYExisting ATC service priority models that place heavy emphasis on the concept of first come first served do not take advantage of the reduced demand on ATC resources that result from advances in onboard capabilities Tactical sector resources include air traffic controller staffing available fre-quency time and coordination requirements The level and type of communication navigation and surveillance equipment on board an aircraft affects the tactical sector resources needed to provide air traffic control services For example an RNAV equipped aircraft uses fewer sector resources when flying an RNAV STAR than a lesser- equipped aircraft that must be vectored to the final approach

The evolution of air navigation and airspace design over the last decade has placed increasing empha-sis on airborne equipment From GNSS routes to PBN efficient airspace design and utilization requires that sufficient percentages of aircraft be appropriately equipped to utilize the advanced routes

Performance Based ATM requires both air navigation service providers and system users invest in sys-tems that allow for maximization of airspace capacity and efficiency In order to develop a business case for the investment operational benefits must be quantifiable A service priority model based on first come first served without consideration of the relative sector resources needed to provide the service may discourage or delay modernisation efforts

New service priority models are a critical element of performance based ATM In the same manner that system users seek to obtain operational benefits from on board investment air navigation ser-vice providers should be able to derive benefits from investment in the ground based technologies Under the current service priority model lesser equipped aircraft are afforded the same priority as better equipped aircraft regardless of the additional resources they may consume Delaying aircraft to accommodate minimally equipped users particularly through holding consumes considerable sec-tor resources for which the ANSP is not compensated If the ANSP is able to establish a service prior-ity model that considers aircraft equipment requirements to maximise sector capacity and efficiency it will be more able to offset the investment costs of advanced technologies

A truly performance based model for ATM would permit ANSPs to consider airborne equipment as a dynamic tool for managing sector capacity and efficiency Aircraft equipment requirements could be in place during periods of peak demand and lifted when the capacity enhancing tools are no longer required This strategic approach will require enhanced attention to both airspace planning and flight planning In addition to the capacity enhancement the strategic approach can also be seen as a means to ensure equitable access to airports and airspace when compared to the equipment mandate approach

4 IFATCA Statement

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4 IFATCA Statement

4 AIRSPACE DESIGN AND ACCESSAdvanced airspace design and procedures are evolving to maximise airspace availability and effi-ciency PBN Approaches reduce track distance and can allow aircraft to navigate around terrain in low visibility Continuous Descent Operations allow operators to maximise fuel economy RNP standards allow for reduced separation in procedural airspace increasing capacity and new in-trail climb and descent procedures in en route airspace will allow equipped aircraft to access preferred flight levels These advanced procedures also have the ability to reduce demand on sector resources Airspace de-sign that takes advantage of modern aircraft navigation capabilities has the possibility to de-conflict traffic flows reduce the need for vectoring and reduce frequency congestion Advanced airspace design will play an increasingly important role in managing traffic in high-density areas However this type of airspace design is only of value if the aircraft operating in the airspace are able to use it

Airspace analysis and planning is a critical component in developing an airborne equipment based service priority model Airspace service volumes should be evaluated to determine if and when ben-efits can be derived from advanced procedures This evaluation of airspace service volumes should be an ongoing process and can aid in the evolution to a dynamic concept of airspace management and access

By granting access to the most efficient procedures and airspace to aircraft equipped to use them the business model for airborne investment can be made without artificial manipulation The demand on controllers to manage a new service priority model is mitigated Finally while this model can pro-vide an incentive for operators to equip aircraft for those that want to defer or delay the on board investment the option of moving flights away from peak periods to unconstrained periods could improve overall system efficiency and safety

4 TRAFFIC FLOW MANAGEMENTThe regionalisation of traffic flow management is necessary to meet the traffic growth and environ-mental demands on aviation in the future Safe orderly and expeditious air traffic flows necessitate coordination beyond state boundaries Avoidance of extreme weather events as well as conflict zones that create hazards to aviation cannot be effectively managed without regional collaboration Traffic flow management must take advantage of technologies for information sharing planning and response

4 AIRSPACE INTEGRATION AND USE( CIVIL-MILITARYETC)Global goals of interoperability and airspace capacity are hindered without effective airspace integra-tion Achieving a balance for airspace access between users including civil military manned un-manned and transitional (ie commercial space operators) presents significant challenges for future systems The demand for airspace use is increasing in both quantity and diversity of operations

Technological advances in aircraft coupled with expanded civil uses will place demands on the system that are not supported by current policies Unmanned aircraft both autonomous and remotely piloted are in development In addition the growth in commercial space operations and the development of space tourism will place increasing demands on airspace particularly in the launch and return phases of flight Integrating diverse operations into common airspace will present new challenges that will require innovative thinking to move forward

In some cases particularly in the case of autonomous unmanned aircraft or a ballistic launch phase for a commercial space vehicle where the aircraft or spacecraft may not have a means to execute an air traffic control clearance integration may not be possible In order to accommodate these types of operations clear standards for separation or protected airspace are necessary to ensure the safety of other aircraft

8 EMERGING TECHNOLOGIESInnovation is a hallmark of aviation The first commercial flight occurred within a decade from when the Wright Brothers first took to the air It was less than half a century between the first powered flight and the supersonic jet Our industry has embraced and advanced new technologies that have not only made air travel faster but also safer and more efficient The constant adaptation and integration of new technolo-gies into air traffic control is the mark of the profession This integration and acceptance is not without

INTER-

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4 IFATCA Statement

caution or scepticism The approach where technologies are rigorously evaluated prior to integration into the air traffic control system has ensured high levels of safety Air traffic controllers are a critical part of this process Certain new technologies will require a rethinking of long standing operational concepts and standards to facilitate their accommodation Just as radar allowed for the development of new separation standards certain new tools may require the same level of work in developing fundamental concepts and new safety analysis Tools like synthetic vision remote towers and remotely piloted aircraft blur the lines between standards based on visual acquisition of traffic and surveillance based traffic identification These hybrid systems where the human is tasked with visual evaluation of electronically derived information do not fit within the existing separation paradigm New separation standards recognizing that these systems are neither traditional surveillance nor visual systems need to be developed and validated to support the safe integration of these types of systems

8 SAFETYSafety remains the most important performance indicator in ATM As traffic figures rise the accident rate has to be reduced to prevent the number of accidents from increasing The approach towards safety has developed over the years introducing technical human and organisational factors The linear safety ap-proach has been successful in demonstrating causes whenever an incident or accident occurs However the very low rate of aircraft accidents makes it an ineffective safety indicator

It is important to examine safety risks even in the absence of aircraft accidents or incidents This requires a new approach towards safety A proactive approach seeks to understand all the contributing factors in the system and identify systemic safety risks This systems safety approach is based on a principle to maximize the success rate of the overall system In this approach the human factor is seen as the resilient element in a vulnerable system and as a safety net when the system fails Under this concept steps are taken to ensure that the systems are adequately robust and safety risks are mitigated and the human operator is given the necessary tools to perform the safety task

In order to collect and analyse safety information adequate protection of safety information and its sources is critical Systems that penalise people or organisations for reporting safety data limit the data that will be made available The ability to report safety problems including those of human error without fear of reprisal it the foundation of any safety system

8 HUMAN FACTORSThe need for human factors analysis in the development of new technologies is well established The Human-Machine Interface is a critical part of the design process and successful deployment of major new systems have included considerable attention to the human factors analysis However new systems are increasingly network centred rather than single systems that can be analysed as stand alone products introducing broader human factors considerations that go well beyond HMI

As technologies are deployed to maximise system capacity the limits of human performance must be considered While system reliability requirements are very high external factors that could cause disrup-tion cannot be entirely eliminated It is essential to ensure that the ability of human operators to maintain system safety in the event of technology failure is not exceeded

The concept of a systems approach to safety should be expanded to include human factors The human operator should be viewed in totality recognising as new systems allow for increased system capac-ity workload related fatigue issues will need to be considered in addition to those related to schedules and duty time Workload related fatigue can be a symptom of sustained periods either high or very low workload

In order to fully realise peak capacity operational complexity must be minimised Reducing or eliminating mixed mode operations in high-density airspace allows for higher sector capacity Formulas that determine maximum sector capacity must consider both volume and complexity aircraft performance and capability is an important component of sector complexity

8 IFATCAS ROLEIFATCA is in the unique position to provide operational expertise in the development of future ATM The organisation has a leadership role to play in the design development and analysis of emerging concepts for air traffic control IFATCA technical and professional expertise is a critical component of the decision chain The global reach of the Federation provides the opportunity to advance these concepts IFATCA provides ambitious ideas to meet the challenges of the global future of aviation through comprehensive research studies and participation in the global aviation community ^

4 Europe

21

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Over the past 12 monhts European traf-fic has increased slightly 13 according to the Network Managerrsquos Monthly report Delays have also increased along with the traffic levels And with some severe CB activity at the end of May and early June controllersrsquo skills have been severely tested

Some of our colleagues work with reduced runway systems and face other operational challenges Meanwhile the Single Europe-an Sky (SES) is slowly but surely moving forward This is a quick update on what is currently ongoing on the political front with regard to the Single European Sky program and its so-called pillars

TechnicalOn the technical front within SESAR the ATM Master Plan update campaign is ongoing

A final draft of the future

ATM

Mas-ter Plan will be released for consulta-tion at the end of June 2015 The ATM Master

Plan will re-group all the elements for a modernisation of the techno-logical infra-structure in Europe It will include the de-

ployment of new technology the road-map for modernisation and the elements needed for the next step of SESAR called ldquoSESAR 2020rdquo The ambitious task of revis-iting the ATM Masterplan was coordinated by IFATSEA (Dany van der Biest) on behalf of the professional staff organisations Our input including valuable comments by the many IFATCASESAR representatives was greatly appreciated

Beyond SES II+At the beginning of May the European Commission invited all the stakeholders to a SES Vision Workshop All stakeholders and institutions were invited to give their view on the future of the Single European Sky A small working group within the Eu-ropean Commission continues to work on this thus planning beyond SES II+ legisla-tion Amongst other things the look into the Reference Period 3 (after 2019) and how the Regulatory framework should evolve in the future

EASA has published its opinion on the common rules of the air and operational

provisions regarding services and pro-cedures in air navigation and Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA) part C

DatalinkDatalink implementation has been post-poned by at least 5 years and the outlook is quite grim as the technology used will most probably by outdated by the time it becomes mandatory Maybe a novel ap-proach to this issue is needed New tech-nologies that achieve the same or better CPDLC performance might become avail-able and those in charge of coordinating the implementation seem to want to wait and see what materialises before taking large scale initiatives

Occurrence ReportingTransposition of the Mandatory Occur-rence Reporting Implementation Regula-tion will be finalised by a high level work-shop on the 1st of October 2015 IFATCA has been working together with other stakeholders to achieve a balance be-tween safety and Just Culture in the form of industry Guidance Material This work is ongoing and the challenge is to keep the advanced Just Culture in the corporate environment intact while allowing the new sectors to join these developments

The new regulation on Occurrence Report-ing will become effective in all European states (plus Norway and Switzerland) on 15 November 2015 Promotional material will become available during the summer IFATCA has worked towards diversity for the different sectors while maintaining Just Culture recognisable throughout the avia-tion industry

The motivation for and the Regulation it-self can be found via these links link1 and link2

Prosecutor Expert CourseAt the end of May 2015 the 5th Eurocon-trolIFATCA Prosecutor Expert Training course was held at the Eurocontrol HQ in Brussels In total some 100 participants have attended this training initiative Bringing together professionals from the judiciary and the aviation world has proven to be a real contribution to Just Culture

loeuifatcaorgsesarcoordifatcaorg

BE READY FOR CHANGEUPDATE ON EUROPEAN ISSUES

^ by Paul Neering IFATCA Liaison to the EU amp Marc Baumgartner IFATCA SESAR Coordinator

copy m

einz

ahn

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THE CONTROLLER 5

by Philip Marien Editor

20 - 24 APRIL 2015 SOFIA BULGARIA

IFATCA ANNUALCONFERENCE2015

Our Bulgarian Member Association BU-LATCA hosted the 54th Annual Confer-ence of IFATCA The Kempinski hotel in the Bulgarian capital Sofia was the venue for the conference Delegates from some 65 countries attended with some 400 delegates in total The hotel featured an integrated conference centre in which all meetings and ceremonies took place

Opening PlenaryOn the first day IFATCA President and Chief Executive Patrik Peters and his Ex-ecutive Board welcomed the delegates at the Opening Plenary in the auditorium of the conference centre In a new-style opening address Mr Peters highlighted the fact that the Member Associations made the Federation and that the Execu-tive Board relied on their guidance and contributions to determine the direction the Federation took The theme lsquoWersquore all in this togetherrsquo would feature prominently in the rest of the Conference proceedings

An emotional moment was when the PCX requested a moment of silence to remem-ber the victims of aviation accidents that took place around the world in the past year The moment served as a powerful reminder for those in attendance of how brittle the concept of safety is and how it should remain the ultimate consideration in everything we do as a Federation

A number of dignitaries then addressed the meeting Mr Iveco Moskovski Bulgari-an Minister of Transport Information Tech-nology and Communications highlighted the significant increase in flights overfly-ing Bulgaria As a result they plan to in-crease the number of controllers over the next years by 40 to 60 He further spoke about the achievements of the DANUBE Functional Airspace Block which further optimizes the route network delivers real fuel savings saves flight time and lowers the environmental impact

Mr Georgi Peev Director-General of BU-LATSA the countryrsquos Air Traffic Service Provider himself a former controller ex-pressed his support for the Conference motto ldquoATCOs ndash the Heart of the ATM Systemrdquo This feeling was echoed by Mr Assent Tabakov the President of BULAT-CA who also thanked the Member Asso-ciations for having chosen his association to host the 2015 Conference

Finally Mr Mincho Tzvetkov the Director-General of the Civil Aviation Administration addressed the meeting He acknowledged the increasing importance of regional and global professional organizations in terms of protecting the interests of workers and as an engine for development of a specific domain

As part of the opening ceremony the at-tendees were treated to one of Bulgariarsquos greatest treasures singer Valya Balkan-ska performed her song ldquoIzlel e Delyu

4 Imtradex represented by Susanne Lastein(L) was presented with the first IFATCA Technology Award by Ben Gorrie (M) TOC Chairman and Alfred Vlasec (R) PLC Chairman

Photo BULATCA

4 Valya Balkanska performing ldquoIzlel e Delyu HaidutinrdquoPhoto BULATCA

^

4 Conference

Haidutinrdquo The song was selected as one of 27 other music fragments to travel on a golden disc attached to the Voyager 1 spacecraft which was launched in 1977 Thirty-five years after its launch Voyager 1 left our solar system officially becoming the first man-made craft to do so

The final part of the opening ceremony saw the very first IFATCA Technology Award presented to Imtradex for their AirTalk 3000 XD Flex headset Marketing Manager amp Sales Manager ATC Susanne Lastein who accepted the award empha-sized that air traffic safety is very much dependent on interference-free com-munications between everyone involved ldquoMisunderstandings between air traffic controllers and pilots can have serious consequences It is therefore crucial that they understand each other clearly which makes communication equipment a real safety factorrdquo said Susanne Last

After this ceremonial part of the opening plenary Patrik Peters declared the con-ference formally open After the roll call the Directors accepted the report of the previous annual conference (Gran Canaria

Spain) PCX amp CEO Peters asked the dif-ferent IFATCA Executive Board members present their view on the lsquoState of the Fed-erationrsquo A number of them highlighted the dynamism and good atmosphere with-in the Board and the enhanced motivation resulting from this

The chairmen of the three committees received their gavels and the Plenary was suspended to allow the three commit-tees to debate their working papers and reports

Committee AThe Committee was once again chaired by Mr Paul Robinson (New Zealand) who was assisted by Mr Julian Ogilvie (UK) as Com-mittee Secretary and Vice-Chairman Mr Georgi Petkov from Bulgaria Mr Jeremy (Bob) Thompson EVP Finance ad-interim and Mr Scott Shallies Deputy President completed the head table

Dealing with administrative issues of the Federation Committee A reviewed the past year by hearing the reports of differ-ent elected and appointed officials These

included reports of the Deputy President and the EVP Finance who also presented an overview of the Federationrsquos finances Also discussed was the budget for the up-coming fiscal year (2015-2016) The Fed-erations financial situation is strong with substantial reserves A new reserve fund has been created for the purpose of assist-ing MAs to attend Regional Meetings The work program for the Finance Committee for this coming year includes a review of our reserve funds and to propose a rec-ommendation to Directors on a suitable process for determining a mediumlong term financial strategy for the FederationThe affiliation of three Member Associa-tions was terminated bringing the total number of members of the Federation to 128

The Constitution and Administration Com-mittee (CAC) reviewed the IFATCA Panel the structure of the Technical and Pro-fessional Standing Committees closed sessions at Conference and at Regional Meetings and expanding the use of the Conference Attendance Fund Following a paper from South Africa provisions were included for restricting the attendance of observers at closed sessions This year the CAC will consider the creation of a Com-munications Steering Committee the evo-lution of the role of Conference Executive examine the status of the Federations subsidiary documentation and look at li-ability issues when travelling in an area for which travel advisory cautions have been issued New Zealand EGATS and South Africa were elected to the Constitution and Administration Committee

The Controller Steering Committee and the Executive Board have considered the Fed-erationrsquos communication strategies Their plans will be integrated into the manual next year by CAC The Web Manager set up a system on the web site to enable on-line collaboration for various committees and a presence has been maintained on Fa-cebook Twitter and Flickr at minimal cost

4 President amp CEO Patrik Peters addressing the delegates during the Opening Plenary

Photo BULATCA

4 Were all in this together taken quite literallyPhoto BULATCA

6 THE CONTROLLER

4 Conference

Mr Scott Shallies (Australia) was elected to serve another term as Deputy President while Duncan Auld will serve another term as EVP Technical Current EVPs Keziah Ogutu (Kenya) Mike ONeill (Hong Kong) and Željko Oreški (Croatia) will serve an-other 2 years as EVP AfricaMiddle East EVP AsiaPacific and EVP Europe respec-tively Jeremy Thompson (New Zealand) who has been acting as EVP Finance since late last year is confirmed as EVP Finance for one year

Philippe Domogala (EGATS) was re-ap-pointed to the position of Conference Ex-ecutive for a one-year term and the Board and CAC will consider the evolution of this position during this year Mr Jean-Franccedilois Lepage was appointed as Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission succeeding Dr Ruth Stilwell who was the Federationrsquos representative for the last five years

Finally Committee A also considered the venues for forthcoming conferences It confirmed the venue for the next annual conference this will be organised by our North American colleagues of NATCA in Las Vegas from March 14th until 18th 2016 The conference will be held just be-fore the annual Communicating for Safety (CFS) event For 2017 Tunisia was elected to host the 56th Annual Conference in 2017 No less than 6 Member Associa-tions - Canada Costa Rica Egypt Ghana Jordan and The Maldives ndash expressed an interest in hosting the 2018 edition

Committee B - TechnicalThe Committee was chaired by Mr Mat-thijs Jongeneel (Netherlands) Assisting him were Mr Alasdair Shaw (New Zealand) as Committee Secretary and Mrs Antoan-eta Boneva (Bulgaria) as Vice-Chairman Mr Duncan Auld IFATCArsquos Executive Vice

President Technical completed the head table

IFATCA representatives to the differ-ent ICAO Panels presented their reports which gave an overview of the continu-ous and extensive amounts of work they do on behalf of the Federation Although the panel structure is changing at ICAO level our participation continues to be highly valued and appreciated The Fed-eration is involved in the establishment of new separation standards in the creation of new phraseology to be used for SIDs and STARs and in creating standards for Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Com-mittee B recognised the significant con-tribution that Dr Ruth Stillwell has made in her role of Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission over the past five years

The Technical and Operations Commit-tee (TOC) worked on no less than 13 work items this year Several studies introduced new technologies for example the studies on GNSS based approaches and GNSS based altitude Besides describing these developments they also highlighted ad-vantages and limitations

The work on SIDs and STARs continues this year the TOC focused specifically on the ambiguous responsibility for provision of separation with terrain and obstacles in case of weather avoidance TOC was able to clarify the subject and to propose policy which was adopted by the Member Associations

Triggered by a discussion at last yearrsquos IFATCA Annual Conference responsibility for providing separation after completing a TCAS RA manoeuvre was also reviewed New policy agreed that ATC should take responsibility and should issue instructions

as required to achieve separation The work-studies on Future Weather Distribu-tion Flight and Flow Information for a Col-laborative Environment (FF-ICE) and Flight Planning Accuracy showed that accurate data is increasingly critical

The committee further discussed the TOC work programme for 20152016 This in-cludes a wide variety of items Digital Flight Strips Flight plan quality and conform-ance checking RNAV Visual Approaches Free Route Airspace and Flexible Track Systems Commercial Space Operations Pronunciation of Words Space Weather Autonomous Passenger and Cargo Air-craft Principles for Alerts and the Display of Information (with PLC) Review of Policy on Advanced Approach Procedures

In addition the composition of the Tech-nical and Operations Committee (TOC) was voted upon Ben Gorrie (Australia) will continue as Chairman of TOC Besides the technical representatives Nigeria Slove-

4 Bill Holtzmann (NATCA USA) presenting a working paper in Committee B

Photo BULATCA

4 Probably the hardest working people at Conference the committee Chairmen and SecretariesLeft to Right Paul Robinson amp Jules Oglevie (Commitee A) Maria Serrano Mulet amp Peter Van Rooyen (Committee C) Alasdair Shaw amp Matthijs Jongeneel (Committee B)

Photo BULATCA

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nia Spain UK Netherlands and USA will serve as members of the committee and will prepare work-studies for next yearrsquos conference

Joined Committee B amp C (Technical and Professional affairs)A full day combined Committee B and C meeting was also held this year The meet-ing was very well attended and was co‐chaired by the chairmen of Committees B amp C Matthijs Jongeneel and Peter van Rooyen The agenda comprised of reports from global representatives reports from the Regional Vice Presidents and a num-ber of work-studies Dr Ruth Stilwell our ICAO ANC Representative demonstrated once again the value of the position of having our Federation represented at the ANC Many of the subjects she encounters on an almost daily basis have been dis-cussed in committee B and C during pre-vious conferences She stressed the need for a constructive approach of IFATCA at

the ICAO level and she highlighted the great teamwork with the IFATCA Panel Representa-tives and the Ex-ecutive Board Dr Ruth Stillwell is stepping down from the position and the committee rewarded her out-standing work with a standing ovation

The report of our representative to the IFALPA ATS Committee Kimmo Koi-vula demonstrated the excellent relation-ship between our Federation and IFALPA Mr Rip Torn Chairman of the IFALPA ATS Committee who was representing IFALPA in the Conference also acknowledged this and stressed the importance of the

close cooperation between IFATCA and IFALPA Our representative on the Air Traffic Management Requirements and Performance Panel gave an excellent ex-planation on the highly technical concept of Trajectory Based Operations

8

4 Committee C Professional in sessionPhoto BULATCA

IFATCA Panel Performance Based NavigationOn Thursday a panel discussion was held followed by an interactive workshop on Competency Based Training

The title of the panel discussion was ldquoPer-formance Tomorrow ndash How PBN Is Shaping Our Professionrdquo After a short introduction by IFATCA President Mr Patrik Peters in which he briefly outlined the topic panel moderator Philippe Domogala introduced representatives from ICAO IFALPA NAT-CA (USA) SESAR JU and EUOCONROL Each one was given a few minutes to intro-duce the subject ndash and challenges of Per-formance Based Navigation ndash after which they discussed the subject prompted by questions from the audience

Mr Saul Da Silva - ICAO Montreal - is an ATM Technical Officer at ICAO HQ in Montreal Secretary of the Air Navigation Commission Air Traffic Management Re-quirements and Performance Panel (AT-MRPP) and Secretary of the Separation and Airspace Safety Panel (SASP) Mr Da Silva talked about the current situation on PBN what are the implementation plans regulatory oversight training plans

Captain Rip Torn IFALPA ATS Committee Chairman IFALPA representative to the ICAO Data Link Working Group Surveil-lance Panel ATMRPP USALPA ATS Group Chair and USALPA Neaten Project Co-ordinator As a Captain on B757767 for Delta Airlines he is based in Atlanta Capt Torn discussed PBN workload in the cock-pit and perceived benefits of its use

Mr Jeff Woods NATCA (USA) is cur-rently a NATCArsquos Program Manage-ment Office (PMO) Representative He has over 25 years of ATC experience in-

cluding towers en route and approach facilities Jeff has been involved in special projects and assignments In addition Jeff also serves as the NATCA member to the Air Traffic Procedures Advisory Commit-tee Mr Woods shared his experience how PBN has been implemented and works in practice in USA using a video which dem-onstrated the benefits of PBN over con-ventional techniques

Mr David Bowen acting Chief ATM of the SESAR Joint Undertaking with overall responsibility for the technical and opera-

IFATCA Panel amp Workshop

4 Philippe Domogala moderating the panel left to right Mr Da Silva Mr Torn Mr Woods Mr Bowen and Ms Pavličević

Photo BM

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THE CONTROLLER 9

4 Committee C Professional in sessionPhoto BULATCA

tional content of the SESAR programme David leads a team of operational and sys-tems experts who provide strategic guid-ance and review the work within SESAR Da-vid has over 20 years of experience in ATM including a background in ATM standardisa-tion avionics and ground system develop-ments Mr Bowen talked about the role of PBN in the SESAR target concept

Ms Franca Pavličević is the Head of the Navigation and CNS Research Unit at EU-ROCONTROL She is also the chairman of ICAOrsquos PBN Study Group and was involved in the development of ICAOrsquos PBN Concept as a member of CAOrsquos RNPSORSG and ICAOrsquos Separation and Airspace Safety Pan-el (SASP) She is a former air traffic controller she has wide-ranging experience in terminal airspace design amp planning Ms Pavličević talked about the PBN overall challenges in the ATM part

The discussion focused on the lack of infor-mation and training in the PBN field in many places and on the huge differences between what is expected with PBN and what the reality is Emphasis was also on the mixed mode operations which is not something that controllers like While everyone agreed that ideally there should be a once-for-all switchover the reality will be quite different In all likelihood it will not be transparent to the users (pilots or controllers) Mixed-op-erations will have to be accommodated for the foreseeable future making a transparent

implementation anything but easyIt was also clear that training for the users will be vital The fact that the technology is far from trivial (the number of abbrevia-tions for example is staggering) and actu-ally has a wide variety of possible applica-tions means that the training will need to be well considered And whether staff will be made available for such essential train-ing is another issue that will need to be carefully considered

Workshop - Competency Based TrainingIt has been recognized by the internation-al aviation community that there will be an anticipated shortage of skilled aviation professionals in the near future In order to ad-dress this important issue ICAO launched the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) ini-tiative to ensure that enough qual-ified and competent aviation pro-fessionals are available to operate manage and maintain the future international air transport system

Competency-based training plac-es emphasis on achieving bench-marked standards of performance more precisely training that fo-cuses on what a person will actu-ally be required to do in the work-place after completing a program of training

Through role playing Nicole Barrette Technical Specialist at ICAO and Ashley Laureyssen Training Strategies Manager at EUROCONTROL demonstrated the different approaches that could be taken towards a trainee Throughout they en-gaged and challenged the audience to explain the anticipated benefits of Com-petency Based Training in an ATC unit compared to the more conventional ap-proach ^

The Technical and Operations Committee and the Professional and Legal Committee produced three combined work-studies this year The subjects System-Wide Infor-mation Management (SWIM) and Screen Design Process are good examples how combining the two committees provides added value for the Federation The study on Screen Design Process highlighted the various aspects of this process It pointed out risks associated with immature intro-duction and looked at possible solutions to avoid unwanted effects The Executive Board was tasked to collect best practices which will become available for Member Associations

The combined TOCPLC work-study on Crisis Management discussed an increas-ingly important topic for many ANSPs and Associations It provided general guide-lines on the different phases in handling crisis situations and stressed the impor-tance of the availability of an up-to-date

crisis management plan Furthermore this paper encouraged going beyond the local policy by communicating across borders and consulting experts It also introduced a model to assist Member Associations when dealing with a crisis

The PLC work-study on the handling of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) was added to the agenda as this subject is evolving extremely quickly and is of interest to many colleagues With the huge increase in the use of RPAS Air Traffic Management needs to focus on how to seamlessly ef-ficiently and safely incorporate RPAS into the global civil air traffic management en-vironment IFATCA is working with other stakeholders at ICAO to develop the in-ternational standards and recommended practices (SARPs) that will form the basis for the regulatory framework

Finally the committee also adopted an up-dated version of IFATCArsquos Statement On The Future Of Global Air Traffic Manage-

ment This statement can be found else-where in this issue

Committee C (Professional) Mr Peter Van Rooyen (South Africa) chaired the committee He was assisted by Ms Ma-ria Serrano Mulet (Spain) as Committee Secretary and Mr Raia Alayi (Bulgaria) as Vice-Chairman Eric Risdon (Switzerland) IFATCArsquos Executive Vice President Profes-sional completed the head table

Following a number of reports from rep-resentatives who represented IFATCA in numerous meetings around the world the Committee discussed the work-studies car-ried out by the Professional amp Legal Com-mittee (PLC)

Amongst the information papers present-ed one highlighted how Aviation System Safety relies on the constant flow of safety data provided This can be done on a vol-untary or mandatory basis but it relies on the belief that such data would only be

4 Competency Based Training lively illustrated by Nicole Barrette (L) and Ashley Laureyssen (R) Photo BM

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THE CONTROLLER10

used for safety purposes It is therefore vital to ensure it is adequately protected

The Multi Sector Planner concept was pro-posed as a means of workload manage-ment The debate that followed showed that this subject could be controversial Fa-tigue Risk Management was an interesting discussion it highlighted the importance of the on-going FRMS Taskforce setup by ICAO There is currently little overlap between IFATCA policy and ICAO Annex 19 but an on-going study should address this in the future Just Culture has been at

the forefront of IFATCAs profes-sional and legal debates for years A very interactive session on this subject with Dr Anthony Smoker challenged the floor to new ideas

Other information papers of in-terest informed about the EURO-CONTROLIFATCA Prosecutor Expert Training Course New Poli-cy was introduced to highlight the importance and the implementa-tion of TRM in an ATCOs career the operational role of the OJTI and the importance of not com-bining the provision of surveil-lance approach and aerodrome control cervices A Policy changes was introduced on the design developm`nt and implementation of a new ATM systems

And as in the other committees there was a vote on the chairman and member as-sociations for the committee that will pre-pare the work-studies for the next confer-ence The PLC will be chaired by Mr Alfred Vlasek (Austria) and his committee will consists of representatives from Australia Germany Hong Kong Italy New Zealand The Netherlands South Africa Spain UK and the USA

Closing Plenary SessionOn Friday afternoon IFATCA PCX Patrik vPeters reconvened the plenary assembly of the Federation This assembly formal-ised the decisions taken in the different committees by accepting the reports of the Committee Chairmen

Mr Geert Maesen (Belgium) and Mrs Ruth Stilwell (USA) were received the IFATCA Executive Board Award Geert was praised for his tireless work on the Information Handbook (IHB) over the past decades while Mrs Stilwell was recognised for rep-resenting IFATCA at ICAO ANC level for the past 5 years

Mr Dale Wright (USA) as Chairman Organ-ising Committee 2016 then addressed the plenary meeting He thanked the del-egates for having confirmed the USA to host next yearrsquos annual conference in Las Vegas

In his closing remarks IFATCA PCX and CEO Patrik Peters thanked the organising committee and BULATCA for an excellent conference ndash a feeling that was shared by the delegates by a long applause and standing ovation^

edthe-controllernet

4 Dr Ruth Stilwell receiving the Executive Board Award from IFATCA PCX amp CEO Peters

Photo BULATCA

If yoursquore planning to attend the 2016 IFATCA Conference in Las Vegas start thinking about your visa requirements NOW To attend a Conference US regulations state that you need to apply for a BUSINESS Visa ndash not a Tourist one If your country is not one of the ones that participate in the Visa Waiver program for the USA then the process to get a visa can take 6 months

The website of the 2016 Organising Committee wwwifatca2016com has links to all the necessary information go to the tab ldquoPlan your visitrdquo then Travelling to the US This will re-direct you to the USA Government Visa website where each country is listed If you need a visa the procedure to apply for one is also there There is a 160 USD non-refundable application fee a visit to a US embassy or consulate is mandatory in most cases As indicated before the time to process your application can take up to 6 months Since the Conference takes place in March there is no time to waste Itrsquos also worth noting that this is not something IFATCA or the Organising Committee can influence or change This has been made clear to us by the US immigration authorities that exemptions or special rules will not be made so there is no point in contacting the OC or IFATCA office for exemptions

Philippe Domogala IFATCA Conference Executive

PLAN AHEAD FORVEGAS 2016

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THE CONTROLLER 11

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THE CONTROLLER12

^by Dr Ruth Stilwellformer IFATCA Representative to ICAO

4 Ruth and Jean-Franccedilois at ICAO HQ in Montreacuteal Photo Mervyn Fernando

REFLECTING ON THE PAST

Over the past 5 years IFATCA has used its position as Permanent Observer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission to evolve the Federationrsquos contribution to the ICAO process With the creation of the IFATCA Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission we have grown into an integral part of the development of ICAO standards

This progress did not come from the posi-tion or the title it was the result of a ex-traordinary team effort It took the support of the IFATCA Executive Board to make our ICAO participation an organizational prior-ity and the commitment from our Member Associations to fund the position and en-sure that we are a daily presence at ICAO While the final approvals come inside the ANC Chamber much of the work to reach a positive consensus occurs through the daily interaction with the ICAO Secretariat other members of the Commission and the industry representatives

An organization cannot build credibility by showing up at the final stages of an amendment process and expect to con-structively shape the outcome It starts much earlier than that Our ICAO repre-sentatives and EVP-Technical supported by the work of both our Technical and Op-erational Committee and our Professional and Legal Committee help to develop a deep understanding of the issues Their work helps develop solutions and advo-cate for the concerns of the air traffic con-trollers long before a proposal is drafted This sets the stage for our success

The work is not done when a proposal reaches the Air Navigation Commission The ICAO representatives continue to work with our team to make sure the is-sues brought forward in the Panel and Expert Group meetings are well known to the Liaison Officer to the ICAO ANC It is a continual exchange of information as the proposals wind their way through the

ICAO process While the IFATCA ANC li-aison officer is a solo post it serves as part of a large internal team in the Federation Our responses in the ICAO consultation process reflect the input of that team ndash it is not the view of a single officer or rep-resentative it is the collective view of the profession expressed through our techni-cal and professional teams

The TOC and PLC work programmes play an important role in building our influ-ence It is through the deliberations and adoption of policies at conference that we achieve a global voice It is our ability to build a global position within the air traffic controller community on matters critical to our profession that gives us the credibility necessary to build our reputation and our influence

Over the last 5 years the Federation has reshaped its internal processes to take advantage of the op-portunities we are presented We have increased the num-ber of ICAO expert groups on which we serve We have ex-panded the input from our committees in the ICAO process We have restruc-tured how we identi-fy issues for our work programmes to con-sider ICAO priorities Finally we have in-troduced new com-munications tools to facilitate the work of our committees and engage our ICAO representatives

These changes have put us in a strong po-sition as we move forward but like ATC modernization it is a never-ending road We cannot be satisfied with where we are we must continue to move forward build-ing our expertise and capacity to shape the future of our profession Our new Li-aison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission Mr Jean-Francois Lepage is well positioned to take the Federation to the next level ^

ruthstilwellgmailcom INT

ER-

NATIO

NAL

FEDERATION OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER 13

^by Jean-Franccedilois LepageIFATCA Representative to ICAO

LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE

Immediately following the Annual Con-ference in Sofia IFATCArsquos handover for the position of IFATCA Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission be-gan We have been working hard to make the transition transparent for everyone in IFATCA and we are on track for a smooth transition

The current ANC session is coming to an end and we will continue our work through the Fall session ending in November 2015 The 200th session will be full of challenges to overcome as it will include an unprec-

edented number of amendments reaching the final stage of the ICAO process At this point the outgoing and incoming ANC li-aison officers will work side by side in the ANC Chamber This will ensure a continu-ous voice for the Federation as we work the numerous upcoming issues important to the Federation

The topics before us are numerous and in-tricate and the realities with which we will have to work are just as varied and com-plex as a Federation we have to keep in mind that our role is to present a global view It could be the rapid growth of traf-fic in Asia the lack of resources of certain countries in Africa the issues encountered with space vehicles and balloons launches in North America and Oceania the inte-gration challenges in Europe These are

just a few examples that show how important the work we are all doing for this Federation is for its members and how im-portant it is to make sure our interests are best rep-resented at ICAO

In short there will be a lot of topics of great in-terest for the Federation and a lot of issues where the ANC liaison officer will have to defend our interests There is only one way to achieve this since no one can accom-plish such a task alone the key words are indubi-tably communication and synergy

Communication because it is essential to use all the resources we have and share what we know the volunteers of the Federa-tion are incredibly talent-

ed and everything has to be put in place to take advantage of all this expertise and knowledge It is paramount to continue the excellent work of Dr Stilwell in devel-oping mechanisms to take advantage of all this richness to better represent us at ICAO

Synergy which is the interaction of two or more elements to achieve an outcome greater than the sum of its parts allows us to accomplish a lot more than every one of us separately this is another of the many strengths of IFATCA Nowadays technol-ogy among other things has made our world more complex than ever Systems procedures and networks tend to become heavily interrelated and one can easily get confused while trying to navigate through these webs

Again IFATCA has two excellent com-mittees Professional (PLC) and Technical (TOC) within its structure that can ease this constraint Communication between the PLC TOC and the ANC liaison officer will be the key to continued success in making our voice heard at ICAO

Finally I would like to express once again my gratitude to the Executive Board for the vote of confidence and for the sup-port in the transition Additionally I must acknowledge the excellent work of Dr Stilwell training me for my new role Her deep knowledge patience and support will ensure that we remain strongly repre-sented and well regarded at ICAO ^

jeanfrancoislepagegmailcom

4 Technology

^ by Ignacio Baca IFATCA Technical amp Operational Committee (TOC)

ATC DISPLAY DESIGN

It is a fact that modern Air Traffic Control relies on automation Computers are be-hind every modern (and even not so mod-ern) ATC system To interact with these machines we rely on screens A visitor to an ACC or a Tower is often baffled by the number of screens that are a part of the Controller Working Position (CWP) or at least by the amount of information presented on them Besides a screen that shows radar or surveillance data there are usually a number of screens with ad-ditional information such as meteorologi-cal data flight plan information health of the systems etc An extreme example is that of the Bodoslash Oceanic ACC (Norway) where the working positions are literally overloaded with screens that are linked to different systems

While the number of screens and their placement on a working position is a subject in itself the way the information is presented on a given screen needs to be considered it needs to be optimised to suit the needs of the operator so he or she can use the information in the most efficient way IFATCArsquos Technical and Op-erations Committee (TOC) looked at this and presented a working paper at the Fed-erationrsquos Annual Conference held in Sofia Bulgaria last April

When developing new systems develop-

ers tend to rely on standards which nor-mally incorporate best practices or lessons learned by experience in the past Surpris-ingly however there are no official stand-ards for the design of ATC systems Some efforts have been made for example in a project called Eurocontrol Core Require-ments for ATM Working Positions (CoRe) Finalized in 2002 it tried to identify and mitigate problems within the CWP Devel-opment Process The FAA also produced a report in 2003 to assist in the design development and evaluation of FAA sys-tems Despite such efforts nothing in the domain of ATM compares to for exam-ple the situation in aircraft cockpits where there is a high level of standardization

Generally we can distinguish four areas in design requirements

4 Simplicity simple systems are gener-ally easier to use and maintain and require less training

4 Consistency it is desirable that the same layout and style is used as much as possible As an example of the im-portance of this factor the time that a person needs to mentally process the information in a screen may double when the position of the elements is varied

4 Safety as safety is paramount in ATC the system must be verified validated and certified for both normal opera-tions but also in degraded and emer-gency modes

4 Usability meaning that the system must be easy to use and learn and ef-ficient to apply for performing a cer-tain task

A user-centred approach is desirable to improve the usability of the system This is why controllers should be involved in the design of ATC systems from the begin-ning an article about the subject was pub-lished in The Controller issue of April 2014 (Put a controller in your team) Controllers also need to be involved in validation and in further developments and upgrades to help keep the system user-friendly and not feature overloaded But what about con-sistency Different cultures communities and even individuals can have different perceptions of the same problem As such the display of information and the differ-ences between ATM systems clearly show a lack of consistency

Letrsquos consider alerts for example An alert is a way to focus the attention of the con-troller to a particular piece of the informa-tion being displayed Well-designed alerts clearly contribute to safety but false warn-ings and nuisance alerts if these occur too frequently can result in the control-ler ignoring a genuine warning or simply overlooking it Our systems tend to have an increasing number of warnings conflict alerts area proximity warnings level busts hellip It should be easy to quickly determine the actual nature of the warning and using colours to differentiate seems like a logical thing to do In the absence of any stand-ards however every control system has its own set of warnings with its own colour schemes and its own set of parameters

If colours are used to draw attention to an issue or to distinguish different problems it can in fact cause issues as well In the January 2015 issue of The Controller there

4 Screen overload at Bodoslash Oceanic ACC Photo Terje Dahlseng Eide THE

CONTROLLER14

NEED FOR GUIDING PRINCIPLES amp STANDARDS

4 Technology

is an article (pages 14 and 15) about the new Pegasus Sys-tem implemented in Poland The author writes One of the main issues is how colours are used (hellip) it appears for exam-ple very easy to miss situations close to sector boundaries due to the so-called ldquowhite-label syndromerdquo

The lsquowhite label syndromersquo is also known in other systems In Spain the labels are green for traffic in the sector and white for traffic outside the sector Sometimes controllers over-look the white traffic close to their sectors because their attention is focused in look-ing for conflicts affecting the green planes While colours provide an additional source of information to the control-ler therersquos also a risk that infor-mation is too easily discarded ie without actually interpreting it In fact the system lsquodecidesrsquo that certain information is worth looking at more than otherhellip

Itrsquos also easy to overdo an extensive use of colours can also lead to overload for controllers An example is the following list of colours used in Belgium

4 White aircraft currently on the frequency

4 Yellow aircraft coordinated to enter the sector

4 Brown aircraft transferred to the next sector

4 Green aircraft entering the sector but not yet on the frequency

4 Blue aircraft is selected 4 Red conflicting aircraft 4 Grey information label aircraft wonrsquot

necessarily be entering the sector

Not only the high number of colours make difficult to keep track of the traffic but grey labels are often overlooked due to all the other colours creating a problem simi-lar to the white-label syndrome mentioned above

The three systems just mentioned Span-ish Polish and Belgian use a dark back-ground in line with the lsquotraditionalrsquo ra-dar scopes But the lack of standards is evident even here A number of systems such as the VAFORIT system introduced in Karlsruhe in 2010 (see The Controller July

2011) used a white background This was later changed to light greyThe training sessions for VAFORIT showed that the colour scheme was not welcomed by the controllers Every change in the de-sign resulted in more problems because changing one colour impacted the en-tire colour palette After the system was brought online the colour scheme was implicated as a contributory factor to sev-eral incidents Eventually DFS asked the Institute for Labour Sciences of Darmstadt University for assistance This was a unique opportunity to have a scientific analysis of the issue They suggested a particular range of colours which was accepted by the controllers and finally implemented

Another issue is the readability of the in-formation presented It is tempting to think that the type of font used in a system is only relevant from an aesthetic point of view but it can easily lead to confusion An example was mentioned in an IFATCA working paper (presented at the Amman Conference in 2011) on the use of alpha-numeric callsigns this mentioned that us-ing the letters B I O S and Z in callsigns could easily create confusion with the numbers 8 1 0 5 and 2 While this ap-plies no matter what font is used a badly chosen font can easily create more confu-sion than a well-designed one

The experience of our German colleagues and their VAFORIT system is a perfect ex-ample of how a scientific study can improve a system It could be tempting to think that science is universal and that it could there-fore help to develop some universal stand-ard to be followed by every ATC system Unfortunately this is not completely true Colours are useful as an example again How to define a standard for colours when they may have different meanings de-pending of culture Being educated in a western culture I would probably choose red as the colour to be used for a warning In my culture red is associated to danger and prohibition A Chinese controller on the other hand could think otherwise for him red is associated with celebrations and as a symbol of good luck

To conclude there is no universal set of rules to decide what information must be included in an automated ATC system and how this information should be presented Definition of a standard is not an easy task because of factors like cultural differences and the transition from existing legacy sys-tems Nevertheless at least some stand-ardization is desirable For this reason TOC recommended that the Federation develops guiding principles for alerts and for the display of operational information ^

ignacioifatcagmailcom

4 The Pegasus system in Poland susceptible to the white-label syndrome Photo PANSA

15 THE CONTROLLER

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER16

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

MADRID HOST TO 70TH EDITION

4 Capt Martin Chalk newly elected IFALPA President

Photo IFALPA

IFALPA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The 70th annual conference of the Inter-national Federation of Air Line Pilotsrsquo As-sociations (IFALPA) was held in Madrid on 10-12 April 2015 Nearly 500 pilots attend-ed and debated a wide range of subjects

ContractsOne of these was the new pilot employ-ment contracts being devised by many airlines more particularly those operat-ing as so-called low-cost operators One such practice is the ldquoPay-to-Flyrdquo contract whereby mostly young pilots looking for a job and requiring to buildkeep experi-ence have to pay between 20 and 50000 USD in exchange for the ldquoprivilegeldquo of working as a pilot for an airline

Another deplorable one is the so-called ldquozero hoursldquo contract Here pilots are only paid when they fly In other words they have no fixed income and are not paid during months where traffic is low The last one is referred to as ldquoself-employmentrdquo where companies (Ryanair was mentioned) only employ pilots that have their own ldquocompanyrdquo This avoids the airline hav-ing to pay pension contributions social and medical benefitsetc Needless to say that job security in all these schemes is non-existent

While the main reason is of course cost-cutting they also undermine collective bargaining for working conditions etc These tendencies are extremely worri-some and we have to be careful that con-trollers will not be the next victims of this form of modern slavery

GermanwingsThere were of course long discussions on the aftermath of the Germanwings crash As other professional organisations IFAL-PA strongly condemned the witchhunt by the worldrsquos media the release of details of the Cockpit Voice Recorder to the press within 36 hours of it being recovered and especially the rash measures taken by au-thorities and some airlines without await-ing the outcome of the full investigation The European Cockpit Association (ECA the European Branch of IFALPA) made a resolution opposing the requirement to re-place a pilot leaving the cockpit saying it actually increases risks They also opposed publishing medical records of pilots which would only result in pilots avoiding medi-cal treatment They also reacted strongly against regular psychological assessments by the employer which they argued would also be counterproductive as people would lie to protect their job A better overall solution would be a Peer Interven-tion Program similar to CISM combined with a good loss of license insurance cov-ering mental illness

Most strongly condemned was the unprec-edented statement of a state prosecutor which identified a crew member as ldquothe only culpritrdquo Without awaiting all the el-ements of the investigation it is clearly a grave and unprecedented violation of ICAO Annex 13

Safety SeminarTheir safety seminar this year dealt with emergency responses and media commu-nications after incident or accident includ-

ing how to handle social media This has becomes one of their priorities similar to what IFATCA is currently embarking upon

Changes In Training IFALPA allows presentations from outsid-ers to be made during their plenary Tra-ditionally this privilege is for Airbus andor Boeing but they included Embraer this year as well Essentially all 3 manufactur-ers promoted the new features of their latest-generation aircraft

One excellent presentation came from Captain Harry Nelson an Airbus senior test pilot He talked about the drastic changes needed in training following a number of recent accidents where automation or rather how humans interact with this au-tomation played a major role According to Captain Nelson less books and class-rooms lectures were needed but self train-ing using laptops and tablets were the way forward ldquoTraining must be fun againrdquo he said ldquowith an emphasis on hands-on ex-perience rather than on written materialrdquo

ElectionsDeputy President Martin Chalk from the UK was elected to become the new IFAL-PA President Martin is the former Presi-dent of the European Cockpit Association and he is keen to continue the very good cooperation with IFATCA Their next Con-ference will be in New Orleans USA from April 15 unitl 18 2016 For once it doesnrsquot clash with our own IFATCA Conference ^

dpthe-controllernet

INTER-

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THE FUTURE OF GLOBALAIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

This is version 20 of the IFATCA Statement on the Future of Global Air Traffic Management It was formally adopted at the IFATCA Annual Conference in Sofia Bulgaria in April 2015 For more information contact our EVP Technical via evptifatcaorg

8 INTRODUCTIONAir traffic control at its core is a safety service Many future systems focus on increasing system capac-ity and efficiency It is not that capacity concerns have overshadowed safety as priority instead it is an acknowledgement that a system operated in excess of available capacity creates unsafe conditions To remedy an overcapacity condition one can either restrict access or increase capacity IFATCA recognizes that restricting growth in global aviation is not a realistic approach In order to maintain the necessary standard of safety in air traffic control moving forward we must be willing to take advantage of innovation in technology and procedures that will build the needed system capacity

8 PERFORMANCE BASED ATM4 AIR NAVIGATION SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE

Air navigation infrastructures develop on an evolutionary path that requires cooperation between ground based providers and airborne users Moving forward with advanced technologies to build sys-tem capacity requires coordinated investment from governments air navigation service providers and system users

In other modes of transport the infrastructure can be developed independently from the network us-ers For example adding a new lane to a highway increases system capacity without the need for new investment in vehicle technology With the exception of new runways this is not the case for aviation

Moving toward a performance based model for Air Traffic Management requires more than placing performance targets on outputs It requires a fundamental rethinking of the air traffic infrastruc-ture and standards development process Each element of the system should be developed using a performance-based process By shifting to a true performance based model we change the concept of standards making in a way that encourages technological advancement and allows system users to take advantage of the benefits new systems offer This concept embraces the ideas embodied in Required Navigation Performance Required Surveillance Performance and Required Communication Performance

4 REQUIRED SURVEILLANCE PERFORMANCERequired Surveillance Performance is a concept within the ICAO community Transition to a true RSP environment requires the establishment of clear standards for precision update rates and latency of any surveillance system Ideally this will lead to the concept of simplified surveillance separation standards that replaces the current process of developing new separation standards to accommodate new technologies

Rather than evaluate new surveillance systems and develop separation standards necessary to uti-lize a new technology a performance based approach requires the sensor technology to meet the specifications to allow the existing separation standards to be applied1 This provides developers and manufacturers with a clear design target In addition moving away from sensor based standards can reduce sector complexity in a mixed mode operation allowing for increased capacity

It is not necessary for air traffic controllers to know the source of a surveillance target only that the displayed target meets the necessary requirements for accuracy and reliability This approach allows both users and ANSPs to take advantage of developing technologies more rapidly and can expand the amount of airspace where surveillance based separation standards can be applied As we move away from radar dependent surveillance in the long term we introduce new flexibility for airspace design capacity and efficiency

1 Separation standards are not solely based on the surveillance system they also require standards for com-munication and navigation availability and precision

4 IFATCA Statement

illustrations copy csp_Harlekino | wwwfotosearchcom

INTER-

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4 REQUIRED NAVIGATION PERFORMANCEThe development process for Required Navigation Performance can provide an effective model for the continued development of RCP and RSP RNP has illustrated that continual improvements in the on board precision coupled with effective airspace design can provide substantial and measurable benefits The application of a rigorous safety case is a fundamental part of the process Moving away from a technology based standard to a performance based one has improved the process and allows for operators to conduct independent evaluations on the business case to support the on board investment Operational benefits from increased airspace capacity are demonstrated This approach formed the basis for PBN (Performance Based Navigation)

4 REQUIRED COMMUNICATION PERFORMANCEExisting standards are dependent upon direct air to ground voice communications While this is cur-rently the preferred means of communication when possible opportunities for development of less infrastructure dependent communications technologies are foreseeable A focus on the performance requirements of alternative systems that includes the human factors elements may allow for develop-ment of alternative systems with equal or greater levels of reliability than existing air to ground voice concepts

4 SERVICE PRIORITYExisting ATC service priority models that place heavy emphasis on the concept of first come first served do not take advantage of the reduced demand on ATC resources that result from advances in onboard capabilities Tactical sector resources include air traffic controller staffing available fre-quency time and coordination requirements The level and type of communication navigation and surveillance equipment on board an aircraft affects the tactical sector resources needed to provide air traffic control services For example an RNAV equipped aircraft uses fewer sector resources when flying an RNAV STAR than a lesser- equipped aircraft that must be vectored to the final approach

The evolution of air navigation and airspace design over the last decade has placed increasing empha-sis on airborne equipment From GNSS routes to PBN efficient airspace design and utilization requires that sufficient percentages of aircraft be appropriately equipped to utilize the advanced routes

Performance Based ATM requires both air navigation service providers and system users invest in sys-tems that allow for maximization of airspace capacity and efficiency In order to develop a business case for the investment operational benefits must be quantifiable A service priority model based on first come first served without consideration of the relative sector resources needed to provide the service may discourage or delay modernisation efforts

New service priority models are a critical element of performance based ATM In the same manner that system users seek to obtain operational benefits from on board investment air navigation ser-vice providers should be able to derive benefits from investment in the ground based technologies Under the current service priority model lesser equipped aircraft are afforded the same priority as better equipped aircraft regardless of the additional resources they may consume Delaying aircraft to accommodate minimally equipped users particularly through holding consumes considerable sec-tor resources for which the ANSP is not compensated If the ANSP is able to establish a service prior-ity model that considers aircraft equipment requirements to maximise sector capacity and efficiency it will be more able to offset the investment costs of advanced technologies

A truly performance based model for ATM would permit ANSPs to consider airborne equipment as a dynamic tool for managing sector capacity and efficiency Aircraft equipment requirements could be in place during periods of peak demand and lifted when the capacity enhancing tools are no longer required This strategic approach will require enhanced attention to both airspace planning and flight planning In addition to the capacity enhancement the strategic approach can also be seen as a means to ensure equitable access to airports and airspace when compared to the equipment mandate approach

4 IFATCA Statement

INTER-

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4 IFATCA Statement

4 AIRSPACE DESIGN AND ACCESSAdvanced airspace design and procedures are evolving to maximise airspace availability and effi-ciency PBN Approaches reduce track distance and can allow aircraft to navigate around terrain in low visibility Continuous Descent Operations allow operators to maximise fuel economy RNP standards allow for reduced separation in procedural airspace increasing capacity and new in-trail climb and descent procedures in en route airspace will allow equipped aircraft to access preferred flight levels These advanced procedures also have the ability to reduce demand on sector resources Airspace de-sign that takes advantage of modern aircraft navigation capabilities has the possibility to de-conflict traffic flows reduce the need for vectoring and reduce frequency congestion Advanced airspace design will play an increasingly important role in managing traffic in high-density areas However this type of airspace design is only of value if the aircraft operating in the airspace are able to use it

Airspace analysis and planning is a critical component in developing an airborne equipment based service priority model Airspace service volumes should be evaluated to determine if and when ben-efits can be derived from advanced procedures This evaluation of airspace service volumes should be an ongoing process and can aid in the evolution to a dynamic concept of airspace management and access

By granting access to the most efficient procedures and airspace to aircraft equipped to use them the business model for airborne investment can be made without artificial manipulation The demand on controllers to manage a new service priority model is mitigated Finally while this model can pro-vide an incentive for operators to equip aircraft for those that want to defer or delay the on board investment the option of moving flights away from peak periods to unconstrained periods could improve overall system efficiency and safety

4 TRAFFIC FLOW MANAGEMENTThe regionalisation of traffic flow management is necessary to meet the traffic growth and environ-mental demands on aviation in the future Safe orderly and expeditious air traffic flows necessitate coordination beyond state boundaries Avoidance of extreme weather events as well as conflict zones that create hazards to aviation cannot be effectively managed without regional collaboration Traffic flow management must take advantage of technologies for information sharing planning and response

4 AIRSPACE INTEGRATION AND USE( CIVIL-MILITARYETC)Global goals of interoperability and airspace capacity are hindered without effective airspace integra-tion Achieving a balance for airspace access between users including civil military manned un-manned and transitional (ie commercial space operators) presents significant challenges for future systems The demand for airspace use is increasing in both quantity and diversity of operations

Technological advances in aircraft coupled with expanded civil uses will place demands on the system that are not supported by current policies Unmanned aircraft both autonomous and remotely piloted are in development In addition the growth in commercial space operations and the development of space tourism will place increasing demands on airspace particularly in the launch and return phases of flight Integrating diverse operations into common airspace will present new challenges that will require innovative thinking to move forward

In some cases particularly in the case of autonomous unmanned aircraft or a ballistic launch phase for a commercial space vehicle where the aircraft or spacecraft may not have a means to execute an air traffic control clearance integration may not be possible In order to accommodate these types of operations clear standards for separation or protected airspace are necessary to ensure the safety of other aircraft

8 EMERGING TECHNOLOGIESInnovation is a hallmark of aviation The first commercial flight occurred within a decade from when the Wright Brothers first took to the air It was less than half a century between the first powered flight and the supersonic jet Our industry has embraced and advanced new technologies that have not only made air travel faster but also safer and more efficient The constant adaptation and integration of new technolo-gies into air traffic control is the mark of the profession This integration and acceptance is not without

INTER-

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4 IFATCA Statement

caution or scepticism The approach where technologies are rigorously evaluated prior to integration into the air traffic control system has ensured high levels of safety Air traffic controllers are a critical part of this process Certain new technologies will require a rethinking of long standing operational concepts and standards to facilitate their accommodation Just as radar allowed for the development of new separation standards certain new tools may require the same level of work in developing fundamental concepts and new safety analysis Tools like synthetic vision remote towers and remotely piloted aircraft blur the lines between standards based on visual acquisition of traffic and surveillance based traffic identification These hybrid systems where the human is tasked with visual evaluation of electronically derived information do not fit within the existing separation paradigm New separation standards recognizing that these systems are neither traditional surveillance nor visual systems need to be developed and validated to support the safe integration of these types of systems

8 SAFETYSafety remains the most important performance indicator in ATM As traffic figures rise the accident rate has to be reduced to prevent the number of accidents from increasing The approach towards safety has developed over the years introducing technical human and organisational factors The linear safety ap-proach has been successful in demonstrating causes whenever an incident or accident occurs However the very low rate of aircraft accidents makes it an ineffective safety indicator

It is important to examine safety risks even in the absence of aircraft accidents or incidents This requires a new approach towards safety A proactive approach seeks to understand all the contributing factors in the system and identify systemic safety risks This systems safety approach is based on a principle to maximize the success rate of the overall system In this approach the human factor is seen as the resilient element in a vulnerable system and as a safety net when the system fails Under this concept steps are taken to ensure that the systems are adequately robust and safety risks are mitigated and the human operator is given the necessary tools to perform the safety task

In order to collect and analyse safety information adequate protection of safety information and its sources is critical Systems that penalise people or organisations for reporting safety data limit the data that will be made available The ability to report safety problems including those of human error without fear of reprisal it the foundation of any safety system

8 HUMAN FACTORSThe need for human factors analysis in the development of new technologies is well established The Human-Machine Interface is a critical part of the design process and successful deployment of major new systems have included considerable attention to the human factors analysis However new systems are increasingly network centred rather than single systems that can be analysed as stand alone products introducing broader human factors considerations that go well beyond HMI

As technologies are deployed to maximise system capacity the limits of human performance must be considered While system reliability requirements are very high external factors that could cause disrup-tion cannot be entirely eliminated It is essential to ensure that the ability of human operators to maintain system safety in the event of technology failure is not exceeded

The concept of a systems approach to safety should be expanded to include human factors The human operator should be viewed in totality recognising as new systems allow for increased system capac-ity workload related fatigue issues will need to be considered in addition to those related to schedules and duty time Workload related fatigue can be a symptom of sustained periods either high or very low workload

In order to fully realise peak capacity operational complexity must be minimised Reducing or eliminating mixed mode operations in high-density airspace allows for higher sector capacity Formulas that determine maximum sector capacity must consider both volume and complexity aircraft performance and capability is an important component of sector complexity

8 IFATCAS ROLEIFATCA is in the unique position to provide operational expertise in the development of future ATM The organisation has a leadership role to play in the design development and analysis of emerging concepts for air traffic control IFATCA technical and professional expertise is a critical component of the decision chain The global reach of the Federation provides the opportunity to advance these concepts IFATCA provides ambitious ideas to meet the challenges of the global future of aviation through comprehensive research studies and participation in the global aviation community ^

4 Europe

21

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Over the past 12 monhts European traf-fic has increased slightly 13 according to the Network Managerrsquos Monthly report Delays have also increased along with the traffic levels And with some severe CB activity at the end of May and early June controllersrsquo skills have been severely tested

Some of our colleagues work with reduced runway systems and face other operational challenges Meanwhile the Single Europe-an Sky (SES) is slowly but surely moving forward This is a quick update on what is currently ongoing on the political front with regard to the Single European Sky program and its so-called pillars

TechnicalOn the technical front within SESAR the ATM Master Plan update campaign is ongoing

A final draft of the future

ATM

Mas-ter Plan will be released for consulta-tion at the end of June 2015 The ATM Master

Plan will re-group all the elements for a modernisation of the techno-logical infra-structure in Europe It will include the de-

ployment of new technology the road-map for modernisation and the elements needed for the next step of SESAR called ldquoSESAR 2020rdquo The ambitious task of revis-iting the ATM Masterplan was coordinated by IFATSEA (Dany van der Biest) on behalf of the professional staff organisations Our input including valuable comments by the many IFATCASESAR representatives was greatly appreciated

Beyond SES II+At the beginning of May the European Commission invited all the stakeholders to a SES Vision Workshop All stakeholders and institutions were invited to give their view on the future of the Single European Sky A small working group within the Eu-ropean Commission continues to work on this thus planning beyond SES II+ legisla-tion Amongst other things the look into the Reference Period 3 (after 2019) and how the Regulatory framework should evolve in the future

EASA has published its opinion on the common rules of the air and operational

provisions regarding services and pro-cedures in air navigation and Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA) part C

DatalinkDatalink implementation has been post-poned by at least 5 years and the outlook is quite grim as the technology used will most probably by outdated by the time it becomes mandatory Maybe a novel ap-proach to this issue is needed New tech-nologies that achieve the same or better CPDLC performance might become avail-able and those in charge of coordinating the implementation seem to want to wait and see what materialises before taking large scale initiatives

Occurrence ReportingTransposition of the Mandatory Occur-rence Reporting Implementation Regula-tion will be finalised by a high level work-shop on the 1st of October 2015 IFATCA has been working together with other stakeholders to achieve a balance be-tween safety and Just Culture in the form of industry Guidance Material This work is ongoing and the challenge is to keep the advanced Just Culture in the corporate environment intact while allowing the new sectors to join these developments

The new regulation on Occurrence Report-ing will become effective in all European states (plus Norway and Switzerland) on 15 November 2015 Promotional material will become available during the summer IFATCA has worked towards diversity for the different sectors while maintaining Just Culture recognisable throughout the avia-tion industry

The motivation for and the Regulation it-self can be found via these links link1 and link2

Prosecutor Expert CourseAt the end of May 2015 the 5th Eurocon-trolIFATCA Prosecutor Expert Training course was held at the Eurocontrol HQ in Brussels In total some 100 participants have attended this training initiative Bringing together professionals from the judiciary and the aviation world has proven to be a real contribution to Just Culture

loeuifatcaorgsesarcoordifatcaorg

BE READY FOR CHANGEUPDATE ON EUROPEAN ISSUES

^ by Paul Neering IFATCA Liaison to the EU amp Marc Baumgartner IFATCA SESAR Coordinator

copy m

einz

ahn

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wfo

tose

arch

com

4 Conference

Haidutinrdquo The song was selected as one of 27 other music fragments to travel on a golden disc attached to the Voyager 1 spacecraft which was launched in 1977 Thirty-five years after its launch Voyager 1 left our solar system officially becoming the first man-made craft to do so

The final part of the opening ceremony saw the very first IFATCA Technology Award presented to Imtradex for their AirTalk 3000 XD Flex headset Marketing Manager amp Sales Manager ATC Susanne Lastein who accepted the award empha-sized that air traffic safety is very much dependent on interference-free com-munications between everyone involved ldquoMisunderstandings between air traffic controllers and pilots can have serious consequences It is therefore crucial that they understand each other clearly which makes communication equipment a real safety factorrdquo said Susanne Last

After this ceremonial part of the opening plenary Patrik Peters declared the con-ference formally open After the roll call the Directors accepted the report of the previous annual conference (Gran Canaria

Spain) PCX amp CEO Peters asked the dif-ferent IFATCA Executive Board members present their view on the lsquoState of the Fed-erationrsquo A number of them highlighted the dynamism and good atmosphere with-in the Board and the enhanced motivation resulting from this

The chairmen of the three committees received their gavels and the Plenary was suspended to allow the three commit-tees to debate their working papers and reports

Committee AThe Committee was once again chaired by Mr Paul Robinson (New Zealand) who was assisted by Mr Julian Ogilvie (UK) as Com-mittee Secretary and Vice-Chairman Mr Georgi Petkov from Bulgaria Mr Jeremy (Bob) Thompson EVP Finance ad-interim and Mr Scott Shallies Deputy President completed the head table

Dealing with administrative issues of the Federation Committee A reviewed the past year by hearing the reports of differ-ent elected and appointed officials These

included reports of the Deputy President and the EVP Finance who also presented an overview of the Federationrsquos finances Also discussed was the budget for the up-coming fiscal year (2015-2016) The Fed-erations financial situation is strong with substantial reserves A new reserve fund has been created for the purpose of assist-ing MAs to attend Regional Meetings The work program for the Finance Committee for this coming year includes a review of our reserve funds and to propose a rec-ommendation to Directors on a suitable process for determining a mediumlong term financial strategy for the FederationThe affiliation of three Member Associa-tions was terminated bringing the total number of members of the Federation to 128

The Constitution and Administration Com-mittee (CAC) reviewed the IFATCA Panel the structure of the Technical and Pro-fessional Standing Committees closed sessions at Conference and at Regional Meetings and expanding the use of the Conference Attendance Fund Following a paper from South Africa provisions were included for restricting the attendance of observers at closed sessions This year the CAC will consider the creation of a Com-munications Steering Committee the evo-lution of the role of Conference Executive examine the status of the Federations subsidiary documentation and look at li-ability issues when travelling in an area for which travel advisory cautions have been issued New Zealand EGATS and South Africa were elected to the Constitution and Administration Committee

The Controller Steering Committee and the Executive Board have considered the Fed-erationrsquos communication strategies Their plans will be integrated into the manual next year by CAC The Web Manager set up a system on the web site to enable on-line collaboration for various committees and a presence has been maintained on Fa-cebook Twitter and Flickr at minimal cost

4 President amp CEO Patrik Peters addressing the delegates during the Opening Plenary

Photo BULATCA

4 Were all in this together taken quite literallyPhoto BULATCA

6 THE CONTROLLER

4 Conference

Mr Scott Shallies (Australia) was elected to serve another term as Deputy President while Duncan Auld will serve another term as EVP Technical Current EVPs Keziah Ogutu (Kenya) Mike ONeill (Hong Kong) and Željko Oreški (Croatia) will serve an-other 2 years as EVP AfricaMiddle East EVP AsiaPacific and EVP Europe respec-tively Jeremy Thompson (New Zealand) who has been acting as EVP Finance since late last year is confirmed as EVP Finance for one year

Philippe Domogala (EGATS) was re-ap-pointed to the position of Conference Ex-ecutive for a one-year term and the Board and CAC will consider the evolution of this position during this year Mr Jean-Franccedilois Lepage was appointed as Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission succeeding Dr Ruth Stilwell who was the Federationrsquos representative for the last five years

Finally Committee A also considered the venues for forthcoming conferences It confirmed the venue for the next annual conference this will be organised by our North American colleagues of NATCA in Las Vegas from March 14th until 18th 2016 The conference will be held just be-fore the annual Communicating for Safety (CFS) event For 2017 Tunisia was elected to host the 56th Annual Conference in 2017 No less than 6 Member Associa-tions - Canada Costa Rica Egypt Ghana Jordan and The Maldives ndash expressed an interest in hosting the 2018 edition

Committee B - TechnicalThe Committee was chaired by Mr Mat-thijs Jongeneel (Netherlands) Assisting him were Mr Alasdair Shaw (New Zealand) as Committee Secretary and Mrs Antoan-eta Boneva (Bulgaria) as Vice-Chairman Mr Duncan Auld IFATCArsquos Executive Vice

President Technical completed the head table

IFATCA representatives to the differ-ent ICAO Panels presented their reports which gave an overview of the continu-ous and extensive amounts of work they do on behalf of the Federation Although the panel structure is changing at ICAO level our participation continues to be highly valued and appreciated The Fed-eration is involved in the establishment of new separation standards in the creation of new phraseology to be used for SIDs and STARs and in creating standards for Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Com-mittee B recognised the significant con-tribution that Dr Ruth Stillwell has made in her role of Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission over the past five years

The Technical and Operations Commit-tee (TOC) worked on no less than 13 work items this year Several studies introduced new technologies for example the studies on GNSS based approaches and GNSS based altitude Besides describing these developments they also highlighted ad-vantages and limitations

The work on SIDs and STARs continues this year the TOC focused specifically on the ambiguous responsibility for provision of separation with terrain and obstacles in case of weather avoidance TOC was able to clarify the subject and to propose policy which was adopted by the Member Associations

Triggered by a discussion at last yearrsquos IFATCA Annual Conference responsibility for providing separation after completing a TCAS RA manoeuvre was also reviewed New policy agreed that ATC should take responsibility and should issue instructions

as required to achieve separation The work-studies on Future Weather Distribu-tion Flight and Flow Information for a Col-laborative Environment (FF-ICE) and Flight Planning Accuracy showed that accurate data is increasingly critical

The committee further discussed the TOC work programme for 20152016 This in-cludes a wide variety of items Digital Flight Strips Flight plan quality and conform-ance checking RNAV Visual Approaches Free Route Airspace and Flexible Track Systems Commercial Space Operations Pronunciation of Words Space Weather Autonomous Passenger and Cargo Air-craft Principles for Alerts and the Display of Information (with PLC) Review of Policy on Advanced Approach Procedures

In addition the composition of the Tech-nical and Operations Committee (TOC) was voted upon Ben Gorrie (Australia) will continue as Chairman of TOC Besides the technical representatives Nigeria Slove-

4 Bill Holtzmann (NATCA USA) presenting a working paper in Committee B

Photo BULATCA

4 Probably the hardest working people at Conference the committee Chairmen and SecretariesLeft to Right Paul Robinson amp Jules Oglevie (Commitee A) Maria Serrano Mulet amp Peter Van Rooyen (Committee C) Alasdair Shaw amp Matthijs Jongeneel (Committee B)

Photo BULATCA

THE CONTROLLER 7

4 Conference

THE CONTROLLER

nia Spain UK Netherlands and USA will serve as members of the committee and will prepare work-studies for next yearrsquos conference

Joined Committee B amp C (Technical and Professional affairs)A full day combined Committee B and C meeting was also held this year The meet-ing was very well attended and was co‐chaired by the chairmen of Committees B amp C Matthijs Jongeneel and Peter van Rooyen The agenda comprised of reports from global representatives reports from the Regional Vice Presidents and a num-ber of work-studies Dr Ruth Stilwell our ICAO ANC Representative demonstrated once again the value of the position of having our Federation represented at the ANC Many of the subjects she encounters on an almost daily basis have been dis-cussed in committee B and C during pre-vious conferences She stressed the need for a constructive approach of IFATCA at

the ICAO level and she highlighted the great teamwork with the IFATCA Panel Representa-tives and the Ex-ecutive Board Dr Ruth Stillwell is stepping down from the position and the committee rewarded her out-standing work with a standing ovation

The report of our representative to the IFALPA ATS Committee Kimmo Koi-vula demonstrated the excellent relation-ship between our Federation and IFALPA Mr Rip Torn Chairman of the IFALPA ATS Committee who was representing IFALPA in the Conference also acknowledged this and stressed the importance of the

close cooperation between IFATCA and IFALPA Our representative on the Air Traffic Management Requirements and Performance Panel gave an excellent ex-planation on the highly technical concept of Trajectory Based Operations

8

4 Committee C Professional in sessionPhoto BULATCA

IFATCA Panel Performance Based NavigationOn Thursday a panel discussion was held followed by an interactive workshop on Competency Based Training

The title of the panel discussion was ldquoPer-formance Tomorrow ndash How PBN Is Shaping Our Professionrdquo After a short introduction by IFATCA President Mr Patrik Peters in which he briefly outlined the topic panel moderator Philippe Domogala introduced representatives from ICAO IFALPA NAT-CA (USA) SESAR JU and EUOCONROL Each one was given a few minutes to intro-duce the subject ndash and challenges of Per-formance Based Navigation ndash after which they discussed the subject prompted by questions from the audience

Mr Saul Da Silva - ICAO Montreal - is an ATM Technical Officer at ICAO HQ in Montreal Secretary of the Air Navigation Commission Air Traffic Management Re-quirements and Performance Panel (AT-MRPP) and Secretary of the Separation and Airspace Safety Panel (SASP) Mr Da Silva talked about the current situation on PBN what are the implementation plans regulatory oversight training plans

Captain Rip Torn IFALPA ATS Committee Chairman IFALPA representative to the ICAO Data Link Working Group Surveil-lance Panel ATMRPP USALPA ATS Group Chair and USALPA Neaten Project Co-ordinator As a Captain on B757767 for Delta Airlines he is based in Atlanta Capt Torn discussed PBN workload in the cock-pit and perceived benefits of its use

Mr Jeff Woods NATCA (USA) is cur-rently a NATCArsquos Program Manage-ment Office (PMO) Representative He has over 25 years of ATC experience in-

cluding towers en route and approach facilities Jeff has been involved in special projects and assignments In addition Jeff also serves as the NATCA member to the Air Traffic Procedures Advisory Commit-tee Mr Woods shared his experience how PBN has been implemented and works in practice in USA using a video which dem-onstrated the benefits of PBN over con-ventional techniques

Mr David Bowen acting Chief ATM of the SESAR Joint Undertaking with overall responsibility for the technical and opera-

IFATCA Panel amp Workshop

4 Philippe Domogala moderating the panel left to right Mr Da Silva Mr Torn Mr Woods Mr Bowen and Ms Pavličević

Photo BM

4 Conference

THE CONTROLLER 9

4 Committee C Professional in sessionPhoto BULATCA

tional content of the SESAR programme David leads a team of operational and sys-tems experts who provide strategic guid-ance and review the work within SESAR Da-vid has over 20 years of experience in ATM including a background in ATM standardisa-tion avionics and ground system develop-ments Mr Bowen talked about the role of PBN in the SESAR target concept

Ms Franca Pavličević is the Head of the Navigation and CNS Research Unit at EU-ROCONTROL She is also the chairman of ICAOrsquos PBN Study Group and was involved in the development of ICAOrsquos PBN Concept as a member of CAOrsquos RNPSORSG and ICAOrsquos Separation and Airspace Safety Pan-el (SASP) She is a former air traffic controller she has wide-ranging experience in terminal airspace design amp planning Ms Pavličević talked about the PBN overall challenges in the ATM part

The discussion focused on the lack of infor-mation and training in the PBN field in many places and on the huge differences between what is expected with PBN and what the reality is Emphasis was also on the mixed mode operations which is not something that controllers like While everyone agreed that ideally there should be a once-for-all switchover the reality will be quite different In all likelihood it will not be transparent to the users (pilots or controllers) Mixed-op-erations will have to be accommodated for the foreseeable future making a transparent

implementation anything but easyIt was also clear that training for the users will be vital The fact that the technology is far from trivial (the number of abbrevia-tions for example is staggering) and actu-ally has a wide variety of possible applica-tions means that the training will need to be well considered And whether staff will be made available for such essential train-ing is another issue that will need to be carefully considered

Workshop - Competency Based TrainingIt has been recognized by the internation-al aviation community that there will be an anticipated shortage of skilled aviation professionals in the near future In order to ad-dress this important issue ICAO launched the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) ini-tiative to ensure that enough qual-ified and competent aviation pro-fessionals are available to operate manage and maintain the future international air transport system

Competency-based training plac-es emphasis on achieving bench-marked standards of performance more precisely training that fo-cuses on what a person will actu-ally be required to do in the work-place after completing a program of training

Through role playing Nicole Barrette Technical Specialist at ICAO and Ashley Laureyssen Training Strategies Manager at EUROCONTROL demonstrated the different approaches that could be taken towards a trainee Throughout they en-gaged and challenged the audience to explain the anticipated benefits of Com-petency Based Training in an ATC unit compared to the more conventional ap-proach ^

The Technical and Operations Committee and the Professional and Legal Committee produced three combined work-studies this year The subjects System-Wide Infor-mation Management (SWIM) and Screen Design Process are good examples how combining the two committees provides added value for the Federation The study on Screen Design Process highlighted the various aspects of this process It pointed out risks associated with immature intro-duction and looked at possible solutions to avoid unwanted effects The Executive Board was tasked to collect best practices which will become available for Member Associations

The combined TOCPLC work-study on Crisis Management discussed an increas-ingly important topic for many ANSPs and Associations It provided general guide-lines on the different phases in handling crisis situations and stressed the impor-tance of the availability of an up-to-date

crisis management plan Furthermore this paper encouraged going beyond the local policy by communicating across borders and consulting experts It also introduced a model to assist Member Associations when dealing with a crisis

The PLC work-study on the handling of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) was added to the agenda as this subject is evolving extremely quickly and is of interest to many colleagues With the huge increase in the use of RPAS Air Traffic Management needs to focus on how to seamlessly ef-ficiently and safely incorporate RPAS into the global civil air traffic management en-vironment IFATCA is working with other stakeholders at ICAO to develop the in-ternational standards and recommended practices (SARPs) that will form the basis for the regulatory framework

Finally the committee also adopted an up-dated version of IFATCArsquos Statement On The Future Of Global Air Traffic Manage-

ment This statement can be found else-where in this issue

Committee C (Professional) Mr Peter Van Rooyen (South Africa) chaired the committee He was assisted by Ms Ma-ria Serrano Mulet (Spain) as Committee Secretary and Mr Raia Alayi (Bulgaria) as Vice-Chairman Eric Risdon (Switzerland) IFATCArsquos Executive Vice President Profes-sional completed the head table

Following a number of reports from rep-resentatives who represented IFATCA in numerous meetings around the world the Committee discussed the work-studies car-ried out by the Professional amp Legal Com-mittee (PLC)

Amongst the information papers present-ed one highlighted how Aviation System Safety relies on the constant flow of safety data provided This can be done on a vol-untary or mandatory basis but it relies on the belief that such data would only be

4 Competency Based Training lively illustrated by Nicole Barrette (L) and Ashley Laureyssen (R) Photo BM

4 Conference

THE CONTROLLER10

used for safety purposes It is therefore vital to ensure it is adequately protected

The Multi Sector Planner concept was pro-posed as a means of workload manage-ment The debate that followed showed that this subject could be controversial Fa-tigue Risk Management was an interesting discussion it highlighted the importance of the on-going FRMS Taskforce setup by ICAO There is currently little overlap between IFATCA policy and ICAO Annex 19 but an on-going study should address this in the future Just Culture has been at

the forefront of IFATCAs profes-sional and legal debates for years A very interactive session on this subject with Dr Anthony Smoker challenged the floor to new ideas

Other information papers of in-terest informed about the EURO-CONTROLIFATCA Prosecutor Expert Training Course New Poli-cy was introduced to highlight the importance and the implementa-tion of TRM in an ATCOs career the operational role of the OJTI and the importance of not com-bining the provision of surveil-lance approach and aerodrome control cervices A Policy changes was introduced on the design developm`nt and implementation of a new ATM systems

And as in the other committees there was a vote on the chairman and member as-sociations for the committee that will pre-pare the work-studies for the next confer-ence The PLC will be chaired by Mr Alfred Vlasek (Austria) and his committee will consists of representatives from Australia Germany Hong Kong Italy New Zealand The Netherlands South Africa Spain UK and the USA

Closing Plenary SessionOn Friday afternoon IFATCA PCX Patrik vPeters reconvened the plenary assembly of the Federation This assembly formal-ised the decisions taken in the different committees by accepting the reports of the Committee Chairmen

Mr Geert Maesen (Belgium) and Mrs Ruth Stilwell (USA) were received the IFATCA Executive Board Award Geert was praised for his tireless work on the Information Handbook (IHB) over the past decades while Mrs Stilwell was recognised for rep-resenting IFATCA at ICAO ANC level for the past 5 years

Mr Dale Wright (USA) as Chairman Organ-ising Committee 2016 then addressed the plenary meeting He thanked the del-egates for having confirmed the USA to host next yearrsquos annual conference in Las Vegas

In his closing remarks IFATCA PCX and CEO Patrik Peters thanked the organising committee and BULATCA for an excellent conference ndash a feeling that was shared by the delegates by a long applause and standing ovation^

edthe-controllernet

4 Dr Ruth Stilwell receiving the Executive Board Award from IFATCA PCX amp CEO Peters

Photo BULATCA

If yoursquore planning to attend the 2016 IFATCA Conference in Las Vegas start thinking about your visa requirements NOW To attend a Conference US regulations state that you need to apply for a BUSINESS Visa ndash not a Tourist one If your country is not one of the ones that participate in the Visa Waiver program for the USA then the process to get a visa can take 6 months

The website of the 2016 Organising Committee wwwifatca2016com has links to all the necessary information go to the tab ldquoPlan your visitrdquo then Travelling to the US This will re-direct you to the USA Government Visa website where each country is listed If you need a visa the procedure to apply for one is also there There is a 160 USD non-refundable application fee a visit to a US embassy or consulate is mandatory in most cases As indicated before the time to process your application can take up to 6 months Since the Conference takes place in March there is no time to waste Itrsquos also worth noting that this is not something IFATCA or the Organising Committee can influence or change This has been made clear to us by the US immigration authorities that exemptions or special rules will not be made so there is no point in contacting the OC or IFATCA office for exemptions

Philippe Domogala IFATCA Conference Executive

PLAN AHEAD FORVEGAS 2016

copy ro

xana

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wfo

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v

THE CONTROLLER 11

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER12

^by Dr Ruth Stilwellformer IFATCA Representative to ICAO

4 Ruth and Jean-Franccedilois at ICAO HQ in Montreacuteal Photo Mervyn Fernando

REFLECTING ON THE PAST

Over the past 5 years IFATCA has used its position as Permanent Observer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission to evolve the Federationrsquos contribution to the ICAO process With the creation of the IFATCA Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission we have grown into an integral part of the development of ICAO standards

This progress did not come from the posi-tion or the title it was the result of a ex-traordinary team effort It took the support of the IFATCA Executive Board to make our ICAO participation an organizational prior-ity and the commitment from our Member Associations to fund the position and en-sure that we are a daily presence at ICAO While the final approvals come inside the ANC Chamber much of the work to reach a positive consensus occurs through the daily interaction with the ICAO Secretariat other members of the Commission and the industry representatives

An organization cannot build credibility by showing up at the final stages of an amendment process and expect to con-structively shape the outcome It starts much earlier than that Our ICAO repre-sentatives and EVP-Technical supported by the work of both our Technical and Op-erational Committee and our Professional and Legal Committee help to develop a deep understanding of the issues Their work helps develop solutions and advo-cate for the concerns of the air traffic con-trollers long before a proposal is drafted This sets the stage for our success

The work is not done when a proposal reaches the Air Navigation Commission The ICAO representatives continue to work with our team to make sure the is-sues brought forward in the Panel and Expert Group meetings are well known to the Liaison Officer to the ICAO ANC It is a continual exchange of information as the proposals wind their way through the

ICAO process While the IFATCA ANC li-aison officer is a solo post it serves as part of a large internal team in the Federation Our responses in the ICAO consultation process reflect the input of that team ndash it is not the view of a single officer or rep-resentative it is the collective view of the profession expressed through our techni-cal and professional teams

The TOC and PLC work programmes play an important role in building our influ-ence It is through the deliberations and adoption of policies at conference that we achieve a global voice It is our ability to build a global position within the air traffic controller community on matters critical to our profession that gives us the credibility necessary to build our reputation and our influence

Over the last 5 years the Federation has reshaped its internal processes to take advantage of the op-portunities we are presented We have increased the num-ber of ICAO expert groups on which we serve We have ex-panded the input from our committees in the ICAO process We have restruc-tured how we identi-fy issues for our work programmes to con-sider ICAO priorities Finally we have in-troduced new com-munications tools to facilitate the work of our committees and engage our ICAO representatives

These changes have put us in a strong po-sition as we move forward but like ATC modernization it is a never-ending road We cannot be satisfied with where we are we must continue to move forward build-ing our expertise and capacity to shape the future of our profession Our new Li-aison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission Mr Jean-Francois Lepage is well positioned to take the Federation to the next level ^

ruthstilwellgmailcom INT

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THE CONTROLLER 13

^by Jean-Franccedilois LepageIFATCA Representative to ICAO

LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE

Immediately following the Annual Con-ference in Sofia IFATCArsquos handover for the position of IFATCA Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission be-gan We have been working hard to make the transition transparent for everyone in IFATCA and we are on track for a smooth transition

The current ANC session is coming to an end and we will continue our work through the Fall session ending in November 2015 The 200th session will be full of challenges to overcome as it will include an unprec-

edented number of amendments reaching the final stage of the ICAO process At this point the outgoing and incoming ANC li-aison officers will work side by side in the ANC Chamber This will ensure a continu-ous voice for the Federation as we work the numerous upcoming issues important to the Federation

The topics before us are numerous and in-tricate and the realities with which we will have to work are just as varied and com-plex as a Federation we have to keep in mind that our role is to present a global view It could be the rapid growth of traf-fic in Asia the lack of resources of certain countries in Africa the issues encountered with space vehicles and balloons launches in North America and Oceania the inte-gration challenges in Europe These are

just a few examples that show how important the work we are all doing for this Federation is for its members and how im-portant it is to make sure our interests are best rep-resented at ICAO

In short there will be a lot of topics of great in-terest for the Federation and a lot of issues where the ANC liaison officer will have to defend our interests There is only one way to achieve this since no one can accom-plish such a task alone the key words are indubi-tably communication and synergy

Communication because it is essential to use all the resources we have and share what we know the volunteers of the Federa-tion are incredibly talent-

ed and everything has to be put in place to take advantage of all this expertise and knowledge It is paramount to continue the excellent work of Dr Stilwell in devel-oping mechanisms to take advantage of all this richness to better represent us at ICAO

Synergy which is the interaction of two or more elements to achieve an outcome greater than the sum of its parts allows us to accomplish a lot more than every one of us separately this is another of the many strengths of IFATCA Nowadays technol-ogy among other things has made our world more complex than ever Systems procedures and networks tend to become heavily interrelated and one can easily get confused while trying to navigate through these webs

Again IFATCA has two excellent com-mittees Professional (PLC) and Technical (TOC) within its structure that can ease this constraint Communication between the PLC TOC and the ANC liaison officer will be the key to continued success in making our voice heard at ICAO

Finally I would like to express once again my gratitude to the Executive Board for the vote of confidence and for the sup-port in the transition Additionally I must acknowledge the excellent work of Dr Stilwell training me for my new role Her deep knowledge patience and support will ensure that we remain strongly repre-sented and well regarded at ICAO ^

jeanfrancoislepagegmailcom

4 Technology

^ by Ignacio Baca IFATCA Technical amp Operational Committee (TOC)

ATC DISPLAY DESIGN

It is a fact that modern Air Traffic Control relies on automation Computers are be-hind every modern (and even not so mod-ern) ATC system To interact with these machines we rely on screens A visitor to an ACC or a Tower is often baffled by the number of screens that are a part of the Controller Working Position (CWP) or at least by the amount of information presented on them Besides a screen that shows radar or surveillance data there are usually a number of screens with ad-ditional information such as meteorologi-cal data flight plan information health of the systems etc An extreme example is that of the Bodoslash Oceanic ACC (Norway) where the working positions are literally overloaded with screens that are linked to different systems

While the number of screens and their placement on a working position is a subject in itself the way the information is presented on a given screen needs to be considered it needs to be optimised to suit the needs of the operator so he or she can use the information in the most efficient way IFATCArsquos Technical and Op-erations Committee (TOC) looked at this and presented a working paper at the Fed-erationrsquos Annual Conference held in Sofia Bulgaria last April

When developing new systems develop-

ers tend to rely on standards which nor-mally incorporate best practices or lessons learned by experience in the past Surpris-ingly however there are no official stand-ards for the design of ATC systems Some efforts have been made for example in a project called Eurocontrol Core Require-ments for ATM Working Positions (CoRe) Finalized in 2002 it tried to identify and mitigate problems within the CWP Devel-opment Process The FAA also produced a report in 2003 to assist in the design development and evaluation of FAA sys-tems Despite such efforts nothing in the domain of ATM compares to for exam-ple the situation in aircraft cockpits where there is a high level of standardization

Generally we can distinguish four areas in design requirements

4 Simplicity simple systems are gener-ally easier to use and maintain and require less training

4 Consistency it is desirable that the same layout and style is used as much as possible As an example of the im-portance of this factor the time that a person needs to mentally process the information in a screen may double when the position of the elements is varied

4 Safety as safety is paramount in ATC the system must be verified validated and certified for both normal opera-tions but also in degraded and emer-gency modes

4 Usability meaning that the system must be easy to use and learn and ef-ficient to apply for performing a cer-tain task

A user-centred approach is desirable to improve the usability of the system This is why controllers should be involved in the design of ATC systems from the begin-ning an article about the subject was pub-lished in The Controller issue of April 2014 (Put a controller in your team) Controllers also need to be involved in validation and in further developments and upgrades to help keep the system user-friendly and not feature overloaded But what about con-sistency Different cultures communities and even individuals can have different perceptions of the same problem As such the display of information and the differ-ences between ATM systems clearly show a lack of consistency

Letrsquos consider alerts for example An alert is a way to focus the attention of the con-troller to a particular piece of the informa-tion being displayed Well-designed alerts clearly contribute to safety but false warn-ings and nuisance alerts if these occur too frequently can result in the control-ler ignoring a genuine warning or simply overlooking it Our systems tend to have an increasing number of warnings conflict alerts area proximity warnings level busts hellip It should be easy to quickly determine the actual nature of the warning and using colours to differentiate seems like a logical thing to do In the absence of any stand-ards however every control system has its own set of warnings with its own colour schemes and its own set of parameters

If colours are used to draw attention to an issue or to distinguish different problems it can in fact cause issues as well In the January 2015 issue of The Controller there

4 Screen overload at Bodoslash Oceanic ACC Photo Terje Dahlseng Eide THE

CONTROLLER14

NEED FOR GUIDING PRINCIPLES amp STANDARDS

4 Technology

is an article (pages 14 and 15) about the new Pegasus Sys-tem implemented in Poland The author writes One of the main issues is how colours are used (hellip) it appears for exam-ple very easy to miss situations close to sector boundaries due to the so-called ldquowhite-label syndromerdquo

The lsquowhite label syndromersquo is also known in other systems In Spain the labels are green for traffic in the sector and white for traffic outside the sector Sometimes controllers over-look the white traffic close to their sectors because their attention is focused in look-ing for conflicts affecting the green planes While colours provide an additional source of information to the control-ler therersquos also a risk that infor-mation is too easily discarded ie without actually interpreting it In fact the system lsquodecidesrsquo that certain information is worth looking at more than otherhellip

Itrsquos also easy to overdo an extensive use of colours can also lead to overload for controllers An example is the following list of colours used in Belgium

4 White aircraft currently on the frequency

4 Yellow aircraft coordinated to enter the sector

4 Brown aircraft transferred to the next sector

4 Green aircraft entering the sector but not yet on the frequency

4 Blue aircraft is selected 4 Red conflicting aircraft 4 Grey information label aircraft wonrsquot

necessarily be entering the sector

Not only the high number of colours make difficult to keep track of the traffic but grey labels are often overlooked due to all the other colours creating a problem simi-lar to the white-label syndrome mentioned above

The three systems just mentioned Span-ish Polish and Belgian use a dark back-ground in line with the lsquotraditionalrsquo ra-dar scopes But the lack of standards is evident even here A number of systems such as the VAFORIT system introduced in Karlsruhe in 2010 (see The Controller July

2011) used a white background This was later changed to light greyThe training sessions for VAFORIT showed that the colour scheme was not welcomed by the controllers Every change in the de-sign resulted in more problems because changing one colour impacted the en-tire colour palette After the system was brought online the colour scheme was implicated as a contributory factor to sev-eral incidents Eventually DFS asked the Institute for Labour Sciences of Darmstadt University for assistance This was a unique opportunity to have a scientific analysis of the issue They suggested a particular range of colours which was accepted by the controllers and finally implemented

Another issue is the readability of the in-formation presented It is tempting to think that the type of font used in a system is only relevant from an aesthetic point of view but it can easily lead to confusion An example was mentioned in an IFATCA working paper (presented at the Amman Conference in 2011) on the use of alpha-numeric callsigns this mentioned that us-ing the letters B I O S and Z in callsigns could easily create confusion with the numbers 8 1 0 5 and 2 While this ap-plies no matter what font is used a badly chosen font can easily create more confu-sion than a well-designed one

The experience of our German colleagues and their VAFORIT system is a perfect ex-ample of how a scientific study can improve a system It could be tempting to think that science is universal and that it could there-fore help to develop some universal stand-ard to be followed by every ATC system Unfortunately this is not completely true Colours are useful as an example again How to define a standard for colours when they may have different meanings de-pending of culture Being educated in a western culture I would probably choose red as the colour to be used for a warning In my culture red is associated to danger and prohibition A Chinese controller on the other hand could think otherwise for him red is associated with celebrations and as a symbol of good luck

To conclude there is no universal set of rules to decide what information must be included in an automated ATC system and how this information should be presented Definition of a standard is not an easy task because of factors like cultural differences and the transition from existing legacy sys-tems Nevertheless at least some stand-ardization is desirable For this reason TOC recommended that the Federation develops guiding principles for alerts and for the display of operational information ^

ignacioifatcagmailcom

4 The Pegasus system in Poland susceptible to the white-label syndrome Photo PANSA

15 THE CONTROLLER

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER16

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

MADRID HOST TO 70TH EDITION

4 Capt Martin Chalk newly elected IFALPA President

Photo IFALPA

IFALPA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The 70th annual conference of the Inter-national Federation of Air Line Pilotsrsquo As-sociations (IFALPA) was held in Madrid on 10-12 April 2015 Nearly 500 pilots attend-ed and debated a wide range of subjects

ContractsOne of these was the new pilot employ-ment contracts being devised by many airlines more particularly those operat-ing as so-called low-cost operators One such practice is the ldquoPay-to-Flyrdquo contract whereby mostly young pilots looking for a job and requiring to buildkeep experi-ence have to pay between 20 and 50000 USD in exchange for the ldquoprivilegeldquo of working as a pilot for an airline

Another deplorable one is the so-called ldquozero hoursldquo contract Here pilots are only paid when they fly In other words they have no fixed income and are not paid during months where traffic is low The last one is referred to as ldquoself-employmentrdquo where companies (Ryanair was mentioned) only employ pilots that have their own ldquocompanyrdquo This avoids the airline hav-ing to pay pension contributions social and medical benefitsetc Needless to say that job security in all these schemes is non-existent

While the main reason is of course cost-cutting they also undermine collective bargaining for working conditions etc These tendencies are extremely worri-some and we have to be careful that con-trollers will not be the next victims of this form of modern slavery

GermanwingsThere were of course long discussions on the aftermath of the Germanwings crash As other professional organisations IFAL-PA strongly condemned the witchhunt by the worldrsquos media the release of details of the Cockpit Voice Recorder to the press within 36 hours of it being recovered and especially the rash measures taken by au-thorities and some airlines without await-ing the outcome of the full investigation The European Cockpit Association (ECA the European Branch of IFALPA) made a resolution opposing the requirement to re-place a pilot leaving the cockpit saying it actually increases risks They also opposed publishing medical records of pilots which would only result in pilots avoiding medi-cal treatment They also reacted strongly against regular psychological assessments by the employer which they argued would also be counterproductive as people would lie to protect their job A better overall solution would be a Peer Interven-tion Program similar to CISM combined with a good loss of license insurance cov-ering mental illness

Most strongly condemned was the unprec-edented statement of a state prosecutor which identified a crew member as ldquothe only culpritrdquo Without awaiting all the el-ements of the investigation it is clearly a grave and unprecedented violation of ICAO Annex 13

Safety SeminarTheir safety seminar this year dealt with emergency responses and media commu-nications after incident or accident includ-

ing how to handle social media This has becomes one of their priorities similar to what IFATCA is currently embarking upon

Changes In Training IFALPA allows presentations from outsid-ers to be made during their plenary Tra-ditionally this privilege is for Airbus andor Boeing but they included Embraer this year as well Essentially all 3 manufactur-ers promoted the new features of their latest-generation aircraft

One excellent presentation came from Captain Harry Nelson an Airbus senior test pilot He talked about the drastic changes needed in training following a number of recent accidents where automation or rather how humans interact with this au-tomation played a major role According to Captain Nelson less books and class-rooms lectures were needed but self train-ing using laptops and tablets were the way forward ldquoTraining must be fun againrdquo he said ldquowith an emphasis on hands-on ex-perience rather than on written materialrdquo

ElectionsDeputy President Martin Chalk from the UK was elected to become the new IFAL-PA President Martin is the former Presi-dent of the European Cockpit Association and he is keen to continue the very good cooperation with IFATCA Their next Con-ference will be in New Orleans USA from April 15 unitl 18 2016 For once it doesnrsquot clash with our own IFATCA Conference ^

dpthe-controllernet

INTER-

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THE FUTURE OF GLOBALAIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

This is version 20 of the IFATCA Statement on the Future of Global Air Traffic Management It was formally adopted at the IFATCA Annual Conference in Sofia Bulgaria in April 2015 For more information contact our EVP Technical via evptifatcaorg

8 INTRODUCTIONAir traffic control at its core is a safety service Many future systems focus on increasing system capac-ity and efficiency It is not that capacity concerns have overshadowed safety as priority instead it is an acknowledgement that a system operated in excess of available capacity creates unsafe conditions To remedy an overcapacity condition one can either restrict access or increase capacity IFATCA recognizes that restricting growth in global aviation is not a realistic approach In order to maintain the necessary standard of safety in air traffic control moving forward we must be willing to take advantage of innovation in technology and procedures that will build the needed system capacity

8 PERFORMANCE BASED ATM4 AIR NAVIGATION SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE

Air navigation infrastructures develop on an evolutionary path that requires cooperation between ground based providers and airborne users Moving forward with advanced technologies to build sys-tem capacity requires coordinated investment from governments air navigation service providers and system users

In other modes of transport the infrastructure can be developed independently from the network us-ers For example adding a new lane to a highway increases system capacity without the need for new investment in vehicle technology With the exception of new runways this is not the case for aviation

Moving toward a performance based model for Air Traffic Management requires more than placing performance targets on outputs It requires a fundamental rethinking of the air traffic infrastruc-ture and standards development process Each element of the system should be developed using a performance-based process By shifting to a true performance based model we change the concept of standards making in a way that encourages technological advancement and allows system users to take advantage of the benefits new systems offer This concept embraces the ideas embodied in Required Navigation Performance Required Surveillance Performance and Required Communication Performance

4 REQUIRED SURVEILLANCE PERFORMANCERequired Surveillance Performance is a concept within the ICAO community Transition to a true RSP environment requires the establishment of clear standards for precision update rates and latency of any surveillance system Ideally this will lead to the concept of simplified surveillance separation standards that replaces the current process of developing new separation standards to accommodate new technologies

Rather than evaluate new surveillance systems and develop separation standards necessary to uti-lize a new technology a performance based approach requires the sensor technology to meet the specifications to allow the existing separation standards to be applied1 This provides developers and manufacturers with a clear design target In addition moving away from sensor based standards can reduce sector complexity in a mixed mode operation allowing for increased capacity

It is not necessary for air traffic controllers to know the source of a surveillance target only that the displayed target meets the necessary requirements for accuracy and reliability This approach allows both users and ANSPs to take advantage of developing technologies more rapidly and can expand the amount of airspace where surveillance based separation standards can be applied As we move away from radar dependent surveillance in the long term we introduce new flexibility for airspace design capacity and efficiency

1 Separation standards are not solely based on the surveillance system they also require standards for com-munication and navigation availability and precision

4 IFATCA Statement

illustrations copy csp_Harlekino | wwwfotosearchcom

INTER-

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4 REQUIRED NAVIGATION PERFORMANCEThe development process for Required Navigation Performance can provide an effective model for the continued development of RCP and RSP RNP has illustrated that continual improvements in the on board precision coupled with effective airspace design can provide substantial and measurable benefits The application of a rigorous safety case is a fundamental part of the process Moving away from a technology based standard to a performance based one has improved the process and allows for operators to conduct independent evaluations on the business case to support the on board investment Operational benefits from increased airspace capacity are demonstrated This approach formed the basis for PBN (Performance Based Navigation)

4 REQUIRED COMMUNICATION PERFORMANCEExisting standards are dependent upon direct air to ground voice communications While this is cur-rently the preferred means of communication when possible opportunities for development of less infrastructure dependent communications technologies are foreseeable A focus on the performance requirements of alternative systems that includes the human factors elements may allow for develop-ment of alternative systems with equal or greater levels of reliability than existing air to ground voice concepts

4 SERVICE PRIORITYExisting ATC service priority models that place heavy emphasis on the concept of first come first served do not take advantage of the reduced demand on ATC resources that result from advances in onboard capabilities Tactical sector resources include air traffic controller staffing available fre-quency time and coordination requirements The level and type of communication navigation and surveillance equipment on board an aircraft affects the tactical sector resources needed to provide air traffic control services For example an RNAV equipped aircraft uses fewer sector resources when flying an RNAV STAR than a lesser- equipped aircraft that must be vectored to the final approach

The evolution of air navigation and airspace design over the last decade has placed increasing empha-sis on airborne equipment From GNSS routes to PBN efficient airspace design and utilization requires that sufficient percentages of aircraft be appropriately equipped to utilize the advanced routes

Performance Based ATM requires both air navigation service providers and system users invest in sys-tems that allow for maximization of airspace capacity and efficiency In order to develop a business case for the investment operational benefits must be quantifiable A service priority model based on first come first served without consideration of the relative sector resources needed to provide the service may discourage or delay modernisation efforts

New service priority models are a critical element of performance based ATM In the same manner that system users seek to obtain operational benefits from on board investment air navigation ser-vice providers should be able to derive benefits from investment in the ground based technologies Under the current service priority model lesser equipped aircraft are afforded the same priority as better equipped aircraft regardless of the additional resources they may consume Delaying aircraft to accommodate minimally equipped users particularly through holding consumes considerable sec-tor resources for which the ANSP is not compensated If the ANSP is able to establish a service prior-ity model that considers aircraft equipment requirements to maximise sector capacity and efficiency it will be more able to offset the investment costs of advanced technologies

A truly performance based model for ATM would permit ANSPs to consider airborne equipment as a dynamic tool for managing sector capacity and efficiency Aircraft equipment requirements could be in place during periods of peak demand and lifted when the capacity enhancing tools are no longer required This strategic approach will require enhanced attention to both airspace planning and flight planning In addition to the capacity enhancement the strategic approach can also be seen as a means to ensure equitable access to airports and airspace when compared to the equipment mandate approach

4 IFATCA Statement

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4 AIRSPACE DESIGN AND ACCESSAdvanced airspace design and procedures are evolving to maximise airspace availability and effi-ciency PBN Approaches reduce track distance and can allow aircraft to navigate around terrain in low visibility Continuous Descent Operations allow operators to maximise fuel economy RNP standards allow for reduced separation in procedural airspace increasing capacity and new in-trail climb and descent procedures in en route airspace will allow equipped aircraft to access preferred flight levels These advanced procedures also have the ability to reduce demand on sector resources Airspace de-sign that takes advantage of modern aircraft navigation capabilities has the possibility to de-conflict traffic flows reduce the need for vectoring and reduce frequency congestion Advanced airspace design will play an increasingly important role in managing traffic in high-density areas However this type of airspace design is only of value if the aircraft operating in the airspace are able to use it

Airspace analysis and planning is a critical component in developing an airborne equipment based service priority model Airspace service volumes should be evaluated to determine if and when ben-efits can be derived from advanced procedures This evaluation of airspace service volumes should be an ongoing process and can aid in the evolution to a dynamic concept of airspace management and access

By granting access to the most efficient procedures and airspace to aircraft equipped to use them the business model for airborne investment can be made without artificial manipulation The demand on controllers to manage a new service priority model is mitigated Finally while this model can pro-vide an incentive for operators to equip aircraft for those that want to defer or delay the on board investment the option of moving flights away from peak periods to unconstrained periods could improve overall system efficiency and safety

4 TRAFFIC FLOW MANAGEMENTThe regionalisation of traffic flow management is necessary to meet the traffic growth and environ-mental demands on aviation in the future Safe orderly and expeditious air traffic flows necessitate coordination beyond state boundaries Avoidance of extreme weather events as well as conflict zones that create hazards to aviation cannot be effectively managed without regional collaboration Traffic flow management must take advantage of technologies for information sharing planning and response

4 AIRSPACE INTEGRATION AND USE( CIVIL-MILITARYETC)Global goals of interoperability and airspace capacity are hindered without effective airspace integra-tion Achieving a balance for airspace access between users including civil military manned un-manned and transitional (ie commercial space operators) presents significant challenges for future systems The demand for airspace use is increasing in both quantity and diversity of operations

Technological advances in aircraft coupled with expanded civil uses will place demands on the system that are not supported by current policies Unmanned aircraft both autonomous and remotely piloted are in development In addition the growth in commercial space operations and the development of space tourism will place increasing demands on airspace particularly in the launch and return phases of flight Integrating diverse operations into common airspace will present new challenges that will require innovative thinking to move forward

In some cases particularly in the case of autonomous unmanned aircraft or a ballistic launch phase for a commercial space vehicle where the aircraft or spacecraft may not have a means to execute an air traffic control clearance integration may not be possible In order to accommodate these types of operations clear standards for separation or protected airspace are necessary to ensure the safety of other aircraft

8 EMERGING TECHNOLOGIESInnovation is a hallmark of aviation The first commercial flight occurred within a decade from when the Wright Brothers first took to the air It was less than half a century between the first powered flight and the supersonic jet Our industry has embraced and advanced new technologies that have not only made air travel faster but also safer and more efficient The constant adaptation and integration of new technolo-gies into air traffic control is the mark of the profession This integration and acceptance is not without

INTER-

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caution or scepticism The approach where technologies are rigorously evaluated prior to integration into the air traffic control system has ensured high levels of safety Air traffic controllers are a critical part of this process Certain new technologies will require a rethinking of long standing operational concepts and standards to facilitate their accommodation Just as radar allowed for the development of new separation standards certain new tools may require the same level of work in developing fundamental concepts and new safety analysis Tools like synthetic vision remote towers and remotely piloted aircraft blur the lines between standards based on visual acquisition of traffic and surveillance based traffic identification These hybrid systems where the human is tasked with visual evaluation of electronically derived information do not fit within the existing separation paradigm New separation standards recognizing that these systems are neither traditional surveillance nor visual systems need to be developed and validated to support the safe integration of these types of systems

8 SAFETYSafety remains the most important performance indicator in ATM As traffic figures rise the accident rate has to be reduced to prevent the number of accidents from increasing The approach towards safety has developed over the years introducing technical human and organisational factors The linear safety ap-proach has been successful in demonstrating causes whenever an incident or accident occurs However the very low rate of aircraft accidents makes it an ineffective safety indicator

It is important to examine safety risks even in the absence of aircraft accidents or incidents This requires a new approach towards safety A proactive approach seeks to understand all the contributing factors in the system and identify systemic safety risks This systems safety approach is based on a principle to maximize the success rate of the overall system In this approach the human factor is seen as the resilient element in a vulnerable system and as a safety net when the system fails Under this concept steps are taken to ensure that the systems are adequately robust and safety risks are mitigated and the human operator is given the necessary tools to perform the safety task

In order to collect and analyse safety information adequate protection of safety information and its sources is critical Systems that penalise people or organisations for reporting safety data limit the data that will be made available The ability to report safety problems including those of human error without fear of reprisal it the foundation of any safety system

8 HUMAN FACTORSThe need for human factors analysis in the development of new technologies is well established The Human-Machine Interface is a critical part of the design process and successful deployment of major new systems have included considerable attention to the human factors analysis However new systems are increasingly network centred rather than single systems that can be analysed as stand alone products introducing broader human factors considerations that go well beyond HMI

As technologies are deployed to maximise system capacity the limits of human performance must be considered While system reliability requirements are very high external factors that could cause disrup-tion cannot be entirely eliminated It is essential to ensure that the ability of human operators to maintain system safety in the event of technology failure is not exceeded

The concept of a systems approach to safety should be expanded to include human factors The human operator should be viewed in totality recognising as new systems allow for increased system capac-ity workload related fatigue issues will need to be considered in addition to those related to schedules and duty time Workload related fatigue can be a symptom of sustained periods either high or very low workload

In order to fully realise peak capacity operational complexity must be minimised Reducing or eliminating mixed mode operations in high-density airspace allows for higher sector capacity Formulas that determine maximum sector capacity must consider both volume and complexity aircraft performance and capability is an important component of sector complexity

8 IFATCAS ROLEIFATCA is in the unique position to provide operational expertise in the development of future ATM The organisation has a leadership role to play in the design development and analysis of emerging concepts for air traffic control IFATCA technical and professional expertise is a critical component of the decision chain The global reach of the Federation provides the opportunity to advance these concepts IFATCA provides ambitious ideas to meet the challenges of the global future of aviation through comprehensive research studies and participation in the global aviation community ^

4 Europe

21

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Over the past 12 monhts European traf-fic has increased slightly 13 according to the Network Managerrsquos Monthly report Delays have also increased along with the traffic levels And with some severe CB activity at the end of May and early June controllersrsquo skills have been severely tested

Some of our colleagues work with reduced runway systems and face other operational challenges Meanwhile the Single Europe-an Sky (SES) is slowly but surely moving forward This is a quick update on what is currently ongoing on the political front with regard to the Single European Sky program and its so-called pillars

TechnicalOn the technical front within SESAR the ATM Master Plan update campaign is ongoing

A final draft of the future

ATM

Mas-ter Plan will be released for consulta-tion at the end of June 2015 The ATM Master

Plan will re-group all the elements for a modernisation of the techno-logical infra-structure in Europe It will include the de-

ployment of new technology the road-map for modernisation and the elements needed for the next step of SESAR called ldquoSESAR 2020rdquo The ambitious task of revis-iting the ATM Masterplan was coordinated by IFATSEA (Dany van der Biest) on behalf of the professional staff organisations Our input including valuable comments by the many IFATCASESAR representatives was greatly appreciated

Beyond SES II+At the beginning of May the European Commission invited all the stakeholders to a SES Vision Workshop All stakeholders and institutions were invited to give their view on the future of the Single European Sky A small working group within the Eu-ropean Commission continues to work on this thus planning beyond SES II+ legisla-tion Amongst other things the look into the Reference Period 3 (after 2019) and how the Regulatory framework should evolve in the future

EASA has published its opinion on the common rules of the air and operational

provisions regarding services and pro-cedures in air navigation and Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA) part C

DatalinkDatalink implementation has been post-poned by at least 5 years and the outlook is quite grim as the technology used will most probably by outdated by the time it becomes mandatory Maybe a novel ap-proach to this issue is needed New tech-nologies that achieve the same or better CPDLC performance might become avail-able and those in charge of coordinating the implementation seem to want to wait and see what materialises before taking large scale initiatives

Occurrence ReportingTransposition of the Mandatory Occur-rence Reporting Implementation Regula-tion will be finalised by a high level work-shop on the 1st of October 2015 IFATCA has been working together with other stakeholders to achieve a balance be-tween safety and Just Culture in the form of industry Guidance Material This work is ongoing and the challenge is to keep the advanced Just Culture in the corporate environment intact while allowing the new sectors to join these developments

The new regulation on Occurrence Report-ing will become effective in all European states (plus Norway and Switzerland) on 15 November 2015 Promotional material will become available during the summer IFATCA has worked towards diversity for the different sectors while maintaining Just Culture recognisable throughout the avia-tion industry

The motivation for and the Regulation it-self can be found via these links link1 and link2

Prosecutor Expert CourseAt the end of May 2015 the 5th Eurocon-trolIFATCA Prosecutor Expert Training course was held at the Eurocontrol HQ in Brussels In total some 100 participants have attended this training initiative Bringing together professionals from the judiciary and the aviation world has proven to be a real contribution to Just Culture

loeuifatcaorgsesarcoordifatcaorg

BE READY FOR CHANGEUPDATE ON EUROPEAN ISSUES

^ by Paul Neering IFATCA Liaison to the EU amp Marc Baumgartner IFATCA SESAR Coordinator

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4 Conference

Mr Scott Shallies (Australia) was elected to serve another term as Deputy President while Duncan Auld will serve another term as EVP Technical Current EVPs Keziah Ogutu (Kenya) Mike ONeill (Hong Kong) and Željko Oreški (Croatia) will serve an-other 2 years as EVP AfricaMiddle East EVP AsiaPacific and EVP Europe respec-tively Jeremy Thompson (New Zealand) who has been acting as EVP Finance since late last year is confirmed as EVP Finance for one year

Philippe Domogala (EGATS) was re-ap-pointed to the position of Conference Ex-ecutive for a one-year term and the Board and CAC will consider the evolution of this position during this year Mr Jean-Franccedilois Lepage was appointed as Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission succeeding Dr Ruth Stilwell who was the Federationrsquos representative for the last five years

Finally Committee A also considered the venues for forthcoming conferences It confirmed the venue for the next annual conference this will be organised by our North American colleagues of NATCA in Las Vegas from March 14th until 18th 2016 The conference will be held just be-fore the annual Communicating for Safety (CFS) event For 2017 Tunisia was elected to host the 56th Annual Conference in 2017 No less than 6 Member Associa-tions - Canada Costa Rica Egypt Ghana Jordan and The Maldives ndash expressed an interest in hosting the 2018 edition

Committee B - TechnicalThe Committee was chaired by Mr Mat-thijs Jongeneel (Netherlands) Assisting him were Mr Alasdair Shaw (New Zealand) as Committee Secretary and Mrs Antoan-eta Boneva (Bulgaria) as Vice-Chairman Mr Duncan Auld IFATCArsquos Executive Vice

President Technical completed the head table

IFATCA representatives to the differ-ent ICAO Panels presented their reports which gave an overview of the continu-ous and extensive amounts of work they do on behalf of the Federation Although the panel structure is changing at ICAO level our participation continues to be highly valued and appreciated The Fed-eration is involved in the establishment of new separation standards in the creation of new phraseology to be used for SIDs and STARs and in creating standards for Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Com-mittee B recognised the significant con-tribution that Dr Ruth Stillwell has made in her role of Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission over the past five years

The Technical and Operations Commit-tee (TOC) worked on no less than 13 work items this year Several studies introduced new technologies for example the studies on GNSS based approaches and GNSS based altitude Besides describing these developments they also highlighted ad-vantages and limitations

The work on SIDs and STARs continues this year the TOC focused specifically on the ambiguous responsibility for provision of separation with terrain and obstacles in case of weather avoidance TOC was able to clarify the subject and to propose policy which was adopted by the Member Associations

Triggered by a discussion at last yearrsquos IFATCA Annual Conference responsibility for providing separation after completing a TCAS RA manoeuvre was also reviewed New policy agreed that ATC should take responsibility and should issue instructions

as required to achieve separation The work-studies on Future Weather Distribu-tion Flight and Flow Information for a Col-laborative Environment (FF-ICE) and Flight Planning Accuracy showed that accurate data is increasingly critical

The committee further discussed the TOC work programme for 20152016 This in-cludes a wide variety of items Digital Flight Strips Flight plan quality and conform-ance checking RNAV Visual Approaches Free Route Airspace and Flexible Track Systems Commercial Space Operations Pronunciation of Words Space Weather Autonomous Passenger and Cargo Air-craft Principles for Alerts and the Display of Information (with PLC) Review of Policy on Advanced Approach Procedures

In addition the composition of the Tech-nical and Operations Committee (TOC) was voted upon Ben Gorrie (Australia) will continue as Chairman of TOC Besides the technical representatives Nigeria Slove-

4 Bill Holtzmann (NATCA USA) presenting a working paper in Committee B

Photo BULATCA

4 Probably the hardest working people at Conference the committee Chairmen and SecretariesLeft to Right Paul Robinson amp Jules Oglevie (Commitee A) Maria Serrano Mulet amp Peter Van Rooyen (Committee C) Alasdair Shaw amp Matthijs Jongeneel (Committee B)

Photo BULATCA

THE CONTROLLER 7

4 Conference

THE CONTROLLER

nia Spain UK Netherlands and USA will serve as members of the committee and will prepare work-studies for next yearrsquos conference

Joined Committee B amp C (Technical and Professional affairs)A full day combined Committee B and C meeting was also held this year The meet-ing was very well attended and was co‐chaired by the chairmen of Committees B amp C Matthijs Jongeneel and Peter van Rooyen The agenda comprised of reports from global representatives reports from the Regional Vice Presidents and a num-ber of work-studies Dr Ruth Stilwell our ICAO ANC Representative demonstrated once again the value of the position of having our Federation represented at the ANC Many of the subjects she encounters on an almost daily basis have been dis-cussed in committee B and C during pre-vious conferences She stressed the need for a constructive approach of IFATCA at

the ICAO level and she highlighted the great teamwork with the IFATCA Panel Representa-tives and the Ex-ecutive Board Dr Ruth Stillwell is stepping down from the position and the committee rewarded her out-standing work with a standing ovation

The report of our representative to the IFALPA ATS Committee Kimmo Koi-vula demonstrated the excellent relation-ship between our Federation and IFALPA Mr Rip Torn Chairman of the IFALPA ATS Committee who was representing IFALPA in the Conference also acknowledged this and stressed the importance of the

close cooperation between IFATCA and IFALPA Our representative on the Air Traffic Management Requirements and Performance Panel gave an excellent ex-planation on the highly technical concept of Trajectory Based Operations

8

4 Committee C Professional in sessionPhoto BULATCA

IFATCA Panel Performance Based NavigationOn Thursday a panel discussion was held followed by an interactive workshop on Competency Based Training

The title of the panel discussion was ldquoPer-formance Tomorrow ndash How PBN Is Shaping Our Professionrdquo After a short introduction by IFATCA President Mr Patrik Peters in which he briefly outlined the topic panel moderator Philippe Domogala introduced representatives from ICAO IFALPA NAT-CA (USA) SESAR JU and EUOCONROL Each one was given a few minutes to intro-duce the subject ndash and challenges of Per-formance Based Navigation ndash after which they discussed the subject prompted by questions from the audience

Mr Saul Da Silva - ICAO Montreal - is an ATM Technical Officer at ICAO HQ in Montreal Secretary of the Air Navigation Commission Air Traffic Management Re-quirements and Performance Panel (AT-MRPP) and Secretary of the Separation and Airspace Safety Panel (SASP) Mr Da Silva talked about the current situation on PBN what are the implementation plans regulatory oversight training plans

Captain Rip Torn IFALPA ATS Committee Chairman IFALPA representative to the ICAO Data Link Working Group Surveil-lance Panel ATMRPP USALPA ATS Group Chair and USALPA Neaten Project Co-ordinator As a Captain on B757767 for Delta Airlines he is based in Atlanta Capt Torn discussed PBN workload in the cock-pit and perceived benefits of its use

Mr Jeff Woods NATCA (USA) is cur-rently a NATCArsquos Program Manage-ment Office (PMO) Representative He has over 25 years of ATC experience in-

cluding towers en route and approach facilities Jeff has been involved in special projects and assignments In addition Jeff also serves as the NATCA member to the Air Traffic Procedures Advisory Commit-tee Mr Woods shared his experience how PBN has been implemented and works in practice in USA using a video which dem-onstrated the benefits of PBN over con-ventional techniques

Mr David Bowen acting Chief ATM of the SESAR Joint Undertaking with overall responsibility for the technical and opera-

IFATCA Panel amp Workshop

4 Philippe Domogala moderating the panel left to right Mr Da Silva Mr Torn Mr Woods Mr Bowen and Ms Pavličević

Photo BM

4 Conference

THE CONTROLLER 9

4 Committee C Professional in sessionPhoto BULATCA

tional content of the SESAR programme David leads a team of operational and sys-tems experts who provide strategic guid-ance and review the work within SESAR Da-vid has over 20 years of experience in ATM including a background in ATM standardisa-tion avionics and ground system develop-ments Mr Bowen talked about the role of PBN in the SESAR target concept

Ms Franca Pavličević is the Head of the Navigation and CNS Research Unit at EU-ROCONTROL She is also the chairman of ICAOrsquos PBN Study Group and was involved in the development of ICAOrsquos PBN Concept as a member of CAOrsquos RNPSORSG and ICAOrsquos Separation and Airspace Safety Pan-el (SASP) She is a former air traffic controller she has wide-ranging experience in terminal airspace design amp planning Ms Pavličević talked about the PBN overall challenges in the ATM part

The discussion focused on the lack of infor-mation and training in the PBN field in many places and on the huge differences between what is expected with PBN and what the reality is Emphasis was also on the mixed mode operations which is not something that controllers like While everyone agreed that ideally there should be a once-for-all switchover the reality will be quite different In all likelihood it will not be transparent to the users (pilots or controllers) Mixed-op-erations will have to be accommodated for the foreseeable future making a transparent

implementation anything but easyIt was also clear that training for the users will be vital The fact that the technology is far from trivial (the number of abbrevia-tions for example is staggering) and actu-ally has a wide variety of possible applica-tions means that the training will need to be well considered And whether staff will be made available for such essential train-ing is another issue that will need to be carefully considered

Workshop - Competency Based TrainingIt has been recognized by the internation-al aviation community that there will be an anticipated shortage of skilled aviation professionals in the near future In order to ad-dress this important issue ICAO launched the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) ini-tiative to ensure that enough qual-ified and competent aviation pro-fessionals are available to operate manage and maintain the future international air transport system

Competency-based training plac-es emphasis on achieving bench-marked standards of performance more precisely training that fo-cuses on what a person will actu-ally be required to do in the work-place after completing a program of training

Through role playing Nicole Barrette Technical Specialist at ICAO and Ashley Laureyssen Training Strategies Manager at EUROCONTROL demonstrated the different approaches that could be taken towards a trainee Throughout they en-gaged and challenged the audience to explain the anticipated benefits of Com-petency Based Training in an ATC unit compared to the more conventional ap-proach ^

The Technical and Operations Committee and the Professional and Legal Committee produced three combined work-studies this year The subjects System-Wide Infor-mation Management (SWIM) and Screen Design Process are good examples how combining the two committees provides added value for the Federation The study on Screen Design Process highlighted the various aspects of this process It pointed out risks associated with immature intro-duction and looked at possible solutions to avoid unwanted effects The Executive Board was tasked to collect best practices which will become available for Member Associations

The combined TOCPLC work-study on Crisis Management discussed an increas-ingly important topic for many ANSPs and Associations It provided general guide-lines on the different phases in handling crisis situations and stressed the impor-tance of the availability of an up-to-date

crisis management plan Furthermore this paper encouraged going beyond the local policy by communicating across borders and consulting experts It also introduced a model to assist Member Associations when dealing with a crisis

The PLC work-study on the handling of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) was added to the agenda as this subject is evolving extremely quickly and is of interest to many colleagues With the huge increase in the use of RPAS Air Traffic Management needs to focus on how to seamlessly ef-ficiently and safely incorporate RPAS into the global civil air traffic management en-vironment IFATCA is working with other stakeholders at ICAO to develop the in-ternational standards and recommended practices (SARPs) that will form the basis for the regulatory framework

Finally the committee also adopted an up-dated version of IFATCArsquos Statement On The Future Of Global Air Traffic Manage-

ment This statement can be found else-where in this issue

Committee C (Professional) Mr Peter Van Rooyen (South Africa) chaired the committee He was assisted by Ms Ma-ria Serrano Mulet (Spain) as Committee Secretary and Mr Raia Alayi (Bulgaria) as Vice-Chairman Eric Risdon (Switzerland) IFATCArsquos Executive Vice President Profes-sional completed the head table

Following a number of reports from rep-resentatives who represented IFATCA in numerous meetings around the world the Committee discussed the work-studies car-ried out by the Professional amp Legal Com-mittee (PLC)

Amongst the information papers present-ed one highlighted how Aviation System Safety relies on the constant flow of safety data provided This can be done on a vol-untary or mandatory basis but it relies on the belief that such data would only be

4 Competency Based Training lively illustrated by Nicole Barrette (L) and Ashley Laureyssen (R) Photo BM

4 Conference

THE CONTROLLER10

used for safety purposes It is therefore vital to ensure it is adequately protected

The Multi Sector Planner concept was pro-posed as a means of workload manage-ment The debate that followed showed that this subject could be controversial Fa-tigue Risk Management was an interesting discussion it highlighted the importance of the on-going FRMS Taskforce setup by ICAO There is currently little overlap between IFATCA policy and ICAO Annex 19 but an on-going study should address this in the future Just Culture has been at

the forefront of IFATCAs profes-sional and legal debates for years A very interactive session on this subject with Dr Anthony Smoker challenged the floor to new ideas

Other information papers of in-terest informed about the EURO-CONTROLIFATCA Prosecutor Expert Training Course New Poli-cy was introduced to highlight the importance and the implementa-tion of TRM in an ATCOs career the operational role of the OJTI and the importance of not com-bining the provision of surveil-lance approach and aerodrome control cervices A Policy changes was introduced on the design developm`nt and implementation of a new ATM systems

And as in the other committees there was a vote on the chairman and member as-sociations for the committee that will pre-pare the work-studies for the next confer-ence The PLC will be chaired by Mr Alfred Vlasek (Austria) and his committee will consists of representatives from Australia Germany Hong Kong Italy New Zealand The Netherlands South Africa Spain UK and the USA

Closing Plenary SessionOn Friday afternoon IFATCA PCX Patrik vPeters reconvened the plenary assembly of the Federation This assembly formal-ised the decisions taken in the different committees by accepting the reports of the Committee Chairmen

Mr Geert Maesen (Belgium) and Mrs Ruth Stilwell (USA) were received the IFATCA Executive Board Award Geert was praised for his tireless work on the Information Handbook (IHB) over the past decades while Mrs Stilwell was recognised for rep-resenting IFATCA at ICAO ANC level for the past 5 years

Mr Dale Wright (USA) as Chairman Organ-ising Committee 2016 then addressed the plenary meeting He thanked the del-egates for having confirmed the USA to host next yearrsquos annual conference in Las Vegas

In his closing remarks IFATCA PCX and CEO Patrik Peters thanked the organising committee and BULATCA for an excellent conference ndash a feeling that was shared by the delegates by a long applause and standing ovation^

edthe-controllernet

4 Dr Ruth Stilwell receiving the Executive Board Award from IFATCA PCX amp CEO Peters

Photo BULATCA

If yoursquore planning to attend the 2016 IFATCA Conference in Las Vegas start thinking about your visa requirements NOW To attend a Conference US regulations state that you need to apply for a BUSINESS Visa ndash not a Tourist one If your country is not one of the ones that participate in the Visa Waiver program for the USA then the process to get a visa can take 6 months

The website of the 2016 Organising Committee wwwifatca2016com has links to all the necessary information go to the tab ldquoPlan your visitrdquo then Travelling to the US This will re-direct you to the USA Government Visa website where each country is listed If you need a visa the procedure to apply for one is also there There is a 160 USD non-refundable application fee a visit to a US embassy or consulate is mandatory in most cases As indicated before the time to process your application can take up to 6 months Since the Conference takes place in March there is no time to waste Itrsquos also worth noting that this is not something IFATCA or the Organising Committee can influence or change This has been made clear to us by the US immigration authorities that exemptions or special rules will not be made so there is no point in contacting the OC or IFATCA office for exemptions

Philippe Domogala IFATCA Conference Executive

PLAN AHEAD FORVEGAS 2016

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THE CONTROLLER 11

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER12

^by Dr Ruth Stilwellformer IFATCA Representative to ICAO

4 Ruth and Jean-Franccedilois at ICAO HQ in Montreacuteal Photo Mervyn Fernando

REFLECTING ON THE PAST

Over the past 5 years IFATCA has used its position as Permanent Observer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission to evolve the Federationrsquos contribution to the ICAO process With the creation of the IFATCA Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission we have grown into an integral part of the development of ICAO standards

This progress did not come from the posi-tion or the title it was the result of a ex-traordinary team effort It took the support of the IFATCA Executive Board to make our ICAO participation an organizational prior-ity and the commitment from our Member Associations to fund the position and en-sure that we are a daily presence at ICAO While the final approvals come inside the ANC Chamber much of the work to reach a positive consensus occurs through the daily interaction with the ICAO Secretariat other members of the Commission and the industry representatives

An organization cannot build credibility by showing up at the final stages of an amendment process and expect to con-structively shape the outcome It starts much earlier than that Our ICAO repre-sentatives and EVP-Technical supported by the work of both our Technical and Op-erational Committee and our Professional and Legal Committee help to develop a deep understanding of the issues Their work helps develop solutions and advo-cate for the concerns of the air traffic con-trollers long before a proposal is drafted This sets the stage for our success

The work is not done when a proposal reaches the Air Navigation Commission The ICAO representatives continue to work with our team to make sure the is-sues brought forward in the Panel and Expert Group meetings are well known to the Liaison Officer to the ICAO ANC It is a continual exchange of information as the proposals wind their way through the

ICAO process While the IFATCA ANC li-aison officer is a solo post it serves as part of a large internal team in the Federation Our responses in the ICAO consultation process reflect the input of that team ndash it is not the view of a single officer or rep-resentative it is the collective view of the profession expressed through our techni-cal and professional teams

The TOC and PLC work programmes play an important role in building our influ-ence It is through the deliberations and adoption of policies at conference that we achieve a global voice It is our ability to build a global position within the air traffic controller community on matters critical to our profession that gives us the credibility necessary to build our reputation and our influence

Over the last 5 years the Federation has reshaped its internal processes to take advantage of the op-portunities we are presented We have increased the num-ber of ICAO expert groups on which we serve We have ex-panded the input from our committees in the ICAO process We have restruc-tured how we identi-fy issues for our work programmes to con-sider ICAO priorities Finally we have in-troduced new com-munications tools to facilitate the work of our committees and engage our ICAO representatives

These changes have put us in a strong po-sition as we move forward but like ATC modernization it is a never-ending road We cannot be satisfied with where we are we must continue to move forward build-ing our expertise and capacity to shape the future of our profession Our new Li-aison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission Mr Jean-Francois Lepage is well positioned to take the Federation to the next level ^

ruthstilwellgmailcom INT

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4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER 13

^by Jean-Franccedilois LepageIFATCA Representative to ICAO

LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE

Immediately following the Annual Con-ference in Sofia IFATCArsquos handover for the position of IFATCA Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission be-gan We have been working hard to make the transition transparent for everyone in IFATCA and we are on track for a smooth transition

The current ANC session is coming to an end and we will continue our work through the Fall session ending in November 2015 The 200th session will be full of challenges to overcome as it will include an unprec-

edented number of amendments reaching the final stage of the ICAO process At this point the outgoing and incoming ANC li-aison officers will work side by side in the ANC Chamber This will ensure a continu-ous voice for the Federation as we work the numerous upcoming issues important to the Federation

The topics before us are numerous and in-tricate and the realities with which we will have to work are just as varied and com-plex as a Federation we have to keep in mind that our role is to present a global view It could be the rapid growth of traf-fic in Asia the lack of resources of certain countries in Africa the issues encountered with space vehicles and balloons launches in North America and Oceania the inte-gration challenges in Europe These are

just a few examples that show how important the work we are all doing for this Federation is for its members and how im-portant it is to make sure our interests are best rep-resented at ICAO

In short there will be a lot of topics of great in-terest for the Federation and a lot of issues where the ANC liaison officer will have to defend our interests There is only one way to achieve this since no one can accom-plish such a task alone the key words are indubi-tably communication and synergy

Communication because it is essential to use all the resources we have and share what we know the volunteers of the Federa-tion are incredibly talent-

ed and everything has to be put in place to take advantage of all this expertise and knowledge It is paramount to continue the excellent work of Dr Stilwell in devel-oping mechanisms to take advantage of all this richness to better represent us at ICAO

Synergy which is the interaction of two or more elements to achieve an outcome greater than the sum of its parts allows us to accomplish a lot more than every one of us separately this is another of the many strengths of IFATCA Nowadays technol-ogy among other things has made our world more complex than ever Systems procedures and networks tend to become heavily interrelated and one can easily get confused while trying to navigate through these webs

Again IFATCA has two excellent com-mittees Professional (PLC) and Technical (TOC) within its structure that can ease this constraint Communication between the PLC TOC and the ANC liaison officer will be the key to continued success in making our voice heard at ICAO

Finally I would like to express once again my gratitude to the Executive Board for the vote of confidence and for the sup-port in the transition Additionally I must acknowledge the excellent work of Dr Stilwell training me for my new role Her deep knowledge patience and support will ensure that we remain strongly repre-sented and well regarded at ICAO ^

jeanfrancoislepagegmailcom

4 Technology

^ by Ignacio Baca IFATCA Technical amp Operational Committee (TOC)

ATC DISPLAY DESIGN

It is a fact that modern Air Traffic Control relies on automation Computers are be-hind every modern (and even not so mod-ern) ATC system To interact with these machines we rely on screens A visitor to an ACC or a Tower is often baffled by the number of screens that are a part of the Controller Working Position (CWP) or at least by the amount of information presented on them Besides a screen that shows radar or surveillance data there are usually a number of screens with ad-ditional information such as meteorologi-cal data flight plan information health of the systems etc An extreme example is that of the Bodoslash Oceanic ACC (Norway) where the working positions are literally overloaded with screens that are linked to different systems

While the number of screens and their placement on a working position is a subject in itself the way the information is presented on a given screen needs to be considered it needs to be optimised to suit the needs of the operator so he or she can use the information in the most efficient way IFATCArsquos Technical and Op-erations Committee (TOC) looked at this and presented a working paper at the Fed-erationrsquos Annual Conference held in Sofia Bulgaria last April

When developing new systems develop-

ers tend to rely on standards which nor-mally incorporate best practices or lessons learned by experience in the past Surpris-ingly however there are no official stand-ards for the design of ATC systems Some efforts have been made for example in a project called Eurocontrol Core Require-ments for ATM Working Positions (CoRe) Finalized in 2002 it tried to identify and mitigate problems within the CWP Devel-opment Process The FAA also produced a report in 2003 to assist in the design development and evaluation of FAA sys-tems Despite such efforts nothing in the domain of ATM compares to for exam-ple the situation in aircraft cockpits where there is a high level of standardization

Generally we can distinguish four areas in design requirements

4 Simplicity simple systems are gener-ally easier to use and maintain and require less training

4 Consistency it is desirable that the same layout and style is used as much as possible As an example of the im-portance of this factor the time that a person needs to mentally process the information in a screen may double when the position of the elements is varied

4 Safety as safety is paramount in ATC the system must be verified validated and certified for both normal opera-tions but also in degraded and emer-gency modes

4 Usability meaning that the system must be easy to use and learn and ef-ficient to apply for performing a cer-tain task

A user-centred approach is desirable to improve the usability of the system This is why controllers should be involved in the design of ATC systems from the begin-ning an article about the subject was pub-lished in The Controller issue of April 2014 (Put a controller in your team) Controllers also need to be involved in validation and in further developments and upgrades to help keep the system user-friendly and not feature overloaded But what about con-sistency Different cultures communities and even individuals can have different perceptions of the same problem As such the display of information and the differ-ences between ATM systems clearly show a lack of consistency

Letrsquos consider alerts for example An alert is a way to focus the attention of the con-troller to a particular piece of the informa-tion being displayed Well-designed alerts clearly contribute to safety but false warn-ings and nuisance alerts if these occur too frequently can result in the control-ler ignoring a genuine warning or simply overlooking it Our systems tend to have an increasing number of warnings conflict alerts area proximity warnings level busts hellip It should be easy to quickly determine the actual nature of the warning and using colours to differentiate seems like a logical thing to do In the absence of any stand-ards however every control system has its own set of warnings with its own colour schemes and its own set of parameters

If colours are used to draw attention to an issue or to distinguish different problems it can in fact cause issues as well In the January 2015 issue of The Controller there

4 Screen overload at Bodoslash Oceanic ACC Photo Terje Dahlseng Eide THE

CONTROLLER14

NEED FOR GUIDING PRINCIPLES amp STANDARDS

4 Technology

is an article (pages 14 and 15) about the new Pegasus Sys-tem implemented in Poland The author writes One of the main issues is how colours are used (hellip) it appears for exam-ple very easy to miss situations close to sector boundaries due to the so-called ldquowhite-label syndromerdquo

The lsquowhite label syndromersquo is also known in other systems In Spain the labels are green for traffic in the sector and white for traffic outside the sector Sometimes controllers over-look the white traffic close to their sectors because their attention is focused in look-ing for conflicts affecting the green planes While colours provide an additional source of information to the control-ler therersquos also a risk that infor-mation is too easily discarded ie without actually interpreting it In fact the system lsquodecidesrsquo that certain information is worth looking at more than otherhellip

Itrsquos also easy to overdo an extensive use of colours can also lead to overload for controllers An example is the following list of colours used in Belgium

4 White aircraft currently on the frequency

4 Yellow aircraft coordinated to enter the sector

4 Brown aircraft transferred to the next sector

4 Green aircraft entering the sector but not yet on the frequency

4 Blue aircraft is selected 4 Red conflicting aircraft 4 Grey information label aircraft wonrsquot

necessarily be entering the sector

Not only the high number of colours make difficult to keep track of the traffic but grey labels are often overlooked due to all the other colours creating a problem simi-lar to the white-label syndrome mentioned above

The three systems just mentioned Span-ish Polish and Belgian use a dark back-ground in line with the lsquotraditionalrsquo ra-dar scopes But the lack of standards is evident even here A number of systems such as the VAFORIT system introduced in Karlsruhe in 2010 (see The Controller July

2011) used a white background This was later changed to light greyThe training sessions for VAFORIT showed that the colour scheme was not welcomed by the controllers Every change in the de-sign resulted in more problems because changing one colour impacted the en-tire colour palette After the system was brought online the colour scheme was implicated as a contributory factor to sev-eral incidents Eventually DFS asked the Institute for Labour Sciences of Darmstadt University for assistance This was a unique opportunity to have a scientific analysis of the issue They suggested a particular range of colours which was accepted by the controllers and finally implemented

Another issue is the readability of the in-formation presented It is tempting to think that the type of font used in a system is only relevant from an aesthetic point of view but it can easily lead to confusion An example was mentioned in an IFATCA working paper (presented at the Amman Conference in 2011) on the use of alpha-numeric callsigns this mentioned that us-ing the letters B I O S and Z in callsigns could easily create confusion with the numbers 8 1 0 5 and 2 While this ap-plies no matter what font is used a badly chosen font can easily create more confu-sion than a well-designed one

The experience of our German colleagues and their VAFORIT system is a perfect ex-ample of how a scientific study can improve a system It could be tempting to think that science is universal and that it could there-fore help to develop some universal stand-ard to be followed by every ATC system Unfortunately this is not completely true Colours are useful as an example again How to define a standard for colours when they may have different meanings de-pending of culture Being educated in a western culture I would probably choose red as the colour to be used for a warning In my culture red is associated to danger and prohibition A Chinese controller on the other hand could think otherwise for him red is associated with celebrations and as a symbol of good luck

To conclude there is no universal set of rules to decide what information must be included in an automated ATC system and how this information should be presented Definition of a standard is not an easy task because of factors like cultural differences and the transition from existing legacy sys-tems Nevertheless at least some stand-ardization is desirable For this reason TOC recommended that the Federation develops guiding principles for alerts and for the display of operational information ^

ignacioifatcagmailcom

4 The Pegasus system in Poland susceptible to the white-label syndrome Photo PANSA

15 THE CONTROLLER

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER16

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

MADRID HOST TO 70TH EDITION

4 Capt Martin Chalk newly elected IFALPA President

Photo IFALPA

IFALPA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The 70th annual conference of the Inter-national Federation of Air Line Pilotsrsquo As-sociations (IFALPA) was held in Madrid on 10-12 April 2015 Nearly 500 pilots attend-ed and debated a wide range of subjects

ContractsOne of these was the new pilot employ-ment contracts being devised by many airlines more particularly those operat-ing as so-called low-cost operators One such practice is the ldquoPay-to-Flyrdquo contract whereby mostly young pilots looking for a job and requiring to buildkeep experi-ence have to pay between 20 and 50000 USD in exchange for the ldquoprivilegeldquo of working as a pilot for an airline

Another deplorable one is the so-called ldquozero hoursldquo contract Here pilots are only paid when they fly In other words they have no fixed income and are not paid during months where traffic is low The last one is referred to as ldquoself-employmentrdquo where companies (Ryanair was mentioned) only employ pilots that have their own ldquocompanyrdquo This avoids the airline hav-ing to pay pension contributions social and medical benefitsetc Needless to say that job security in all these schemes is non-existent

While the main reason is of course cost-cutting they also undermine collective bargaining for working conditions etc These tendencies are extremely worri-some and we have to be careful that con-trollers will not be the next victims of this form of modern slavery

GermanwingsThere were of course long discussions on the aftermath of the Germanwings crash As other professional organisations IFAL-PA strongly condemned the witchhunt by the worldrsquos media the release of details of the Cockpit Voice Recorder to the press within 36 hours of it being recovered and especially the rash measures taken by au-thorities and some airlines without await-ing the outcome of the full investigation The European Cockpit Association (ECA the European Branch of IFALPA) made a resolution opposing the requirement to re-place a pilot leaving the cockpit saying it actually increases risks They also opposed publishing medical records of pilots which would only result in pilots avoiding medi-cal treatment They also reacted strongly against regular psychological assessments by the employer which they argued would also be counterproductive as people would lie to protect their job A better overall solution would be a Peer Interven-tion Program similar to CISM combined with a good loss of license insurance cov-ering mental illness

Most strongly condemned was the unprec-edented statement of a state prosecutor which identified a crew member as ldquothe only culpritrdquo Without awaiting all the el-ements of the investigation it is clearly a grave and unprecedented violation of ICAO Annex 13

Safety SeminarTheir safety seminar this year dealt with emergency responses and media commu-nications after incident or accident includ-

ing how to handle social media This has becomes one of their priorities similar to what IFATCA is currently embarking upon

Changes In Training IFALPA allows presentations from outsid-ers to be made during their plenary Tra-ditionally this privilege is for Airbus andor Boeing but they included Embraer this year as well Essentially all 3 manufactur-ers promoted the new features of their latest-generation aircraft

One excellent presentation came from Captain Harry Nelson an Airbus senior test pilot He talked about the drastic changes needed in training following a number of recent accidents where automation or rather how humans interact with this au-tomation played a major role According to Captain Nelson less books and class-rooms lectures were needed but self train-ing using laptops and tablets were the way forward ldquoTraining must be fun againrdquo he said ldquowith an emphasis on hands-on ex-perience rather than on written materialrdquo

ElectionsDeputy President Martin Chalk from the UK was elected to become the new IFAL-PA President Martin is the former Presi-dent of the European Cockpit Association and he is keen to continue the very good cooperation with IFATCA Their next Con-ference will be in New Orleans USA from April 15 unitl 18 2016 For once it doesnrsquot clash with our own IFATCA Conference ^

dpthe-controllernet

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THE FUTURE OF GLOBALAIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

This is version 20 of the IFATCA Statement on the Future of Global Air Traffic Management It was formally adopted at the IFATCA Annual Conference in Sofia Bulgaria in April 2015 For more information contact our EVP Technical via evptifatcaorg

8 INTRODUCTIONAir traffic control at its core is a safety service Many future systems focus on increasing system capac-ity and efficiency It is not that capacity concerns have overshadowed safety as priority instead it is an acknowledgement that a system operated in excess of available capacity creates unsafe conditions To remedy an overcapacity condition one can either restrict access or increase capacity IFATCA recognizes that restricting growth in global aviation is not a realistic approach In order to maintain the necessary standard of safety in air traffic control moving forward we must be willing to take advantage of innovation in technology and procedures that will build the needed system capacity

8 PERFORMANCE BASED ATM4 AIR NAVIGATION SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE

Air navigation infrastructures develop on an evolutionary path that requires cooperation between ground based providers and airborne users Moving forward with advanced technologies to build sys-tem capacity requires coordinated investment from governments air navigation service providers and system users

In other modes of transport the infrastructure can be developed independently from the network us-ers For example adding a new lane to a highway increases system capacity without the need for new investment in vehicle technology With the exception of new runways this is not the case for aviation

Moving toward a performance based model for Air Traffic Management requires more than placing performance targets on outputs It requires a fundamental rethinking of the air traffic infrastruc-ture and standards development process Each element of the system should be developed using a performance-based process By shifting to a true performance based model we change the concept of standards making in a way that encourages technological advancement and allows system users to take advantage of the benefits new systems offer This concept embraces the ideas embodied in Required Navigation Performance Required Surveillance Performance and Required Communication Performance

4 REQUIRED SURVEILLANCE PERFORMANCERequired Surveillance Performance is a concept within the ICAO community Transition to a true RSP environment requires the establishment of clear standards for precision update rates and latency of any surveillance system Ideally this will lead to the concept of simplified surveillance separation standards that replaces the current process of developing new separation standards to accommodate new technologies

Rather than evaluate new surveillance systems and develop separation standards necessary to uti-lize a new technology a performance based approach requires the sensor technology to meet the specifications to allow the existing separation standards to be applied1 This provides developers and manufacturers with a clear design target In addition moving away from sensor based standards can reduce sector complexity in a mixed mode operation allowing for increased capacity

It is not necessary for air traffic controllers to know the source of a surveillance target only that the displayed target meets the necessary requirements for accuracy and reliability This approach allows both users and ANSPs to take advantage of developing technologies more rapidly and can expand the amount of airspace where surveillance based separation standards can be applied As we move away from radar dependent surveillance in the long term we introduce new flexibility for airspace design capacity and efficiency

1 Separation standards are not solely based on the surveillance system they also require standards for com-munication and navigation availability and precision

4 IFATCA Statement

illustrations copy csp_Harlekino | wwwfotosearchcom

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4 REQUIRED NAVIGATION PERFORMANCEThe development process for Required Navigation Performance can provide an effective model for the continued development of RCP and RSP RNP has illustrated that continual improvements in the on board precision coupled with effective airspace design can provide substantial and measurable benefits The application of a rigorous safety case is a fundamental part of the process Moving away from a technology based standard to a performance based one has improved the process and allows for operators to conduct independent evaluations on the business case to support the on board investment Operational benefits from increased airspace capacity are demonstrated This approach formed the basis for PBN (Performance Based Navigation)

4 REQUIRED COMMUNICATION PERFORMANCEExisting standards are dependent upon direct air to ground voice communications While this is cur-rently the preferred means of communication when possible opportunities for development of less infrastructure dependent communications technologies are foreseeable A focus on the performance requirements of alternative systems that includes the human factors elements may allow for develop-ment of alternative systems with equal or greater levels of reliability than existing air to ground voice concepts

4 SERVICE PRIORITYExisting ATC service priority models that place heavy emphasis on the concept of first come first served do not take advantage of the reduced demand on ATC resources that result from advances in onboard capabilities Tactical sector resources include air traffic controller staffing available fre-quency time and coordination requirements The level and type of communication navigation and surveillance equipment on board an aircraft affects the tactical sector resources needed to provide air traffic control services For example an RNAV equipped aircraft uses fewer sector resources when flying an RNAV STAR than a lesser- equipped aircraft that must be vectored to the final approach

The evolution of air navigation and airspace design over the last decade has placed increasing empha-sis on airborne equipment From GNSS routes to PBN efficient airspace design and utilization requires that sufficient percentages of aircraft be appropriately equipped to utilize the advanced routes

Performance Based ATM requires both air navigation service providers and system users invest in sys-tems that allow for maximization of airspace capacity and efficiency In order to develop a business case for the investment operational benefits must be quantifiable A service priority model based on first come first served without consideration of the relative sector resources needed to provide the service may discourage or delay modernisation efforts

New service priority models are a critical element of performance based ATM In the same manner that system users seek to obtain operational benefits from on board investment air navigation ser-vice providers should be able to derive benefits from investment in the ground based technologies Under the current service priority model lesser equipped aircraft are afforded the same priority as better equipped aircraft regardless of the additional resources they may consume Delaying aircraft to accommodate minimally equipped users particularly through holding consumes considerable sec-tor resources for which the ANSP is not compensated If the ANSP is able to establish a service prior-ity model that considers aircraft equipment requirements to maximise sector capacity and efficiency it will be more able to offset the investment costs of advanced technologies

A truly performance based model for ATM would permit ANSPs to consider airborne equipment as a dynamic tool for managing sector capacity and efficiency Aircraft equipment requirements could be in place during periods of peak demand and lifted when the capacity enhancing tools are no longer required This strategic approach will require enhanced attention to both airspace planning and flight planning In addition to the capacity enhancement the strategic approach can also be seen as a means to ensure equitable access to airports and airspace when compared to the equipment mandate approach

4 IFATCA Statement

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4 IFATCA Statement

4 AIRSPACE DESIGN AND ACCESSAdvanced airspace design and procedures are evolving to maximise airspace availability and effi-ciency PBN Approaches reduce track distance and can allow aircraft to navigate around terrain in low visibility Continuous Descent Operations allow operators to maximise fuel economy RNP standards allow for reduced separation in procedural airspace increasing capacity and new in-trail climb and descent procedures in en route airspace will allow equipped aircraft to access preferred flight levels These advanced procedures also have the ability to reduce demand on sector resources Airspace de-sign that takes advantage of modern aircraft navigation capabilities has the possibility to de-conflict traffic flows reduce the need for vectoring and reduce frequency congestion Advanced airspace design will play an increasingly important role in managing traffic in high-density areas However this type of airspace design is only of value if the aircraft operating in the airspace are able to use it

Airspace analysis and planning is a critical component in developing an airborne equipment based service priority model Airspace service volumes should be evaluated to determine if and when ben-efits can be derived from advanced procedures This evaluation of airspace service volumes should be an ongoing process and can aid in the evolution to a dynamic concept of airspace management and access

By granting access to the most efficient procedures and airspace to aircraft equipped to use them the business model for airborne investment can be made without artificial manipulation The demand on controllers to manage a new service priority model is mitigated Finally while this model can pro-vide an incentive for operators to equip aircraft for those that want to defer or delay the on board investment the option of moving flights away from peak periods to unconstrained periods could improve overall system efficiency and safety

4 TRAFFIC FLOW MANAGEMENTThe regionalisation of traffic flow management is necessary to meet the traffic growth and environ-mental demands on aviation in the future Safe orderly and expeditious air traffic flows necessitate coordination beyond state boundaries Avoidance of extreme weather events as well as conflict zones that create hazards to aviation cannot be effectively managed without regional collaboration Traffic flow management must take advantage of technologies for information sharing planning and response

4 AIRSPACE INTEGRATION AND USE( CIVIL-MILITARYETC)Global goals of interoperability and airspace capacity are hindered without effective airspace integra-tion Achieving a balance for airspace access between users including civil military manned un-manned and transitional (ie commercial space operators) presents significant challenges for future systems The demand for airspace use is increasing in both quantity and diversity of operations

Technological advances in aircraft coupled with expanded civil uses will place demands on the system that are not supported by current policies Unmanned aircraft both autonomous and remotely piloted are in development In addition the growth in commercial space operations and the development of space tourism will place increasing demands on airspace particularly in the launch and return phases of flight Integrating diverse operations into common airspace will present new challenges that will require innovative thinking to move forward

In some cases particularly in the case of autonomous unmanned aircraft or a ballistic launch phase for a commercial space vehicle where the aircraft or spacecraft may not have a means to execute an air traffic control clearance integration may not be possible In order to accommodate these types of operations clear standards for separation or protected airspace are necessary to ensure the safety of other aircraft

8 EMERGING TECHNOLOGIESInnovation is a hallmark of aviation The first commercial flight occurred within a decade from when the Wright Brothers first took to the air It was less than half a century between the first powered flight and the supersonic jet Our industry has embraced and advanced new technologies that have not only made air travel faster but also safer and more efficient The constant adaptation and integration of new technolo-gies into air traffic control is the mark of the profession This integration and acceptance is not without

INTER-

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4 IFATCA Statement

caution or scepticism The approach where technologies are rigorously evaluated prior to integration into the air traffic control system has ensured high levels of safety Air traffic controllers are a critical part of this process Certain new technologies will require a rethinking of long standing operational concepts and standards to facilitate their accommodation Just as radar allowed for the development of new separation standards certain new tools may require the same level of work in developing fundamental concepts and new safety analysis Tools like synthetic vision remote towers and remotely piloted aircraft blur the lines between standards based on visual acquisition of traffic and surveillance based traffic identification These hybrid systems where the human is tasked with visual evaluation of electronically derived information do not fit within the existing separation paradigm New separation standards recognizing that these systems are neither traditional surveillance nor visual systems need to be developed and validated to support the safe integration of these types of systems

8 SAFETYSafety remains the most important performance indicator in ATM As traffic figures rise the accident rate has to be reduced to prevent the number of accidents from increasing The approach towards safety has developed over the years introducing technical human and organisational factors The linear safety ap-proach has been successful in demonstrating causes whenever an incident or accident occurs However the very low rate of aircraft accidents makes it an ineffective safety indicator

It is important to examine safety risks even in the absence of aircraft accidents or incidents This requires a new approach towards safety A proactive approach seeks to understand all the contributing factors in the system and identify systemic safety risks This systems safety approach is based on a principle to maximize the success rate of the overall system In this approach the human factor is seen as the resilient element in a vulnerable system and as a safety net when the system fails Under this concept steps are taken to ensure that the systems are adequately robust and safety risks are mitigated and the human operator is given the necessary tools to perform the safety task

In order to collect and analyse safety information adequate protection of safety information and its sources is critical Systems that penalise people or organisations for reporting safety data limit the data that will be made available The ability to report safety problems including those of human error without fear of reprisal it the foundation of any safety system

8 HUMAN FACTORSThe need for human factors analysis in the development of new technologies is well established The Human-Machine Interface is a critical part of the design process and successful deployment of major new systems have included considerable attention to the human factors analysis However new systems are increasingly network centred rather than single systems that can be analysed as stand alone products introducing broader human factors considerations that go well beyond HMI

As technologies are deployed to maximise system capacity the limits of human performance must be considered While system reliability requirements are very high external factors that could cause disrup-tion cannot be entirely eliminated It is essential to ensure that the ability of human operators to maintain system safety in the event of technology failure is not exceeded

The concept of a systems approach to safety should be expanded to include human factors The human operator should be viewed in totality recognising as new systems allow for increased system capac-ity workload related fatigue issues will need to be considered in addition to those related to schedules and duty time Workload related fatigue can be a symptom of sustained periods either high or very low workload

In order to fully realise peak capacity operational complexity must be minimised Reducing or eliminating mixed mode operations in high-density airspace allows for higher sector capacity Formulas that determine maximum sector capacity must consider both volume and complexity aircraft performance and capability is an important component of sector complexity

8 IFATCAS ROLEIFATCA is in the unique position to provide operational expertise in the development of future ATM The organisation has a leadership role to play in the design development and analysis of emerging concepts for air traffic control IFATCA technical and professional expertise is a critical component of the decision chain The global reach of the Federation provides the opportunity to advance these concepts IFATCA provides ambitious ideas to meet the challenges of the global future of aviation through comprehensive research studies and participation in the global aviation community ^

4 Europe

21

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Over the past 12 monhts European traf-fic has increased slightly 13 according to the Network Managerrsquos Monthly report Delays have also increased along with the traffic levels And with some severe CB activity at the end of May and early June controllersrsquo skills have been severely tested

Some of our colleagues work with reduced runway systems and face other operational challenges Meanwhile the Single Europe-an Sky (SES) is slowly but surely moving forward This is a quick update on what is currently ongoing on the political front with regard to the Single European Sky program and its so-called pillars

TechnicalOn the technical front within SESAR the ATM Master Plan update campaign is ongoing

A final draft of the future

ATM

Mas-ter Plan will be released for consulta-tion at the end of June 2015 The ATM Master

Plan will re-group all the elements for a modernisation of the techno-logical infra-structure in Europe It will include the de-

ployment of new technology the road-map for modernisation and the elements needed for the next step of SESAR called ldquoSESAR 2020rdquo The ambitious task of revis-iting the ATM Masterplan was coordinated by IFATSEA (Dany van der Biest) on behalf of the professional staff organisations Our input including valuable comments by the many IFATCASESAR representatives was greatly appreciated

Beyond SES II+At the beginning of May the European Commission invited all the stakeholders to a SES Vision Workshop All stakeholders and institutions were invited to give their view on the future of the Single European Sky A small working group within the Eu-ropean Commission continues to work on this thus planning beyond SES II+ legisla-tion Amongst other things the look into the Reference Period 3 (after 2019) and how the Regulatory framework should evolve in the future

EASA has published its opinion on the common rules of the air and operational

provisions regarding services and pro-cedures in air navigation and Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA) part C

DatalinkDatalink implementation has been post-poned by at least 5 years and the outlook is quite grim as the technology used will most probably by outdated by the time it becomes mandatory Maybe a novel ap-proach to this issue is needed New tech-nologies that achieve the same or better CPDLC performance might become avail-able and those in charge of coordinating the implementation seem to want to wait and see what materialises before taking large scale initiatives

Occurrence ReportingTransposition of the Mandatory Occur-rence Reporting Implementation Regula-tion will be finalised by a high level work-shop on the 1st of October 2015 IFATCA has been working together with other stakeholders to achieve a balance be-tween safety and Just Culture in the form of industry Guidance Material This work is ongoing and the challenge is to keep the advanced Just Culture in the corporate environment intact while allowing the new sectors to join these developments

The new regulation on Occurrence Report-ing will become effective in all European states (plus Norway and Switzerland) on 15 November 2015 Promotional material will become available during the summer IFATCA has worked towards diversity for the different sectors while maintaining Just Culture recognisable throughout the avia-tion industry

The motivation for and the Regulation it-self can be found via these links link1 and link2

Prosecutor Expert CourseAt the end of May 2015 the 5th Eurocon-trolIFATCA Prosecutor Expert Training course was held at the Eurocontrol HQ in Brussels In total some 100 participants have attended this training initiative Bringing together professionals from the judiciary and the aviation world has proven to be a real contribution to Just Culture

loeuifatcaorgsesarcoordifatcaorg

BE READY FOR CHANGEUPDATE ON EUROPEAN ISSUES

^ by Paul Neering IFATCA Liaison to the EU amp Marc Baumgartner IFATCA SESAR Coordinator

copy m

einz

ahn

ww

wfo

tose

arch

com

4 Conference

THE CONTROLLER

nia Spain UK Netherlands and USA will serve as members of the committee and will prepare work-studies for next yearrsquos conference

Joined Committee B amp C (Technical and Professional affairs)A full day combined Committee B and C meeting was also held this year The meet-ing was very well attended and was co‐chaired by the chairmen of Committees B amp C Matthijs Jongeneel and Peter van Rooyen The agenda comprised of reports from global representatives reports from the Regional Vice Presidents and a num-ber of work-studies Dr Ruth Stilwell our ICAO ANC Representative demonstrated once again the value of the position of having our Federation represented at the ANC Many of the subjects she encounters on an almost daily basis have been dis-cussed in committee B and C during pre-vious conferences She stressed the need for a constructive approach of IFATCA at

the ICAO level and she highlighted the great teamwork with the IFATCA Panel Representa-tives and the Ex-ecutive Board Dr Ruth Stillwell is stepping down from the position and the committee rewarded her out-standing work with a standing ovation

The report of our representative to the IFALPA ATS Committee Kimmo Koi-vula demonstrated the excellent relation-ship between our Federation and IFALPA Mr Rip Torn Chairman of the IFALPA ATS Committee who was representing IFALPA in the Conference also acknowledged this and stressed the importance of the

close cooperation between IFATCA and IFALPA Our representative on the Air Traffic Management Requirements and Performance Panel gave an excellent ex-planation on the highly technical concept of Trajectory Based Operations

8

4 Committee C Professional in sessionPhoto BULATCA

IFATCA Panel Performance Based NavigationOn Thursday a panel discussion was held followed by an interactive workshop on Competency Based Training

The title of the panel discussion was ldquoPer-formance Tomorrow ndash How PBN Is Shaping Our Professionrdquo After a short introduction by IFATCA President Mr Patrik Peters in which he briefly outlined the topic panel moderator Philippe Domogala introduced representatives from ICAO IFALPA NAT-CA (USA) SESAR JU and EUOCONROL Each one was given a few minutes to intro-duce the subject ndash and challenges of Per-formance Based Navigation ndash after which they discussed the subject prompted by questions from the audience

Mr Saul Da Silva - ICAO Montreal - is an ATM Technical Officer at ICAO HQ in Montreal Secretary of the Air Navigation Commission Air Traffic Management Re-quirements and Performance Panel (AT-MRPP) and Secretary of the Separation and Airspace Safety Panel (SASP) Mr Da Silva talked about the current situation on PBN what are the implementation plans regulatory oversight training plans

Captain Rip Torn IFALPA ATS Committee Chairman IFALPA representative to the ICAO Data Link Working Group Surveil-lance Panel ATMRPP USALPA ATS Group Chair and USALPA Neaten Project Co-ordinator As a Captain on B757767 for Delta Airlines he is based in Atlanta Capt Torn discussed PBN workload in the cock-pit and perceived benefits of its use

Mr Jeff Woods NATCA (USA) is cur-rently a NATCArsquos Program Manage-ment Office (PMO) Representative He has over 25 years of ATC experience in-

cluding towers en route and approach facilities Jeff has been involved in special projects and assignments In addition Jeff also serves as the NATCA member to the Air Traffic Procedures Advisory Commit-tee Mr Woods shared his experience how PBN has been implemented and works in practice in USA using a video which dem-onstrated the benefits of PBN over con-ventional techniques

Mr David Bowen acting Chief ATM of the SESAR Joint Undertaking with overall responsibility for the technical and opera-

IFATCA Panel amp Workshop

4 Philippe Domogala moderating the panel left to right Mr Da Silva Mr Torn Mr Woods Mr Bowen and Ms Pavličević

Photo BM

4 Conference

THE CONTROLLER 9

4 Committee C Professional in sessionPhoto BULATCA

tional content of the SESAR programme David leads a team of operational and sys-tems experts who provide strategic guid-ance and review the work within SESAR Da-vid has over 20 years of experience in ATM including a background in ATM standardisa-tion avionics and ground system develop-ments Mr Bowen talked about the role of PBN in the SESAR target concept

Ms Franca Pavličević is the Head of the Navigation and CNS Research Unit at EU-ROCONTROL She is also the chairman of ICAOrsquos PBN Study Group and was involved in the development of ICAOrsquos PBN Concept as a member of CAOrsquos RNPSORSG and ICAOrsquos Separation and Airspace Safety Pan-el (SASP) She is a former air traffic controller she has wide-ranging experience in terminal airspace design amp planning Ms Pavličević talked about the PBN overall challenges in the ATM part

The discussion focused on the lack of infor-mation and training in the PBN field in many places and on the huge differences between what is expected with PBN and what the reality is Emphasis was also on the mixed mode operations which is not something that controllers like While everyone agreed that ideally there should be a once-for-all switchover the reality will be quite different In all likelihood it will not be transparent to the users (pilots or controllers) Mixed-op-erations will have to be accommodated for the foreseeable future making a transparent

implementation anything but easyIt was also clear that training for the users will be vital The fact that the technology is far from trivial (the number of abbrevia-tions for example is staggering) and actu-ally has a wide variety of possible applica-tions means that the training will need to be well considered And whether staff will be made available for such essential train-ing is another issue that will need to be carefully considered

Workshop - Competency Based TrainingIt has been recognized by the internation-al aviation community that there will be an anticipated shortage of skilled aviation professionals in the near future In order to ad-dress this important issue ICAO launched the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) ini-tiative to ensure that enough qual-ified and competent aviation pro-fessionals are available to operate manage and maintain the future international air transport system

Competency-based training plac-es emphasis on achieving bench-marked standards of performance more precisely training that fo-cuses on what a person will actu-ally be required to do in the work-place after completing a program of training

Through role playing Nicole Barrette Technical Specialist at ICAO and Ashley Laureyssen Training Strategies Manager at EUROCONTROL demonstrated the different approaches that could be taken towards a trainee Throughout they en-gaged and challenged the audience to explain the anticipated benefits of Com-petency Based Training in an ATC unit compared to the more conventional ap-proach ^

The Technical and Operations Committee and the Professional and Legal Committee produced three combined work-studies this year The subjects System-Wide Infor-mation Management (SWIM) and Screen Design Process are good examples how combining the two committees provides added value for the Federation The study on Screen Design Process highlighted the various aspects of this process It pointed out risks associated with immature intro-duction and looked at possible solutions to avoid unwanted effects The Executive Board was tasked to collect best practices which will become available for Member Associations

The combined TOCPLC work-study on Crisis Management discussed an increas-ingly important topic for many ANSPs and Associations It provided general guide-lines on the different phases in handling crisis situations and stressed the impor-tance of the availability of an up-to-date

crisis management plan Furthermore this paper encouraged going beyond the local policy by communicating across borders and consulting experts It also introduced a model to assist Member Associations when dealing with a crisis

The PLC work-study on the handling of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) was added to the agenda as this subject is evolving extremely quickly and is of interest to many colleagues With the huge increase in the use of RPAS Air Traffic Management needs to focus on how to seamlessly ef-ficiently and safely incorporate RPAS into the global civil air traffic management en-vironment IFATCA is working with other stakeholders at ICAO to develop the in-ternational standards and recommended practices (SARPs) that will form the basis for the regulatory framework

Finally the committee also adopted an up-dated version of IFATCArsquos Statement On The Future Of Global Air Traffic Manage-

ment This statement can be found else-where in this issue

Committee C (Professional) Mr Peter Van Rooyen (South Africa) chaired the committee He was assisted by Ms Ma-ria Serrano Mulet (Spain) as Committee Secretary and Mr Raia Alayi (Bulgaria) as Vice-Chairman Eric Risdon (Switzerland) IFATCArsquos Executive Vice President Profes-sional completed the head table

Following a number of reports from rep-resentatives who represented IFATCA in numerous meetings around the world the Committee discussed the work-studies car-ried out by the Professional amp Legal Com-mittee (PLC)

Amongst the information papers present-ed one highlighted how Aviation System Safety relies on the constant flow of safety data provided This can be done on a vol-untary or mandatory basis but it relies on the belief that such data would only be

4 Competency Based Training lively illustrated by Nicole Barrette (L) and Ashley Laureyssen (R) Photo BM

4 Conference

THE CONTROLLER10

used for safety purposes It is therefore vital to ensure it is adequately protected

The Multi Sector Planner concept was pro-posed as a means of workload manage-ment The debate that followed showed that this subject could be controversial Fa-tigue Risk Management was an interesting discussion it highlighted the importance of the on-going FRMS Taskforce setup by ICAO There is currently little overlap between IFATCA policy and ICAO Annex 19 but an on-going study should address this in the future Just Culture has been at

the forefront of IFATCAs profes-sional and legal debates for years A very interactive session on this subject with Dr Anthony Smoker challenged the floor to new ideas

Other information papers of in-terest informed about the EURO-CONTROLIFATCA Prosecutor Expert Training Course New Poli-cy was introduced to highlight the importance and the implementa-tion of TRM in an ATCOs career the operational role of the OJTI and the importance of not com-bining the provision of surveil-lance approach and aerodrome control cervices A Policy changes was introduced on the design developm`nt and implementation of a new ATM systems

And as in the other committees there was a vote on the chairman and member as-sociations for the committee that will pre-pare the work-studies for the next confer-ence The PLC will be chaired by Mr Alfred Vlasek (Austria) and his committee will consists of representatives from Australia Germany Hong Kong Italy New Zealand The Netherlands South Africa Spain UK and the USA

Closing Plenary SessionOn Friday afternoon IFATCA PCX Patrik vPeters reconvened the plenary assembly of the Federation This assembly formal-ised the decisions taken in the different committees by accepting the reports of the Committee Chairmen

Mr Geert Maesen (Belgium) and Mrs Ruth Stilwell (USA) were received the IFATCA Executive Board Award Geert was praised for his tireless work on the Information Handbook (IHB) over the past decades while Mrs Stilwell was recognised for rep-resenting IFATCA at ICAO ANC level for the past 5 years

Mr Dale Wright (USA) as Chairman Organ-ising Committee 2016 then addressed the plenary meeting He thanked the del-egates for having confirmed the USA to host next yearrsquos annual conference in Las Vegas

In his closing remarks IFATCA PCX and CEO Patrik Peters thanked the organising committee and BULATCA for an excellent conference ndash a feeling that was shared by the delegates by a long applause and standing ovation^

edthe-controllernet

4 Dr Ruth Stilwell receiving the Executive Board Award from IFATCA PCX amp CEO Peters

Photo BULATCA

If yoursquore planning to attend the 2016 IFATCA Conference in Las Vegas start thinking about your visa requirements NOW To attend a Conference US regulations state that you need to apply for a BUSINESS Visa ndash not a Tourist one If your country is not one of the ones that participate in the Visa Waiver program for the USA then the process to get a visa can take 6 months

The website of the 2016 Organising Committee wwwifatca2016com has links to all the necessary information go to the tab ldquoPlan your visitrdquo then Travelling to the US This will re-direct you to the USA Government Visa website where each country is listed If you need a visa the procedure to apply for one is also there There is a 160 USD non-refundable application fee a visit to a US embassy or consulate is mandatory in most cases As indicated before the time to process your application can take up to 6 months Since the Conference takes place in March there is no time to waste Itrsquos also worth noting that this is not something IFATCA or the Organising Committee can influence or change This has been made clear to us by the US immigration authorities that exemptions or special rules will not be made so there is no point in contacting the OC or IFATCA office for exemptions

Philippe Domogala IFATCA Conference Executive

PLAN AHEAD FORVEGAS 2016

copy ro

xana

balin

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wfo

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com

v

THE CONTROLLER 11

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER12

^by Dr Ruth Stilwellformer IFATCA Representative to ICAO

4 Ruth and Jean-Franccedilois at ICAO HQ in Montreacuteal Photo Mervyn Fernando

REFLECTING ON THE PAST

Over the past 5 years IFATCA has used its position as Permanent Observer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission to evolve the Federationrsquos contribution to the ICAO process With the creation of the IFATCA Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission we have grown into an integral part of the development of ICAO standards

This progress did not come from the posi-tion or the title it was the result of a ex-traordinary team effort It took the support of the IFATCA Executive Board to make our ICAO participation an organizational prior-ity and the commitment from our Member Associations to fund the position and en-sure that we are a daily presence at ICAO While the final approvals come inside the ANC Chamber much of the work to reach a positive consensus occurs through the daily interaction with the ICAO Secretariat other members of the Commission and the industry representatives

An organization cannot build credibility by showing up at the final stages of an amendment process and expect to con-structively shape the outcome It starts much earlier than that Our ICAO repre-sentatives and EVP-Technical supported by the work of both our Technical and Op-erational Committee and our Professional and Legal Committee help to develop a deep understanding of the issues Their work helps develop solutions and advo-cate for the concerns of the air traffic con-trollers long before a proposal is drafted This sets the stage for our success

The work is not done when a proposal reaches the Air Navigation Commission The ICAO representatives continue to work with our team to make sure the is-sues brought forward in the Panel and Expert Group meetings are well known to the Liaison Officer to the ICAO ANC It is a continual exchange of information as the proposals wind their way through the

ICAO process While the IFATCA ANC li-aison officer is a solo post it serves as part of a large internal team in the Federation Our responses in the ICAO consultation process reflect the input of that team ndash it is not the view of a single officer or rep-resentative it is the collective view of the profession expressed through our techni-cal and professional teams

The TOC and PLC work programmes play an important role in building our influ-ence It is through the deliberations and adoption of policies at conference that we achieve a global voice It is our ability to build a global position within the air traffic controller community on matters critical to our profession that gives us the credibility necessary to build our reputation and our influence

Over the last 5 years the Federation has reshaped its internal processes to take advantage of the op-portunities we are presented We have increased the num-ber of ICAO expert groups on which we serve We have ex-panded the input from our committees in the ICAO process We have restruc-tured how we identi-fy issues for our work programmes to con-sider ICAO priorities Finally we have in-troduced new com-munications tools to facilitate the work of our committees and engage our ICAO representatives

These changes have put us in a strong po-sition as we move forward but like ATC modernization it is a never-ending road We cannot be satisfied with where we are we must continue to move forward build-ing our expertise and capacity to shape the future of our profession Our new Li-aison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission Mr Jean-Francois Lepage is well positioned to take the Federation to the next level ^

ruthstilwellgmailcom INT

ER-

NATIO

NAL

FEDERATION OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER 13

^by Jean-Franccedilois LepageIFATCA Representative to ICAO

LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE

Immediately following the Annual Con-ference in Sofia IFATCArsquos handover for the position of IFATCA Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission be-gan We have been working hard to make the transition transparent for everyone in IFATCA and we are on track for a smooth transition

The current ANC session is coming to an end and we will continue our work through the Fall session ending in November 2015 The 200th session will be full of challenges to overcome as it will include an unprec-

edented number of amendments reaching the final stage of the ICAO process At this point the outgoing and incoming ANC li-aison officers will work side by side in the ANC Chamber This will ensure a continu-ous voice for the Federation as we work the numerous upcoming issues important to the Federation

The topics before us are numerous and in-tricate and the realities with which we will have to work are just as varied and com-plex as a Federation we have to keep in mind that our role is to present a global view It could be the rapid growth of traf-fic in Asia the lack of resources of certain countries in Africa the issues encountered with space vehicles and balloons launches in North America and Oceania the inte-gration challenges in Europe These are

just a few examples that show how important the work we are all doing for this Federation is for its members and how im-portant it is to make sure our interests are best rep-resented at ICAO

In short there will be a lot of topics of great in-terest for the Federation and a lot of issues where the ANC liaison officer will have to defend our interests There is only one way to achieve this since no one can accom-plish such a task alone the key words are indubi-tably communication and synergy

Communication because it is essential to use all the resources we have and share what we know the volunteers of the Federa-tion are incredibly talent-

ed and everything has to be put in place to take advantage of all this expertise and knowledge It is paramount to continue the excellent work of Dr Stilwell in devel-oping mechanisms to take advantage of all this richness to better represent us at ICAO

Synergy which is the interaction of two or more elements to achieve an outcome greater than the sum of its parts allows us to accomplish a lot more than every one of us separately this is another of the many strengths of IFATCA Nowadays technol-ogy among other things has made our world more complex than ever Systems procedures and networks tend to become heavily interrelated and one can easily get confused while trying to navigate through these webs

Again IFATCA has two excellent com-mittees Professional (PLC) and Technical (TOC) within its structure that can ease this constraint Communication between the PLC TOC and the ANC liaison officer will be the key to continued success in making our voice heard at ICAO

Finally I would like to express once again my gratitude to the Executive Board for the vote of confidence and for the sup-port in the transition Additionally I must acknowledge the excellent work of Dr Stilwell training me for my new role Her deep knowledge patience and support will ensure that we remain strongly repre-sented and well regarded at ICAO ^

jeanfrancoislepagegmailcom

4 Technology

^ by Ignacio Baca IFATCA Technical amp Operational Committee (TOC)

ATC DISPLAY DESIGN

It is a fact that modern Air Traffic Control relies on automation Computers are be-hind every modern (and even not so mod-ern) ATC system To interact with these machines we rely on screens A visitor to an ACC or a Tower is often baffled by the number of screens that are a part of the Controller Working Position (CWP) or at least by the amount of information presented on them Besides a screen that shows radar or surveillance data there are usually a number of screens with ad-ditional information such as meteorologi-cal data flight plan information health of the systems etc An extreme example is that of the Bodoslash Oceanic ACC (Norway) where the working positions are literally overloaded with screens that are linked to different systems

While the number of screens and their placement on a working position is a subject in itself the way the information is presented on a given screen needs to be considered it needs to be optimised to suit the needs of the operator so he or she can use the information in the most efficient way IFATCArsquos Technical and Op-erations Committee (TOC) looked at this and presented a working paper at the Fed-erationrsquos Annual Conference held in Sofia Bulgaria last April

When developing new systems develop-

ers tend to rely on standards which nor-mally incorporate best practices or lessons learned by experience in the past Surpris-ingly however there are no official stand-ards for the design of ATC systems Some efforts have been made for example in a project called Eurocontrol Core Require-ments for ATM Working Positions (CoRe) Finalized in 2002 it tried to identify and mitigate problems within the CWP Devel-opment Process The FAA also produced a report in 2003 to assist in the design development and evaluation of FAA sys-tems Despite such efforts nothing in the domain of ATM compares to for exam-ple the situation in aircraft cockpits where there is a high level of standardization

Generally we can distinguish four areas in design requirements

4 Simplicity simple systems are gener-ally easier to use and maintain and require less training

4 Consistency it is desirable that the same layout and style is used as much as possible As an example of the im-portance of this factor the time that a person needs to mentally process the information in a screen may double when the position of the elements is varied

4 Safety as safety is paramount in ATC the system must be verified validated and certified for both normal opera-tions but also in degraded and emer-gency modes

4 Usability meaning that the system must be easy to use and learn and ef-ficient to apply for performing a cer-tain task

A user-centred approach is desirable to improve the usability of the system This is why controllers should be involved in the design of ATC systems from the begin-ning an article about the subject was pub-lished in The Controller issue of April 2014 (Put a controller in your team) Controllers also need to be involved in validation and in further developments and upgrades to help keep the system user-friendly and not feature overloaded But what about con-sistency Different cultures communities and even individuals can have different perceptions of the same problem As such the display of information and the differ-ences between ATM systems clearly show a lack of consistency

Letrsquos consider alerts for example An alert is a way to focus the attention of the con-troller to a particular piece of the informa-tion being displayed Well-designed alerts clearly contribute to safety but false warn-ings and nuisance alerts if these occur too frequently can result in the control-ler ignoring a genuine warning or simply overlooking it Our systems tend to have an increasing number of warnings conflict alerts area proximity warnings level busts hellip It should be easy to quickly determine the actual nature of the warning and using colours to differentiate seems like a logical thing to do In the absence of any stand-ards however every control system has its own set of warnings with its own colour schemes and its own set of parameters

If colours are used to draw attention to an issue or to distinguish different problems it can in fact cause issues as well In the January 2015 issue of The Controller there

4 Screen overload at Bodoslash Oceanic ACC Photo Terje Dahlseng Eide THE

CONTROLLER14

NEED FOR GUIDING PRINCIPLES amp STANDARDS

4 Technology

is an article (pages 14 and 15) about the new Pegasus Sys-tem implemented in Poland The author writes One of the main issues is how colours are used (hellip) it appears for exam-ple very easy to miss situations close to sector boundaries due to the so-called ldquowhite-label syndromerdquo

The lsquowhite label syndromersquo is also known in other systems In Spain the labels are green for traffic in the sector and white for traffic outside the sector Sometimes controllers over-look the white traffic close to their sectors because their attention is focused in look-ing for conflicts affecting the green planes While colours provide an additional source of information to the control-ler therersquos also a risk that infor-mation is too easily discarded ie without actually interpreting it In fact the system lsquodecidesrsquo that certain information is worth looking at more than otherhellip

Itrsquos also easy to overdo an extensive use of colours can also lead to overload for controllers An example is the following list of colours used in Belgium

4 White aircraft currently on the frequency

4 Yellow aircraft coordinated to enter the sector

4 Brown aircraft transferred to the next sector

4 Green aircraft entering the sector but not yet on the frequency

4 Blue aircraft is selected 4 Red conflicting aircraft 4 Grey information label aircraft wonrsquot

necessarily be entering the sector

Not only the high number of colours make difficult to keep track of the traffic but grey labels are often overlooked due to all the other colours creating a problem simi-lar to the white-label syndrome mentioned above

The three systems just mentioned Span-ish Polish and Belgian use a dark back-ground in line with the lsquotraditionalrsquo ra-dar scopes But the lack of standards is evident even here A number of systems such as the VAFORIT system introduced in Karlsruhe in 2010 (see The Controller July

2011) used a white background This was later changed to light greyThe training sessions for VAFORIT showed that the colour scheme was not welcomed by the controllers Every change in the de-sign resulted in more problems because changing one colour impacted the en-tire colour palette After the system was brought online the colour scheme was implicated as a contributory factor to sev-eral incidents Eventually DFS asked the Institute for Labour Sciences of Darmstadt University for assistance This was a unique opportunity to have a scientific analysis of the issue They suggested a particular range of colours which was accepted by the controllers and finally implemented

Another issue is the readability of the in-formation presented It is tempting to think that the type of font used in a system is only relevant from an aesthetic point of view but it can easily lead to confusion An example was mentioned in an IFATCA working paper (presented at the Amman Conference in 2011) on the use of alpha-numeric callsigns this mentioned that us-ing the letters B I O S and Z in callsigns could easily create confusion with the numbers 8 1 0 5 and 2 While this ap-plies no matter what font is used a badly chosen font can easily create more confu-sion than a well-designed one

The experience of our German colleagues and their VAFORIT system is a perfect ex-ample of how a scientific study can improve a system It could be tempting to think that science is universal and that it could there-fore help to develop some universal stand-ard to be followed by every ATC system Unfortunately this is not completely true Colours are useful as an example again How to define a standard for colours when they may have different meanings de-pending of culture Being educated in a western culture I would probably choose red as the colour to be used for a warning In my culture red is associated to danger and prohibition A Chinese controller on the other hand could think otherwise for him red is associated with celebrations and as a symbol of good luck

To conclude there is no universal set of rules to decide what information must be included in an automated ATC system and how this information should be presented Definition of a standard is not an easy task because of factors like cultural differences and the transition from existing legacy sys-tems Nevertheless at least some stand-ardization is desirable For this reason TOC recommended that the Federation develops guiding principles for alerts and for the display of operational information ^

ignacioifatcagmailcom

4 The Pegasus system in Poland susceptible to the white-label syndrome Photo PANSA

15 THE CONTROLLER

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER16

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

MADRID HOST TO 70TH EDITION

4 Capt Martin Chalk newly elected IFALPA President

Photo IFALPA

IFALPA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The 70th annual conference of the Inter-national Federation of Air Line Pilotsrsquo As-sociations (IFALPA) was held in Madrid on 10-12 April 2015 Nearly 500 pilots attend-ed and debated a wide range of subjects

ContractsOne of these was the new pilot employ-ment contracts being devised by many airlines more particularly those operat-ing as so-called low-cost operators One such practice is the ldquoPay-to-Flyrdquo contract whereby mostly young pilots looking for a job and requiring to buildkeep experi-ence have to pay between 20 and 50000 USD in exchange for the ldquoprivilegeldquo of working as a pilot for an airline

Another deplorable one is the so-called ldquozero hoursldquo contract Here pilots are only paid when they fly In other words they have no fixed income and are not paid during months where traffic is low The last one is referred to as ldquoself-employmentrdquo where companies (Ryanair was mentioned) only employ pilots that have their own ldquocompanyrdquo This avoids the airline hav-ing to pay pension contributions social and medical benefitsetc Needless to say that job security in all these schemes is non-existent

While the main reason is of course cost-cutting they also undermine collective bargaining for working conditions etc These tendencies are extremely worri-some and we have to be careful that con-trollers will not be the next victims of this form of modern slavery

GermanwingsThere were of course long discussions on the aftermath of the Germanwings crash As other professional organisations IFAL-PA strongly condemned the witchhunt by the worldrsquos media the release of details of the Cockpit Voice Recorder to the press within 36 hours of it being recovered and especially the rash measures taken by au-thorities and some airlines without await-ing the outcome of the full investigation The European Cockpit Association (ECA the European Branch of IFALPA) made a resolution opposing the requirement to re-place a pilot leaving the cockpit saying it actually increases risks They also opposed publishing medical records of pilots which would only result in pilots avoiding medi-cal treatment They also reacted strongly against regular psychological assessments by the employer which they argued would also be counterproductive as people would lie to protect their job A better overall solution would be a Peer Interven-tion Program similar to CISM combined with a good loss of license insurance cov-ering mental illness

Most strongly condemned was the unprec-edented statement of a state prosecutor which identified a crew member as ldquothe only culpritrdquo Without awaiting all the el-ements of the investigation it is clearly a grave and unprecedented violation of ICAO Annex 13

Safety SeminarTheir safety seminar this year dealt with emergency responses and media commu-nications after incident or accident includ-

ing how to handle social media This has becomes one of their priorities similar to what IFATCA is currently embarking upon

Changes In Training IFALPA allows presentations from outsid-ers to be made during their plenary Tra-ditionally this privilege is for Airbus andor Boeing but they included Embraer this year as well Essentially all 3 manufactur-ers promoted the new features of their latest-generation aircraft

One excellent presentation came from Captain Harry Nelson an Airbus senior test pilot He talked about the drastic changes needed in training following a number of recent accidents where automation or rather how humans interact with this au-tomation played a major role According to Captain Nelson less books and class-rooms lectures were needed but self train-ing using laptops and tablets were the way forward ldquoTraining must be fun againrdquo he said ldquowith an emphasis on hands-on ex-perience rather than on written materialrdquo

ElectionsDeputy President Martin Chalk from the UK was elected to become the new IFAL-PA President Martin is the former Presi-dent of the European Cockpit Association and he is keen to continue the very good cooperation with IFATCA Their next Con-ference will be in New Orleans USA from April 15 unitl 18 2016 For once it doesnrsquot clash with our own IFATCA Conference ^

dpthe-controllernet

INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

THE FUTURE OF GLOBALAIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

This is version 20 of the IFATCA Statement on the Future of Global Air Traffic Management It was formally adopted at the IFATCA Annual Conference in Sofia Bulgaria in April 2015 For more information contact our EVP Technical via evptifatcaorg

8 INTRODUCTIONAir traffic control at its core is a safety service Many future systems focus on increasing system capac-ity and efficiency It is not that capacity concerns have overshadowed safety as priority instead it is an acknowledgement that a system operated in excess of available capacity creates unsafe conditions To remedy an overcapacity condition one can either restrict access or increase capacity IFATCA recognizes that restricting growth in global aviation is not a realistic approach In order to maintain the necessary standard of safety in air traffic control moving forward we must be willing to take advantage of innovation in technology and procedures that will build the needed system capacity

8 PERFORMANCE BASED ATM4 AIR NAVIGATION SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE

Air navigation infrastructures develop on an evolutionary path that requires cooperation between ground based providers and airborne users Moving forward with advanced technologies to build sys-tem capacity requires coordinated investment from governments air navigation service providers and system users

In other modes of transport the infrastructure can be developed independently from the network us-ers For example adding a new lane to a highway increases system capacity without the need for new investment in vehicle technology With the exception of new runways this is not the case for aviation

Moving toward a performance based model for Air Traffic Management requires more than placing performance targets on outputs It requires a fundamental rethinking of the air traffic infrastruc-ture and standards development process Each element of the system should be developed using a performance-based process By shifting to a true performance based model we change the concept of standards making in a way that encourages technological advancement and allows system users to take advantage of the benefits new systems offer This concept embraces the ideas embodied in Required Navigation Performance Required Surveillance Performance and Required Communication Performance

4 REQUIRED SURVEILLANCE PERFORMANCERequired Surveillance Performance is a concept within the ICAO community Transition to a true RSP environment requires the establishment of clear standards for precision update rates and latency of any surveillance system Ideally this will lead to the concept of simplified surveillance separation standards that replaces the current process of developing new separation standards to accommodate new technologies

Rather than evaluate new surveillance systems and develop separation standards necessary to uti-lize a new technology a performance based approach requires the sensor technology to meet the specifications to allow the existing separation standards to be applied1 This provides developers and manufacturers with a clear design target In addition moving away from sensor based standards can reduce sector complexity in a mixed mode operation allowing for increased capacity

It is not necessary for air traffic controllers to know the source of a surveillance target only that the displayed target meets the necessary requirements for accuracy and reliability This approach allows both users and ANSPs to take advantage of developing technologies more rapidly and can expand the amount of airspace where surveillance based separation standards can be applied As we move away from radar dependent surveillance in the long term we introduce new flexibility for airspace design capacity and efficiency

1 Separation standards are not solely based on the surveillance system they also require standards for com-munication and navigation availability and precision

4 IFATCA Statement

illustrations copy csp_Harlekino | wwwfotosearchcom

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4 REQUIRED NAVIGATION PERFORMANCEThe development process for Required Navigation Performance can provide an effective model for the continued development of RCP and RSP RNP has illustrated that continual improvements in the on board precision coupled with effective airspace design can provide substantial and measurable benefits The application of a rigorous safety case is a fundamental part of the process Moving away from a technology based standard to a performance based one has improved the process and allows for operators to conduct independent evaluations on the business case to support the on board investment Operational benefits from increased airspace capacity are demonstrated This approach formed the basis for PBN (Performance Based Navigation)

4 REQUIRED COMMUNICATION PERFORMANCEExisting standards are dependent upon direct air to ground voice communications While this is cur-rently the preferred means of communication when possible opportunities for development of less infrastructure dependent communications technologies are foreseeable A focus on the performance requirements of alternative systems that includes the human factors elements may allow for develop-ment of alternative systems with equal or greater levels of reliability than existing air to ground voice concepts

4 SERVICE PRIORITYExisting ATC service priority models that place heavy emphasis on the concept of first come first served do not take advantage of the reduced demand on ATC resources that result from advances in onboard capabilities Tactical sector resources include air traffic controller staffing available fre-quency time and coordination requirements The level and type of communication navigation and surveillance equipment on board an aircraft affects the tactical sector resources needed to provide air traffic control services For example an RNAV equipped aircraft uses fewer sector resources when flying an RNAV STAR than a lesser- equipped aircraft that must be vectored to the final approach

The evolution of air navigation and airspace design over the last decade has placed increasing empha-sis on airborne equipment From GNSS routes to PBN efficient airspace design and utilization requires that sufficient percentages of aircraft be appropriately equipped to utilize the advanced routes

Performance Based ATM requires both air navigation service providers and system users invest in sys-tems that allow for maximization of airspace capacity and efficiency In order to develop a business case for the investment operational benefits must be quantifiable A service priority model based on first come first served without consideration of the relative sector resources needed to provide the service may discourage or delay modernisation efforts

New service priority models are a critical element of performance based ATM In the same manner that system users seek to obtain operational benefits from on board investment air navigation ser-vice providers should be able to derive benefits from investment in the ground based technologies Under the current service priority model lesser equipped aircraft are afforded the same priority as better equipped aircraft regardless of the additional resources they may consume Delaying aircraft to accommodate minimally equipped users particularly through holding consumes considerable sec-tor resources for which the ANSP is not compensated If the ANSP is able to establish a service prior-ity model that considers aircraft equipment requirements to maximise sector capacity and efficiency it will be more able to offset the investment costs of advanced technologies

A truly performance based model for ATM would permit ANSPs to consider airborne equipment as a dynamic tool for managing sector capacity and efficiency Aircraft equipment requirements could be in place during periods of peak demand and lifted when the capacity enhancing tools are no longer required This strategic approach will require enhanced attention to both airspace planning and flight planning In addition to the capacity enhancement the strategic approach can also be seen as a means to ensure equitable access to airports and airspace when compared to the equipment mandate approach

4 IFATCA Statement

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4 IFATCA Statement

4 AIRSPACE DESIGN AND ACCESSAdvanced airspace design and procedures are evolving to maximise airspace availability and effi-ciency PBN Approaches reduce track distance and can allow aircraft to navigate around terrain in low visibility Continuous Descent Operations allow operators to maximise fuel economy RNP standards allow for reduced separation in procedural airspace increasing capacity and new in-trail climb and descent procedures in en route airspace will allow equipped aircraft to access preferred flight levels These advanced procedures also have the ability to reduce demand on sector resources Airspace de-sign that takes advantage of modern aircraft navigation capabilities has the possibility to de-conflict traffic flows reduce the need for vectoring and reduce frequency congestion Advanced airspace design will play an increasingly important role in managing traffic in high-density areas However this type of airspace design is only of value if the aircraft operating in the airspace are able to use it

Airspace analysis and planning is a critical component in developing an airborne equipment based service priority model Airspace service volumes should be evaluated to determine if and when ben-efits can be derived from advanced procedures This evaluation of airspace service volumes should be an ongoing process and can aid in the evolution to a dynamic concept of airspace management and access

By granting access to the most efficient procedures and airspace to aircraft equipped to use them the business model for airborne investment can be made without artificial manipulation The demand on controllers to manage a new service priority model is mitigated Finally while this model can pro-vide an incentive for operators to equip aircraft for those that want to defer or delay the on board investment the option of moving flights away from peak periods to unconstrained periods could improve overall system efficiency and safety

4 TRAFFIC FLOW MANAGEMENTThe regionalisation of traffic flow management is necessary to meet the traffic growth and environ-mental demands on aviation in the future Safe orderly and expeditious air traffic flows necessitate coordination beyond state boundaries Avoidance of extreme weather events as well as conflict zones that create hazards to aviation cannot be effectively managed without regional collaboration Traffic flow management must take advantage of technologies for information sharing planning and response

4 AIRSPACE INTEGRATION AND USE( CIVIL-MILITARYETC)Global goals of interoperability and airspace capacity are hindered without effective airspace integra-tion Achieving a balance for airspace access between users including civil military manned un-manned and transitional (ie commercial space operators) presents significant challenges for future systems The demand for airspace use is increasing in both quantity and diversity of operations

Technological advances in aircraft coupled with expanded civil uses will place demands on the system that are not supported by current policies Unmanned aircraft both autonomous and remotely piloted are in development In addition the growth in commercial space operations and the development of space tourism will place increasing demands on airspace particularly in the launch and return phases of flight Integrating diverse operations into common airspace will present new challenges that will require innovative thinking to move forward

In some cases particularly in the case of autonomous unmanned aircraft or a ballistic launch phase for a commercial space vehicle where the aircraft or spacecraft may not have a means to execute an air traffic control clearance integration may not be possible In order to accommodate these types of operations clear standards for separation or protected airspace are necessary to ensure the safety of other aircraft

8 EMERGING TECHNOLOGIESInnovation is a hallmark of aviation The first commercial flight occurred within a decade from when the Wright Brothers first took to the air It was less than half a century between the first powered flight and the supersonic jet Our industry has embraced and advanced new technologies that have not only made air travel faster but also safer and more efficient The constant adaptation and integration of new technolo-gies into air traffic control is the mark of the profession This integration and acceptance is not without

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caution or scepticism The approach where technologies are rigorously evaluated prior to integration into the air traffic control system has ensured high levels of safety Air traffic controllers are a critical part of this process Certain new technologies will require a rethinking of long standing operational concepts and standards to facilitate their accommodation Just as radar allowed for the development of new separation standards certain new tools may require the same level of work in developing fundamental concepts and new safety analysis Tools like synthetic vision remote towers and remotely piloted aircraft blur the lines between standards based on visual acquisition of traffic and surveillance based traffic identification These hybrid systems where the human is tasked with visual evaluation of electronically derived information do not fit within the existing separation paradigm New separation standards recognizing that these systems are neither traditional surveillance nor visual systems need to be developed and validated to support the safe integration of these types of systems

8 SAFETYSafety remains the most important performance indicator in ATM As traffic figures rise the accident rate has to be reduced to prevent the number of accidents from increasing The approach towards safety has developed over the years introducing technical human and organisational factors The linear safety ap-proach has been successful in demonstrating causes whenever an incident or accident occurs However the very low rate of aircraft accidents makes it an ineffective safety indicator

It is important to examine safety risks even in the absence of aircraft accidents or incidents This requires a new approach towards safety A proactive approach seeks to understand all the contributing factors in the system and identify systemic safety risks This systems safety approach is based on a principle to maximize the success rate of the overall system In this approach the human factor is seen as the resilient element in a vulnerable system and as a safety net when the system fails Under this concept steps are taken to ensure that the systems are adequately robust and safety risks are mitigated and the human operator is given the necessary tools to perform the safety task

In order to collect and analyse safety information adequate protection of safety information and its sources is critical Systems that penalise people or organisations for reporting safety data limit the data that will be made available The ability to report safety problems including those of human error without fear of reprisal it the foundation of any safety system

8 HUMAN FACTORSThe need for human factors analysis in the development of new technologies is well established The Human-Machine Interface is a critical part of the design process and successful deployment of major new systems have included considerable attention to the human factors analysis However new systems are increasingly network centred rather than single systems that can be analysed as stand alone products introducing broader human factors considerations that go well beyond HMI

As technologies are deployed to maximise system capacity the limits of human performance must be considered While system reliability requirements are very high external factors that could cause disrup-tion cannot be entirely eliminated It is essential to ensure that the ability of human operators to maintain system safety in the event of technology failure is not exceeded

The concept of a systems approach to safety should be expanded to include human factors The human operator should be viewed in totality recognising as new systems allow for increased system capac-ity workload related fatigue issues will need to be considered in addition to those related to schedules and duty time Workload related fatigue can be a symptom of sustained periods either high or very low workload

In order to fully realise peak capacity operational complexity must be minimised Reducing or eliminating mixed mode operations in high-density airspace allows for higher sector capacity Formulas that determine maximum sector capacity must consider both volume and complexity aircraft performance and capability is an important component of sector complexity

8 IFATCAS ROLEIFATCA is in the unique position to provide operational expertise in the development of future ATM The organisation has a leadership role to play in the design development and analysis of emerging concepts for air traffic control IFATCA technical and professional expertise is a critical component of the decision chain The global reach of the Federation provides the opportunity to advance these concepts IFATCA provides ambitious ideas to meet the challenges of the global future of aviation through comprehensive research studies and participation in the global aviation community ^

4 Europe

21

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Over the past 12 monhts European traf-fic has increased slightly 13 according to the Network Managerrsquos Monthly report Delays have also increased along with the traffic levels And with some severe CB activity at the end of May and early June controllersrsquo skills have been severely tested

Some of our colleagues work with reduced runway systems and face other operational challenges Meanwhile the Single Europe-an Sky (SES) is slowly but surely moving forward This is a quick update on what is currently ongoing on the political front with regard to the Single European Sky program and its so-called pillars

TechnicalOn the technical front within SESAR the ATM Master Plan update campaign is ongoing

A final draft of the future

ATM

Mas-ter Plan will be released for consulta-tion at the end of June 2015 The ATM Master

Plan will re-group all the elements for a modernisation of the techno-logical infra-structure in Europe It will include the de-

ployment of new technology the road-map for modernisation and the elements needed for the next step of SESAR called ldquoSESAR 2020rdquo The ambitious task of revis-iting the ATM Masterplan was coordinated by IFATSEA (Dany van der Biest) on behalf of the professional staff organisations Our input including valuable comments by the many IFATCASESAR representatives was greatly appreciated

Beyond SES II+At the beginning of May the European Commission invited all the stakeholders to a SES Vision Workshop All stakeholders and institutions were invited to give their view on the future of the Single European Sky A small working group within the Eu-ropean Commission continues to work on this thus planning beyond SES II+ legisla-tion Amongst other things the look into the Reference Period 3 (after 2019) and how the Regulatory framework should evolve in the future

EASA has published its opinion on the common rules of the air and operational

provisions regarding services and pro-cedures in air navigation and Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA) part C

DatalinkDatalink implementation has been post-poned by at least 5 years and the outlook is quite grim as the technology used will most probably by outdated by the time it becomes mandatory Maybe a novel ap-proach to this issue is needed New tech-nologies that achieve the same or better CPDLC performance might become avail-able and those in charge of coordinating the implementation seem to want to wait and see what materialises before taking large scale initiatives

Occurrence ReportingTransposition of the Mandatory Occur-rence Reporting Implementation Regula-tion will be finalised by a high level work-shop on the 1st of October 2015 IFATCA has been working together with other stakeholders to achieve a balance be-tween safety and Just Culture in the form of industry Guidance Material This work is ongoing and the challenge is to keep the advanced Just Culture in the corporate environment intact while allowing the new sectors to join these developments

The new regulation on Occurrence Report-ing will become effective in all European states (plus Norway and Switzerland) on 15 November 2015 Promotional material will become available during the summer IFATCA has worked towards diversity for the different sectors while maintaining Just Culture recognisable throughout the avia-tion industry

The motivation for and the Regulation it-self can be found via these links link1 and link2

Prosecutor Expert CourseAt the end of May 2015 the 5th Eurocon-trolIFATCA Prosecutor Expert Training course was held at the Eurocontrol HQ in Brussels In total some 100 participants have attended this training initiative Bringing together professionals from the judiciary and the aviation world has proven to be a real contribution to Just Culture

loeuifatcaorgsesarcoordifatcaorg

BE READY FOR CHANGEUPDATE ON EUROPEAN ISSUES

^ by Paul Neering IFATCA Liaison to the EU amp Marc Baumgartner IFATCA SESAR Coordinator

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THE CONTROLLER 9

4 Committee C Professional in sessionPhoto BULATCA

tional content of the SESAR programme David leads a team of operational and sys-tems experts who provide strategic guid-ance and review the work within SESAR Da-vid has over 20 years of experience in ATM including a background in ATM standardisa-tion avionics and ground system develop-ments Mr Bowen talked about the role of PBN in the SESAR target concept

Ms Franca Pavličević is the Head of the Navigation and CNS Research Unit at EU-ROCONTROL She is also the chairman of ICAOrsquos PBN Study Group and was involved in the development of ICAOrsquos PBN Concept as a member of CAOrsquos RNPSORSG and ICAOrsquos Separation and Airspace Safety Pan-el (SASP) She is a former air traffic controller she has wide-ranging experience in terminal airspace design amp planning Ms Pavličević talked about the PBN overall challenges in the ATM part

The discussion focused on the lack of infor-mation and training in the PBN field in many places and on the huge differences between what is expected with PBN and what the reality is Emphasis was also on the mixed mode operations which is not something that controllers like While everyone agreed that ideally there should be a once-for-all switchover the reality will be quite different In all likelihood it will not be transparent to the users (pilots or controllers) Mixed-op-erations will have to be accommodated for the foreseeable future making a transparent

implementation anything but easyIt was also clear that training for the users will be vital The fact that the technology is far from trivial (the number of abbrevia-tions for example is staggering) and actu-ally has a wide variety of possible applica-tions means that the training will need to be well considered And whether staff will be made available for such essential train-ing is another issue that will need to be carefully considered

Workshop - Competency Based TrainingIt has been recognized by the internation-al aviation community that there will be an anticipated shortage of skilled aviation professionals in the near future In order to ad-dress this important issue ICAO launched the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) ini-tiative to ensure that enough qual-ified and competent aviation pro-fessionals are available to operate manage and maintain the future international air transport system

Competency-based training plac-es emphasis on achieving bench-marked standards of performance more precisely training that fo-cuses on what a person will actu-ally be required to do in the work-place after completing a program of training

Through role playing Nicole Barrette Technical Specialist at ICAO and Ashley Laureyssen Training Strategies Manager at EUROCONTROL demonstrated the different approaches that could be taken towards a trainee Throughout they en-gaged and challenged the audience to explain the anticipated benefits of Com-petency Based Training in an ATC unit compared to the more conventional ap-proach ^

The Technical and Operations Committee and the Professional and Legal Committee produced three combined work-studies this year The subjects System-Wide Infor-mation Management (SWIM) and Screen Design Process are good examples how combining the two committees provides added value for the Federation The study on Screen Design Process highlighted the various aspects of this process It pointed out risks associated with immature intro-duction and looked at possible solutions to avoid unwanted effects The Executive Board was tasked to collect best practices which will become available for Member Associations

The combined TOCPLC work-study on Crisis Management discussed an increas-ingly important topic for many ANSPs and Associations It provided general guide-lines on the different phases in handling crisis situations and stressed the impor-tance of the availability of an up-to-date

crisis management plan Furthermore this paper encouraged going beyond the local policy by communicating across borders and consulting experts It also introduced a model to assist Member Associations when dealing with a crisis

The PLC work-study on the handling of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) was added to the agenda as this subject is evolving extremely quickly and is of interest to many colleagues With the huge increase in the use of RPAS Air Traffic Management needs to focus on how to seamlessly ef-ficiently and safely incorporate RPAS into the global civil air traffic management en-vironment IFATCA is working with other stakeholders at ICAO to develop the in-ternational standards and recommended practices (SARPs) that will form the basis for the regulatory framework

Finally the committee also adopted an up-dated version of IFATCArsquos Statement On The Future Of Global Air Traffic Manage-

ment This statement can be found else-where in this issue

Committee C (Professional) Mr Peter Van Rooyen (South Africa) chaired the committee He was assisted by Ms Ma-ria Serrano Mulet (Spain) as Committee Secretary and Mr Raia Alayi (Bulgaria) as Vice-Chairman Eric Risdon (Switzerland) IFATCArsquos Executive Vice President Profes-sional completed the head table

Following a number of reports from rep-resentatives who represented IFATCA in numerous meetings around the world the Committee discussed the work-studies car-ried out by the Professional amp Legal Com-mittee (PLC)

Amongst the information papers present-ed one highlighted how Aviation System Safety relies on the constant flow of safety data provided This can be done on a vol-untary or mandatory basis but it relies on the belief that such data would only be

4 Competency Based Training lively illustrated by Nicole Barrette (L) and Ashley Laureyssen (R) Photo BM

4 Conference

THE CONTROLLER10

used for safety purposes It is therefore vital to ensure it is adequately protected

The Multi Sector Planner concept was pro-posed as a means of workload manage-ment The debate that followed showed that this subject could be controversial Fa-tigue Risk Management was an interesting discussion it highlighted the importance of the on-going FRMS Taskforce setup by ICAO There is currently little overlap between IFATCA policy and ICAO Annex 19 but an on-going study should address this in the future Just Culture has been at

the forefront of IFATCAs profes-sional and legal debates for years A very interactive session on this subject with Dr Anthony Smoker challenged the floor to new ideas

Other information papers of in-terest informed about the EURO-CONTROLIFATCA Prosecutor Expert Training Course New Poli-cy was introduced to highlight the importance and the implementa-tion of TRM in an ATCOs career the operational role of the OJTI and the importance of not com-bining the provision of surveil-lance approach and aerodrome control cervices A Policy changes was introduced on the design developm`nt and implementation of a new ATM systems

And as in the other committees there was a vote on the chairman and member as-sociations for the committee that will pre-pare the work-studies for the next confer-ence The PLC will be chaired by Mr Alfred Vlasek (Austria) and his committee will consists of representatives from Australia Germany Hong Kong Italy New Zealand The Netherlands South Africa Spain UK and the USA

Closing Plenary SessionOn Friday afternoon IFATCA PCX Patrik vPeters reconvened the plenary assembly of the Federation This assembly formal-ised the decisions taken in the different committees by accepting the reports of the Committee Chairmen

Mr Geert Maesen (Belgium) and Mrs Ruth Stilwell (USA) were received the IFATCA Executive Board Award Geert was praised for his tireless work on the Information Handbook (IHB) over the past decades while Mrs Stilwell was recognised for rep-resenting IFATCA at ICAO ANC level for the past 5 years

Mr Dale Wright (USA) as Chairman Organ-ising Committee 2016 then addressed the plenary meeting He thanked the del-egates for having confirmed the USA to host next yearrsquos annual conference in Las Vegas

In his closing remarks IFATCA PCX and CEO Patrik Peters thanked the organising committee and BULATCA for an excellent conference ndash a feeling that was shared by the delegates by a long applause and standing ovation^

edthe-controllernet

4 Dr Ruth Stilwell receiving the Executive Board Award from IFATCA PCX amp CEO Peters

Photo BULATCA

If yoursquore planning to attend the 2016 IFATCA Conference in Las Vegas start thinking about your visa requirements NOW To attend a Conference US regulations state that you need to apply for a BUSINESS Visa ndash not a Tourist one If your country is not one of the ones that participate in the Visa Waiver program for the USA then the process to get a visa can take 6 months

The website of the 2016 Organising Committee wwwifatca2016com has links to all the necessary information go to the tab ldquoPlan your visitrdquo then Travelling to the US This will re-direct you to the USA Government Visa website where each country is listed If you need a visa the procedure to apply for one is also there There is a 160 USD non-refundable application fee a visit to a US embassy or consulate is mandatory in most cases As indicated before the time to process your application can take up to 6 months Since the Conference takes place in March there is no time to waste Itrsquos also worth noting that this is not something IFATCA or the Organising Committee can influence or change This has been made clear to us by the US immigration authorities that exemptions or special rules will not be made so there is no point in contacting the OC or IFATCA office for exemptions

Philippe Domogala IFATCA Conference Executive

PLAN AHEAD FORVEGAS 2016

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THE CONTROLLER 11

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER12

^by Dr Ruth Stilwellformer IFATCA Representative to ICAO

4 Ruth and Jean-Franccedilois at ICAO HQ in Montreacuteal Photo Mervyn Fernando

REFLECTING ON THE PAST

Over the past 5 years IFATCA has used its position as Permanent Observer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission to evolve the Federationrsquos contribution to the ICAO process With the creation of the IFATCA Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission we have grown into an integral part of the development of ICAO standards

This progress did not come from the posi-tion or the title it was the result of a ex-traordinary team effort It took the support of the IFATCA Executive Board to make our ICAO participation an organizational prior-ity and the commitment from our Member Associations to fund the position and en-sure that we are a daily presence at ICAO While the final approvals come inside the ANC Chamber much of the work to reach a positive consensus occurs through the daily interaction with the ICAO Secretariat other members of the Commission and the industry representatives

An organization cannot build credibility by showing up at the final stages of an amendment process and expect to con-structively shape the outcome It starts much earlier than that Our ICAO repre-sentatives and EVP-Technical supported by the work of both our Technical and Op-erational Committee and our Professional and Legal Committee help to develop a deep understanding of the issues Their work helps develop solutions and advo-cate for the concerns of the air traffic con-trollers long before a proposal is drafted This sets the stage for our success

The work is not done when a proposal reaches the Air Navigation Commission The ICAO representatives continue to work with our team to make sure the is-sues brought forward in the Panel and Expert Group meetings are well known to the Liaison Officer to the ICAO ANC It is a continual exchange of information as the proposals wind their way through the

ICAO process While the IFATCA ANC li-aison officer is a solo post it serves as part of a large internal team in the Federation Our responses in the ICAO consultation process reflect the input of that team ndash it is not the view of a single officer or rep-resentative it is the collective view of the profession expressed through our techni-cal and professional teams

The TOC and PLC work programmes play an important role in building our influ-ence It is through the deliberations and adoption of policies at conference that we achieve a global voice It is our ability to build a global position within the air traffic controller community on matters critical to our profession that gives us the credibility necessary to build our reputation and our influence

Over the last 5 years the Federation has reshaped its internal processes to take advantage of the op-portunities we are presented We have increased the num-ber of ICAO expert groups on which we serve We have ex-panded the input from our committees in the ICAO process We have restruc-tured how we identi-fy issues for our work programmes to con-sider ICAO priorities Finally we have in-troduced new com-munications tools to facilitate the work of our committees and engage our ICAO representatives

These changes have put us in a strong po-sition as we move forward but like ATC modernization it is a never-ending road We cannot be satisfied with where we are we must continue to move forward build-ing our expertise and capacity to shape the future of our profession Our new Li-aison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission Mr Jean-Francois Lepage is well positioned to take the Federation to the next level ^

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4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER 13

^by Jean-Franccedilois LepageIFATCA Representative to ICAO

LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE

Immediately following the Annual Con-ference in Sofia IFATCArsquos handover for the position of IFATCA Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission be-gan We have been working hard to make the transition transparent for everyone in IFATCA and we are on track for a smooth transition

The current ANC session is coming to an end and we will continue our work through the Fall session ending in November 2015 The 200th session will be full of challenges to overcome as it will include an unprec-

edented number of amendments reaching the final stage of the ICAO process At this point the outgoing and incoming ANC li-aison officers will work side by side in the ANC Chamber This will ensure a continu-ous voice for the Federation as we work the numerous upcoming issues important to the Federation

The topics before us are numerous and in-tricate and the realities with which we will have to work are just as varied and com-plex as a Federation we have to keep in mind that our role is to present a global view It could be the rapid growth of traf-fic in Asia the lack of resources of certain countries in Africa the issues encountered with space vehicles and balloons launches in North America and Oceania the inte-gration challenges in Europe These are

just a few examples that show how important the work we are all doing for this Federation is for its members and how im-portant it is to make sure our interests are best rep-resented at ICAO

In short there will be a lot of topics of great in-terest for the Federation and a lot of issues where the ANC liaison officer will have to defend our interests There is only one way to achieve this since no one can accom-plish such a task alone the key words are indubi-tably communication and synergy

Communication because it is essential to use all the resources we have and share what we know the volunteers of the Federa-tion are incredibly talent-

ed and everything has to be put in place to take advantage of all this expertise and knowledge It is paramount to continue the excellent work of Dr Stilwell in devel-oping mechanisms to take advantage of all this richness to better represent us at ICAO

Synergy which is the interaction of two or more elements to achieve an outcome greater than the sum of its parts allows us to accomplish a lot more than every one of us separately this is another of the many strengths of IFATCA Nowadays technol-ogy among other things has made our world more complex than ever Systems procedures and networks tend to become heavily interrelated and one can easily get confused while trying to navigate through these webs

Again IFATCA has two excellent com-mittees Professional (PLC) and Technical (TOC) within its structure that can ease this constraint Communication between the PLC TOC and the ANC liaison officer will be the key to continued success in making our voice heard at ICAO

Finally I would like to express once again my gratitude to the Executive Board for the vote of confidence and for the sup-port in the transition Additionally I must acknowledge the excellent work of Dr Stilwell training me for my new role Her deep knowledge patience and support will ensure that we remain strongly repre-sented and well regarded at ICAO ^

jeanfrancoislepagegmailcom

4 Technology

^ by Ignacio Baca IFATCA Technical amp Operational Committee (TOC)

ATC DISPLAY DESIGN

It is a fact that modern Air Traffic Control relies on automation Computers are be-hind every modern (and even not so mod-ern) ATC system To interact with these machines we rely on screens A visitor to an ACC or a Tower is often baffled by the number of screens that are a part of the Controller Working Position (CWP) or at least by the amount of information presented on them Besides a screen that shows radar or surveillance data there are usually a number of screens with ad-ditional information such as meteorologi-cal data flight plan information health of the systems etc An extreme example is that of the Bodoslash Oceanic ACC (Norway) where the working positions are literally overloaded with screens that are linked to different systems

While the number of screens and their placement on a working position is a subject in itself the way the information is presented on a given screen needs to be considered it needs to be optimised to suit the needs of the operator so he or she can use the information in the most efficient way IFATCArsquos Technical and Op-erations Committee (TOC) looked at this and presented a working paper at the Fed-erationrsquos Annual Conference held in Sofia Bulgaria last April

When developing new systems develop-

ers tend to rely on standards which nor-mally incorporate best practices or lessons learned by experience in the past Surpris-ingly however there are no official stand-ards for the design of ATC systems Some efforts have been made for example in a project called Eurocontrol Core Require-ments for ATM Working Positions (CoRe) Finalized in 2002 it tried to identify and mitigate problems within the CWP Devel-opment Process The FAA also produced a report in 2003 to assist in the design development and evaluation of FAA sys-tems Despite such efforts nothing in the domain of ATM compares to for exam-ple the situation in aircraft cockpits where there is a high level of standardization

Generally we can distinguish four areas in design requirements

4 Simplicity simple systems are gener-ally easier to use and maintain and require less training

4 Consistency it is desirable that the same layout and style is used as much as possible As an example of the im-portance of this factor the time that a person needs to mentally process the information in a screen may double when the position of the elements is varied

4 Safety as safety is paramount in ATC the system must be verified validated and certified for both normal opera-tions but also in degraded and emer-gency modes

4 Usability meaning that the system must be easy to use and learn and ef-ficient to apply for performing a cer-tain task

A user-centred approach is desirable to improve the usability of the system This is why controllers should be involved in the design of ATC systems from the begin-ning an article about the subject was pub-lished in The Controller issue of April 2014 (Put a controller in your team) Controllers also need to be involved in validation and in further developments and upgrades to help keep the system user-friendly and not feature overloaded But what about con-sistency Different cultures communities and even individuals can have different perceptions of the same problem As such the display of information and the differ-ences between ATM systems clearly show a lack of consistency

Letrsquos consider alerts for example An alert is a way to focus the attention of the con-troller to a particular piece of the informa-tion being displayed Well-designed alerts clearly contribute to safety but false warn-ings and nuisance alerts if these occur too frequently can result in the control-ler ignoring a genuine warning or simply overlooking it Our systems tend to have an increasing number of warnings conflict alerts area proximity warnings level busts hellip It should be easy to quickly determine the actual nature of the warning and using colours to differentiate seems like a logical thing to do In the absence of any stand-ards however every control system has its own set of warnings with its own colour schemes and its own set of parameters

If colours are used to draw attention to an issue or to distinguish different problems it can in fact cause issues as well In the January 2015 issue of The Controller there

4 Screen overload at Bodoslash Oceanic ACC Photo Terje Dahlseng Eide THE

CONTROLLER14

NEED FOR GUIDING PRINCIPLES amp STANDARDS

4 Technology

is an article (pages 14 and 15) about the new Pegasus Sys-tem implemented in Poland The author writes One of the main issues is how colours are used (hellip) it appears for exam-ple very easy to miss situations close to sector boundaries due to the so-called ldquowhite-label syndromerdquo

The lsquowhite label syndromersquo is also known in other systems In Spain the labels are green for traffic in the sector and white for traffic outside the sector Sometimes controllers over-look the white traffic close to their sectors because their attention is focused in look-ing for conflicts affecting the green planes While colours provide an additional source of information to the control-ler therersquos also a risk that infor-mation is too easily discarded ie without actually interpreting it In fact the system lsquodecidesrsquo that certain information is worth looking at more than otherhellip

Itrsquos also easy to overdo an extensive use of colours can also lead to overload for controllers An example is the following list of colours used in Belgium

4 White aircraft currently on the frequency

4 Yellow aircraft coordinated to enter the sector

4 Brown aircraft transferred to the next sector

4 Green aircraft entering the sector but not yet on the frequency

4 Blue aircraft is selected 4 Red conflicting aircraft 4 Grey information label aircraft wonrsquot

necessarily be entering the sector

Not only the high number of colours make difficult to keep track of the traffic but grey labels are often overlooked due to all the other colours creating a problem simi-lar to the white-label syndrome mentioned above

The three systems just mentioned Span-ish Polish and Belgian use a dark back-ground in line with the lsquotraditionalrsquo ra-dar scopes But the lack of standards is evident even here A number of systems such as the VAFORIT system introduced in Karlsruhe in 2010 (see The Controller July

2011) used a white background This was later changed to light greyThe training sessions for VAFORIT showed that the colour scheme was not welcomed by the controllers Every change in the de-sign resulted in more problems because changing one colour impacted the en-tire colour palette After the system was brought online the colour scheme was implicated as a contributory factor to sev-eral incidents Eventually DFS asked the Institute for Labour Sciences of Darmstadt University for assistance This was a unique opportunity to have a scientific analysis of the issue They suggested a particular range of colours which was accepted by the controllers and finally implemented

Another issue is the readability of the in-formation presented It is tempting to think that the type of font used in a system is only relevant from an aesthetic point of view but it can easily lead to confusion An example was mentioned in an IFATCA working paper (presented at the Amman Conference in 2011) on the use of alpha-numeric callsigns this mentioned that us-ing the letters B I O S and Z in callsigns could easily create confusion with the numbers 8 1 0 5 and 2 While this ap-plies no matter what font is used a badly chosen font can easily create more confu-sion than a well-designed one

The experience of our German colleagues and their VAFORIT system is a perfect ex-ample of how a scientific study can improve a system It could be tempting to think that science is universal and that it could there-fore help to develop some universal stand-ard to be followed by every ATC system Unfortunately this is not completely true Colours are useful as an example again How to define a standard for colours when they may have different meanings de-pending of culture Being educated in a western culture I would probably choose red as the colour to be used for a warning In my culture red is associated to danger and prohibition A Chinese controller on the other hand could think otherwise for him red is associated with celebrations and as a symbol of good luck

To conclude there is no universal set of rules to decide what information must be included in an automated ATC system and how this information should be presented Definition of a standard is not an easy task because of factors like cultural differences and the transition from existing legacy sys-tems Nevertheless at least some stand-ardization is desirable For this reason TOC recommended that the Federation develops guiding principles for alerts and for the display of operational information ^

ignacioifatcagmailcom

4 The Pegasus system in Poland susceptible to the white-label syndrome Photo PANSA

15 THE CONTROLLER

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER16

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

MADRID HOST TO 70TH EDITION

4 Capt Martin Chalk newly elected IFALPA President

Photo IFALPA

IFALPA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The 70th annual conference of the Inter-national Federation of Air Line Pilotsrsquo As-sociations (IFALPA) was held in Madrid on 10-12 April 2015 Nearly 500 pilots attend-ed and debated a wide range of subjects

ContractsOne of these was the new pilot employ-ment contracts being devised by many airlines more particularly those operat-ing as so-called low-cost operators One such practice is the ldquoPay-to-Flyrdquo contract whereby mostly young pilots looking for a job and requiring to buildkeep experi-ence have to pay between 20 and 50000 USD in exchange for the ldquoprivilegeldquo of working as a pilot for an airline

Another deplorable one is the so-called ldquozero hoursldquo contract Here pilots are only paid when they fly In other words they have no fixed income and are not paid during months where traffic is low The last one is referred to as ldquoself-employmentrdquo where companies (Ryanair was mentioned) only employ pilots that have their own ldquocompanyrdquo This avoids the airline hav-ing to pay pension contributions social and medical benefitsetc Needless to say that job security in all these schemes is non-existent

While the main reason is of course cost-cutting they also undermine collective bargaining for working conditions etc These tendencies are extremely worri-some and we have to be careful that con-trollers will not be the next victims of this form of modern slavery

GermanwingsThere were of course long discussions on the aftermath of the Germanwings crash As other professional organisations IFAL-PA strongly condemned the witchhunt by the worldrsquos media the release of details of the Cockpit Voice Recorder to the press within 36 hours of it being recovered and especially the rash measures taken by au-thorities and some airlines without await-ing the outcome of the full investigation The European Cockpit Association (ECA the European Branch of IFALPA) made a resolution opposing the requirement to re-place a pilot leaving the cockpit saying it actually increases risks They also opposed publishing medical records of pilots which would only result in pilots avoiding medi-cal treatment They also reacted strongly against regular psychological assessments by the employer which they argued would also be counterproductive as people would lie to protect their job A better overall solution would be a Peer Interven-tion Program similar to CISM combined with a good loss of license insurance cov-ering mental illness

Most strongly condemned was the unprec-edented statement of a state prosecutor which identified a crew member as ldquothe only culpritrdquo Without awaiting all the el-ements of the investigation it is clearly a grave and unprecedented violation of ICAO Annex 13

Safety SeminarTheir safety seminar this year dealt with emergency responses and media commu-nications after incident or accident includ-

ing how to handle social media This has becomes one of their priorities similar to what IFATCA is currently embarking upon

Changes In Training IFALPA allows presentations from outsid-ers to be made during their plenary Tra-ditionally this privilege is for Airbus andor Boeing but they included Embraer this year as well Essentially all 3 manufactur-ers promoted the new features of their latest-generation aircraft

One excellent presentation came from Captain Harry Nelson an Airbus senior test pilot He talked about the drastic changes needed in training following a number of recent accidents where automation or rather how humans interact with this au-tomation played a major role According to Captain Nelson less books and class-rooms lectures were needed but self train-ing using laptops and tablets were the way forward ldquoTraining must be fun againrdquo he said ldquowith an emphasis on hands-on ex-perience rather than on written materialrdquo

ElectionsDeputy President Martin Chalk from the UK was elected to become the new IFAL-PA President Martin is the former Presi-dent of the European Cockpit Association and he is keen to continue the very good cooperation with IFATCA Their next Con-ference will be in New Orleans USA from April 15 unitl 18 2016 For once it doesnrsquot clash with our own IFATCA Conference ^

dpthe-controllernet

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THE FUTURE OF GLOBALAIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

This is version 20 of the IFATCA Statement on the Future of Global Air Traffic Management It was formally adopted at the IFATCA Annual Conference in Sofia Bulgaria in April 2015 For more information contact our EVP Technical via evptifatcaorg

8 INTRODUCTIONAir traffic control at its core is a safety service Many future systems focus on increasing system capac-ity and efficiency It is not that capacity concerns have overshadowed safety as priority instead it is an acknowledgement that a system operated in excess of available capacity creates unsafe conditions To remedy an overcapacity condition one can either restrict access or increase capacity IFATCA recognizes that restricting growth in global aviation is not a realistic approach In order to maintain the necessary standard of safety in air traffic control moving forward we must be willing to take advantage of innovation in technology and procedures that will build the needed system capacity

8 PERFORMANCE BASED ATM4 AIR NAVIGATION SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE

Air navigation infrastructures develop on an evolutionary path that requires cooperation between ground based providers and airborne users Moving forward with advanced technologies to build sys-tem capacity requires coordinated investment from governments air navigation service providers and system users

In other modes of transport the infrastructure can be developed independently from the network us-ers For example adding a new lane to a highway increases system capacity without the need for new investment in vehicle technology With the exception of new runways this is not the case for aviation

Moving toward a performance based model for Air Traffic Management requires more than placing performance targets on outputs It requires a fundamental rethinking of the air traffic infrastruc-ture and standards development process Each element of the system should be developed using a performance-based process By shifting to a true performance based model we change the concept of standards making in a way that encourages technological advancement and allows system users to take advantage of the benefits new systems offer This concept embraces the ideas embodied in Required Navigation Performance Required Surveillance Performance and Required Communication Performance

4 REQUIRED SURVEILLANCE PERFORMANCERequired Surveillance Performance is a concept within the ICAO community Transition to a true RSP environment requires the establishment of clear standards for precision update rates and latency of any surveillance system Ideally this will lead to the concept of simplified surveillance separation standards that replaces the current process of developing new separation standards to accommodate new technologies

Rather than evaluate new surveillance systems and develop separation standards necessary to uti-lize a new technology a performance based approach requires the sensor technology to meet the specifications to allow the existing separation standards to be applied1 This provides developers and manufacturers with a clear design target In addition moving away from sensor based standards can reduce sector complexity in a mixed mode operation allowing for increased capacity

It is not necessary for air traffic controllers to know the source of a surveillance target only that the displayed target meets the necessary requirements for accuracy and reliability This approach allows both users and ANSPs to take advantage of developing technologies more rapidly and can expand the amount of airspace where surveillance based separation standards can be applied As we move away from radar dependent surveillance in the long term we introduce new flexibility for airspace design capacity and efficiency

1 Separation standards are not solely based on the surveillance system they also require standards for com-munication and navigation availability and precision

4 IFATCA Statement

illustrations copy csp_Harlekino | wwwfotosearchcom

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4 REQUIRED NAVIGATION PERFORMANCEThe development process for Required Navigation Performance can provide an effective model for the continued development of RCP and RSP RNP has illustrated that continual improvements in the on board precision coupled with effective airspace design can provide substantial and measurable benefits The application of a rigorous safety case is a fundamental part of the process Moving away from a technology based standard to a performance based one has improved the process and allows for operators to conduct independent evaluations on the business case to support the on board investment Operational benefits from increased airspace capacity are demonstrated This approach formed the basis for PBN (Performance Based Navigation)

4 REQUIRED COMMUNICATION PERFORMANCEExisting standards are dependent upon direct air to ground voice communications While this is cur-rently the preferred means of communication when possible opportunities for development of less infrastructure dependent communications technologies are foreseeable A focus on the performance requirements of alternative systems that includes the human factors elements may allow for develop-ment of alternative systems with equal or greater levels of reliability than existing air to ground voice concepts

4 SERVICE PRIORITYExisting ATC service priority models that place heavy emphasis on the concept of first come first served do not take advantage of the reduced demand on ATC resources that result from advances in onboard capabilities Tactical sector resources include air traffic controller staffing available fre-quency time and coordination requirements The level and type of communication navigation and surveillance equipment on board an aircraft affects the tactical sector resources needed to provide air traffic control services For example an RNAV equipped aircraft uses fewer sector resources when flying an RNAV STAR than a lesser- equipped aircraft that must be vectored to the final approach

The evolution of air navigation and airspace design over the last decade has placed increasing empha-sis on airborne equipment From GNSS routes to PBN efficient airspace design and utilization requires that sufficient percentages of aircraft be appropriately equipped to utilize the advanced routes

Performance Based ATM requires both air navigation service providers and system users invest in sys-tems that allow for maximization of airspace capacity and efficiency In order to develop a business case for the investment operational benefits must be quantifiable A service priority model based on first come first served without consideration of the relative sector resources needed to provide the service may discourage or delay modernisation efforts

New service priority models are a critical element of performance based ATM In the same manner that system users seek to obtain operational benefits from on board investment air navigation ser-vice providers should be able to derive benefits from investment in the ground based technologies Under the current service priority model lesser equipped aircraft are afforded the same priority as better equipped aircraft regardless of the additional resources they may consume Delaying aircraft to accommodate minimally equipped users particularly through holding consumes considerable sec-tor resources for which the ANSP is not compensated If the ANSP is able to establish a service prior-ity model that considers aircraft equipment requirements to maximise sector capacity and efficiency it will be more able to offset the investment costs of advanced technologies

A truly performance based model for ATM would permit ANSPs to consider airborne equipment as a dynamic tool for managing sector capacity and efficiency Aircraft equipment requirements could be in place during periods of peak demand and lifted when the capacity enhancing tools are no longer required This strategic approach will require enhanced attention to both airspace planning and flight planning In addition to the capacity enhancement the strategic approach can also be seen as a means to ensure equitable access to airports and airspace when compared to the equipment mandate approach

4 IFATCA Statement

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4 IFATCA Statement

4 AIRSPACE DESIGN AND ACCESSAdvanced airspace design and procedures are evolving to maximise airspace availability and effi-ciency PBN Approaches reduce track distance and can allow aircraft to navigate around terrain in low visibility Continuous Descent Operations allow operators to maximise fuel economy RNP standards allow for reduced separation in procedural airspace increasing capacity and new in-trail climb and descent procedures in en route airspace will allow equipped aircraft to access preferred flight levels These advanced procedures also have the ability to reduce demand on sector resources Airspace de-sign that takes advantage of modern aircraft navigation capabilities has the possibility to de-conflict traffic flows reduce the need for vectoring and reduce frequency congestion Advanced airspace design will play an increasingly important role in managing traffic in high-density areas However this type of airspace design is only of value if the aircraft operating in the airspace are able to use it

Airspace analysis and planning is a critical component in developing an airborne equipment based service priority model Airspace service volumes should be evaluated to determine if and when ben-efits can be derived from advanced procedures This evaluation of airspace service volumes should be an ongoing process and can aid in the evolution to a dynamic concept of airspace management and access

By granting access to the most efficient procedures and airspace to aircraft equipped to use them the business model for airborne investment can be made without artificial manipulation The demand on controllers to manage a new service priority model is mitigated Finally while this model can pro-vide an incentive for operators to equip aircraft for those that want to defer or delay the on board investment the option of moving flights away from peak periods to unconstrained periods could improve overall system efficiency and safety

4 TRAFFIC FLOW MANAGEMENTThe regionalisation of traffic flow management is necessary to meet the traffic growth and environ-mental demands on aviation in the future Safe orderly and expeditious air traffic flows necessitate coordination beyond state boundaries Avoidance of extreme weather events as well as conflict zones that create hazards to aviation cannot be effectively managed without regional collaboration Traffic flow management must take advantage of technologies for information sharing planning and response

4 AIRSPACE INTEGRATION AND USE( CIVIL-MILITARYETC)Global goals of interoperability and airspace capacity are hindered without effective airspace integra-tion Achieving a balance for airspace access between users including civil military manned un-manned and transitional (ie commercial space operators) presents significant challenges for future systems The demand for airspace use is increasing in both quantity and diversity of operations

Technological advances in aircraft coupled with expanded civil uses will place demands on the system that are not supported by current policies Unmanned aircraft both autonomous and remotely piloted are in development In addition the growth in commercial space operations and the development of space tourism will place increasing demands on airspace particularly in the launch and return phases of flight Integrating diverse operations into common airspace will present new challenges that will require innovative thinking to move forward

In some cases particularly in the case of autonomous unmanned aircraft or a ballistic launch phase for a commercial space vehicle where the aircraft or spacecraft may not have a means to execute an air traffic control clearance integration may not be possible In order to accommodate these types of operations clear standards for separation or protected airspace are necessary to ensure the safety of other aircraft

8 EMERGING TECHNOLOGIESInnovation is a hallmark of aviation The first commercial flight occurred within a decade from when the Wright Brothers first took to the air It was less than half a century between the first powered flight and the supersonic jet Our industry has embraced and advanced new technologies that have not only made air travel faster but also safer and more efficient The constant adaptation and integration of new technolo-gies into air traffic control is the mark of the profession This integration and acceptance is not without

INTER-

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4 IFATCA Statement

caution or scepticism The approach where technologies are rigorously evaluated prior to integration into the air traffic control system has ensured high levels of safety Air traffic controllers are a critical part of this process Certain new technologies will require a rethinking of long standing operational concepts and standards to facilitate their accommodation Just as radar allowed for the development of new separation standards certain new tools may require the same level of work in developing fundamental concepts and new safety analysis Tools like synthetic vision remote towers and remotely piloted aircraft blur the lines between standards based on visual acquisition of traffic and surveillance based traffic identification These hybrid systems where the human is tasked with visual evaluation of electronically derived information do not fit within the existing separation paradigm New separation standards recognizing that these systems are neither traditional surveillance nor visual systems need to be developed and validated to support the safe integration of these types of systems

8 SAFETYSafety remains the most important performance indicator in ATM As traffic figures rise the accident rate has to be reduced to prevent the number of accidents from increasing The approach towards safety has developed over the years introducing technical human and organisational factors The linear safety ap-proach has been successful in demonstrating causes whenever an incident or accident occurs However the very low rate of aircraft accidents makes it an ineffective safety indicator

It is important to examine safety risks even in the absence of aircraft accidents or incidents This requires a new approach towards safety A proactive approach seeks to understand all the contributing factors in the system and identify systemic safety risks This systems safety approach is based on a principle to maximize the success rate of the overall system In this approach the human factor is seen as the resilient element in a vulnerable system and as a safety net when the system fails Under this concept steps are taken to ensure that the systems are adequately robust and safety risks are mitigated and the human operator is given the necessary tools to perform the safety task

In order to collect and analyse safety information adequate protection of safety information and its sources is critical Systems that penalise people or organisations for reporting safety data limit the data that will be made available The ability to report safety problems including those of human error without fear of reprisal it the foundation of any safety system

8 HUMAN FACTORSThe need for human factors analysis in the development of new technologies is well established The Human-Machine Interface is a critical part of the design process and successful deployment of major new systems have included considerable attention to the human factors analysis However new systems are increasingly network centred rather than single systems that can be analysed as stand alone products introducing broader human factors considerations that go well beyond HMI

As technologies are deployed to maximise system capacity the limits of human performance must be considered While system reliability requirements are very high external factors that could cause disrup-tion cannot be entirely eliminated It is essential to ensure that the ability of human operators to maintain system safety in the event of technology failure is not exceeded

The concept of a systems approach to safety should be expanded to include human factors The human operator should be viewed in totality recognising as new systems allow for increased system capac-ity workload related fatigue issues will need to be considered in addition to those related to schedules and duty time Workload related fatigue can be a symptom of sustained periods either high or very low workload

In order to fully realise peak capacity operational complexity must be minimised Reducing or eliminating mixed mode operations in high-density airspace allows for higher sector capacity Formulas that determine maximum sector capacity must consider both volume and complexity aircraft performance and capability is an important component of sector complexity

8 IFATCAS ROLEIFATCA is in the unique position to provide operational expertise in the development of future ATM The organisation has a leadership role to play in the design development and analysis of emerging concepts for air traffic control IFATCA technical and professional expertise is a critical component of the decision chain The global reach of the Federation provides the opportunity to advance these concepts IFATCA provides ambitious ideas to meet the challenges of the global future of aviation through comprehensive research studies and participation in the global aviation community ^

4 Europe

21

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Over the past 12 monhts European traf-fic has increased slightly 13 according to the Network Managerrsquos Monthly report Delays have also increased along with the traffic levels And with some severe CB activity at the end of May and early June controllersrsquo skills have been severely tested

Some of our colleagues work with reduced runway systems and face other operational challenges Meanwhile the Single Europe-an Sky (SES) is slowly but surely moving forward This is a quick update on what is currently ongoing on the political front with regard to the Single European Sky program and its so-called pillars

TechnicalOn the technical front within SESAR the ATM Master Plan update campaign is ongoing

A final draft of the future

ATM

Mas-ter Plan will be released for consulta-tion at the end of June 2015 The ATM Master

Plan will re-group all the elements for a modernisation of the techno-logical infra-structure in Europe It will include the de-

ployment of new technology the road-map for modernisation and the elements needed for the next step of SESAR called ldquoSESAR 2020rdquo The ambitious task of revis-iting the ATM Masterplan was coordinated by IFATSEA (Dany van der Biest) on behalf of the professional staff organisations Our input including valuable comments by the many IFATCASESAR representatives was greatly appreciated

Beyond SES II+At the beginning of May the European Commission invited all the stakeholders to a SES Vision Workshop All stakeholders and institutions were invited to give their view on the future of the Single European Sky A small working group within the Eu-ropean Commission continues to work on this thus planning beyond SES II+ legisla-tion Amongst other things the look into the Reference Period 3 (after 2019) and how the Regulatory framework should evolve in the future

EASA has published its opinion on the common rules of the air and operational

provisions regarding services and pro-cedures in air navigation and Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA) part C

DatalinkDatalink implementation has been post-poned by at least 5 years and the outlook is quite grim as the technology used will most probably by outdated by the time it becomes mandatory Maybe a novel ap-proach to this issue is needed New tech-nologies that achieve the same or better CPDLC performance might become avail-able and those in charge of coordinating the implementation seem to want to wait and see what materialises before taking large scale initiatives

Occurrence ReportingTransposition of the Mandatory Occur-rence Reporting Implementation Regula-tion will be finalised by a high level work-shop on the 1st of October 2015 IFATCA has been working together with other stakeholders to achieve a balance be-tween safety and Just Culture in the form of industry Guidance Material This work is ongoing and the challenge is to keep the advanced Just Culture in the corporate environment intact while allowing the new sectors to join these developments

The new regulation on Occurrence Report-ing will become effective in all European states (plus Norway and Switzerland) on 15 November 2015 Promotional material will become available during the summer IFATCA has worked towards diversity for the different sectors while maintaining Just Culture recognisable throughout the avia-tion industry

The motivation for and the Regulation it-self can be found via these links link1 and link2

Prosecutor Expert CourseAt the end of May 2015 the 5th Eurocon-trolIFATCA Prosecutor Expert Training course was held at the Eurocontrol HQ in Brussels In total some 100 participants have attended this training initiative Bringing together professionals from the judiciary and the aviation world has proven to be a real contribution to Just Culture

loeuifatcaorgsesarcoordifatcaorg

BE READY FOR CHANGEUPDATE ON EUROPEAN ISSUES

^ by Paul Neering IFATCA Liaison to the EU amp Marc Baumgartner IFATCA SESAR Coordinator

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4 Conference

THE CONTROLLER10

used for safety purposes It is therefore vital to ensure it is adequately protected

The Multi Sector Planner concept was pro-posed as a means of workload manage-ment The debate that followed showed that this subject could be controversial Fa-tigue Risk Management was an interesting discussion it highlighted the importance of the on-going FRMS Taskforce setup by ICAO There is currently little overlap between IFATCA policy and ICAO Annex 19 but an on-going study should address this in the future Just Culture has been at

the forefront of IFATCAs profes-sional and legal debates for years A very interactive session on this subject with Dr Anthony Smoker challenged the floor to new ideas

Other information papers of in-terest informed about the EURO-CONTROLIFATCA Prosecutor Expert Training Course New Poli-cy was introduced to highlight the importance and the implementa-tion of TRM in an ATCOs career the operational role of the OJTI and the importance of not com-bining the provision of surveil-lance approach and aerodrome control cervices A Policy changes was introduced on the design developm`nt and implementation of a new ATM systems

And as in the other committees there was a vote on the chairman and member as-sociations for the committee that will pre-pare the work-studies for the next confer-ence The PLC will be chaired by Mr Alfred Vlasek (Austria) and his committee will consists of representatives from Australia Germany Hong Kong Italy New Zealand The Netherlands South Africa Spain UK and the USA

Closing Plenary SessionOn Friday afternoon IFATCA PCX Patrik vPeters reconvened the plenary assembly of the Federation This assembly formal-ised the decisions taken in the different committees by accepting the reports of the Committee Chairmen

Mr Geert Maesen (Belgium) and Mrs Ruth Stilwell (USA) were received the IFATCA Executive Board Award Geert was praised for his tireless work on the Information Handbook (IHB) over the past decades while Mrs Stilwell was recognised for rep-resenting IFATCA at ICAO ANC level for the past 5 years

Mr Dale Wright (USA) as Chairman Organ-ising Committee 2016 then addressed the plenary meeting He thanked the del-egates for having confirmed the USA to host next yearrsquos annual conference in Las Vegas

In his closing remarks IFATCA PCX and CEO Patrik Peters thanked the organising committee and BULATCA for an excellent conference ndash a feeling that was shared by the delegates by a long applause and standing ovation^

edthe-controllernet

4 Dr Ruth Stilwell receiving the Executive Board Award from IFATCA PCX amp CEO Peters

Photo BULATCA

If yoursquore planning to attend the 2016 IFATCA Conference in Las Vegas start thinking about your visa requirements NOW To attend a Conference US regulations state that you need to apply for a BUSINESS Visa ndash not a Tourist one If your country is not one of the ones that participate in the Visa Waiver program for the USA then the process to get a visa can take 6 months

The website of the 2016 Organising Committee wwwifatca2016com has links to all the necessary information go to the tab ldquoPlan your visitrdquo then Travelling to the US This will re-direct you to the USA Government Visa website where each country is listed If you need a visa the procedure to apply for one is also there There is a 160 USD non-refundable application fee a visit to a US embassy or consulate is mandatory in most cases As indicated before the time to process your application can take up to 6 months Since the Conference takes place in March there is no time to waste Itrsquos also worth noting that this is not something IFATCA or the Organising Committee can influence or change This has been made clear to us by the US immigration authorities that exemptions or special rules will not be made so there is no point in contacting the OC or IFATCA office for exemptions

Philippe Domogala IFATCA Conference Executive

PLAN AHEAD FORVEGAS 2016

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THE CONTROLLER 11

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER12

^by Dr Ruth Stilwellformer IFATCA Representative to ICAO

4 Ruth and Jean-Franccedilois at ICAO HQ in Montreacuteal Photo Mervyn Fernando

REFLECTING ON THE PAST

Over the past 5 years IFATCA has used its position as Permanent Observer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission to evolve the Federationrsquos contribution to the ICAO process With the creation of the IFATCA Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission we have grown into an integral part of the development of ICAO standards

This progress did not come from the posi-tion or the title it was the result of a ex-traordinary team effort It took the support of the IFATCA Executive Board to make our ICAO participation an organizational prior-ity and the commitment from our Member Associations to fund the position and en-sure that we are a daily presence at ICAO While the final approvals come inside the ANC Chamber much of the work to reach a positive consensus occurs through the daily interaction with the ICAO Secretariat other members of the Commission and the industry representatives

An organization cannot build credibility by showing up at the final stages of an amendment process and expect to con-structively shape the outcome It starts much earlier than that Our ICAO repre-sentatives and EVP-Technical supported by the work of both our Technical and Op-erational Committee and our Professional and Legal Committee help to develop a deep understanding of the issues Their work helps develop solutions and advo-cate for the concerns of the air traffic con-trollers long before a proposal is drafted This sets the stage for our success

The work is not done when a proposal reaches the Air Navigation Commission The ICAO representatives continue to work with our team to make sure the is-sues brought forward in the Panel and Expert Group meetings are well known to the Liaison Officer to the ICAO ANC It is a continual exchange of information as the proposals wind their way through the

ICAO process While the IFATCA ANC li-aison officer is a solo post it serves as part of a large internal team in the Federation Our responses in the ICAO consultation process reflect the input of that team ndash it is not the view of a single officer or rep-resentative it is the collective view of the profession expressed through our techni-cal and professional teams

The TOC and PLC work programmes play an important role in building our influ-ence It is through the deliberations and adoption of policies at conference that we achieve a global voice It is our ability to build a global position within the air traffic controller community on matters critical to our profession that gives us the credibility necessary to build our reputation and our influence

Over the last 5 years the Federation has reshaped its internal processes to take advantage of the op-portunities we are presented We have increased the num-ber of ICAO expert groups on which we serve We have ex-panded the input from our committees in the ICAO process We have restruc-tured how we identi-fy issues for our work programmes to con-sider ICAO priorities Finally we have in-troduced new com-munications tools to facilitate the work of our committees and engage our ICAO representatives

These changes have put us in a strong po-sition as we move forward but like ATC modernization it is a never-ending road We cannot be satisfied with where we are we must continue to move forward build-ing our expertise and capacity to shape the future of our profession Our new Li-aison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission Mr Jean-Francois Lepage is well positioned to take the Federation to the next level ^

ruthstilwellgmailcom INT

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FEDERATION OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER 13

^by Jean-Franccedilois LepageIFATCA Representative to ICAO

LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE

Immediately following the Annual Con-ference in Sofia IFATCArsquos handover for the position of IFATCA Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission be-gan We have been working hard to make the transition transparent for everyone in IFATCA and we are on track for a smooth transition

The current ANC session is coming to an end and we will continue our work through the Fall session ending in November 2015 The 200th session will be full of challenges to overcome as it will include an unprec-

edented number of amendments reaching the final stage of the ICAO process At this point the outgoing and incoming ANC li-aison officers will work side by side in the ANC Chamber This will ensure a continu-ous voice for the Federation as we work the numerous upcoming issues important to the Federation

The topics before us are numerous and in-tricate and the realities with which we will have to work are just as varied and com-plex as a Federation we have to keep in mind that our role is to present a global view It could be the rapid growth of traf-fic in Asia the lack of resources of certain countries in Africa the issues encountered with space vehicles and balloons launches in North America and Oceania the inte-gration challenges in Europe These are

just a few examples that show how important the work we are all doing for this Federation is for its members and how im-portant it is to make sure our interests are best rep-resented at ICAO

In short there will be a lot of topics of great in-terest for the Federation and a lot of issues where the ANC liaison officer will have to defend our interests There is only one way to achieve this since no one can accom-plish such a task alone the key words are indubi-tably communication and synergy

Communication because it is essential to use all the resources we have and share what we know the volunteers of the Federa-tion are incredibly talent-

ed and everything has to be put in place to take advantage of all this expertise and knowledge It is paramount to continue the excellent work of Dr Stilwell in devel-oping mechanisms to take advantage of all this richness to better represent us at ICAO

Synergy which is the interaction of two or more elements to achieve an outcome greater than the sum of its parts allows us to accomplish a lot more than every one of us separately this is another of the many strengths of IFATCA Nowadays technol-ogy among other things has made our world more complex than ever Systems procedures and networks tend to become heavily interrelated and one can easily get confused while trying to navigate through these webs

Again IFATCA has two excellent com-mittees Professional (PLC) and Technical (TOC) within its structure that can ease this constraint Communication between the PLC TOC and the ANC liaison officer will be the key to continued success in making our voice heard at ICAO

Finally I would like to express once again my gratitude to the Executive Board for the vote of confidence and for the sup-port in the transition Additionally I must acknowledge the excellent work of Dr Stilwell training me for my new role Her deep knowledge patience and support will ensure that we remain strongly repre-sented and well regarded at ICAO ^

jeanfrancoislepagegmailcom

4 Technology

^ by Ignacio Baca IFATCA Technical amp Operational Committee (TOC)

ATC DISPLAY DESIGN

It is a fact that modern Air Traffic Control relies on automation Computers are be-hind every modern (and even not so mod-ern) ATC system To interact with these machines we rely on screens A visitor to an ACC or a Tower is often baffled by the number of screens that are a part of the Controller Working Position (CWP) or at least by the amount of information presented on them Besides a screen that shows radar or surveillance data there are usually a number of screens with ad-ditional information such as meteorologi-cal data flight plan information health of the systems etc An extreme example is that of the Bodoslash Oceanic ACC (Norway) where the working positions are literally overloaded with screens that are linked to different systems

While the number of screens and their placement on a working position is a subject in itself the way the information is presented on a given screen needs to be considered it needs to be optimised to suit the needs of the operator so he or she can use the information in the most efficient way IFATCArsquos Technical and Op-erations Committee (TOC) looked at this and presented a working paper at the Fed-erationrsquos Annual Conference held in Sofia Bulgaria last April

When developing new systems develop-

ers tend to rely on standards which nor-mally incorporate best practices or lessons learned by experience in the past Surpris-ingly however there are no official stand-ards for the design of ATC systems Some efforts have been made for example in a project called Eurocontrol Core Require-ments for ATM Working Positions (CoRe) Finalized in 2002 it tried to identify and mitigate problems within the CWP Devel-opment Process The FAA also produced a report in 2003 to assist in the design development and evaluation of FAA sys-tems Despite such efforts nothing in the domain of ATM compares to for exam-ple the situation in aircraft cockpits where there is a high level of standardization

Generally we can distinguish four areas in design requirements

4 Simplicity simple systems are gener-ally easier to use and maintain and require less training

4 Consistency it is desirable that the same layout and style is used as much as possible As an example of the im-portance of this factor the time that a person needs to mentally process the information in a screen may double when the position of the elements is varied

4 Safety as safety is paramount in ATC the system must be verified validated and certified for both normal opera-tions but also in degraded and emer-gency modes

4 Usability meaning that the system must be easy to use and learn and ef-ficient to apply for performing a cer-tain task

A user-centred approach is desirable to improve the usability of the system This is why controllers should be involved in the design of ATC systems from the begin-ning an article about the subject was pub-lished in The Controller issue of April 2014 (Put a controller in your team) Controllers also need to be involved in validation and in further developments and upgrades to help keep the system user-friendly and not feature overloaded But what about con-sistency Different cultures communities and even individuals can have different perceptions of the same problem As such the display of information and the differ-ences between ATM systems clearly show a lack of consistency

Letrsquos consider alerts for example An alert is a way to focus the attention of the con-troller to a particular piece of the informa-tion being displayed Well-designed alerts clearly contribute to safety but false warn-ings and nuisance alerts if these occur too frequently can result in the control-ler ignoring a genuine warning or simply overlooking it Our systems tend to have an increasing number of warnings conflict alerts area proximity warnings level busts hellip It should be easy to quickly determine the actual nature of the warning and using colours to differentiate seems like a logical thing to do In the absence of any stand-ards however every control system has its own set of warnings with its own colour schemes and its own set of parameters

If colours are used to draw attention to an issue or to distinguish different problems it can in fact cause issues as well In the January 2015 issue of The Controller there

4 Screen overload at Bodoslash Oceanic ACC Photo Terje Dahlseng Eide THE

CONTROLLER14

NEED FOR GUIDING PRINCIPLES amp STANDARDS

4 Technology

is an article (pages 14 and 15) about the new Pegasus Sys-tem implemented in Poland The author writes One of the main issues is how colours are used (hellip) it appears for exam-ple very easy to miss situations close to sector boundaries due to the so-called ldquowhite-label syndromerdquo

The lsquowhite label syndromersquo is also known in other systems In Spain the labels are green for traffic in the sector and white for traffic outside the sector Sometimes controllers over-look the white traffic close to their sectors because their attention is focused in look-ing for conflicts affecting the green planes While colours provide an additional source of information to the control-ler therersquos also a risk that infor-mation is too easily discarded ie without actually interpreting it In fact the system lsquodecidesrsquo that certain information is worth looking at more than otherhellip

Itrsquos also easy to overdo an extensive use of colours can also lead to overload for controllers An example is the following list of colours used in Belgium

4 White aircraft currently on the frequency

4 Yellow aircraft coordinated to enter the sector

4 Brown aircraft transferred to the next sector

4 Green aircraft entering the sector but not yet on the frequency

4 Blue aircraft is selected 4 Red conflicting aircraft 4 Grey information label aircraft wonrsquot

necessarily be entering the sector

Not only the high number of colours make difficult to keep track of the traffic but grey labels are often overlooked due to all the other colours creating a problem simi-lar to the white-label syndrome mentioned above

The three systems just mentioned Span-ish Polish and Belgian use a dark back-ground in line with the lsquotraditionalrsquo ra-dar scopes But the lack of standards is evident even here A number of systems such as the VAFORIT system introduced in Karlsruhe in 2010 (see The Controller July

2011) used a white background This was later changed to light greyThe training sessions for VAFORIT showed that the colour scheme was not welcomed by the controllers Every change in the de-sign resulted in more problems because changing one colour impacted the en-tire colour palette After the system was brought online the colour scheme was implicated as a contributory factor to sev-eral incidents Eventually DFS asked the Institute for Labour Sciences of Darmstadt University for assistance This was a unique opportunity to have a scientific analysis of the issue They suggested a particular range of colours which was accepted by the controllers and finally implemented

Another issue is the readability of the in-formation presented It is tempting to think that the type of font used in a system is only relevant from an aesthetic point of view but it can easily lead to confusion An example was mentioned in an IFATCA working paper (presented at the Amman Conference in 2011) on the use of alpha-numeric callsigns this mentioned that us-ing the letters B I O S and Z in callsigns could easily create confusion with the numbers 8 1 0 5 and 2 While this ap-plies no matter what font is used a badly chosen font can easily create more confu-sion than a well-designed one

The experience of our German colleagues and their VAFORIT system is a perfect ex-ample of how a scientific study can improve a system It could be tempting to think that science is universal and that it could there-fore help to develop some universal stand-ard to be followed by every ATC system Unfortunately this is not completely true Colours are useful as an example again How to define a standard for colours when they may have different meanings de-pending of culture Being educated in a western culture I would probably choose red as the colour to be used for a warning In my culture red is associated to danger and prohibition A Chinese controller on the other hand could think otherwise for him red is associated with celebrations and as a symbol of good luck

To conclude there is no universal set of rules to decide what information must be included in an automated ATC system and how this information should be presented Definition of a standard is not an easy task because of factors like cultural differences and the transition from existing legacy sys-tems Nevertheless at least some stand-ardization is desirable For this reason TOC recommended that the Federation develops guiding principles for alerts and for the display of operational information ^

ignacioifatcagmailcom

4 The Pegasus system in Poland susceptible to the white-label syndrome Photo PANSA

15 THE CONTROLLER

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER16

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

MADRID HOST TO 70TH EDITION

4 Capt Martin Chalk newly elected IFALPA President

Photo IFALPA

IFALPA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The 70th annual conference of the Inter-national Federation of Air Line Pilotsrsquo As-sociations (IFALPA) was held in Madrid on 10-12 April 2015 Nearly 500 pilots attend-ed and debated a wide range of subjects

ContractsOne of these was the new pilot employ-ment contracts being devised by many airlines more particularly those operat-ing as so-called low-cost operators One such practice is the ldquoPay-to-Flyrdquo contract whereby mostly young pilots looking for a job and requiring to buildkeep experi-ence have to pay between 20 and 50000 USD in exchange for the ldquoprivilegeldquo of working as a pilot for an airline

Another deplorable one is the so-called ldquozero hoursldquo contract Here pilots are only paid when they fly In other words they have no fixed income and are not paid during months where traffic is low The last one is referred to as ldquoself-employmentrdquo where companies (Ryanair was mentioned) only employ pilots that have their own ldquocompanyrdquo This avoids the airline hav-ing to pay pension contributions social and medical benefitsetc Needless to say that job security in all these schemes is non-existent

While the main reason is of course cost-cutting they also undermine collective bargaining for working conditions etc These tendencies are extremely worri-some and we have to be careful that con-trollers will not be the next victims of this form of modern slavery

GermanwingsThere were of course long discussions on the aftermath of the Germanwings crash As other professional organisations IFAL-PA strongly condemned the witchhunt by the worldrsquos media the release of details of the Cockpit Voice Recorder to the press within 36 hours of it being recovered and especially the rash measures taken by au-thorities and some airlines without await-ing the outcome of the full investigation The European Cockpit Association (ECA the European Branch of IFALPA) made a resolution opposing the requirement to re-place a pilot leaving the cockpit saying it actually increases risks They also opposed publishing medical records of pilots which would only result in pilots avoiding medi-cal treatment They also reacted strongly against regular psychological assessments by the employer which they argued would also be counterproductive as people would lie to protect their job A better overall solution would be a Peer Interven-tion Program similar to CISM combined with a good loss of license insurance cov-ering mental illness

Most strongly condemned was the unprec-edented statement of a state prosecutor which identified a crew member as ldquothe only culpritrdquo Without awaiting all the el-ements of the investigation it is clearly a grave and unprecedented violation of ICAO Annex 13

Safety SeminarTheir safety seminar this year dealt with emergency responses and media commu-nications after incident or accident includ-

ing how to handle social media This has becomes one of their priorities similar to what IFATCA is currently embarking upon

Changes In Training IFALPA allows presentations from outsid-ers to be made during their plenary Tra-ditionally this privilege is for Airbus andor Boeing but they included Embraer this year as well Essentially all 3 manufactur-ers promoted the new features of their latest-generation aircraft

One excellent presentation came from Captain Harry Nelson an Airbus senior test pilot He talked about the drastic changes needed in training following a number of recent accidents where automation or rather how humans interact with this au-tomation played a major role According to Captain Nelson less books and class-rooms lectures were needed but self train-ing using laptops and tablets were the way forward ldquoTraining must be fun againrdquo he said ldquowith an emphasis on hands-on ex-perience rather than on written materialrdquo

ElectionsDeputy President Martin Chalk from the UK was elected to become the new IFAL-PA President Martin is the former Presi-dent of the European Cockpit Association and he is keen to continue the very good cooperation with IFATCA Their next Con-ference will be in New Orleans USA from April 15 unitl 18 2016 For once it doesnrsquot clash with our own IFATCA Conference ^

dpthe-controllernet

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THE FUTURE OF GLOBALAIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

This is version 20 of the IFATCA Statement on the Future of Global Air Traffic Management It was formally adopted at the IFATCA Annual Conference in Sofia Bulgaria in April 2015 For more information contact our EVP Technical via evptifatcaorg

8 INTRODUCTIONAir traffic control at its core is a safety service Many future systems focus on increasing system capac-ity and efficiency It is not that capacity concerns have overshadowed safety as priority instead it is an acknowledgement that a system operated in excess of available capacity creates unsafe conditions To remedy an overcapacity condition one can either restrict access or increase capacity IFATCA recognizes that restricting growth in global aviation is not a realistic approach In order to maintain the necessary standard of safety in air traffic control moving forward we must be willing to take advantage of innovation in technology and procedures that will build the needed system capacity

8 PERFORMANCE BASED ATM4 AIR NAVIGATION SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE

Air navigation infrastructures develop on an evolutionary path that requires cooperation between ground based providers and airborne users Moving forward with advanced technologies to build sys-tem capacity requires coordinated investment from governments air navigation service providers and system users

In other modes of transport the infrastructure can be developed independently from the network us-ers For example adding a new lane to a highway increases system capacity without the need for new investment in vehicle technology With the exception of new runways this is not the case for aviation

Moving toward a performance based model for Air Traffic Management requires more than placing performance targets on outputs It requires a fundamental rethinking of the air traffic infrastruc-ture and standards development process Each element of the system should be developed using a performance-based process By shifting to a true performance based model we change the concept of standards making in a way that encourages technological advancement and allows system users to take advantage of the benefits new systems offer This concept embraces the ideas embodied in Required Navigation Performance Required Surveillance Performance and Required Communication Performance

4 REQUIRED SURVEILLANCE PERFORMANCERequired Surveillance Performance is a concept within the ICAO community Transition to a true RSP environment requires the establishment of clear standards for precision update rates and latency of any surveillance system Ideally this will lead to the concept of simplified surveillance separation standards that replaces the current process of developing new separation standards to accommodate new technologies

Rather than evaluate new surveillance systems and develop separation standards necessary to uti-lize a new technology a performance based approach requires the sensor technology to meet the specifications to allow the existing separation standards to be applied1 This provides developers and manufacturers with a clear design target In addition moving away from sensor based standards can reduce sector complexity in a mixed mode operation allowing for increased capacity

It is not necessary for air traffic controllers to know the source of a surveillance target only that the displayed target meets the necessary requirements for accuracy and reliability This approach allows both users and ANSPs to take advantage of developing technologies more rapidly and can expand the amount of airspace where surveillance based separation standards can be applied As we move away from radar dependent surveillance in the long term we introduce new flexibility for airspace design capacity and efficiency

1 Separation standards are not solely based on the surveillance system they also require standards for com-munication and navigation availability and precision

4 IFATCA Statement

illustrations copy csp_Harlekino | wwwfotosearchcom

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4 REQUIRED NAVIGATION PERFORMANCEThe development process for Required Navigation Performance can provide an effective model for the continued development of RCP and RSP RNP has illustrated that continual improvements in the on board precision coupled with effective airspace design can provide substantial and measurable benefits The application of a rigorous safety case is a fundamental part of the process Moving away from a technology based standard to a performance based one has improved the process and allows for operators to conduct independent evaluations on the business case to support the on board investment Operational benefits from increased airspace capacity are demonstrated This approach formed the basis for PBN (Performance Based Navigation)

4 REQUIRED COMMUNICATION PERFORMANCEExisting standards are dependent upon direct air to ground voice communications While this is cur-rently the preferred means of communication when possible opportunities for development of less infrastructure dependent communications technologies are foreseeable A focus on the performance requirements of alternative systems that includes the human factors elements may allow for develop-ment of alternative systems with equal or greater levels of reliability than existing air to ground voice concepts

4 SERVICE PRIORITYExisting ATC service priority models that place heavy emphasis on the concept of first come first served do not take advantage of the reduced demand on ATC resources that result from advances in onboard capabilities Tactical sector resources include air traffic controller staffing available fre-quency time and coordination requirements The level and type of communication navigation and surveillance equipment on board an aircraft affects the tactical sector resources needed to provide air traffic control services For example an RNAV equipped aircraft uses fewer sector resources when flying an RNAV STAR than a lesser- equipped aircraft that must be vectored to the final approach

The evolution of air navigation and airspace design over the last decade has placed increasing empha-sis on airborne equipment From GNSS routes to PBN efficient airspace design and utilization requires that sufficient percentages of aircraft be appropriately equipped to utilize the advanced routes

Performance Based ATM requires both air navigation service providers and system users invest in sys-tems that allow for maximization of airspace capacity and efficiency In order to develop a business case for the investment operational benefits must be quantifiable A service priority model based on first come first served without consideration of the relative sector resources needed to provide the service may discourage or delay modernisation efforts

New service priority models are a critical element of performance based ATM In the same manner that system users seek to obtain operational benefits from on board investment air navigation ser-vice providers should be able to derive benefits from investment in the ground based technologies Under the current service priority model lesser equipped aircraft are afforded the same priority as better equipped aircraft regardless of the additional resources they may consume Delaying aircraft to accommodate minimally equipped users particularly through holding consumes considerable sec-tor resources for which the ANSP is not compensated If the ANSP is able to establish a service prior-ity model that considers aircraft equipment requirements to maximise sector capacity and efficiency it will be more able to offset the investment costs of advanced technologies

A truly performance based model for ATM would permit ANSPs to consider airborne equipment as a dynamic tool for managing sector capacity and efficiency Aircraft equipment requirements could be in place during periods of peak demand and lifted when the capacity enhancing tools are no longer required This strategic approach will require enhanced attention to both airspace planning and flight planning In addition to the capacity enhancement the strategic approach can also be seen as a means to ensure equitable access to airports and airspace when compared to the equipment mandate approach

4 IFATCA Statement

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4 IFATCA Statement

4 AIRSPACE DESIGN AND ACCESSAdvanced airspace design and procedures are evolving to maximise airspace availability and effi-ciency PBN Approaches reduce track distance and can allow aircraft to navigate around terrain in low visibility Continuous Descent Operations allow operators to maximise fuel economy RNP standards allow for reduced separation in procedural airspace increasing capacity and new in-trail climb and descent procedures in en route airspace will allow equipped aircraft to access preferred flight levels These advanced procedures also have the ability to reduce demand on sector resources Airspace de-sign that takes advantage of modern aircraft navigation capabilities has the possibility to de-conflict traffic flows reduce the need for vectoring and reduce frequency congestion Advanced airspace design will play an increasingly important role in managing traffic in high-density areas However this type of airspace design is only of value if the aircraft operating in the airspace are able to use it

Airspace analysis and planning is a critical component in developing an airborne equipment based service priority model Airspace service volumes should be evaluated to determine if and when ben-efits can be derived from advanced procedures This evaluation of airspace service volumes should be an ongoing process and can aid in the evolution to a dynamic concept of airspace management and access

By granting access to the most efficient procedures and airspace to aircraft equipped to use them the business model for airborne investment can be made without artificial manipulation The demand on controllers to manage a new service priority model is mitigated Finally while this model can pro-vide an incentive for operators to equip aircraft for those that want to defer or delay the on board investment the option of moving flights away from peak periods to unconstrained periods could improve overall system efficiency and safety

4 TRAFFIC FLOW MANAGEMENTThe regionalisation of traffic flow management is necessary to meet the traffic growth and environ-mental demands on aviation in the future Safe orderly and expeditious air traffic flows necessitate coordination beyond state boundaries Avoidance of extreme weather events as well as conflict zones that create hazards to aviation cannot be effectively managed without regional collaboration Traffic flow management must take advantage of technologies for information sharing planning and response

4 AIRSPACE INTEGRATION AND USE( CIVIL-MILITARYETC)Global goals of interoperability and airspace capacity are hindered without effective airspace integra-tion Achieving a balance for airspace access between users including civil military manned un-manned and transitional (ie commercial space operators) presents significant challenges for future systems The demand for airspace use is increasing in both quantity and diversity of operations

Technological advances in aircraft coupled with expanded civil uses will place demands on the system that are not supported by current policies Unmanned aircraft both autonomous and remotely piloted are in development In addition the growth in commercial space operations and the development of space tourism will place increasing demands on airspace particularly in the launch and return phases of flight Integrating diverse operations into common airspace will present new challenges that will require innovative thinking to move forward

In some cases particularly in the case of autonomous unmanned aircraft or a ballistic launch phase for a commercial space vehicle where the aircraft or spacecraft may not have a means to execute an air traffic control clearance integration may not be possible In order to accommodate these types of operations clear standards for separation or protected airspace are necessary to ensure the safety of other aircraft

8 EMERGING TECHNOLOGIESInnovation is a hallmark of aviation The first commercial flight occurred within a decade from when the Wright Brothers first took to the air It was less than half a century between the first powered flight and the supersonic jet Our industry has embraced and advanced new technologies that have not only made air travel faster but also safer and more efficient The constant adaptation and integration of new technolo-gies into air traffic control is the mark of the profession This integration and acceptance is not without

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4 IFATCA Statement

caution or scepticism The approach where technologies are rigorously evaluated prior to integration into the air traffic control system has ensured high levels of safety Air traffic controllers are a critical part of this process Certain new technologies will require a rethinking of long standing operational concepts and standards to facilitate their accommodation Just as radar allowed for the development of new separation standards certain new tools may require the same level of work in developing fundamental concepts and new safety analysis Tools like synthetic vision remote towers and remotely piloted aircraft blur the lines between standards based on visual acquisition of traffic and surveillance based traffic identification These hybrid systems where the human is tasked with visual evaluation of electronically derived information do not fit within the existing separation paradigm New separation standards recognizing that these systems are neither traditional surveillance nor visual systems need to be developed and validated to support the safe integration of these types of systems

8 SAFETYSafety remains the most important performance indicator in ATM As traffic figures rise the accident rate has to be reduced to prevent the number of accidents from increasing The approach towards safety has developed over the years introducing technical human and organisational factors The linear safety ap-proach has been successful in demonstrating causes whenever an incident or accident occurs However the very low rate of aircraft accidents makes it an ineffective safety indicator

It is important to examine safety risks even in the absence of aircraft accidents or incidents This requires a new approach towards safety A proactive approach seeks to understand all the contributing factors in the system and identify systemic safety risks This systems safety approach is based on a principle to maximize the success rate of the overall system In this approach the human factor is seen as the resilient element in a vulnerable system and as a safety net when the system fails Under this concept steps are taken to ensure that the systems are adequately robust and safety risks are mitigated and the human operator is given the necessary tools to perform the safety task

In order to collect and analyse safety information adequate protection of safety information and its sources is critical Systems that penalise people or organisations for reporting safety data limit the data that will be made available The ability to report safety problems including those of human error without fear of reprisal it the foundation of any safety system

8 HUMAN FACTORSThe need for human factors analysis in the development of new technologies is well established The Human-Machine Interface is a critical part of the design process and successful deployment of major new systems have included considerable attention to the human factors analysis However new systems are increasingly network centred rather than single systems that can be analysed as stand alone products introducing broader human factors considerations that go well beyond HMI

As technologies are deployed to maximise system capacity the limits of human performance must be considered While system reliability requirements are very high external factors that could cause disrup-tion cannot be entirely eliminated It is essential to ensure that the ability of human operators to maintain system safety in the event of technology failure is not exceeded

The concept of a systems approach to safety should be expanded to include human factors The human operator should be viewed in totality recognising as new systems allow for increased system capac-ity workload related fatigue issues will need to be considered in addition to those related to schedules and duty time Workload related fatigue can be a symptom of sustained periods either high or very low workload

In order to fully realise peak capacity operational complexity must be minimised Reducing or eliminating mixed mode operations in high-density airspace allows for higher sector capacity Formulas that determine maximum sector capacity must consider both volume and complexity aircraft performance and capability is an important component of sector complexity

8 IFATCAS ROLEIFATCA is in the unique position to provide operational expertise in the development of future ATM The organisation has a leadership role to play in the design development and analysis of emerging concepts for air traffic control IFATCA technical and professional expertise is a critical component of the decision chain The global reach of the Federation provides the opportunity to advance these concepts IFATCA provides ambitious ideas to meet the challenges of the global future of aviation through comprehensive research studies and participation in the global aviation community ^

4 Europe

21

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Over the past 12 monhts European traf-fic has increased slightly 13 according to the Network Managerrsquos Monthly report Delays have also increased along with the traffic levels And with some severe CB activity at the end of May and early June controllersrsquo skills have been severely tested

Some of our colleagues work with reduced runway systems and face other operational challenges Meanwhile the Single Europe-an Sky (SES) is slowly but surely moving forward This is a quick update on what is currently ongoing on the political front with regard to the Single European Sky program and its so-called pillars

TechnicalOn the technical front within SESAR the ATM Master Plan update campaign is ongoing

A final draft of the future

ATM

Mas-ter Plan will be released for consulta-tion at the end of June 2015 The ATM Master

Plan will re-group all the elements for a modernisation of the techno-logical infra-structure in Europe It will include the de-

ployment of new technology the road-map for modernisation and the elements needed for the next step of SESAR called ldquoSESAR 2020rdquo The ambitious task of revis-iting the ATM Masterplan was coordinated by IFATSEA (Dany van der Biest) on behalf of the professional staff organisations Our input including valuable comments by the many IFATCASESAR representatives was greatly appreciated

Beyond SES II+At the beginning of May the European Commission invited all the stakeholders to a SES Vision Workshop All stakeholders and institutions were invited to give their view on the future of the Single European Sky A small working group within the Eu-ropean Commission continues to work on this thus planning beyond SES II+ legisla-tion Amongst other things the look into the Reference Period 3 (after 2019) and how the Regulatory framework should evolve in the future

EASA has published its opinion on the common rules of the air and operational

provisions regarding services and pro-cedures in air navigation and Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA) part C

DatalinkDatalink implementation has been post-poned by at least 5 years and the outlook is quite grim as the technology used will most probably by outdated by the time it becomes mandatory Maybe a novel ap-proach to this issue is needed New tech-nologies that achieve the same or better CPDLC performance might become avail-able and those in charge of coordinating the implementation seem to want to wait and see what materialises before taking large scale initiatives

Occurrence ReportingTransposition of the Mandatory Occur-rence Reporting Implementation Regula-tion will be finalised by a high level work-shop on the 1st of October 2015 IFATCA has been working together with other stakeholders to achieve a balance be-tween safety and Just Culture in the form of industry Guidance Material This work is ongoing and the challenge is to keep the advanced Just Culture in the corporate environment intact while allowing the new sectors to join these developments

The new regulation on Occurrence Report-ing will become effective in all European states (plus Norway and Switzerland) on 15 November 2015 Promotional material will become available during the summer IFATCA has worked towards diversity for the different sectors while maintaining Just Culture recognisable throughout the avia-tion industry

The motivation for and the Regulation it-self can be found via these links link1 and link2

Prosecutor Expert CourseAt the end of May 2015 the 5th Eurocon-trolIFATCA Prosecutor Expert Training course was held at the Eurocontrol HQ in Brussels In total some 100 participants have attended this training initiative Bringing together professionals from the judiciary and the aviation world has proven to be a real contribution to Just Culture

loeuifatcaorgsesarcoordifatcaorg

BE READY FOR CHANGEUPDATE ON EUROPEAN ISSUES

^ by Paul Neering IFATCA Liaison to the EU amp Marc Baumgartner IFATCA SESAR Coordinator

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com

THE CONTROLLER 11

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER12

^by Dr Ruth Stilwellformer IFATCA Representative to ICAO

4 Ruth and Jean-Franccedilois at ICAO HQ in Montreacuteal Photo Mervyn Fernando

REFLECTING ON THE PAST

Over the past 5 years IFATCA has used its position as Permanent Observer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission to evolve the Federationrsquos contribution to the ICAO process With the creation of the IFATCA Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission we have grown into an integral part of the development of ICAO standards

This progress did not come from the posi-tion or the title it was the result of a ex-traordinary team effort It took the support of the IFATCA Executive Board to make our ICAO participation an organizational prior-ity and the commitment from our Member Associations to fund the position and en-sure that we are a daily presence at ICAO While the final approvals come inside the ANC Chamber much of the work to reach a positive consensus occurs through the daily interaction with the ICAO Secretariat other members of the Commission and the industry representatives

An organization cannot build credibility by showing up at the final stages of an amendment process and expect to con-structively shape the outcome It starts much earlier than that Our ICAO repre-sentatives and EVP-Technical supported by the work of both our Technical and Op-erational Committee and our Professional and Legal Committee help to develop a deep understanding of the issues Their work helps develop solutions and advo-cate for the concerns of the air traffic con-trollers long before a proposal is drafted This sets the stage for our success

The work is not done when a proposal reaches the Air Navigation Commission The ICAO representatives continue to work with our team to make sure the is-sues brought forward in the Panel and Expert Group meetings are well known to the Liaison Officer to the ICAO ANC It is a continual exchange of information as the proposals wind their way through the

ICAO process While the IFATCA ANC li-aison officer is a solo post it serves as part of a large internal team in the Federation Our responses in the ICAO consultation process reflect the input of that team ndash it is not the view of a single officer or rep-resentative it is the collective view of the profession expressed through our techni-cal and professional teams

The TOC and PLC work programmes play an important role in building our influ-ence It is through the deliberations and adoption of policies at conference that we achieve a global voice It is our ability to build a global position within the air traffic controller community on matters critical to our profession that gives us the credibility necessary to build our reputation and our influence

Over the last 5 years the Federation has reshaped its internal processes to take advantage of the op-portunities we are presented We have increased the num-ber of ICAO expert groups on which we serve We have ex-panded the input from our committees in the ICAO process We have restruc-tured how we identi-fy issues for our work programmes to con-sider ICAO priorities Finally we have in-troduced new com-munications tools to facilitate the work of our committees and engage our ICAO representatives

These changes have put us in a strong po-sition as we move forward but like ATC modernization it is a never-ending road We cannot be satisfied with where we are we must continue to move forward build-ing our expertise and capacity to shape the future of our profession Our new Li-aison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission Mr Jean-Francois Lepage is well positioned to take the Federation to the next level ^

ruthstilwellgmailcom INT

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THE CONTROLLER 13

^by Jean-Franccedilois LepageIFATCA Representative to ICAO

LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE

Immediately following the Annual Con-ference in Sofia IFATCArsquos handover for the position of IFATCA Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission be-gan We have been working hard to make the transition transparent for everyone in IFATCA and we are on track for a smooth transition

The current ANC session is coming to an end and we will continue our work through the Fall session ending in November 2015 The 200th session will be full of challenges to overcome as it will include an unprec-

edented number of amendments reaching the final stage of the ICAO process At this point the outgoing and incoming ANC li-aison officers will work side by side in the ANC Chamber This will ensure a continu-ous voice for the Federation as we work the numerous upcoming issues important to the Federation

The topics before us are numerous and in-tricate and the realities with which we will have to work are just as varied and com-plex as a Federation we have to keep in mind that our role is to present a global view It could be the rapid growth of traf-fic in Asia the lack of resources of certain countries in Africa the issues encountered with space vehicles and balloons launches in North America and Oceania the inte-gration challenges in Europe These are

just a few examples that show how important the work we are all doing for this Federation is for its members and how im-portant it is to make sure our interests are best rep-resented at ICAO

In short there will be a lot of topics of great in-terest for the Federation and a lot of issues where the ANC liaison officer will have to defend our interests There is only one way to achieve this since no one can accom-plish such a task alone the key words are indubi-tably communication and synergy

Communication because it is essential to use all the resources we have and share what we know the volunteers of the Federa-tion are incredibly talent-

ed and everything has to be put in place to take advantage of all this expertise and knowledge It is paramount to continue the excellent work of Dr Stilwell in devel-oping mechanisms to take advantage of all this richness to better represent us at ICAO

Synergy which is the interaction of two or more elements to achieve an outcome greater than the sum of its parts allows us to accomplish a lot more than every one of us separately this is another of the many strengths of IFATCA Nowadays technol-ogy among other things has made our world more complex than ever Systems procedures and networks tend to become heavily interrelated and one can easily get confused while trying to navigate through these webs

Again IFATCA has two excellent com-mittees Professional (PLC) and Technical (TOC) within its structure that can ease this constraint Communication between the PLC TOC and the ANC liaison officer will be the key to continued success in making our voice heard at ICAO

Finally I would like to express once again my gratitude to the Executive Board for the vote of confidence and for the sup-port in the transition Additionally I must acknowledge the excellent work of Dr Stilwell training me for my new role Her deep knowledge patience and support will ensure that we remain strongly repre-sented and well regarded at ICAO ^

jeanfrancoislepagegmailcom

4 Technology

^ by Ignacio Baca IFATCA Technical amp Operational Committee (TOC)

ATC DISPLAY DESIGN

It is a fact that modern Air Traffic Control relies on automation Computers are be-hind every modern (and even not so mod-ern) ATC system To interact with these machines we rely on screens A visitor to an ACC or a Tower is often baffled by the number of screens that are a part of the Controller Working Position (CWP) or at least by the amount of information presented on them Besides a screen that shows radar or surveillance data there are usually a number of screens with ad-ditional information such as meteorologi-cal data flight plan information health of the systems etc An extreme example is that of the Bodoslash Oceanic ACC (Norway) where the working positions are literally overloaded with screens that are linked to different systems

While the number of screens and their placement on a working position is a subject in itself the way the information is presented on a given screen needs to be considered it needs to be optimised to suit the needs of the operator so he or she can use the information in the most efficient way IFATCArsquos Technical and Op-erations Committee (TOC) looked at this and presented a working paper at the Fed-erationrsquos Annual Conference held in Sofia Bulgaria last April

When developing new systems develop-

ers tend to rely on standards which nor-mally incorporate best practices or lessons learned by experience in the past Surpris-ingly however there are no official stand-ards for the design of ATC systems Some efforts have been made for example in a project called Eurocontrol Core Require-ments for ATM Working Positions (CoRe) Finalized in 2002 it tried to identify and mitigate problems within the CWP Devel-opment Process The FAA also produced a report in 2003 to assist in the design development and evaluation of FAA sys-tems Despite such efforts nothing in the domain of ATM compares to for exam-ple the situation in aircraft cockpits where there is a high level of standardization

Generally we can distinguish four areas in design requirements

4 Simplicity simple systems are gener-ally easier to use and maintain and require less training

4 Consistency it is desirable that the same layout and style is used as much as possible As an example of the im-portance of this factor the time that a person needs to mentally process the information in a screen may double when the position of the elements is varied

4 Safety as safety is paramount in ATC the system must be verified validated and certified for both normal opera-tions but also in degraded and emer-gency modes

4 Usability meaning that the system must be easy to use and learn and ef-ficient to apply for performing a cer-tain task

A user-centred approach is desirable to improve the usability of the system This is why controllers should be involved in the design of ATC systems from the begin-ning an article about the subject was pub-lished in The Controller issue of April 2014 (Put a controller in your team) Controllers also need to be involved in validation and in further developments and upgrades to help keep the system user-friendly and not feature overloaded But what about con-sistency Different cultures communities and even individuals can have different perceptions of the same problem As such the display of information and the differ-ences between ATM systems clearly show a lack of consistency

Letrsquos consider alerts for example An alert is a way to focus the attention of the con-troller to a particular piece of the informa-tion being displayed Well-designed alerts clearly contribute to safety but false warn-ings and nuisance alerts if these occur too frequently can result in the control-ler ignoring a genuine warning or simply overlooking it Our systems tend to have an increasing number of warnings conflict alerts area proximity warnings level busts hellip It should be easy to quickly determine the actual nature of the warning and using colours to differentiate seems like a logical thing to do In the absence of any stand-ards however every control system has its own set of warnings with its own colour schemes and its own set of parameters

If colours are used to draw attention to an issue or to distinguish different problems it can in fact cause issues as well In the January 2015 issue of The Controller there

4 Screen overload at Bodoslash Oceanic ACC Photo Terje Dahlseng Eide THE

CONTROLLER14

NEED FOR GUIDING PRINCIPLES amp STANDARDS

4 Technology

is an article (pages 14 and 15) about the new Pegasus Sys-tem implemented in Poland The author writes One of the main issues is how colours are used (hellip) it appears for exam-ple very easy to miss situations close to sector boundaries due to the so-called ldquowhite-label syndromerdquo

The lsquowhite label syndromersquo is also known in other systems In Spain the labels are green for traffic in the sector and white for traffic outside the sector Sometimes controllers over-look the white traffic close to their sectors because their attention is focused in look-ing for conflicts affecting the green planes While colours provide an additional source of information to the control-ler therersquos also a risk that infor-mation is too easily discarded ie without actually interpreting it In fact the system lsquodecidesrsquo that certain information is worth looking at more than otherhellip

Itrsquos also easy to overdo an extensive use of colours can also lead to overload for controllers An example is the following list of colours used in Belgium

4 White aircraft currently on the frequency

4 Yellow aircraft coordinated to enter the sector

4 Brown aircraft transferred to the next sector

4 Green aircraft entering the sector but not yet on the frequency

4 Blue aircraft is selected 4 Red conflicting aircraft 4 Grey information label aircraft wonrsquot

necessarily be entering the sector

Not only the high number of colours make difficult to keep track of the traffic but grey labels are often overlooked due to all the other colours creating a problem simi-lar to the white-label syndrome mentioned above

The three systems just mentioned Span-ish Polish and Belgian use a dark back-ground in line with the lsquotraditionalrsquo ra-dar scopes But the lack of standards is evident even here A number of systems such as the VAFORIT system introduced in Karlsruhe in 2010 (see The Controller July

2011) used a white background This was later changed to light greyThe training sessions for VAFORIT showed that the colour scheme was not welcomed by the controllers Every change in the de-sign resulted in more problems because changing one colour impacted the en-tire colour palette After the system was brought online the colour scheme was implicated as a contributory factor to sev-eral incidents Eventually DFS asked the Institute for Labour Sciences of Darmstadt University for assistance This was a unique opportunity to have a scientific analysis of the issue They suggested a particular range of colours which was accepted by the controllers and finally implemented

Another issue is the readability of the in-formation presented It is tempting to think that the type of font used in a system is only relevant from an aesthetic point of view but it can easily lead to confusion An example was mentioned in an IFATCA working paper (presented at the Amman Conference in 2011) on the use of alpha-numeric callsigns this mentioned that us-ing the letters B I O S and Z in callsigns could easily create confusion with the numbers 8 1 0 5 and 2 While this ap-plies no matter what font is used a badly chosen font can easily create more confu-sion than a well-designed one

The experience of our German colleagues and their VAFORIT system is a perfect ex-ample of how a scientific study can improve a system It could be tempting to think that science is universal and that it could there-fore help to develop some universal stand-ard to be followed by every ATC system Unfortunately this is not completely true Colours are useful as an example again How to define a standard for colours when they may have different meanings de-pending of culture Being educated in a western culture I would probably choose red as the colour to be used for a warning In my culture red is associated to danger and prohibition A Chinese controller on the other hand could think otherwise for him red is associated with celebrations and as a symbol of good luck

To conclude there is no universal set of rules to decide what information must be included in an automated ATC system and how this information should be presented Definition of a standard is not an easy task because of factors like cultural differences and the transition from existing legacy sys-tems Nevertheless at least some stand-ardization is desirable For this reason TOC recommended that the Federation develops guiding principles for alerts and for the display of operational information ^

ignacioifatcagmailcom

4 The Pegasus system in Poland susceptible to the white-label syndrome Photo PANSA

15 THE CONTROLLER

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER16

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

MADRID HOST TO 70TH EDITION

4 Capt Martin Chalk newly elected IFALPA President

Photo IFALPA

IFALPA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The 70th annual conference of the Inter-national Federation of Air Line Pilotsrsquo As-sociations (IFALPA) was held in Madrid on 10-12 April 2015 Nearly 500 pilots attend-ed and debated a wide range of subjects

ContractsOne of these was the new pilot employ-ment contracts being devised by many airlines more particularly those operat-ing as so-called low-cost operators One such practice is the ldquoPay-to-Flyrdquo contract whereby mostly young pilots looking for a job and requiring to buildkeep experi-ence have to pay between 20 and 50000 USD in exchange for the ldquoprivilegeldquo of working as a pilot for an airline

Another deplorable one is the so-called ldquozero hoursldquo contract Here pilots are only paid when they fly In other words they have no fixed income and are not paid during months where traffic is low The last one is referred to as ldquoself-employmentrdquo where companies (Ryanair was mentioned) only employ pilots that have their own ldquocompanyrdquo This avoids the airline hav-ing to pay pension contributions social and medical benefitsetc Needless to say that job security in all these schemes is non-existent

While the main reason is of course cost-cutting they also undermine collective bargaining for working conditions etc These tendencies are extremely worri-some and we have to be careful that con-trollers will not be the next victims of this form of modern slavery

GermanwingsThere were of course long discussions on the aftermath of the Germanwings crash As other professional organisations IFAL-PA strongly condemned the witchhunt by the worldrsquos media the release of details of the Cockpit Voice Recorder to the press within 36 hours of it being recovered and especially the rash measures taken by au-thorities and some airlines without await-ing the outcome of the full investigation The European Cockpit Association (ECA the European Branch of IFALPA) made a resolution opposing the requirement to re-place a pilot leaving the cockpit saying it actually increases risks They also opposed publishing medical records of pilots which would only result in pilots avoiding medi-cal treatment They also reacted strongly against regular psychological assessments by the employer which they argued would also be counterproductive as people would lie to protect their job A better overall solution would be a Peer Interven-tion Program similar to CISM combined with a good loss of license insurance cov-ering mental illness

Most strongly condemned was the unprec-edented statement of a state prosecutor which identified a crew member as ldquothe only culpritrdquo Without awaiting all the el-ements of the investigation it is clearly a grave and unprecedented violation of ICAO Annex 13

Safety SeminarTheir safety seminar this year dealt with emergency responses and media commu-nications after incident or accident includ-

ing how to handle social media This has becomes one of their priorities similar to what IFATCA is currently embarking upon

Changes In Training IFALPA allows presentations from outsid-ers to be made during their plenary Tra-ditionally this privilege is for Airbus andor Boeing but they included Embraer this year as well Essentially all 3 manufactur-ers promoted the new features of their latest-generation aircraft

One excellent presentation came from Captain Harry Nelson an Airbus senior test pilot He talked about the drastic changes needed in training following a number of recent accidents where automation or rather how humans interact with this au-tomation played a major role According to Captain Nelson less books and class-rooms lectures were needed but self train-ing using laptops and tablets were the way forward ldquoTraining must be fun againrdquo he said ldquowith an emphasis on hands-on ex-perience rather than on written materialrdquo

ElectionsDeputy President Martin Chalk from the UK was elected to become the new IFAL-PA President Martin is the former Presi-dent of the European Cockpit Association and he is keen to continue the very good cooperation with IFATCA Their next Con-ference will be in New Orleans USA from April 15 unitl 18 2016 For once it doesnrsquot clash with our own IFATCA Conference ^

dpthe-controllernet

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THE FUTURE OF GLOBALAIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

This is version 20 of the IFATCA Statement on the Future of Global Air Traffic Management It was formally adopted at the IFATCA Annual Conference in Sofia Bulgaria in April 2015 For more information contact our EVP Technical via evptifatcaorg

8 INTRODUCTIONAir traffic control at its core is a safety service Many future systems focus on increasing system capac-ity and efficiency It is not that capacity concerns have overshadowed safety as priority instead it is an acknowledgement that a system operated in excess of available capacity creates unsafe conditions To remedy an overcapacity condition one can either restrict access or increase capacity IFATCA recognizes that restricting growth in global aviation is not a realistic approach In order to maintain the necessary standard of safety in air traffic control moving forward we must be willing to take advantage of innovation in technology and procedures that will build the needed system capacity

8 PERFORMANCE BASED ATM4 AIR NAVIGATION SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE

Air navigation infrastructures develop on an evolutionary path that requires cooperation between ground based providers and airborne users Moving forward with advanced technologies to build sys-tem capacity requires coordinated investment from governments air navigation service providers and system users

In other modes of transport the infrastructure can be developed independently from the network us-ers For example adding a new lane to a highway increases system capacity without the need for new investment in vehicle technology With the exception of new runways this is not the case for aviation

Moving toward a performance based model for Air Traffic Management requires more than placing performance targets on outputs It requires a fundamental rethinking of the air traffic infrastruc-ture and standards development process Each element of the system should be developed using a performance-based process By shifting to a true performance based model we change the concept of standards making in a way that encourages technological advancement and allows system users to take advantage of the benefits new systems offer This concept embraces the ideas embodied in Required Navigation Performance Required Surveillance Performance and Required Communication Performance

4 REQUIRED SURVEILLANCE PERFORMANCERequired Surveillance Performance is a concept within the ICAO community Transition to a true RSP environment requires the establishment of clear standards for precision update rates and latency of any surveillance system Ideally this will lead to the concept of simplified surveillance separation standards that replaces the current process of developing new separation standards to accommodate new technologies

Rather than evaluate new surveillance systems and develop separation standards necessary to uti-lize a new technology a performance based approach requires the sensor technology to meet the specifications to allow the existing separation standards to be applied1 This provides developers and manufacturers with a clear design target In addition moving away from sensor based standards can reduce sector complexity in a mixed mode operation allowing for increased capacity

It is not necessary for air traffic controllers to know the source of a surveillance target only that the displayed target meets the necessary requirements for accuracy and reliability This approach allows both users and ANSPs to take advantage of developing technologies more rapidly and can expand the amount of airspace where surveillance based separation standards can be applied As we move away from radar dependent surveillance in the long term we introduce new flexibility for airspace design capacity and efficiency

1 Separation standards are not solely based on the surveillance system they also require standards for com-munication and navigation availability and precision

4 IFATCA Statement

illustrations copy csp_Harlekino | wwwfotosearchcom

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4 REQUIRED NAVIGATION PERFORMANCEThe development process for Required Navigation Performance can provide an effective model for the continued development of RCP and RSP RNP has illustrated that continual improvements in the on board precision coupled with effective airspace design can provide substantial and measurable benefits The application of a rigorous safety case is a fundamental part of the process Moving away from a technology based standard to a performance based one has improved the process and allows for operators to conduct independent evaluations on the business case to support the on board investment Operational benefits from increased airspace capacity are demonstrated This approach formed the basis for PBN (Performance Based Navigation)

4 REQUIRED COMMUNICATION PERFORMANCEExisting standards are dependent upon direct air to ground voice communications While this is cur-rently the preferred means of communication when possible opportunities for development of less infrastructure dependent communications technologies are foreseeable A focus on the performance requirements of alternative systems that includes the human factors elements may allow for develop-ment of alternative systems with equal or greater levels of reliability than existing air to ground voice concepts

4 SERVICE PRIORITYExisting ATC service priority models that place heavy emphasis on the concept of first come first served do not take advantage of the reduced demand on ATC resources that result from advances in onboard capabilities Tactical sector resources include air traffic controller staffing available fre-quency time and coordination requirements The level and type of communication navigation and surveillance equipment on board an aircraft affects the tactical sector resources needed to provide air traffic control services For example an RNAV equipped aircraft uses fewer sector resources when flying an RNAV STAR than a lesser- equipped aircraft that must be vectored to the final approach

The evolution of air navigation and airspace design over the last decade has placed increasing empha-sis on airborne equipment From GNSS routes to PBN efficient airspace design and utilization requires that sufficient percentages of aircraft be appropriately equipped to utilize the advanced routes

Performance Based ATM requires both air navigation service providers and system users invest in sys-tems that allow for maximization of airspace capacity and efficiency In order to develop a business case for the investment operational benefits must be quantifiable A service priority model based on first come first served without consideration of the relative sector resources needed to provide the service may discourage or delay modernisation efforts

New service priority models are a critical element of performance based ATM In the same manner that system users seek to obtain operational benefits from on board investment air navigation ser-vice providers should be able to derive benefits from investment in the ground based technologies Under the current service priority model lesser equipped aircraft are afforded the same priority as better equipped aircraft regardless of the additional resources they may consume Delaying aircraft to accommodate minimally equipped users particularly through holding consumes considerable sec-tor resources for which the ANSP is not compensated If the ANSP is able to establish a service prior-ity model that considers aircraft equipment requirements to maximise sector capacity and efficiency it will be more able to offset the investment costs of advanced technologies

A truly performance based model for ATM would permit ANSPs to consider airborne equipment as a dynamic tool for managing sector capacity and efficiency Aircraft equipment requirements could be in place during periods of peak demand and lifted when the capacity enhancing tools are no longer required This strategic approach will require enhanced attention to both airspace planning and flight planning In addition to the capacity enhancement the strategic approach can also be seen as a means to ensure equitable access to airports and airspace when compared to the equipment mandate approach

4 IFATCA Statement

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4 AIRSPACE DESIGN AND ACCESSAdvanced airspace design and procedures are evolving to maximise airspace availability and effi-ciency PBN Approaches reduce track distance and can allow aircraft to navigate around terrain in low visibility Continuous Descent Operations allow operators to maximise fuel economy RNP standards allow for reduced separation in procedural airspace increasing capacity and new in-trail climb and descent procedures in en route airspace will allow equipped aircraft to access preferred flight levels These advanced procedures also have the ability to reduce demand on sector resources Airspace de-sign that takes advantage of modern aircraft navigation capabilities has the possibility to de-conflict traffic flows reduce the need for vectoring and reduce frequency congestion Advanced airspace design will play an increasingly important role in managing traffic in high-density areas However this type of airspace design is only of value if the aircraft operating in the airspace are able to use it

Airspace analysis and planning is a critical component in developing an airborne equipment based service priority model Airspace service volumes should be evaluated to determine if and when ben-efits can be derived from advanced procedures This evaluation of airspace service volumes should be an ongoing process and can aid in the evolution to a dynamic concept of airspace management and access

By granting access to the most efficient procedures and airspace to aircraft equipped to use them the business model for airborne investment can be made without artificial manipulation The demand on controllers to manage a new service priority model is mitigated Finally while this model can pro-vide an incentive for operators to equip aircraft for those that want to defer or delay the on board investment the option of moving flights away from peak periods to unconstrained periods could improve overall system efficiency and safety

4 TRAFFIC FLOW MANAGEMENTThe regionalisation of traffic flow management is necessary to meet the traffic growth and environ-mental demands on aviation in the future Safe orderly and expeditious air traffic flows necessitate coordination beyond state boundaries Avoidance of extreme weather events as well as conflict zones that create hazards to aviation cannot be effectively managed without regional collaboration Traffic flow management must take advantage of technologies for information sharing planning and response

4 AIRSPACE INTEGRATION AND USE( CIVIL-MILITARYETC)Global goals of interoperability and airspace capacity are hindered without effective airspace integra-tion Achieving a balance for airspace access between users including civil military manned un-manned and transitional (ie commercial space operators) presents significant challenges for future systems The demand for airspace use is increasing in both quantity and diversity of operations

Technological advances in aircraft coupled with expanded civil uses will place demands on the system that are not supported by current policies Unmanned aircraft both autonomous and remotely piloted are in development In addition the growth in commercial space operations and the development of space tourism will place increasing demands on airspace particularly in the launch and return phases of flight Integrating diverse operations into common airspace will present new challenges that will require innovative thinking to move forward

In some cases particularly in the case of autonomous unmanned aircraft or a ballistic launch phase for a commercial space vehicle where the aircraft or spacecraft may not have a means to execute an air traffic control clearance integration may not be possible In order to accommodate these types of operations clear standards for separation or protected airspace are necessary to ensure the safety of other aircraft

8 EMERGING TECHNOLOGIESInnovation is a hallmark of aviation The first commercial flight occurred within a decade from when the Wright Brothers first took to the air It was less than half a century between the first powered flight and the supersonic jet Our industry has embraced and advanced new technologies that have not only made air travel faster but also safer and more efficient The constant adaptation and integration of new technolo-gies into air traffic control is the mark of the profession This integration and acceptance is not without

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4 IFATCA Statement

caution or scepticism The approach where technologies are rigorously evaluated prior to integration into the air traffic control system has ensured high levels of safety Air traffic controllers are a critical part of this process Certain new technologies will require a rethinking of long standing operational concepts and standards to facilitate their accommodation Just as radar allowed for the development of new separation standards certain new tools may require the same level of work in developing fundamental concepts and new safety analysis Tools like synthetic vision remote towers and remotely piloted aircraft blur the lines between standards based on visual acquisition of traffic and surveillance based traffic identification These hybrid systems where the human is tasked with visual evaluation of electronically derived information do not fit within the existing separation paradigm New separation standards recognizing that these systems are neither traditional surveillance nor visual systems need to be developed and validated to support the safe integration of these types of systems

8 SAFETYSafety remains the most important performance indicator in ATM As traffic figures rise the accident rate has to be reduced to prevent the number of accidents from increasing The approach towards safety has developed over the years introducing technical human and organisational factors The linear safety ap-proach has been successful in demonstrating causes whenever an incident or accident occurs However the very low rate of aircraft accidents makes it an ineffective safety indicator

It is important to examine safety risks even in the absence of aircraft accidents or incidents This requires a new approach towards safety A proactive approach seeks to understand all the contributing factors in the system and identify systemic safety risks This systems safety approach is based on a principle to maximize the success rate of the overall system In this approach the human factor is seen as the resilient element in a vulnerable system and as a safety net when the system fails Under this concept steps are taken to ensure that the systems are adequately robust and safety risks are mitigated and the human operator is given the necessary tools to perform the safety task

In order to collect and analyse safety information adequate protection of safety information and its sources is critical Systems that penalise people or organisations for reporting safety data limit the data that will be made available The ability to report safety problems including those of human error without fear of reprisal it the foundation of any safety system

8 HUMAN FACTORSThe need for human factors analysis in the development of new technologies is well established The Human-Machine Interface is a critical part of the design process and successful deployment of major new systems have included considerable attention to the human factors analysis However new systems are increasingly network centred rather than single systems that can be analysed as stand alone products introducing broader human factors considerations that go well beyond HMI

As technologies are deployed to maximise system capacity the limits of human performance must be considered While system reliability requirements are very high external factors that could cause disrup-tion cannot be entirely eliminated It is essential to ensure that the ability of human operators to maintain system safety in the event of technology failure is not exceeded

The concept of a systems approach to safety should be expanded to include human factors The human operator should be viewed in totality recognising as new systems allow for increased system capac-ity workload related fatigue issues will need to be considered in addition to those related to schedules and duty time Workload related fatigue can be a symptom of sustained periods either high or very low workload

In order to fully realise peak capacity operational complexity must be minimised Reducing or eliminating mixed mode operations in high-density airspace allows for higher sector capacity Formulas that determine maximum sector capacity must consider both volume and complexity aircraft performance and capability is an important component of sector complexity

8 IFATCAS ROLEIFATCA is in the unique position to provide operational expertise in the development of future ATM The organisation has a leadership role to play in the design development and analysis of emerging concepts for air traffic control IFATCA technical and professional expertise is a critical component of the decision chain The global reach of the Federation provides the opportunity to advance these concepts IFATCA provides ambitious ideas to meet the challenges of the global future of aviation through comprehensive research studies and participation in the global aviation community ^

4 Europe

21

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Over the past 12 monhts European traf-fic has increased slightly 13 according to the Network Managerrsquos Monthly report Delays have also increased along with the traffic levels And with some severe CB activity at the end of May and early June controllersrsquo skills have been severely tested

Some of our colleagues work with reduced runway systems and face other operational challenges Meanwhile the Single Europe-an Sky (SES) is slowly but surely moving forward This is a quick update on what is currently ongoing on the political front with regard to the Single European Sky program and its so-called pillars

TechnicalOn the technical front within SESAR the ATM Master Plan update campaign is ongoing

A final draft of the future

ATM

Mas-ter Plan will be released for consulta-tion at the end of June 2015 The ATM Master

Plan will re-group all the elements for a modernisation of the techno-logical infra-structure in Europe It will include the de-

ployment of new technology the road-map for modernisation and the elements needed for the next step of SESAR called ldquoSESAR 2020rdquo The ambitious task of revis-iting the ATM Masterplan was coordinated by IFATSEA (Dany van der Biest) on behalf of the professional staff organisations Our input including valuable comments by the many IFATCASESAR representatives was greatly appreciated

Beyond SES II+At the beginning of May the European Commission invited all the stakeholders to a SES Vision Workshop All stakeholders and institutions were invited to give their view on the future of the Single European Sky A small working group within the Eu-ropean Commission continues to work on this thus planning beyond SES II+ legisla-tion Amongst other things the look into the Reference Period 3 (after 2019) and how the Regulatory framework should evolve in the future

EASA has published its opinion on the common rules of the air and operational

provisions regarding services and pro-cedures in air navigation and Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA) part C

DatalinkDatalink implementation has been post-poned by at least 5 years and the outlook is quite grim as the technology used will most probably by outdated by the time it becomes mandatory Maybe a novel ap-proach to this issue is needed New tech-nologies that achieve the same or better CPDLC performance might become avail-able and those in charge of coordinating the implementation seem to want to wait and see what materialises before taking large scale initiatives

Occurrence ReportingTransposition of the Mandatory Occur-rence Reporting Implementation Regula-tion will be finalised by a high level work-shop on the 1st of October 2015 IFATCA has been working together with other stakeholders to achieve a balance be-tween safety and Just Culture in the form of industry Guidance Material This work is ongoing and the challenge is to keep the advanced Just Culture in the corporate environment intact while allowing the new sectors to join these developments

The new regulation on Occurrence Report-ing will become effective in all European states (plus Norway and Switzerland) on 15 November 2015 Promotional material will become available during the summer IFATCA has worked towards diversity for the different sectors while maintaining Just Culture recognisable throughout the avia-tion industry

The motivation for and the Regulation it-self can be found via these links link1 and link2

Prosecutor Expert CourseAt the end of May 2015 the 5th Eurocon-trolIFATCA Prosecutor Expert Training course was held at the Eurocontrol HQ in Brussels In total some 100 participants have attended this training initiative Bringing together professionals from the judiciary and the aviation world has proven to be a real contribution to Just Culture

loeuifatcaorgsesarcoordifatcaorg

BE READY FOR CHANGEUPDATE ON EUROPEAN ISSUES

^ by Paul Neering IFATCA Liaison to the EU amp Marc Baumgartner IFATCA SESAR Coordinator

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4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER12

^by Dr Ruth Stilwellformer IFATCA Representative to ICAO

4 Ruth and Jean-Franccedilois at ICAO HQ in Montreacuteal Photo Mervyn Fernando

REFLECTING ON THE PAST

Over the past 5 years IFATCA has used its position as Permanent Observer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission to evolve the Federationrsquos contribution to the ICAO process With the creation of the IFATCA Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission we have grown into an integral part of the development of ICAO standards

This progress did not come from the posi-tion or the title it was the result of a ex-traordinary team effort It took the support of the IFATCA Executive Board to make our ICAO participation an organizational prior-ity and the commitment from our Member Associations to fund the position and en-sure that we are a daily presence at ICAO While the final approvals come inside the ANC Chamber much of the work to reach a positive consensus occurs through the daily interaction with the ICAO Secretariat other members of the Commission and the industry representatives

An organization cannot build credibility by showing up at the final stages of an amendment process and expect to con-structively shape the outcome It starts much earlier than that Our ICAO repre-sentatives and EVP-Technical supported by the work of both our Technical and Op-erational Committee and our Professional and Legal Committee help to develop a deep understanding of the issues Their work helps develop solutions and advo-cate for the concerns of the air traffic con-trollers long before a proposal is drafted This sets the stage for our success

The work is not done when a proposal reaches the Air Navigation Commission The ICAO representatives continue to work with our team to make sure the is-sues brought forward in the Panel and Expert Group meetings are well known to the Liaison Officer to the ICAO ANC It is a continual exchange of information as the proposals wind their way through the

ICAO process While the IFATCA ANC li-aison officer is a solo post it serves as part of a large internal team in the Federation Our responses in the ICAO consultation process reflect the input of that team ndash it is not the view of a single officer or rep-resentative it is the collective view of the profession expressed through our techni-cal and professional teams

The TOC and PLC work programmes play an important role in building our influ-ence It is through the deliberations and adoption of policies at conference that we achieve a global voice It is our ability to build a global position within the air traffic controller community on matters critical to our profession that gives us the credibility necessary to build our reputation and our influence

Over the last 5 years the Federation has reshaped its internal processes to take advantage of the op-portunities we are presented We have increased the num-ber of ICAO expert groups on which we serve We have ex-panded the input from our committees in the ICAO process We have restruc-tured how we identi-fy issues for our work programmes to con-sider ICAO priorities Finally we have in-troduced new com-munications tools to facilitate the work of our committees and engage our ICAO representatives

These changes have put us in a strong po-sition as we move forward but like ATC modernization it is a never-ending road We cannot be satisfied with where we are we must continue to move forward build-ing our expertise and capacity to shape the future of our profession Our new Li-aison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission Mr Jean-Francois Lepage is well positioned to take the Federation to the next level ^

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THE CONTROLLER 13

^by Jean-Franccedilois LepageIFATCA Representative to ICAO

LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE

Immediately following the Annual Con-ference in Sofia IFATCArsquos handover for the position of IFATCA Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission be-gan We have been working hard to make the transition transparent for everyone in IFATCA and we are on track for a smooth transition

The current ANC session is coming to an end and we will continue our work through the Fall session ending in November 2015 The 200th session will be full of challenges to overcome as it will include an unprec-

edented number of amendments reaching the final stage of the ICAO process At this point the outgoing and incoming ANC li-aison officers will work side by side in the ANC Chamber This will ensure a continu-ous voice for the Federation as we work the numerous upcoming issues important to the Federation

The topics before us are numerous and in-tricate and the realities with which we will have to work are just as varied and com-plex as a Federation we have to keep in mind that our role is to present a global view It could be the rapid growth of traf-fic in Asia the lack of resources of certain countries in Africa the issues encountered with space vehicles and balloons launches in North America and Oceania the inte-gration challenges in Europe These are

just a few examples that show how important the work we are all doing for this Federation is for its members and how im-portant it is to make sure our interests are best rep-resented at ICAO

In short there will be a lot of topics of great in-terest for the Federation and a lot of issues where the ANC liaison officer will have to defend our interests There is only one way to achieve this since no one can accom-plish such a task alone the key words are indubi-tably communication and synergy

Communication because it is essential to use all the resources we have and share what we know the volunteers of the Federa-tion are incredibly talent-

ed and everything has to be put in place to take advantage of all this expertise and knowledge It is paramount to continue the excellent work of Dr Stilwell in devel-oping mechanisms to take advantage of all this richness to better represent us at ICAO

Synergy which is the interaction of two or more elements to achieve an outcome greater than the sum of its parts allows us to accomplish a lot more than every one of us separately this is another of the many strengths of IFATCA Nowadays technol-ogy among other things has made our world more complex than ever Systems procedures and networks tend to become heavily interrelated and one can easily get confused while trying to navigate through these webs

Again IFATCA has two excellent com-mittees Professional (PLC) and Technical (TOC) within its structure that can ease this constraint Communication between the PLC TOC and the ANC liaison officer will be the key to continued success in making our voice heard at ICAO

Finally I would like to express once again my gratitude to the Executive Board for the vote of confidence and for the sup-port in the transition Additionally I must acknowledge the excellent work of Dr Stilwell training me for my new role Her deep knowledge patience and support will ensure that we remain strongly repre-sented and well regarded at ICAO ^

jeanfrancoislepagegmailcom

4 Technology

^ by Ignacio Baca IFATCA Technical amp Operational Committee (TOC)

ATC DISPLAY DESIGN

It is a fact that modern Air Traffic Control relies on automation Computers are be-hind every modern (and even not so mod-ern) ATC system To interact with these machines we rely on screens A visitor to an ACC or a Tower is often baffled by the number of screens that are a part of the Controller Working Position (CWP) or at least by the amount of information presented on them Besides a screen that shows radar or surveillance data there are usually a number of screens with ad-ditional information such as meteorologi-cal data flight plan information health of the systems etc An extreme example is that of the Bodoslash Oceanic ACC (Norway) where the working positions are literally overloaded with screens that are linked to different systems

While the number of screens and their placement on a working position is a subject in itself the way the information is presented on a given screen needs to be considered it needs to be optimised to suit the needs of the operator so he or she can use the information in the most efficient way IFATCArsquos Technical and Op-erations Committee (TOC) looked at this and presented a working paper at the Fed-erationrsquos Annual Conference held in Sofia Bulgaria last April

When developing new systems develop-

ers tend to rely on standards which nor-mally incorporate best practices or lessons learned by experience in the past Surpris-ingly however there are no official stand-ards for the design of ATC systems Some efforts have been made for example in a project called Eurocontrol Core Require-ments for ATM Working Positions (CoRe) Finalized in 2002 it tried to identify and mitigate problems within the CWP Devel-opment Process The FAA also produced a report in 2003 to assist in the design development and evaluation of FAA sys-tems Despite such efforts nothing in the domain of ATM compares to for exam-ple the situation in aircraft cockpits where there is a high level of standardization

Generally we can distinguish four areas in design requirements

4 Simplicity simple systems are gener-ally easier to use and maintain and require less training

4 Consistency it is desirable that the same layout and style is used as much as possible As an example of the im-portance of this factor the time that a person needs to mentally process the information in a screen may double when the position of the elements is varied

4 Safety as safety is paramount in ATC the system must be verified validated and certified for both normal opera-tions but also in degraded and emer-gency modes

4 Usability meaning that the system must be easy to use and learn and ef-ficient to apply for performing a cer-tain task

A user-centred approach is desirable to improve the usability of the system This is why controllers should be involved in the design of ATC systems from the begin-ning an article about the subject was pub-lished in The Controller issue of April 2014 (Put a controller in your team) Controllers also need to be involved in validation and in further developments and upgrades to help keep the system user-friendly and not feature overloaded But what about con-sistency Different cultures communities and even individuals can have different perceptions of the same problem As such the display of information and the differ-ences between ATM systems clearly show a lack of consistency

Letrsquos consider alerts for example An alert is a way to focus the attention of the con-troller to a particular piece of the informa-tion being displayed Well-designed alerts clearly contribute to safety but false warn-ings and nuisance alerts if these occur too frequently can result in the control-ler ignoring a genuine warning or simply overlooking it Our systems tend to have an increasing number of warnings conflict alerts area proximity warnings level busts hellip It should be easy to quickly determine the actual nature of the warning and using colours to differentiate seems like a logical thing to do In the absence of any stand-ards however every control system has its own set of warnings with its own colour schemes and its own set of parameters

If colours are used to draw attention to an issue or to distinguish different problems it can in fact cause issues as well In the January 2015 issue of The Controller there

4 Screen overload at Bodoslash Oceanic ACC Photo Terje Dahlseng Eide THE

CONTROLLER14

NEED FOR GUIDING PRINCIPLES amp STANDARDS

4 Technology

is an article (pages 14 and 15) about the new Pegasus Sys-tem implemented in Poland The author writes One of the main issues is how colours are used (hellip) it appears for exam-ple very easy to miss situations close to sector boundaries due to the so-called ldquowhite-label syndromerdquo

The lsquowhite label syndromersquo is also known in other systems In Spain the labels are green for traffic in the sector and white for traffic outside the sector Sometimes controllers over-look the white traffic close to their sectors because their attention is focused in look-ing for conflicts affecting the green planes While colours provide an additional source of information to the control-ler therersquos also a risk that infor-mation is too easily discarded ie without actually interpreting it In fact the system lsquodecidesrsquo that certain information is worth looking at more than otherhellip

Itrsquos also easy to overdo an extensive use of colours can also lead to overload for controllers An example is the following list of colours used in Belgium

4 White aircraft currently on the frequency

4 Yellow aircraft coordinated to enter the sector

4 Brown aircraft transferred to the next sector

4 Green aircraft entering the sector but not yet on the frequency

4 Blue aircraft is selected 4 Red conflicting aircraft 4 Grey information label aircraft wonrsquot

necessarily be entering the sector

Not only the high number of colours make difficult to keep track of the traffic but grey labels are often overlooked due to all the other colours creating a problem simi-lar to the white-label syndrome mentioned above

The three systems just mentioned Span-ish Polish and Belgian use a dark back-ground in line with the lsquotraditionalrsquo ra-dar scopes But the lack of standards is evident even here A number of systems such as the VAFORIT system introduced in Karlsruhe in 2010 (see The Controller July

2011) used a white background This was later changed to light greyThe training sessions for VAFORIT showed that the colour scheme was not welcomed by the controllers Every change in the de-sign resulted in more problems because changing one colour impacted the en-tire colour palette After the system was brought online the colour scheme was implicated as a contributory factor to sev-eral incidents Eventually DFS asked the Institute for Labour Sciences of Darmstadt University for assistance This was a unique opportunity to have a scientific analysis of the issue They suggested a particular range of colours which was accepted by the controllers and finally implemented

Another issue is the readability of the in-formation presented It is tempting to think that the type of font used in a system is only relevant from an aesthetic point of view but it can easily lead to confusion An example was mentioned in an IFATCA working paper (presented at the Amman Conference in 2011) on the use of alpha-numeric callsigns this mentioned that us-ing the letters B I O S and Z in callsigns could easily create confusion with the numbers 8 1 0 5 and 2 While this ap-plies no matter what font is used a badly chosen font can easily create more confu-sion than a well-designed one

The experience of our German colleagues and their VAFORIT system is a perfect ex-ample of how a scientific study can improve a system It could be tempting to think that science is universal and that it could there-fore help to develop some universal stand-ard to be followed by every ATC system Unfortunately this is not completely true Colours are useful as an example again How to define a standard for colours when they may have different meanings de-pending of culture Being educated in a western culture I would probably choose red as the colour to be used for a warning In my culture red is associated to danger and prohibition A Chinese controller on the other hand could think otherwise for him red is associated with celebrations and as a symbol of good luck

To conclude there is no universal set of rules to decide what information must be included in an automated ATC system and how this information should be presented Definition of a standard is not an easy task because of factors like cultural differences and the transition from existing legacy sys-tems Nevertheless at least some stand-ardization is desirable For this reason TOC recommended that the Federation develops guiding principles for alerts and for the display of operational information ^

ignacioifatcagmailcom

4 The Pegasus system in Poland susceptible to the white-label syndrome Photo PANSA

15 THE CONTROLLER

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER16

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

MADRID HOST TO 70TH EDITION

4 Capt Martin Chalk newly elected IFALPA President

Photo IFALPA

IFALPA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The 70th annual conference of the Inter-national Federation of Air Line Pilotsrsquo As-sociations (IFALPA) was held in Madrid on 10-12 April 2015 Nearly 500 pilots attend-ed and debated a wide range of subjects

ContractsOne of these was the new pilot employ-ment contracts being devised by many airlines more particularly those operat-ing as so-called low-cost operators One such practice is the ldquoPay-to-Flyrdquo contract whereby mostly young pilots looking for a job and requiring to buildkeep experi-ence have to pay between 20 and 50000 USD in exchange for the ldquoprivilegeldquo of working as a pilot for an airline

Another deplorable one is the so-called ldquozero hoursldquo contract Here pilots are only paid when they fly In other words they have no fixed income and are not paid during months where traffic is low The last one is referred to as ldquoself-employmentrdquo where companies (Ryanair was mentioned) only employ pilots that have their own ldquocompanyrdquo This avoids the airline hav-ing to pay pension contributions social and medical benefitsetc Needless to say that job security in all these schemes is non-existent

While the main reason is of course cost-cutting they also undermine collective bargaining for working conditions etc These tendencies are extremely worri-some and we have to be careful that con-trollers will not be the next victims of this form of modern slavery

GermanwingsThere were of course long discussions on the aftermath of the Germanwings crash As other professional organisations IFAL-PA strongly condemned the witchhunt by the worldrsquos media the release of details of the Cockpit Voice Recorder to the press within 36 hours of it being recovered and especially the rash measures taken by au-thorities and some airlines without await-ing the outcome of the full investigation The European Cockpit Association (ECA the European Branch of IFALPA) made a resolution opposing the requirement to re-place a pilot leaving the cockpit saying it actually increases risks They also opposed publishing medical records of pilots which would only result in pilots avoiding medi-cal treatment They also reacted strongly against regular psychological assessments by the employer which they argued would also be counterproductive as people would lie to protect their job A better overall solution would be a Peer Interven-tion Program similar to CISM combined with a good loss of license insurance cov-ering mental illness

Most strongly condemned was the unprec-edented statement of a state prosecutor which identified a crew member as ldquothe only culpritrdquo Without awaiting all the el-ements of the investigation it is clearly a grave and unprecedented violation of ICAO Annex 13

Safety SeminarTheir safety seminar this year dealt with emergency responses and media commu-nications after incident or accident includ-

ing how to handle social media This has becomes one of their priorities similar to what IFATCA is currently embarking upon

Changes In Training IFALPA allows presentations from outsid-ers to be made during their plenary Tra-ditionally this privilege is for Airbus andor Boeing but they included Embraer this year as well Essentially all 3 manufactur-ers promoted the new features of their latest-generation aircraft

One excellent presentation came from Captain Harry Nelson an Airbus senior test pilot He talked about the drastic changes needed in training following a number of recent accidents where automation or rather how humans interact with this au-tomation played a major role According to Captain Nelson less books and class-rooms lectures were needed but self train-ing using laptops and tablets were the way forward ldquoTraining must be fun againrdquo he said ldquowith an emphasis on hands-on ex-perience rather than on written materialrdquo

ElectionsDeputy President Martin Chalk from the UK was elected to become the new IFAL-PA President Martin is the former Presi-dent of the European Cockpit Association and he is keen to continue the very good cooperation with IFATCA Their next Con-ference will be in New Orleans USA from April 15 unitl 18 2016 For once it doesnrsquot clash with our own IFATCA Conference ^

dpthe-controllernet

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THE FUTURE OF GLOBALAIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

This is version 20 of the IFATCA Statement on the Future of Global Air Traffic Management It was formally adopted at the IFATCA Annual Conference in Sofia Bulgaria in April 2015 For more information contact our EVP Technical via evptifatcaorg

8 INTRODUCTIONAir traffic control at its core is a safety service Many future systems focus on increasing system capac-ity and efficiency It is not that capacity concerns have overshadowed safety as priority instead it is an acknowledgement that a system operated in excess of available capacity creates unsafe conditions To remedy an overcapacity condition one can either restrict access or increase capacity IFATCA recognizes that restricting growth in global aviation is not a realistic approach In order to maintain the necessary standard of safety in air traffic control moving forward we must be willing to take advantage of innovation in technology and procedures that will build the needed system capacity

8 PERFORMANCE BASED ATM4 AIR NAVIGATION SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE

Air navigation infrastructures develop on an evolutionary path that requires cooperation between ground based providers and airborne users Moving forward with advanced technologies to build sys-tem capacity requires coordinated investment from governments air navigation service providers and system users

In other modes of transport the infrastructure can be developed independently from the network us-ers For example adding a new lane to a highway increases system capacity without the need for new investment in vehicle technology With the exception of new runways this is not the case for aviation

Moving toward a performance based model for Air Traffic Management requires more than placing performance targets on outputs It requires a fundamental rethinking of the air traffic infrastruc-ture and standards development process Each element of the system should be developed using a performance-based process By shifting to a true performance based model we change the concept of standards making in a way that encourages technological advancement and allows system users to take advantage of the benefits new systems offer This concept embraces the ideas embodied in Required Navigation Performance Required Surveillance Performance and Required Communication Performance

4 REQUIRED SURVEILLANCE PERFORMANCERequired Surveillance Performance is a concept within the ICAO community Transition to a true RSP environment requires the establishment of clear standards for precision update rates and latency of any surveillance system Ideally this will lead to the concept of simplified surveillance separation standards that replaces the current process of developing new separation standards to accommodate new technologies

Rather than evaluate new surveillance systems and develop separation standards necessary to uti-lize a new technology a performance based approach requires the sensor technology to meet the specifications to allow the existing separation standards to be applied1 This provides developers and manufacturers with a clear design target In addition moving away from sensor based standards can reduce sector complexity in a mixed mode operation allowing for increased capacity

It is not necessary for air traffic controllers to know the source of a surveillance target only that the displayed target meets the necessary requirements for accuracy and reliability This approach allows both users and ANSPs to take advantage of developing technologies more rapidly and can expand the amount of airspace where surveillance based separation standards can be applied As we move away from radar dependent surveillance in the long term we introduce new flexibility for airspace design capacity and efficiency

1 Separation standards are not solely based on the surveillance system they also require standards for com-munication and navigation availability and precision

4 IFATCA Statement

illustrations copy csp_Harlekino | wwwfotosearchcom

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4 REQUIRED NAVIGATION PERFORMANCEThe development process for Required Navigation Performance can provide an effective model for the continued development of RCP and RSP RNP has illustrated that continual improvements in the on board precision coupled with effective airspace design can provide substantial and measurable benefits The application of a rigorous safety case is a fundamental part of the process Moving away from a technology based standard to a performance based one has improved the process and allows for operators to conduct independent evaluations on the business case to support the on board investment Operational benefits from increased airspace capacity are demonstrated This approach formed the basis for PBN (Performance Based Navigation)

4 REQUIRED COMMUNICATION PERFORMANCEExisting standards are dependent upon direct air to ground voice communications While this is cur-rently the preferred means of communication when possible opportunities for development of less infrastructure dependent communications technologies are foreseeable A focus on the performance requirements of alternative systems that includes the human factors elements may allow for develop-ment of alternative systems with equal or greater levels of reliability than existing air to ground voice concepts

4 SERVICE PRIORITYExisting ATC service priority models that place heavy emphasis on the concept of first come first served do not take advantage of the reduced demand on ATC resources that result from advances in onboard capabilities Tactical sector resources include air traffic controller staffing available fre-quency time and coordination requirements The level and type of communication navigation and surveillance equipment on board an aircraft affects the tactical sector resources needed to provide air traffic control services For example an RNAV equipped aircraft uses fewer sector resources when flying an RNAV STAR than a lesser- equipped aircraft that must be vectored to the final approach

The evolution of air navigation and airspace design over the last decade has placed increasing empha-sis on airborne equipment From GNSS routes to PBN efficient airspace design and utilization requires that sufficient percentages of aircraft be appropriately equipped to utilize the advanced routes

Performance Based ATM requires both air navigation service providers and system users invest in sys-tems that allow for maximization of airspace capacity and efficiency In order to develop a business case for the investment operational benefits must be quantifiable A service priority model based on first come first served without consideration of the relative sector resources needed to provide the service may discourage or delay modernisation efforts

New service priority models are a critical element of performance based ATM In the same manner that system users seek to obtain operational benefits from on board investment air navigation ser-vice providers should be able to derive benefits from investment in the ground based technologies Under the current service priority model lesser equipped aircraft are afforded the same priority as better equipped aircraft regardless of the additional resources they may consume Delaying aircraft to accommodate minimally equipped users particularly through holding consumes considerable sec-tor resources for which the ANSP is not compensated If the ANSP is able to establish a service prior-ity model that considers aircraft equipment requirements to maximise sector capacity and efficiency it will be more able to offset the investment costs of advanced technologies

A truly performance based model for ATM would permit ANSPs to consider airborne equipment as a dynamic tool for managing sector capacity and efficiency Aircraft equipment requirements could be in place during periods of peak demand and lifted when the capacity enhancing tools are no longer required This strategic approach will require enhanced attention to both airspace planning and flight planning In addition to the capacity enhancement the strategic approach can also be seen as a means to ensure equitable access to airports and airspace when compared to the equipment mandate approach

4 IFATCA Statement

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4 AIRSPACE DESIGN AND ACCESSAdvanced airspace design and procedures are evolving to maximise airspace availability and effi-ciency PBN Approaches reduce track distance and can allow aircraft to navigate around terrain in low visibility Continuous Descent Operations allow operators to maximise fuel economy RNP standards allow for reduced separation in procedural airspace increasing capacity and new in-trail climb and descent procedures in en route airspace will allow equipped aircraft to access preferred flight levels These advanced procedures also have the ability to reduce demand on sector resources Airspace de-sign that takes advantage of modern aircraft navigation capabilities has the possibility to de-conflict traffic flows reduce the need for vectoring and reduce frequency congestion Advanced airspace design will play an increasingly important role in managing traffic in high-density areas However this type of airspace design is only of value if the aircraft operating in the airspace are able to use it

Airspace analysis and planning is a critical component in developing an airborne equipment based service priority model Airspace service volumes should be evaluated to determine if and when ben-efits can be derived from advanced procedures This evaluation of airspace service volumes should be an ongoing process and can aid in the evolution to a dynamic concept of airspace management and access

By granting access to the most efficient procedures and airspace to aircraft equipped to use them the business model for airborne investment can be made without artificial manipulation The demand on controllers to manage a new service priority model is mitigated Finally while this model can pro-vide an incentive for operators to equip aircraft for those that want to defer or delay the on board investment the option of moving flights away from peak periods to unconstrained periods could improve overall system efficiency and safety

4 TRAFFIC FLOW MANAGEMENTThe regionalisation of traffic flow management is necessary to meet the traffic growth and environ-mental demands on aviation in the future Safe orderly and expeditious air traffic flows necessitate coordination beyond state boundaries Avoidance of extreme weather events as well as conflict zones that create hazards to aviation cannot be effectively managed without regional collaboration Traffic flow management must take advantage of technologies for information sharing planning and response

4 AIRSPACE INTEGRATION AND USE( CIVIL-MILITARYETC)Global goals of interoperability and airspace capacity are hindered without effective airspace integra-tion Achieving a balance for airspace access between users including civil military manned un-manned and transitional (ie commercial space operators) presents significant challenges for future systems The demand for airspace use is increasing in both quantity and diversity of operations

Technological advances in aircraft coupled with expanded civil uses will place demands on the system that are not supported by current policies Unmanned aircraft both autonomous and remotely piloted are in development In addition the growth in commercial space operations and the development of space tourism will place increasing demands on airspace particularly in the launch and return phases of flight Integrating diverse operations into common airspace will present new challenges that will require innovative thinking to move forward

In some cases particularly in the case of autonomous unmanned aircraft or a ballistic launch phase for a commercial space vehicle where the aircraft or spacecraft may not have a means to execute an air traffic control clearance integration may not be possible In order to accommodate these types of operations clear standards for separation or protected airspace are necessary to ensure the safety of other aircraft

8 EMERGING TECHNOLOGIESInnovation is a hallmark of aviation The first commercial flight occurred within a decade from when the Wright Brothers first took to the air It was less than half a century between the first powered flight and the supersonic jet Our industry has embraced and advanced new technologies that have not only made air travel faster but also safer and more efficient The constant adaptation and integration of new technolo-gies into air traffic control is the mark of the profession This integration and acceptance is not without

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caution or scepticism The approach where technologies are rigorously evaluated prior to integration into the air traffic control system has ensured high levels of safety Air traffic controllers are a critical part of this process Certain new technologies will require a rethinking of long standing operational concepts and standards to facilitate their accommodation Just as radar allowed for the development of new separation standards certain new tools may require the same level of work in developing fundamental concepts and new safety analysis Tools like synthetic vision remote towers and remotely piloted aircraft blur the lines between standards based on visual acquisition of traffic and surveillance based traffic identification These hybrid systems where the human is tasked with visual evaluation of electronically derived information do not fit within the existing separation paradigm New separation standards recognizing that these systems are neither traditional surveillance nor visual systems need to be developed and validated to support the safe integration of these types of systems

8 SAFETYSafety remains the most important performance indicator in ATM As traffic figures rise the accident rate has to be reduced to prevent the number of accidents from increasing The approach towards safety has developed over the years introducing technical human and organisational factors The linear safety ap-proach has been successful in demonstrating causes whenever an incident or accident occurs However the very low rate of aircraft accidents makes it an ineffective safety indicator

It is important to examine safety risks even in the absence of aircraft accidents or incidents This requires a new approach towards safety A proactive approach seeks to understand all the contributing factors in the system and identify systemic safety risks This systems safety approach is based on a principle to maximize the success rate of the overall system In this approach the human factor is seen as the resilient element in a vulnerable system and as a safety net when the system fails Under this concept steps are taken to ensure that the systems are adequately robust and safety risks are mitigated and the human operator is given the necessary tools to perform the safety task

In order to collect and analyse safety information adequate protection of safety information and its sources is critical Systems that penalise people or organisations for reporting safety data limit the data that will be made available The ability to report safety problems including those of human error without fear of reprisal it the foundation of any safety system

8 HUMAN FACTORSThe need for human factors analysis in the development of new technologies is well established The Human-Machine Interface is a critical part of the design process and successful deployment of major new systems have included considerable attention to the human factors analysis However new systems are increasingly network centred rather than single systems that can be analysed as stand alone products introducing broader human factors considerations that go well beyond HMI

As technologies are deployed to maximise system capacity the limits of human performance must be considered While system reliability requirements are very high external factors that could cause disrup-tion cannot be entirely eliminated It is essential to ensure that the ability of human operators to maintain system safety in the event of technology failure is not exceeded

The concept of a systems approach to safety should be expanded to include human factors The human operator should be viewed in totality recognising as new systems allow for increased system capac-ity workload related fatigue issues will need to be considered in addition to those related to schedules and duty time Workload related fatigue can be a symptom of sustained periods either high or very low workload

In order to fully realise peak capacity operational complexity must be minimised Reducing or eliminating mixed mode operations in high-density airspace allows for higher sector capacity Formulas that determine maximum sector capacity must consider both volume and complexity aircraft performance and capability is an important component of sector complexity

8 IFATCAS ROLEIFATCA is in the unique position to provide operational expertise in the development of future ATM The organisation has a leadership role to play in the design development and analysis of emerging concepts for air traffic control IFATCA technical and professional expertise is a critical component of the decision chain The global reach of the Federation provides the opportunity to advance these concepts IFATCA provides ambitious ideas to meet the challenges of the global future of aviation through comprehensive research studies and participation in the global aviation community ^

4 Europe

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Over the past 12 monhts European traf-fic has increased slightly 13 according to the Network Managerrsquos Monthly report Delays have also increased along with the traffic levels And with some severe CB activity at the end of May and early June controllersrsquo skills have been severely tested

Some of our colleagues work with reduced runway systems and face other operational challenges Meanwhile the Single Europe-an Sky (SES) is slowly but surely moving forward This is a quick update on what is currently ongoing on the political front with regard to the Single European Sky program and its so-called pillars

TechnicalOn the technical front within SESAR the ATM Master Plan update campaign is ongoing

A final draft of the future

ATM

Mas-ter Plan will be released for consulta-tion at the end of June 2015 The ATM Master

Plan will re-group all the elements for a modernisation of the techno-logical infra-structure in Europe It will include the de-

ployment of new technology the road-map for modernisation and the elements needed for the next step of SESAR called ldquoSESAR 2020rdquo The ambitious task of revis-iting the ATM Masterplan was coordinated by IFATSEA (Dany van der Biest) on behalf of the professional staff organisations Our input including valuable comments by the many IFATCASESAR representatives was greatly appreciated

Beyond SES II+At the beginning of May the European Commission invited all the stakeholders to a SES Vision Workshop All stakeholders and institutions were invited to give their view on the future of the Single European Sky A small working group within the Eu-ropean Commission continues to work on this thus planning beyond SES II+ legisla-tion Amongst other things the look into the Reference Period 3 (after 2019) and how the Regulatory framework should evolve in the future

EASA has published its opinion on the common rules of the air and operational

provisions regarding services and pro-cedures in air navigation and Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA) part C

DatalinkDatalink implementation has been post-poned by at least 5 years and the outlook is quite grim as the technology used will most probably by outdated by the time it becomes mandatory Maybe a novel ap-proach to this issue is needed New tech-nologies that achieve the same or better CPDLC performance might become avail-able and those in charge of coordinating the implementation seem to want to wait and see what materialises before taking large scale initiatives

Occurrence ReportingTransposition of the Mandatory Occur-rence Reporting Implementation Regula-tion will be finalised by a high level work-shop on the 1st of October 2015 IFATCA has been working together with other stakeholders to achieve a balance be-tween safety and Just Culture in the form of industry Guidance Material This work is ongoing and the challenge is to keep the advanced Just Culture in the corporate environment intact while allowing the new sectors to join these developments

The new regulation on Occurrence Report-ing will become effective in all European states (plus Norway and Switzerland) on 15 November 2015 Promotional material will become available during the summer IFATCA has worked towards diversity for the different sectors while maintaining Just Culture recognisable throughout the avia-tion industry

The motivation for and the Regulation it-self can be found via these links link1 and link2

Prosecutor Expert CourseAt the end of May 2015 the 5th Eurocon-trolIFATCA Prosecutor Expert Training course was held at the Eurocontrol HQ in Brussels In total some 100 participants have attended this training initiative Bringing together professionals from the judiciary and the aviation world has proven to be a real contribution to Just Culture

loeuifatcaorgsesarcoordifatcaorg

BE READY FOR CHANGEUPDATE ON EUROPEAN ISSUES

^ by Paul Neering IFATCA Liaison to the EU amp Marc Baumgartner IFATCA SESAR Coordinator

copy m

einz

ahn

ww

wfo

tose

arch

com

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER 13

^by Jean-Franccedilois LepageIFATCA Representative to ICAO

LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE

Immediately following the Annual Con-ference in Sofia IFATCArsquos handover for the position of IFATCA Liaison Officer to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission be-gan We have been working hard to make the transition transparent for everyone in IFATCA and we are on track for a smooth transition

The current ANC session is coming to an end and we will continue our work through the Fall session ending in November 2015 The 200th session will be full of challenges to overcome as it will include an unprec-

edented number of amendments reaching the final stage of the ICAO process At this point the outgoing and incoming ANC li-aison officers will work side by side in the ANC Chamber This will ensure a continu-ous voice for the Federation as we work the numerous upcoming issues important to the Federation

The topics before us are numerous and in-tricate and the realities with which we will have to work are just as varied and com-plex as a Federation we have to keep in mind that our role is to present a global view It could be the rapid growth of traf-fic in Asia the lack of resources of certain countries in Africa the issues encountered with space vehicles and balloons launches in North America and Oceania the inte-gration challenges in Europe These are

just a few examples that show how important the work we are all doing for this Federation is for its members and how im-portant it is to make sure our interests are best rep-resented at ICAO

In short there will be a lot of topics of great in-terest for the Federation and a lot of issues where the ANC liaison officer will have to defend our interests There is only one way to achieve this since no one can accom-plish such a task alone the key words are indubi-tably communication and synergy

Communication because it is essential to use all the resources we have and share what we know the volunteers of the Federa-tion are incredibly talent-

ed and everything has to be put in place to take advantage of all this expertise and knowledge It is paramount to continue the excellent work of Dr Stilwell in devel-oping mechanisms to take advantage of all this richness to better represent us at ICAO

Synergy which is the interaction of two or more elements to achieve an outcome greater than the sum of its parts allows us to accomplish a lot more than every one of us separately this is another of the many strengths of IFATCA Nowadays technol-ogy among other things has made our world more complex than ever Systems procedures and networks tend to become heavily interrelated and one can easily get confused while trying to navigate through these webs

Again IFATCA has two excellent com-mittees Professional (PLC) and Technical (TOC) within its structure that can ease this constraint Communication between the PLC TOC and the ANC liaison officer will be the key to continued success in making our voice heard at ICAO

Finally I would like to express once again my gratitude to the Executive Board for the vote of confidence and for the sup-port in the transition Additionally I must acknowledge the excellent work of Dr Stilwell training me for my new role Her deep knowledge patience and support will ensure that we remain strongly repre-sented and well regarded at ICAO ^

jeanfrancoislepagegmailcom

4 Technology

^ by Ignacio Baca IFATCA Technical amp Operational Committee (TOC)

ATC DISPLAY DESIGN

It is a fact that modern Air Traffic Control relies on automation Computers are be-hind every modern (and even not so mod-ern) ATC system To interact with these machines we rely on screens A visitor to an ACC or a Tower is often baffled by the number of screens that are a part of the Controller Working Position (CWP) or at least by the amount of information presented on them Besides a screen that shows radar or surveillance data there are usually a number of screens with ad-ditional information such as meteorologi-cal data flight plan information health of the systems etc An extreme example is that of the Bodoslash Oceanic ACC (Norway) where the working positions are literally overloaded with screens that are linked to different systems

While the number of screens and their placement on a working position is a subject in itself the way the information is presented on a given screen needs to be considered it needs to be optimised to suit the needs of the operator so he or she can use the information in the most efficient way IFATCArsquos Technical and Op-erations Committee (TOC) looked at this and presented a working paper at the Fed-erationrsquos Annual Conference held in Sofia Bulgaria last April

When developing new systems develop-

ers tend to rely on standards which nor-mally incorporate best practices or lessons learned by experience in the past Surpris-ingly however there are no official stand-ards for the design of ATC systems Some efforts have been made for example in a project called Eurocontrol Core Require-ments for ATM Working Positions (CoRe) Finalized in 2002 it tried to identify and mitigate problems within the CWP Devel-opment Process The FAA also produced a report in 2003 to assist in the design development and evaluation of FAA sys-tems Despite such efforts nothing in the domain of ATM compares to for exam-ple the situation in aircraft cockpits where there is a high level of standardization

Generally we can distinguish four areas in design requirements

4 Simplicity simple systems are gener-ally easier to use and maintain and require less training

4 Consistency it is desirable that the same layout and style is used as much as possible As an example of the im-portance of this factor the time that a person needs to mentally process the information in a screen may double when the position of the elements is varied

4 Safety as safety is paramount in ATC the system must be verified validated and certified for both normal opera-tions but also in degraded and emer-gency modes

4 Usability meaning that the system must be easy to use and learn and ef-ficient to apply for performing a cer-tain task

A user-centred approach is desirable to improve the usability of the system This is why controllers should be involved in the design of ATC systems from the begin-ning an article about the subject was pub-lished in The Controller issue of April 2014 (Put a controller in your team) Controllers also need to be involved in validation and in further developments and upgrades to help keep the system user-friendly and not feature overloaded But what about con-sistency Different cultures communities and even individuals can have different perceptions of the same problem As such the display of information and the differ-ences between ATM systems clearly show a lack of consistency

Letrsquos consider alerts for example An alert is a way to focus the attention of the con-troller to a particular piece of the informa-tion being displayed Well-designed alerts clearly contribute to safety but false warn-ings and nuisance alerts if these occur too frequently can result in the control-ler ignoring a genuine warning or simply overlooking it Our systems tend to have an increasing number of warnings conflict alerts area proximity warnings level busts hellip It should be easy to quickly determine the actual nature of the warning and using colours to differentiate seems like a logical thing to do In the absence of any stand-ards however every control system has its own set of warnings with its own colour schemes and its own set of parameters

If colours are used to draw attention to an issue or to distinguish different problems it can in fact cause issues as well In the January 2015 issue of The Controller there

4 Screen overload at Bodoslash Oceanic ACC Photo Terje Dahlseng Eide THE

CONTROLLER14

NEED FOR GUIDING PRINCIPLES amp STANDARDS

4 Technology

is an article (pages 14 and 15) about the new Pegasus Sys-tem implemented in Poland The author writes One of the main issues is how colours are used (hellip) it appears for exam-ple very easy to miss situations close to sector boundaries due to the so-called ldquowhite-label syndromerdquo

The lsquowhite label syndromersquo is also known in other systems In Spain the labels are green for traffic in the sector and white for traffic outside the sector Sometimes controllers over-look the white traffic close to their sectors because their attention is focused in look-ing for conflicts affecting the green planes While colours provide an additional source of information to the control-ler therersquos also a risk that infor-mation is too easily discarded ie without actually interpreting it In fact the system lsquodecidesrsquo that certain information is worth looking at more than otherhellip

Itrsquos also easy to overdo an extensive use of colours can also lead to overload for controllers An example is the following list of colours used in Belgium

4 White aircraft currently on the frequency

4 Yellow aircraft coordinated to enter the sector

4 Brown aircraft transferred to the next sector

4 Green aircraft entering the sector but not yet on the frequency

4 Blue aircraft is selected 4 Red conflicting aircraft 4 Grey information label aircraft wonrsquot

necessarily be entering the sector

Not only the high number of colours make difficult to keep track of the traffic but grey labels are often overlooked due to all the other colours creating a problem simi-lar to the white-label syndrome mentioned above

The three systems just mentioned Span-ish Polish and Belgian use a dark back-ground in line with the lsquotraditionalrsquo ra-dar scopes But the lack of standards is evident even here A number of systems such as the VAFORIT system introduced in Karlsruhe in 2010 (see The Controller July

2011) used a white background This was later changed to light greyThe training sessions for VAFORIT showed that the colour scheme was not welcomed by the controllers Every change in the de-sign resulted in more problems because changing one colour impacted the en-tire colour palette After the system was brought online the colour scheme was implicated as a contributory factor to sev-eral incidents Eventually DFS asked the Institute for Labour Sciences of Darmstadt University for assistance This was a unique opportunity to have a scientific analysis of the issue They suggested a particular range of colours which was accepted by the controllers and finally implemented

Another issue is the readability of the in-formation presented It is tempting to think that the type of font used in a system is only relevant from an aesthetic point of view but it can easily lead to confusion An example was mentioned in an IFATCA working paper (presented at the Amman Conference in 2011) on the use of alpha-numeric callsigns this mentioned that us-ing the letters B I O S and Z in callsigns could easily create confusion with the numbers 8 1 0 5 and 2 While this ap-plies no matter what font is used a badly chosen font can easily create more confu-sion than a well-designed one

The experience of our German colleagues and their VAFORIT system is a perfect ex-ample of how a scientific study can improve a system It could be tempting to think that science is universal and that it could there-fore help to develop some universal stand-ard to be followed by every ATC system Unfortunately this is not completely true Colours are useful as an example again How to define a standard for colours when they may have different meanings de-pending of culture Being educated in a western culture I would probably choose red as the colour to be used for a warning In my culture red is associated to danger and prohibition A Chinese controller on the other hand could think otherwise for him red is associated with celebrations and as a symbol of good luck

To conclude there is no universal set of rules to decide what information must be included in an automated ATC system and how this information should be presented Definition of a standard is not an easy task because of factors like cultural differences and the transition from existing legacy sys-tems Nevertheless at least some stand-ardization is desirable For this reason TOC recommended that the Federation develops guiding principles for alerts and for the display of operational information ^

ignacioifatcagmailcom

4 The Pegasus system in Poland susceptible to the white-label syndrome Photo PANSA

15 THE CONTROLLER

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER16

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

MADRID HOST TO 70TH EDITION

4 Capt Martin Chalk newly elected IFALPA President

Photo IFALPA

IFALPA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The 70th annual conference of the Inter-national Federation of Air Line Pilotsrsquo As-sociations (IFALPA) was held in Madrid on 10-12 April 2015 Nearly 500 pilots attend-ed and debated a wide range of subjects

ContractsOne of these was the new pilot employ-ment contracts being devised by many airlines more particularly those operat-ing as so-called low-cost operators One such practice is the ldquoPay-to-Flyrdquo contract whereby mostly young pilots looking for a job and requiring to buildkeep experi-ence have to pay between 20 and 50000 USD in exchange for the ldquoprivilegeldquo of working as a pilot for an airline

Another deplorable one is the so-called ldquozero hoursldquo contract Here pilots are only paid when they fly In other words they have no fixed income and are not paid during months where traffic is low The last one is referred to as ldquoself-employmentrdquo where companies (Ryanair was mentioned) only employ pilots that have their own ldquocompanyrdquo This avoids the airline hav-ing to pay pension contributions social and medical benefitsetc Needless to say that job security in all these schemes is non-existent

While the main reason is of course cost-cutting they also undermine collective bargaining for working conditions etc These tendencies are extremely worri-some and we have to be careful that con-trollers will not be the next victims of this form of modern slavery

GermanwingsThere were of course long discussions on the aftermath of the Germanwings crash As other professional organisations IFAL-PA strongly condemned the witchhunt by the worldrsquos media the release of details of the Cockpit Voice Recorder to the press within 36 hours of it being recovered and especially the rash measures taken by au-thorities and some airlines without await-ing the outcome of the full investigation The European Cockpit Association (ECA the European Branch of IFALPA) made a resolution opposing the requirement to re-place a pilot leaving the cockpit saying it actually increases risks They also opposed publishing medical records of pilots which would only result in pilots avoiding medi-cal treatment They also reacted strongly against regular psychological assessments by the employer which they argued would also be counterproductive as people would lie to protect their job A better overall solution would be a Peer Interven-tion Program similar to CISM combined with a good loss of license insurance cov-ering mental illness

Most strongly condemned was the unprec-edented statement of a state prosecutor which identified a crew member as ldquothe only culpritrdquo Without awaiting all the el-ements of the investigation it is clearly a grave and unprecedented violation of ICAO Annex 13

Safety SeminarTheir safety seminar this year dealt with emergency responses and media commu-nications after incident or accident includ-

ing how to handle social media This has becomes one of their priorities similar to what IFATCA is currently embarking upon

Changes In Training IFALPA allows presentations from outsid-ers to be made during their plenary Tra-ditionally this privilege is for Airbus andor Boeing but they included Embraer this year as well Essentially all 3 manufactur-ers promoted the new features of their latest-generation aircraft

One excellent presentation came from Captain Harry Nelson an Airbus senior test pilot He talked about the drastic changes needed in training following a number of recent accidents where automation or rather how humans interact with this au-tomation played a major role According to Captain Nelson less books and class-rooms lectures were needed but self train-ing using laptops and tablets were the way forward ldquoTraining must be fun againrdquo he said ldquowith an emphasis on hands-on ex-perience rather than on written materialrdquo

ElectionsDeputy President Martin Chalk from the UK was elected to become the new IFAL-PA President Martin is the former Presi-dent of the European Cockpit Association and he is keen to continue the very good cooperation with IFATCA Their next Con-ference will be in New Orleans USA from April 15 unitl 18 2016 For once it doesnrsquot clash with our own IFATCA Conference ^

dpthe-controllernet

INTER-

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THE FUTURE OF GLOBALAIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

This is version 20 of the IFATCA Statement on the Future of Global Air Traffic Management It was formally adopted at the IFATCA Annual Conference in Sofia Bulgaria in April 2015 For more information contact our EVP Technical via evptifatcaorg

8 INTRODUCTIONAir traffic control at its core is a safety service Many future systems focus on increasing system capac-ity and efficiency It is not that capacity concerns have overshadowed safety as priority instead it is an acknowledgement that a system operated in excess of available capacity creates unsafe conditions To remedy an overcapacity condition one can either restrict access or increase capacity IFATCA recognizes that restricting growth in global aviation is not a realistic approach In order to maintain the necessary standard of safety in air traffic control moving forward we must be willing to take advantage of innovation in technology and procedures that will build the needed system capacity

8 PERFORMANCE BASED ATM4 AIR NAVIGATION SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE

Air navigation infrastructures develop on an evolutionary path that requires cooperation between ground based providers and airborne users Moving forward with advanced technologies to build sys-tem capacity requires coordinated investment from governments air navigation service providers and system users

In other modes of transport the infrastructure can be developed independently from the network us-ers For example adding a new lane to a highway increases system capacity without the need for new investment in vehicle technology With the exception of new runways this is not the case for aviation

Moving toward a performance based model for Air Traffic Management requires more than placing performance targets on outputs It requires a fundamental rethinking of the air traffic infrastruc-ture and standards development process Each element of the system should be developed using a performance-based process By shifting to a true performance based model we change the concept of standards making in a way that encourages technological advancement and allows system users to take advantage of the benefits new systems offer This concept embraces the ideas embodied in Required Navigation Performance Required Surveillance Performance and Required Communication Performance

4 REQUIRED SURVEILLANCE PERFORMANCERequired Surveillance Performance is a concept within the ICAO community Transition to a true RSP environment requires the establishment of clear standards for precision update rates and latency of any surveillance system Ideally this will lead to the concept of simplified surveillance separation standards that replaces the current process of developing new separation standards to accommodate new technologies

Rather than evaluate new surveillance systems and develop separation standards necessary to uti-lize a new technology a performance based approach requires the sensor technology to meet the specifications to allow the existing separation standards to be applied1 This provides developers and manufacturers with a clear design target In addition moving away from sensor based standards can reduce sector complexity in a mixed mode operation allowing for increased capacity

It is not necessary for air traffic controllers to know the source of a surveillance target only that the displayed target meets the necessary requirements for accuracy and reliability This approach allows both users and ANSPs to take advantage of developing technologies more rapidly and can expand the amount of airspace where surveillance based separation standards can be applied As we move away from radar dependent surveillance in the long term we introduce new flexibility for airspace design capacity and efficiency

1 Separation standards are not solely based on the surveillance system they also require standards for com-munication and navigation availability and precision

4 IFATCA Statement

illustrations copy csp_Harlekino | wwwfotosearchcom

INTER-

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4 REQUIRED NAVIGATION PERFORMANCEThe development process for Required Navigation Performance can provide an effective model for the continued development of RCP and RSP RNP has illustrated that continual improvements in the on board precision coupled with effective airspace design can provide substantial and measurable benefits The application of a rigorous safety case is a fundamental part of the process Moving away from a technology based standard to a performance based one has improved the process and allows for operators to conduct independent evaluations on the business case to support the on board investment Operational benefits from increased airspace capacity are demonstrated This approach formed the basis for PBN (Performance Based Navigation)

4 REQUIRED COMMUNICATION PERFORMANCEExisting standards are dependent upon direct air to ground voice communications While this is cur-rently the preferred means of communication when possible opportunities for development of less infrastructure dependent communications technologies are foreseeable A focus on the performance requirements of alternative systems that includes the human factors elements may allow for develop-ment of alternative systems with equal or greater levels of reliability than existing air to ground voice concepts

4 SERVICE PRIORITYExisting ATC service priority models that place heavy emphasis on the concept of first come first served do not take advantage of the reduced demand on ATC resources that result from advances in onboard capabilities Tactical sector resources include air traffic controller staffing available fre-quency time and coordination requirements The level and type of communication navigation and surveillance equipment on board an aircraft affects the tactical sector resources needed to provide air traffic control services For example an RNAV equipped aircraft uses fewer sector resources when flying an RNAV STAR than a lesser- equipped aircraft that must be vectored to the final approach

The evolution of air navigation and airspace design over the last decade has placed increasing empha-sis on airborne equipment From GNSS routes to PBN efficient airspace design and utilization requires that sufficient percentages of aircraft be appropriately equipped to utilize the advanced routes

Performance Based ATM requires both air navigation service providers and system users invest in sys-tems that allow for maximization of airspace capacity and efficiency In order to develop a business case for the investment operational benefits must be quantifiable A service priority model based on first come first served without consideration of the relative sector resources needed to provide the service may discourage or delay modernisation efforts

New service priority models are a critical element of performance based ATM In the same manner that system users seek to obtain operational benefits from on board investment air navigation ser-vice providers should be able to derive benefits from investment in the ground based technologies Under the current service priority model lesser equipped aircraft are afforded the same priority as better equipped aircraft regardless of the additional resources they may consume Delaying aircraft to accommodate minimally equipped users particularly through holding consumes considerable sec-tor resources for which the ANSP is not compensated If the ANSP is able to establish a service prior-ity model that considers aircraft equipment requirements to maximise sector capacity and efficiency it will be more able to offset the investment costs of advanced technologies

A truly performance based model for ATM would permit ANSPs to consider airborne equipment as a dynamic tool for managing sector capacity and efficiency Aircraft equipment requirements could be in place during periods of peak demand and lifted when the capacity enhancing tools are no longer required This strategic approach will require enhanced attention to both airspace planning and flight planning In addition to the capacity enhancement the strategic approach can also be seen as a means to ensure equitable access to airports and airspace when compared to the equipment mandate approach

4 IFATCA Statement

INTER-

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4 IFATCA Statement

4 AIRSPACE DESIGN AND ACCESSAdvanced airspace design and procedures are evolving to maximise airspace availability and effi-ciency PBN Approaches reduce track distance and can allow aircraft to navigate around terrain in low visibility Continuous Descent Operations allow operators to maximise fuel economy RNP standards allow for reduced separation in procedural airspace increasing capacity and new in-trail climb and descent procedures in en route airspace will allow equipped aircraft to access preferred flight levels These advanced procedures also have the ability to reduce demand on sector resources Airspace de-sign that takes advantage of modern aircraft navigation capabilities has the possibility to de-conflict traffic flows reduce the need for vectoring and reduce frequency congestion Advanced airspace design will play an increasingly important role in managing traffic in high-density areas However this type of airspace design is only of value if the aircraft operating in the airspace are able to use it

Airspace analysis and planning is a critical component in developing an airborne equipment based service priority model Airspace service volumes should be evaluated to determine if and when ben-efits can be derived from advanced procedures This evaluation of airspace service volumes should be an ongoing process and can aid in the evolution to a dynamic concept of airspace management and access

By granting access to the most efficient procedures and airspace to aircraft equipped to use them the business model for airborne investment can be made without artificial manipulation The demand on controllers to manage a new service priority model is mitigated Finally while this model can pro-vide an incentive for operators to equip aircraft for those that want to defer or delay the on board investment the option of moving flights away from peak periods to unconstrained periods could improve overall system efficiency and safety

4 TRAFFIC FLOW MANAGEMENTThe regionalisation of traffic flow management is necessary to meet the traffic growth and environ-mental demands on aviation in the future Safe orderly and expeditious air traffic flows necessitate coordination beyond state boundaries Avoidance of extreme weather events as well as conflict zones that create hazards to aviation cannot be effectively managed without regional collaboration Traffic flow management must take advantage of technologies for information sharing planning and response

4 AIRSPACE INTEGRATION AND USE( CIVIL-MILITARYETC)Global goals of interoperability and airspace capacity are hindered without effective airspace integra-tion Achieving a balance for airspace access between users including civil military manned un-manned and transitional (ie commercial space operators) presents significant challenges for future systems The demand for airspace use is increasing in both quantity and diversity of operations

Technological advances in aircraft coupled with expanded civil uses will place demands on the system that are not supported by current policies Unmanned aircraft both autonomous and remotely piloted are in development In addition the growth in commercial space operations and the development of space tourism will place increasing demands on airspace particularly in the launch and return phases of flight Integrating diverse operations into common airspace will present new challenges that will require innovative thinking to move forward

In some cases particularly in the case of autonomous unmanned aircraft or a ballistic launch phase for a commercial space vehicle where the aircraft or spacecraft may not have a means to execute an air traffic control clearance integration may not be possible In order to accommodate these types of operations clear standards for separation or protected airspace are necessary to ensure the safety of other aircraft

8 EMERGING TECHNOLOGIESInnovation is a hallmark of aviation The first commercial flight occurred within a decade from when the Wright Brothers first took to the air It was less than half a century between the first powered flight and the supersonic jet Our industry has embraced and advanced new technologies that have not only made air travel faster but also safer and more efficient The constant adaptation and integration of new technolo-gies into air traffic control is the mark of the profession This integration and acceptance is not without

INTER-

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4 IFATCA Statement

caution or scepticism The approach where technologies are rigorously evaluated prior to integration into the air traffic control system has ensured high levels of safety Air traffic controllers are a critical part of this process Certain new technologies will require a rethinking of long standing operational concepts and standards to facilitate their accommodation Just as radar allowed for the development of new separation standards certain new tools may require the same level of work in developing fundamental concepts and new safety analysis Tools like synthetic vision remote towers and remotely piloted aircraft blur the lines between standards based on visual acquisition of traffic and surveillance based traffic identification These hybrid systems where the human is tasked with visual evaluation of electronically derived information do not fit within the existing separation paradigm New separation standards recognizing that these systems are neither traditional surveillance nor visual systems need to be developed and validated to support the safe integration of these types of systems

8 SAFETYSafety remains the most important performance indicator in ATM As traffic figures rise the accident rate has to be reduced to prevent the number of accidents from increasing The approach towards safety has developed over the years introducing technical human and organisational factors The linear safety ap-proach has been successful in demonstrating causes whenever an incident or accident occurs However the very low rate of aircraft accidents makes it an ineffective safety indicator

It is important to examine safety risks even in the absence of aircraft accidents or incidents This requires a new approach towards safety A proactive approach seeks to understand all the contributing factors in the system and identify systemic safety risks This systems safety approach is based on a principle to maximize the success rate of the overall system In this approach the human factor is seen as the resilient element in a vulnerable system and as a safety net when the system fails Under this concept steps are taken to ensure that the systems are adequately robust and safety risks are mitigated and the human operator is given the necessary tools to perform the safety task

In order to collect and analyse safety information adequate protection of safety information and its sources is critical Systems that penalise people or organisations for reporting safety data limit the data that will be made available The ability to report safety problems including those of human error without fear of reprisal it the foundation of any safety system

8 HUMAN FACTORSThe need for human factors analysis in the development of new technologies is well established The Human-Machine Interface is a critical part of the design process and successful deployment of major new systems have included considerable attention to the human factors analysis However new systems are increasingly network centred rather than single systems that can be analysed as stand alone products introducing broader human factors considerations that go well beyond HMI

As technologies are deployed to maximise system capacity the limits of human performance must be considered While system reliability requirements are very high external factors that could cause disrup-tion cannot be entirely eliminated It is essential to ensure that the ability of human operators to maintain system safety in the event of technology failure is not exceeded

The concept of a systems approach to safety should be expanded to include human factors The human operator should be viewed in totality recognising as new systems allow for increased system capac-ity workload related fatigue issues will need to be considered in addition to those related to schedules and duty time Workload related fatigue can be a symptom of sustained periods either high or very low workload

In order to fully realise peak capacity operational complexity must be minimised Reducing or eliminating mixed mode operations in high-density airspace allows for higher sector capacity Formulas that determine maximum sector capacity must consider both volume and complexity aircraft performance and capability is an important component of sector complexity

8 IFATCAS ROLEIFATCA is in the unique position to provide operational expertise in the development of future ATM The organisation has a leadership role to play in the design development and analysis of emerging concepts for air traffic control IFATCA technical and professional expertise is a critical component of the decision chain The global reach of the Federation provides the opportunity to advance these concepts IFATCA provides ambitious ideas to meet the challenges of the global future of aviation through comprehensive research studies and participation in the global aviation community ^

4 Europe

21

INTER-

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Over the past 12 monhts European traf-fic has increased slightly 13 according to the Network Managerrsquos Monthly report Delays have also increased along with the traffic levels And with some severe CB activity at the end of May and early June controllersrsquo skills have been severely tested

Some of our colleagues work with reduced runway systems and face other operational challenges Meanwhile the Single Europe-an Sky (SES) is slowly but surely moving forward This is a quick update on what is currently ongoing on the political front with regard to the Single European Sky program and its so-called pillars

TechnicalOn the technical front within SESAR the ATM Master Plan update campaign is ongoing

A final draft of the future

ATM

Mas-ter Plan will be released for consulta-tion at the end of June 2015 The ATM Master

Plan will re-group all the elements for a modernisation of the techno-logical infra-structure in Europe It will include the de-

ployment of new technology the road-map for modernisation and the elements needed for the next step of SESAR called ldquoSESAR 2020rdquo The ambitious task of revis-iting the ATM Masterplan was coordinated by IFATSEA (Dany van der Biest) on behalf of the professional staff organisations Our input including valuable comments by the many IFATCASESAR representatives was greatly appreciated

Beyond SES II+At the beginning of May the European Commission invited all the stakeholders to a SES Vision Workshop All stakeholders and institutions were invited to give their view on the future of the Single European Sky A small working group within the Eu-ropean Commission continues to work on this thus planning beyond SES II+ legisla-tion Amongst other things the look into the Reference Period 3 (after 2019) and how the Regulatory framework should evolve in the future

EASA has published its opinion on the common rules of the air and operational

provisions regarding services and pro-cedures in air navigation and Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA) part C

DatalinkDatalink implementation has been post-poned by at least 5 years and the outlook is quite grim as the technology used will most probably by outdated by the time it becomes mandatory Maybe a novel ap-proach to this issue is needed New tech-nologies that achieve the same or better CPDLC performance might become avail-able and those in charge of coordinating the implementation seem to want to wait and see what materialises before taking large scale initiatives

Occurrence ReportingTransposition of the Mandatory Occur-rence Reporting Implementation Regula-tion will be finalised by a high level work-shop on the 1st of October 2015 IFATCA has been working together with other stakeholders to achieve a balance be-tween safety and Just Culture in the form of industry Guidance Material This work is ongoing and the challenge is to keep the advanced Just Culture in the corporate environment intact while allowing the new sectors to join these developments

The new regulation on Occurrence Report-ing will become effective in all European states (plus Norway and Switzerland) on 15 November 2015 Promotional material will become available during the summer IFATCA has worked towards diversity for the different sectors while maintaining Just Culture recognisable throughout the avia-tion industry

The motivation for and the Regulation it-self can be found via these links link1 and link2

Prosecutor Expert CourseAt the end of May 2015 the 5th Eurocon-trolIFATCA Prosecutor Expert Training course was held at the Eurocontrol HQ in Brussels In total some 100 participants have attended this training initiative Bringing together professionals from the judiciary and the aviation world has proven to be a real contribution to Just Culture

loeuifatcaorgsesarcoordifatcaorg

BE READY FOR CHANGEUPDATE ON EUROPEAN ISSUES

^ by Paul Neering IFATCA Liaison to the EU amp Marc Baumgartner IFATCA SESAR Coordinator

copy m

einz

ahn

ww

wfo

tose

arch

com

4 Technology

^ by Ignacio Baca IFATCA Technical amp Operational Committee (TOC)

ATC DISPLAY DESIGN

It is a fact that modern Air Traffic Control relies on automation Computers are be-hind every modern (and even not so mod-ern) ATC system To interact with these machines we rely on screens A visitor to an ACC or a Tower is often baffled by the number of screens that are a part of the Controller Working Position (CWP) or at least by the amount of information presented on them Besides a screen that shows radar or surveillance data there are usually a number of screens with ad-ditional information such as meteorologi-cal data flight plan information health of the systems etc An extreme example is that of the Bodoslash Oceanic ACC (Norway) where the working positions are literally overloaded with screens that are linked to different systems

While the number of screens and their placement on a working position is a subject in itself the way the information is presented on a given screen needs to be considered it needs to be optimised to suit the needs of the operator so he or she can use the information in the most efficient way IFATCArsquos Technical and Op-erations Committee (TOC) looked at this and presented a working paper at the Fed-erationrsquos Annual Conference held in Sofia Bulgaria last April

When developing new systems develop-

ers tend to rely on standards which nor-mally incorporate best practices or lessons learned by experience in the past Surpris-ingly however there are no official stand-ards for the design of ATC systems Some efforts have been made for example in a project called Eurocontrol Core Require-ments for ATM Working Positions (CoRe) Finalized in 2002 it tried to identify and mitigate problems within the CWP Devel-opment Process The FAA also produced a report in 2003 to assist in the design development and evaluation of FAA sys-tems Despite such efforts nothing in the domain of ATM compares to for exam-ple the situation in aircraft cockpits where there is a high level of standardization

Generally we can distinguish four areas in design requirements

4 Simplicity simple systems are gener-ally easier to use and maintain and require less training

4 Consistency it is desirable that the same layout and style is used as much as possible As an example of the im-portance of this factor the time that a person needs to mentally process the information in a screen may double when the position of the elements is varied

4 Safety as safety is paramount in ATC the system must be verified validated and certified for both normal opera-tions but also in degraded and emer-gency modes

4 Usability meaning that the system must be easy to use and learn and ef-ficient to apply for performing a cer-tain task

A user-centred approach is desirable to improve the usability of the system This is why controllers should be involved in the design of ATC systems from the begin-ning an article about the subject was pub-lished in The Controller issue of April 2014 (Put a controller in your team) Controllers also need to be involved in validation and in further developments and upgrades to help keep the system user-friendly and not feature overloaded But what about con-sistency Different cultures communities and even individuals can have different perceptions of the same problem As such the display of information and the differ-ences between ATM systems clearly show a lack of consistency

Letrsquos consider alerts for example An alert is a way to focus the attention of the con-troller to a particular piece of the informa-tion being displayed Well-designed alerts clearly contribute to safety but false warn-ings and nuisance alerts if these occur too frequently can result in the control-ler ignoring a genuine warning or simply overlooking it Our systems tend to have an increasing number of warnings conflict alerts area proximity warnings level busts hellip It should be easy to quickly determine the actual nature of the warning and using colours to differentiate seems like a logical thing to do In the absence of any stand-ards however every control system has its own set of warnings with its own colour schemes and its own set of parameters

If colours are used to draw attention to an issue or to distinguish different problems it can in fact cause issues as well In the January 2015 issue of The Controller there

4 Screen overload at Bodoslash Oceanic ACC Photo Terje Dahlseng Eide THE

CONTROLLER14

NEED FOR GUIDING PRINCIPLES amp STANDARDS

4 Technology

is an article (pages 14 and 15) about the new Pegasus Sys-tem implemented in Poland The author writes One of the main issues is how colours are used (hellip) it appears for exam-ple very easy to miss situations close to sector boundaries due to the so-called ldquowhite-label syndromerdquo

The lsquowhite label syndromersquo is also known in other systems In Spain the labels are green for traffic in the sector and white for traffic outside the sector Sometimes controllers over-look the white traffic close to their sectors because their attention is focused in look-ing for conflicts affecting the green planes While colours provide an additional source of information to the control-ler therersquos also a risk that infor-mation is too easily discarded ie without actually interpreting it In fact the system lsquodecidesrsquo that certain information is worth looking at more than otherhellip

Itrsquos also easy to overdo an extensive use of colours can also lead to overload for controllers An example is the following list of colours used in Belgium

4 White aircraft currently on the frequency

4 Yellow aircraft coordinated to enter the sector

4 Brown aircraft transferred to the next sector

4 Green aircraft entering the sector but not yet on the frequency

4 Blue aircraft is selected 4 Red conflicting aircraft 4 Grey information label aircraft wonrsquot

necessarily be entering the sector

Not only the high number of colours make difficult to keep track of the traffic but grey labels are often overlooked due to all the other colours creating a problem simi-lar to the white-label syndrome mentioned above

The three systems just mentioned Span-ish Polish and Belgian use a dark back-ground in line with the lsquotraditionalrsquo ra-dar scopes But the lack of standards is evident even here A number of systems such as the VAFORIT system introduced in Karlsruhe in 2010 (see The Controller July

2011) used a white background This was later changed to light greyThe training sessions for VAFORIT showed that the colour scheme was not welcomed by the controllers Every change in the de-sign resulted in more problems because changing one colour impacted the en-tire colour palette After the system was brought online the colour scheme was implicated as a contributory factor to sev-eral incidents Eventually DFS asked the Institute for Labour Sciences of Darmstadt University for assistance This was a unique opportunity to have a scientific analysis of the issue They suggested a particular range of colours which was accepted by the controllers and finally implemented

Another issue is the readability of the in-formation presented It is tempting to think that the type of font used in a system is only relevant from an aesthetic point of view but it can easily lead to confusion An example was mentioned in an IFATCA working paper (presented at the Amman Conference in 2011) on the use of alpha-numeric callsigns this mentioned that us-ing the letters B I O S and Z in callsigns could easily create confusion with the numbers 8 1 0 5 and 2 While this ap-plies no matter what font is used a badly chosen font can easily create more confu-sion than a well-designed one

The experience of our German colleagues and their VAFORIT system is a perfect ex-ample of how a scientific study can improve a system It could be tempting to think that science is universal and that it could there-fore help to develop some universal stand-ard to be followed by every ATC system Unfortunately this is not completely true Colours are useful as an example again How to define a standard for colours when they may have different meanings de-pending of culture Being educated in a western culture I would probably choose red as the colour to be used for a warning In my culture red is associated to danger and prohibition A Chinese controller on the other hand could think otherwise for him red is associated with celebrations and as a symbol of good luck

To conclude there is no universal set of rules to decide what information must be included in an automated ATC system and how this information should be presented Definition of a standard is not an easy task because of factors like cultural differences and the transition from existing legacy sys-tems Nevertheless at least some stand-ardization is desirable For this reason TOC recommended that the Federation develops guiding principles for alerts and for the display of operational information ^

ignacioifatcagmailcom

4 The Pegasus system in Poland susceptible to the white-label syndrome Photo PANSA

15 THE CONTROLLER

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER16

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

MADRID HOST TO 70TH EDITION

4 Capt Martin Chalk newly elected IFALPA President

Photo IFALPA

IFALPA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The 70th annual conference of the Inter-national Federation of Air Line Pilotsrsquo As-sociations (IFALPA) was held in Madrid on 10-12 April 2015 Nearly 500 pilots attend-ed and debated a wide range of subjects

ContractsOne of these was the new pilot employ-ment contracts being devised by many airlines more particularly those operat-ing as so-called low-cost operators One such practice is the ldquoPay-to-Flyrdquo contract whereby mostly young pilots looking for a job and requiring to buildkeep experi-ence have to pay between 20 and 50000 USD in exchange for the ldquoprivilegeldquo of working as a pilot for an airline

Another deplorable one is the so-called ldquozero hoursldquo contract Here pilots are only paid when they fly In other words they have no fixed income and are not paid during months where traffic is low The last one is referred to as ldquoself-employmentrdquo where companies (Ryanair was mentioned) only employ pilots that have their own ldquocompanyrdquo This avoids the airline hav-ing to pay pension contributions social and medical benefitsetc Needless to say that job security in all these schemes is non-existent

While the main reason is of course cost-cutting they also undermine collective bargaining for working conditions etc These tendencies are extremely worri-some and we have to be careful that con-trollers will not be the next victims of this form of modern slavery

GermanwingsThere were of course long discussions on the aftermath of the Germanwings crash As other professional organisations IFAL-PA strongly condemned the witchhunt by the worldrsquos media the release of details of the Cockpit Voice Recorder to the press within 36 hours of it being recovered and especially the rash measures taken by au-thorities and some airlines without await-ing the outcome of the full investigation The European Cockpit Association (ECA the European Branch of IFALPA) made a resolution opposing the requirement to re-place a pilot leaving the cockpit saying it actually increases risks They also opposed publishing medical records of pilots which would only result in pilots avoiding medi-cal treatment They also reacted strongly against regular psychological assessments by the employer which they argued would also be counterproductive as people would lie to protect their job A better overall solution would be a Peer Interven-tion Program similar to CISM combined with a good loss of license insurance cov-ering mental illness

Most strongly condemned was the unprec-edented statement of a state prosecutor which identified a crew member as ldquothe only culpritrdquo Without awaiting all the el-ements of the investigation it is clearly a grave and unprecedented violation of ICAO Annex 13

Safety SeminarTheir safety seminar this year dealt with emergency responses and media commu-nications after incident or accident includ-

ing how to handle social media This has becomes one of their priorities similar to what IFATCA is currently embarking upon

Changes In Training IFALPA allows presentations from outsid-ers to be made during their plenary Tra-ditionally this privilege is for Airbus andor Boeing but they included Embraer this year as well Essentially all 3 manufactur-ers promoted the new features of their latest-generation aircraft

One excellent presentation came from Captain Harry Nelson an Airbus senior test pilot He talked about the drastic changes needed in training following a number of recent accidents where automation or rather how humans interact with this au-tomation played a major role According to Captain Nelson less books and class-rooms lectures were needed but self train-ing using laptops and tablets were the way forward ldquoTraining must be fun againrdquo he said ldquowith an emphasis on hands-on ex-perience rather than on written materialrdquo

ElectionsDeputy President Martin Chalk from the UK was elected to become the new IFAL-PA President Martin is the former Presi-dent of the European Cockpit Association and he is keen to continue the very good cooperation with IFATCA Their next Con-ference will be in New Orleans USA from April 15 unitl 18 2016 For once it doesnrsquot clash with our own IFATCA Conference ^

dpthe-controllernet

INTER-

NATIO

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EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

THE FUTURE OF GLOBALAIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

This is version 20 of the IFATCA Statement on the Future of Global Air Traffic Management It was formally adopted at the IFATCA Annual Conference in Sofia Bulgaria in April 2015 For more information contact our EVP Technical via evptifatcaorg

8 INTRODUCTIONAir traffic control at its core is a safety service Many future systems focus on increasing system capac-ity and efficiency It is not that capacity concerns have overshadowed safety as priority instead it is an acknowledgement that a system operated in excess of available capacity creates unsafe conditions To remedy an overcapacity condition one can either restrict access or increase capacity IFATCA recognizes that restricting growth in global aviation is not a realistic approach In order to maintain the necessary standard of safety in air traffic control moving forward we must be willing to take advantage of innovation in technology and procedures that will build the needed system capacity

8 PERFORMANCE BASED ATM4 AIR NAVIGATION SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE

Air navigation infrastructures develop on an evolutionary path that requires cooperation between ground based providers and airborne users Moving forward with advanced technologies to build sys-tem capacity requires coordinated investment from governments air navigation service providers and system users

In other modes of transport the infrastructure can be developed independently from the network us-ers For example adding a new lane to a highway increases system capacity without the need for new investment in vehicle technology With the exception of new runways this is not the case for aviation

Moving toward a performance based model for Air Traffic Management requires more than placing performance targets on outputs It requires a fundamental rethinking of the air traffic infrastruc-ture and standards development process Each element of the system should be developed using a performance-based process By shifting to a true performance based model we change the concept of standards making in a way that encourages technological advancement and allows system users to take advantage of the benefits new systems offer This concept embraces the ideas embodied in Required Navigation Performance Required Surveillance Performance and Required Communication Performance

4 REQUIRED SURVEILLANCE PERFORMANCERequired Surveillance Performance is a concept within the ICAO community Transition to a true RSP environment requires the establishment of clear standards for precision update rates and latency of any surveillance system Ideally this will lead to the concept of simplified surveillance separation standards that replaces the current process of developing new separation standards to accommodate new technologies

Rather than evaluate new surveillance systems and develop separation standards necessary to uti-lize a new technology a performance based approach requires the sensor technology to meet the specifications to allow the existing separation standards to be applied1 This provides developers and manufacturers with a clear design target In addition moving away from sensor based standards can reduce sector complexity in a mixed mode operation allowing for increased capacity

It is not necessary for air traffic controllers to know the source of a surveillance target only that the displayed target meets the necessary requirements for accuracy and reliability This approach allows both users and ANSPs to take advantage of developing technologies more rapidly and can expand the amount of airspace where surveillance based separation standards can be applied As we move away from radar dependent surveillance in the long term we introduce new flexibility for airspace design capacity and efficiency

1 Separation standards are not solely based on the surveillance system they also require standards for com-munication and navigation availability and precision

4 IFATCA Statement

illustrations copy csp_Harlekino | wwwfotosearchcom

INTER-

NATIO

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EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

4 REQUIRED NAVIGATION PERFORMANCEThe development process for Required Navigation Performance can provide an effective model for the continued development of RCP and RSP RNP has illustrated that continual improvements in the on board precision coupled with effective airspace design can provide substantial and measurable benefits The application of a rigorous safety case is a fundamental part of the process Moving away from a technology based standard to a performance based one has improved the process and allows for operators to conduct independent evaluations on the business case to support the on board investment Operational benefits from increased airspace capacity are demonstrated This approach formed the basis for PBN (Performance Based Navigation)

4 REQUIRED COMMUNICATION PERFORMANCEExisting standards are dependent upon direct air to ground voice communications While this is cur-rently the preferred means of communication when possible opportunities for development of less infrastructure dependent communications technologies are foreseeable A focus on the performance requirements of alternative systems that includes the human factors elements may allow for develop-ment of alternative systems with equal or greater levels of reliability than existing air to ground voice concepts

4 SERVICE PRIORITYExisting ATC service priority models that place heavy emphasis on the concept of first come first served do not take advantage of the reduced demand on ATC resources that result from advances in onboard capabilities Tactical sector resources include air traffic controller staffing available fre-quency time and coordination requirements The level and type of communication navigation and surveillance equipment on board an aircraft affects the tactical sector resources needed to provide air traffic control services For example an RNAV equipped aircraft uses fewer sector resources when flying an RNAV STAR than a lesser- equipped aircraft that must be vectored to the final approach

The evolution of air navigation and airspace design over the last decade has placed increasing empha-sis on airborne equipment From GNSS routes to PBN efficient airspace design and utilization requires that sufficient percentages of aircraft be appropriately equipped to utilize the advanced routes

Performance Based ATM requires both air navigation service providers and system users invest in sys-tems that allow for maximization of airspace capacity and efficiency In order to develop a business case for the investment operational benefits must be quantifiable A service priority model based on first come first served without consideration of the relative sector resources needed to provide the service may discourage or delay modernisation efforts

New service priority models are a critical element of performance based ATM In the same manner that system users seek to obtain operational benefits from on board investment air navigation ser-vice providers should be able to derive benefits from investment in the ground based technologies Under the current service priority model lesser equipped aircraft are afforded the same priority as better equipped aircraft regardless of the additional resources they may consume Delaying aircraft to accommodate minimally equipped users particularly through holding consumes considerable sec-tor resources for which the ANSP is not compensated If the ANSP is able to establish a service prior-ity model that considers aircraft equipment requirements to maximise sector capacity and efficiency it will be more able to offset the investment costs of advanced technologies

A truly performance based model for ATM would permit ANSPs to consider airborne equipment as a dynamic tool for managing sector capacity and efficiency Aircraft equipment requirements could be in place during periods of peak demand and lifted when the capacity enhancing tools are no longer required This strategic approach will require enhanced attention to both airspace planning and flight planning In addition to the capacity enhancement the strategic approach can also be seen as a means to ensure equitable access to airports and airspace when compared to the equipment mandate approach

4 IFATCA Statement

INTER-

NATIO

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NATIO

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N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

4 IFATCA Statement

4 AIRSPACE DESIGN AND ACCESSAdvanced airspace design and procedures are evolving to maximise airspace availability and effi-ciency PBN Approaches reduce track distance and can allow aircraft to navigate around terrain in low visibility Continuous Descent Operations allow operators to maximise fuel economy RNP standards allow for reduced separation in procedural airspace increasing capacity and new in-trail climb and descent procedures in en route airspace will allow equipped aircraft to access preferred flight levels These advanced procedures also have the ability to reduce demand on sector resources Airspace de-sign that takes advantage of modern aircraft navigation capabilities has the possibility to de-conflict traffic flows reduce the need for vectoring and reduce frequency congestion Advanced airspace design will play an increasingly important role in managing traffic in high-density areas However this type of airspace design is only of value if the aircraft operating in the airspace are able to use it

Airspace analysis and planning is a critical component in developing an airborne equipment based service priority model Airspace service volumes should be evaluated to determine if and when ben-efits can be derived from advanced procedures This evaluation of airspace service volumes should be an ongoing process and can aid in the evolution to a dynamic concept of airspace management and access

By granting access to the most efficient procedures and airspace to aircraft equipped to use them the business model for airborne investment can be made without artificial manipulation The demand on controllers to manage a new service priority model is mitigated Finally while this model can pro-vide an incentive for operators to equip aircraft for those that want to defer or delay the on board investment the option of moving flights away from peak periods to unconstrained periods could improve overall system efficiency and safety

4 TRAFFIC FLOW MANAGEMENTThe regionalisation of traffic flow management is necessary to meet the traffic growth and environ-mental demands on aviation in the future Safe orderly and expeditious air traffic flows necessitate coordination beyond state boundaries Avoidance of extreme weather events as well as conflict zones that create hazards to aviation cannot be effectively managed without regional collaboration Traffic flow management must take advantage of technologies for information sharing planning and response

4 AIRSPACE INTEGRATION AND USE( CIVIL-MILITARYETC)Global goals of interoperability and airspace capacity are hindered without effective airspace integra-tion Achieving a balance for airspace access between users including civil military manned un-manned and transitional (ie commercial space operators) presents significant challenges for future systems The demand for airspace use is increasing in both quantity and diversity of operations

Technological advances in aircraft coupled with expanded civil uses will place demands on the system that are not supported by current policies Unmanned aircraft both autonomous and remotely piloted are in development In addition the growth in commercial space operations and the development of space tourism will place increasing demands on airspace particularly in the launch and return phases of flight Integrating diverse operations into common airspace will present new challenges that will require innovative thinking to move forward

In some cases particularly in the case of autonomous unmanned aircraft or a ballistic launch phase for a commercial space vehicle where the aircraft or spacecraft may not have a means to execute an air traffic control clearance integration may not be possible In order to accommodate these types of operations clear standards for separation or protected airspace are necessary to ensure the safety of other aircraft

8 EMERGING TECHNOLOGIESInnovation is a hallmark of aviation The first commercial flight occurred within a decade from when the Wright Brothers first took to the air It was less than half a century between the first powered flight and the supersonic jet Our industry has embraced and advanced new technologies that have not only made air travel faster but also safer and more efficient The constant adaptation and integration of new technolo-gies into air traffic control is the mark of the profession This integration and acceptance is not without

INTER-

NATIO

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EDERATIO

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4 IFATCA Statement

caution or scepticism The approach where technologies are rigorously evaluated prior to integration into the air traffic control system has ensured high levels of safety Air traffic controllers are a critical part of this process Certain new technologies will require a rethinking of long standing operational concepts and standards to facilitate their accommodation Just as radar allowed for the development of new separation standards certain new tools may require the same level of work in developing fundamental concepts and new safety analysis Tools like synthetic vision remote towers and remotely piloted aircraft blur the lines between standards based on visual acquisition of traffic and surveillance based traffic identification These hybrid systems where the human is tasked with visual evaluation of electronically derived information do not fit within the existing separation paradigm New separation standards recognizing that these systems are neither traditional surveillance nor visual systems need to be developed and validated to support the safe integration of these types of systems

8 SAFETYSafety remains the most important performance indicator in ATM As traffic figures rise the accident rate has to be reduced to prevent the number of accidents from increasing The approach towards safety has developed over the years introducing technical human and organisational factors The linear safety ap-proach has been successful in demonstrating causes whenever an incident or accident occurs However the very low rate of aircraft accidents makes it an ineffective safety indicator

It is important to examine safety risks even in the absence of aircraft accidents or incidents This requires a new approach towards safety A proactive approach seeks to understand all the contributing factors in the system and identify systemic safety risks This systems safety approach is based on a principle to maximize the success rate of the overall system In this approach the human factor is seen as the resilient element in a vulnerable system and as a safety net when the system fails Under this concept steps are taken to ensure that the systems are adequately robust and safety risks are mitigated and the human operator is given the necessary tools to perform the safety task

In order to collect and analyse safety information adequate protection of safety information and its sources is critical Systems that penalise people or organisations for reporting safety data limit the data that will be made available The ability to report safety problems including those of human error without fear of reprisal it the foundation of any safety system

8 HUMAN FACTORSThe need for human factors analysis in the development of new technologies is well established The Human-Machine Interface is a critical part of the design process and successful deployment of major new systems have included considerable attention to the human factors analysis However new systems are increasingly network centred rather than single systems that can be analysed as stand alone products introducing broader human factors considerations that go well beyond HMI

As technologies are deployed to maximise system capacity the limits of human performance must be considered While system reliability requirements are very high external factors that could cause disrup-tion cannot be entirely eliminated It is essential to ensure that the ability of human operators to maintain system safety in the event of technology failure is not exceeded

The concept of a systems approach to safety should be expanded to include human factors The human operator should be viewed in totality recognising as new systems allow for increased system capac-ity workload related fatigue issues will need to be considered in addition to those related to schedules and duty time Workload related fatigue can be a symptom of sustained periods either high or very low workload

In order to fully realise peak capacity operational complexity must be minimised Reducing or eliminating mixed mode operations in high-density airspace allows for higher sector capacity Formulas that determine maximum sector capacity must consider both volume and complexity aircraft performance and capability is an important component of sector complexity

8 IFATCAS ROLEIFATCA is in the unique position to provide operational expertise in the development of future ATM The organisation has a leadership role to play in the design development and analysis of emerging concepts for air traffic control IFATCA technical and professional expertise is a critical component of the decision chain The global reach of the Federation provides the opportunity to advance these concepts IFATCA provides ambitious ideas to meet the challenges of the global future of aviation through comprehensive research studies and participation in the global aviation community ^

4 Europe

21

INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

Over the past 12 monhts European traf-fic has increased slightly 13 according to the Network Managerrsquos Monthly report Delays have also increased along with the traffic levels And with some severe CB activity at the end of May and early June controllersrsquo skills have been severely tested

Some of our colleagues work with reduced runway systems and face other operational challenges Meanwhile the Single Europe-an Sky (SES) is slowly but surely moving forward This is a quick update on what is currently ongoing on the political front with regard to the Single European Sky program and its so-called pillars

TechnicalOn the technical front within SESAR the ATM Master Plan update campaign is ongoing

A final draft of the future

ATM

Mas-ter Plan will be released for consulta-tion at the end of June 2015 The ATM Master

Plan will re-group all the elements for a modernisation of the techno-logical infra-structure in Europe It will include the de-

ployment of new technology the road-map for modernisation and the elements needed for the next step of SESAR called ldquoSESAR 2020rdquo The ambitious task of revis-iting the ATM Masterplan was coordinated by IFATSEA (Dany van der Biest) on behalf of the professional staff organisations Our input including valuable comments by the many IFATCASESAR representatives was greatly appreciated

Beyond SES II+At the beginning of May the European Commission invited all the stakeholders to a SES Vision Workshop All stakeholders and institutions were invited to give their view on the future of the Single European Sky A small working group within the Eu-ropean Commission continues to work on this thus planning beyond SES II+ legisla-tion Amongst other things the look into the Reference Period 3 (after 2019) and how the Regulatory framework should evolve in the future

EASA has published its opinion on the common rules of the air and operational

provisions regarding services and pro-cedures in air navigation and Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA) part C

DatalinkDatalink implementation has been post-poned by at least 5 years and the outlook is quite grim as the technology used will most probably by outdated by the time it becomes mandatory Maybe a novel ap-proach to this issue is needed New tech-nologies that achieve the same or better CPDLC performance might become avail-able and those in charge of coordinating the implementation seem to want to wait and see what materialises before taking large scale initiatives

Occurrence ReportingTransposition of the Mandatory Occur-rence Reporting Implementation Regula-tion will be finalised by a high level work-shop on the 1st of October 2015 IFATCA has been working together with other stakeholders to achieve a balance be-tween safety and Just Culture in the form of industry Guidance Material This work is ongoing and the challenge is to keep the advanced Just Culture in the corporate environment intact while allowing the new sectors to join these developments

The new regulation on Occurrence Report-ing will become effective in all European states (plus Norway and Switzerland) on 15 November 2015 Promotional material will become available during the summer IFATCA has worked towards diversity for the different sectors while maintaining Just Culture recognisable throughout the avia-tion industry

The motivation for and the Regulation it-self can be found via these links link1 and link2

Prosecutor Expert CourseAt the end of May 2015 the 5th Eurocon-trolIFATCA Prosecutor Expert Training course was held at the Eurocontrol HQ in Brussels In total some 100 participants have attended this training initiative Bringing together professionals from the judiciary and the aviation world has proven to be a real contribution to Just Culture

loeuifatcaorgsesarcoordifatcaorg

BE READY FOR CHANGEUPDATE ON EUROPEAN ISSUES

^ by Paul Neering IFATCA Liaison to the EU amp Marc Baumgartner IFATCA SESAR Coordinator

copy m

einz

ahn

ww

wfo

tose

arch

com

4 Technology

is an article (pages 14 and 15) about the new Pegasus Sys-tem implemented in Poland The author writes One of the main issues is how colours are used (hellip) it appears for exam-ple very easy to miss situations close to sector boundaries due to the so-called ldquowhite-label syndromerdquo

The lsquowhite label syndromersquo is also known in other systems In Spain the labels are green for traffic in the sector and white for traffic outside the sector Sometimes controllers over-look the white traffic close to their sectors because their attention is focused in look-ing for conflicts affecting the green planes While colours provide an additional source of information to the control-ler therersquos also a risk that infor-mation is too easily discarded ie without actually interpreting it In fact the system lsquodecidesrsquo that certain information is worth looking at more than otherhellip

Itrsquos also easy to overdo an extensive use of colours can also lead to overload for controllers An example is the following list of colours used in Belgium

4 White aircraft currently on the frequency

4 Yellow aircraft coordinated to enter the sector

4 Brown aircraft transferred to the next sector

4 Green aircraft entering the sector but not yet on the frequency

4 Blue aircraft is selected 4 Red conflicting aircraft 4 Grey information label aircraft wonrsquot

necessarily be entering the sector

Not only the high number of colours make difficult to keep track of the traffic but grey labels are often overlooked due to all the other colours creating a problem simi-lar to the white-label syndrome mentioned above

The three systems just mentioned Span-ish Polish and Belgian use a dark back-ground in line with the lsquotraditionalrsquo ra-dar scopes But the lack of standards is evident even here A number of systems such as the VAFORIT system introduced in Karlsruhe in 2010 (see The Controller July

2011) used a white background This was later changed to light greyThe training sessions for VAFORIT showed that the colour scheme was not welcomed by the controllers Every change in the de-sign resulted in more problems because changing one colour impacted the en-tire colour palette After the system was brought online the colour scheme was implicated as a contributory factor to sev-eral incidents Eventually DFS asked the Institute for Labour Sciences of Darmstadt University for assistance This was a unique opportunity to have a scientific analysis of the issue They suggested a particular range of colours which was accepted by the controllers and finally implemented

Another issue is the readability of the in-formation presented It is tempting to think that the type of font used in a system is only relevant from an aesthetic point of view but it can easily lead to confusion An example was mentioned in an IFATCA working paper (presented at the Amman Conference in 2011) on the use of alpha-numeric callsigns this mentioned that us-ing the letters B I O S and Z in callsigns could easily create confusion with the numbers 8 1 0 5 and 2 While this ap-plies no matter what font is used a badly chosen font can easily create more confu-sion than a well-designed one

The experience of our German colleagues and their VAFORIT system is a perfect ex-ample of how a scientific study can improve a system It could be tempting to think that science is universal and that it could there-fore help to develop some universal stand-ard to be followed by every ATC system Unfortunately this is not completely true Colours are useful as an example again How to define a standard for colours when they may have different meanings de-pending of culture Being educated in a western culture I would probably choose red as the colour to be used for a warning In my culture red is associated to danger and prohibition A Chinese controller on the other hand could think otherwise for him red is associated with celebrations and as a symbol of good luck

To conclude there is no universal set of rules to decide what information must be included in an automated ATC system and how this information should be presented Definition of a standard is not an easy task because of factors like cultural differences and the transition from existing legacy sys-tems Nevertheless at least some stand-ardization is desirable For this reason TOC recommended that the Federation develops guiding principles for alerts and for the display of operational information ^

ignacioifatcagmailcom

4 The Pegasus system in Poland susceptible to the white-label syndrome Photo PANSA

15 THE CONTROLLER

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER16

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

MADRID HOST TO 70TH EDITION

4 Capt Martin Chalk newly elected IFALPA President

Photo IFALPA

IFALPA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The 70th annual conference of the Inter-national Federation of Air Line Pilotsrsquo As-sociations (IFALPA) was held in Madrid on 10-12 April 2015 Nearly 500 pilots attend-ed and debated a wide range of subjects

ContractsOne of these was the new pilot employ-ment contracts being devised by many airlines more particularly those operat-ing as so-called low-cost operators One such practice is the ldquoPay-to-Flyrdquo contract whereby mostly young pilots looking for a job and requiring to buildkeep experi-ence have to pay between 20 and 50000 USD in exchange for the ldquoprivilegeldquo of working as a pilot for an airline

Another deplorable one is the so-called ldquozero hoursldquo contract Here pilots are only paid when they fly In other words they have no fixed income and are not paid during months where traffic is low The last one is referred to as ldquoself-employmentrdquo where companies (Ryanair was mentioned) only employ pilots that have their own ldquocompanyrdquo This avoids the airline hav-ing to pay pension contributions social and medical benefitsetc Needless to say that job security in all these schemes is non-existent

While the main reason is of course cost-cutting they also undermine collective bargaining for working conditions etc These tendencies are extremely worri-some and we have to be careful that con-trollers will not be the next victims of this form of modern slavery

GermanwingsThere were of course long discussions on the aftermath of the Germanwings crash As other professional organisations IFAL-PA strongly condemned the witchhunt by the worldrsquos media the release of details of the Cockpit Voice Recorder to the press within 36 hours of it being recovered and especially the rash measures taken by au-thorities and some airlines without await-ing the outcome of the full investigation The European Cockpit Association (ECA the European Branch of IFALPA) made a resolution opposing the requirement to re-place a pilot leaving the cockpit saying it actually increases risks They also opposed publishing medical records of pilots which would only result in pilots avoiding medi-cal treatment They also reacted strongly against regular psychological assessments by the employer which they argued would also be counterproductive as people would lie to protect their job A better overall solution would be a Peer Interven-tion Program similar to CISM combined with a good loss of license insurance cov-ering mental illness

Most strongly condemned was the unprec-edented statement of a state prosecutor which identified a crew member as ldquothe only culpritrdquo Without awaiting all the el-ements of the investigation it is clearly a grave and unprecedented violation of ICAO Annex 13

Safety SeminarTheir safety seminar this year dealt with emergency responses and media commu-nications after incident or accident includ-

ing how to handle social media This has becomes one of their priorities similar to what IFATCA is currently embarking upon

Changes In Training IFALPA allows presentations from outsid-ers to be made during their plenary Tra-ditionally this privilege is for Airbus andor Boeing but they included Embraer this year as well Essentially all 3 manufactur-ers promoted the new features of their latest-generation aircraft

One excellent presentation came from Captain Harry Nelson an Airbus senior test pilot He talked about the drastic changes needed in training following a number of recent accidents where automation or rather how humans interact with this au-tomation played a major role According to Captain Nelson less books and class-rooms lectures were needed but self train-ing using laptops and tablets were the way forward ldquoTraining must be fun againrdquo he said ldquowith an emphasis on hands-on ex-perience rather than on written materialrdquo

ElectionsDeputy President Martin Chalk from the UK was elected to become the new IFAL-PA President Martin is the former Presi-dent of the European Cockpit Association and he is keen to continue the very good cooperation with IFATCA Their next Con-ference will be in New Orleans USA from April 15 unitl 18 2016 For once it doesnrsquot clash with our own IFATCA Conference ^

dpthe-controllernet

INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

THE FUTURE OF GLOBALAIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

This is version 20 of the IFATCA Statement on the Future of Global Air Traffic Management It was formally adopted at the IFATCA Annual Conference in Sofia Bulgaria in April 2015 For more information contact our EVP Technical via evptifatcaorg

8 INTRODUCTIONAir traffic control at its core is a safety service Many future systems focus on increasing system capac-ity and efficiency It is not that capacity concerns have overshadowed safety as priority instead it is an acknowledgement that a system operated in excess of available capacity creates unsafe conditions To remedy an overcapacity condition one can either restrict access or increase capacity IFATCA recognizes that restricting growth in global aviation is not a realistic approach In order to maintain the necessary standard of safety in air traffic control moving forward we must be willing to take advantage of innovation in technology and procedures that will build the needed system capacity

8 PERFORMANCE BASED ATM4 AIR NAVIGATION SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE

Air navigation infrastructures develop on an evolutionary path that requires cooperation between ground based providers and airborne users Moving forward with advanced technologies to build sys-tem capacity requires coordinated investment from governments air navigation service providers and system users

In other modes of transport the infrastructure can be developed independently from the network us-ers For example adding a new lane to a highway increases system capacity without the need for new investment in vehicle technology With the exception of new runways this is not the case for aviation

Moving toward a performance based model for Air Traffic Management requires more than placing performance targets on outputs It requires a fundamental rethinking of the air traffic infrastruc-ture and standards development process Each element of the system should be developed using a performance-based process By shifting to a true performance based model we change the concept of standards making in a way that encourages technological advancement and allows system users to take advantage of the benefits new systems offer This concept embraces the ideas embodied in Required Navigation Performance Required Surveillance Performance and Required Communication Performance

4 REQUIRED SURVEILLANCE PERFORMANCERequired Surveillance Performance is a concept within the ICAO community Transition to a true RSP environment requires the establishment of clear standards for precision update rates and latency of any surveillance system Ideally this will lead to the concept of simplified surveillance separation standards that replaces the current process of developing new separation standards to accommodate new technologies

Rather than evaluate new surveillance systems and develop separation standards necessary to uti-lize a new technology a performance based approach requires the sensor technology to meet the specifications to allow the existing separation standards to be applied1 This provides developers and manufacturers with a clear design target In addition moving away from sensor based standards can reduce sector complexity in a mixed mode operation allowing for increased capacity

It is not necessary for air traffic controllers to know the source of a surveillance target only that the displayed target meets the necessary requirements for accuracy and reliability This approach allows both users and ANSPs to take advantage of developing technologies more rapidly and can expand the amount of airspace where surveillance based separation standards can be applied As we move away from radar dependent surveillance in the long term we introduce new flexibility for airspace design capacity and efficiency

1 Separation standards are not solely based on the surveillance system they also require standards for com-munication and navigation availability and precision

4 IFATCA Statement

illustrations copy csp_Harlekino | wwwfotosearchcom

INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

4 REQUIRED NAVIGATION PERFORMANCEThe development process for Required Navigation Performance can provide an effective model for the continued development of RCP and RSP RNP has illustrated that continual improvements in the on board precision coupled with effective airspace design can provide substantial and measurable benefits The application of a rigorous safety case is a fundamental part of the process Moving away from a technology based standard to a performance based one has improved the process and allows for operators to conduct independent evaluations on the business case to support the on board investment Operational benefits from increased airspace capacity are demonstrated This approach formed the basis for PBN (Performance Based Navigation)

4 REQUIRED COMMUNICATION PERFORMANCEExisting standards are dependent upon direct air to ground voice communications While this is cur-rently the preferred means of communication when possible opportunities for development of less infrastructure dependent communications technologies are foreseeable A focus on the performance requirements of alternative systems that includes the human factors elements may allow for develop-ment of alternative systems with equal or greater levels of reliability than existing air to ground voice concepts

4 SERVICE PRIORITYExisting ATC service priority models that place heavy emphasis on the concept of first come first served do not take advantage of the reduced demand on ATC resources that result from advances in onboard capabilities Tactical sector resources include air traffic controller staffing available fre-quency time and coordination requirements The level and type of communication navigation and surveillance equipment on board an aircraft affects the tactical sector resources needed to provide air traffic control services For example an RNAV equipped aircraft uses fewer sector resources when flying an RNAV STAR than a lesser- equipped aircraft that must be vectored to the final approach

The evolution of air navigation and airspace design over the last decade has placed increasing empha-sis on airborne equipment From GNSS routes to PBN efficient airspace design and utilization requires that sufficient percentages of aircraft be appropriately equipped to utilize the advanced routes

Performance Based ATM requires both air navigation service providers and system users invest in sys-tems that allow for maximization of airspace capacity and efficiency In order to develop a business case for the investment operational benefits must be quantifiable A service priority model based on first come first served without consideration of the relative sector resources needed to provide the service may discourage or delay modernisation efforts

New service priority models are a critical element of performance based ATM In the same manner that system users seek to obtain operational benefits from on board investment air navigation ser-vice providers should be able to derive benefits from investment in the ground based technologies Under the current service priority model lesser equipped aircraft are afforded the same priority as better equipped aircraft regardless of the additional resources they may consume Delaying aircraft to accommodate minimally equipped users particularly through holding consumes considerable sec-tor resources for which the ANSP is not compensated If the ANSP is able to establish a service prior-ity model that considers aircraft equipment requirements to maximise sector capacity and efficiency it will be more able to offset the investment costs of advanced technologies

A truly performance based model for ATM would permit ANSPs to consider airborne equipment as a dynamic tool for managing sector capacity and efficiency Aircraft equipment requirements could be in place during periods of peak demand and lifted when the capacity enhancing tools are no longer required This strategic approach will require enhanced attention to both airspace planning and flight planning In addition to the capacity enhancement the strategic approach can also be seen as a means to ensure equitable access to airports and airspace when compared to the equipment mandate approach

4 IFATCA Statement

INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

4 IFATCA Statement

4 AIRSPACE DESIGN AND ACCESSAdvanced airspace design and procedures are evolving to maximise airspace availability and effi-ciency PBN Approaches reduce track distance and can allow aircraft to navigate around terrain in low visibility Continuous Descent Operations allow operators to maximise fuel economy RNP standards allow for reduced separation in procedural airspace increasing capacity and new in-trail climb and descent procedures in en route airspace will allow equipped aircraft to access preferred flight levels These advanced procedures also have the ability to reduce demand on sector resources Airspace de-sign that takes advantage of modern aircraft navigation capabilities has the possibility to de-conflict traffic flows reduce the need for vectoring and reduce frequency congestion Advanced airspace design will play an increasingly important role in managing traffic in high-density areas However this type of airspace design is only of value if the aircraft operating in the airspace are able to use it

Airspace analysis and planning is a critical component in developing an airborne equipment based service priority model Airspace service volumes should be evaluated to determine if and when ben-efits can be derived from advanced procedures This evaluation of airspace service volumes should be an ongoing process and can aid in the evolution to a dynamic concept of airspace management and access

By granting access to the most efficient procedures and airspace to aircraft equipped to use them the business model for airborne investment can be made without artificial manipulation The demand on controllers to manage a new service priority model is mitigated Finally while this model can pro-vide an incentive for operators to equip aircraft for those that want to defer or delay the on board investment the option of moving flights away from peak periods to unconstrained periods could improve overall system efficiency and safety

4 TRAFFIC FLOW MANAGEMENTThe regionalisation of traffic flow management is necessary to meet the traffic growth and environ-mental demands on aviation in the future Safe orderly and expeditious air traffic flows necessitate coordination beyond state boundaries Avoidance of extreme weather events as well as conflict zones that create hazards to aviation cannot be effectively managed without regional collaboration Traffic flow management must take advantage of technologies for information sharing planning and response

4 AIRSPACE INTEGRATION AND USE( CIVIL-MILITARYETC)Global goals of interoperability and airspace capacity are hindered without effective airspace integra-tion Achieving a balance for airspace access between users including civil military manned un-manned and transitional (ie commercial space operators) presents significant challenges for future systems The demand for airspace use is increasing in both quantity and diversity of operations

Technological advances in aircraft coupled with expanded civil uses will place demands on the system that are not supported by current policies Unmanned aircraft both autonomous and remotely piloted are in development In addition the growth in commercial space operations and the development of space tourism will place increasing demands on airspace particularly in the launch and return phases of flight Integrating diverse operations into common airspace will present new challenges that will require innovative thinking to move forward

In some cases particularly in the case of autonomous unmanned aircraft or a ballistic launch phase for a commercial space vehicle where the aircraft or spacecraft may not have a means to execute an air traffic control clearance integration may not be possible In order to accommodate these types of operations clear standards for separation or protected airspace are necessary to ensure the safety of other aircraft

8 EMERGING TECHNOLOGIESInnovation is a hallmark of aviation The first commercial flight occurred within a decade from when the Wright Brothers first took to the air It was less than half a century between the first powered flight and the supersonic jet Our industry has embraced and advanced new technologies that have not only made air travel faster but also safer and more efficient The constant adaptation and integration of new technolo-gies into air traffic control is the mark of the profession This integration and acceptance is not without

INTER-

NATIO

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EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

4 IFATCA Statement

caution or scepticism The approach where technologies are rigorously evaluated prior to integration into the air traffic control system has ensured high levels of safety Air traffic controllers are a critical part of this process Certain new technologies will require a rethinking of long standing operational concepts and standards to facilitate their accommodation Just as radar allowed for the development of new separation standards certain new tools may require the same level of work in developing fundamental concepts and new safety analysis Tools like synthetic vision remote towers and remotely piloted aircraft blur the lines between standards based on visual acquisition of traffic and surveillance based traffic identification These hybrid systems where the human is tasked with visual evaluation of electronically derived information do not fit within the existing separation paradigm New separation standards recognizing that these systems are neither traditional surveillance nor visual systems need to be developed and validated to support the safe integration of these types of systems

8 SAFETYSafety remains the most important performance indicator in ATM As traffic figures rise the accident rate has to be reduced to prevent the number of accidents from increasing The approach towards safety has developed over the years introducing technical human and organisational factors The linear safety ap-proach has been successful in demonstrating causes whenever an incident or accident occurs However the very low rate of aircraft accidents makes it an ineffective safety indicator

It is important to examine safety risks even in the absence of aircraft accidents or incidents This requires a new approach towards safety A proactive approach seeks to understand all the contributing factors in the system and identify systemic safety risks This systems safety approach is based on a principle to maximize the success rate of the overall system In this approach the human factor is seen as the resilient element in a vulnerable system and as a safety net when the system fails Under this concept steps are taken to ensure that the systems are adequately robust and safety risks are mitigated and the human operator is given the necessary tools to perform the safety task

In order to collect and analyse safety information adequate protection of safety information and its sources is critical Systems that penalise people or organisations for reporting safety data limit the data that will be made available The ability to report safety problems including those of human error without fear of reprisal it the foundation of any safety system

8 HUMAN FACTORSThe need for human factors analysis in the development of new technologies is well established The Human-Machine Interface is a critical part of the design process and successful deployment of major new systems have included considerable attention to the human factors analysis However new systems are increasingly network centred rather than single systems that can be analysed as stand alone products introducing broader human factors considerations that go well beyond HMI

As technologies are deployed to maximise system capacity the limits of human performance must be considered While system reliability requirements are very high external factors that could cause disrup-tion cannot be entirely eliminated It is essential to ensure that the ability of human operators to maintain system safety in the event of technology failure is not exceeded

The concept of a systems approach to safety should be expanded to include human factors The human operator should be viewed in totality recognising as new systems allow for increased system capac-ity workload related fatigue issues will need to be considered in addition to those related to schedules and duty time Workload related fatigue can be a symptom of sustained periods either high or very low workload

In order to fully realise peak capacity operational complexity must be minimised Reducing or eliminating mixed mode operations in high-density airspace allows for higher sector capacity Formulas that determine maximum sector capacity must consider both volume and complexity aircraft performance and capability is an important component of sector complexity

8 IFATCAS ROLEIFATCA is in the unique position to provide operational expertise in the development of future ATM The organisation has a leadership role to play in the design development and analysis of emerging concepts for air traffic control IFATCA technical and professional expertise is a critical component of the decision chain The global reach of the Federation provides the opportunity to advance these concepts IFATCA provides ambitious ideas to meet the challenges of the global future of aviation through comprehensive research studies and participation in the global aviation community ^

4 Europe

21

INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

Over the past 12 monhts European traf-fic has increased slightly 13 according to the Network Managerrsquos Monthly report Delays have also increased along with the traffic levels And with some severe CB activity at the end of May and early June controllersrsquo skills have been severely tested

Some of our colleagues work with reduced runway systems and face other operational challenges Meanwhile the Single Europe-an Sky (SES) is slowly but surely moving forward This is a quick update on what is currently ongoing on the political front with regard to the Single European Sky program and its so-called pillars

TechnicalOn the technical front within SESAR the ATM Master Plan update campaign is ongoing

A final draft of the future

ATM

Mas-ter Plan will be released for consulta-tion at the end of June 2015 The ATM Master

Plan will re-group all the elements for a modernisation of the techno-logical infra-structure in Europe It will include the de-

ployment of new technology the road-map for modernisation and the elements needed for the next step of SESAR called ldquoSESAR 2020rdquo The ambitious task of revis-iting the ATM Masterplan was coordinated by IFATSEA (Dany van der Biest) on behalf of the professional staff organisations Our input including valuable comments by the many IFATCASESAR representatives was greatly appreciated

Beyond SES II+At the beginning of May the European Commission invited all the stakeholders to a SES Vision Workshop All stakeholders and institutions were invited to give their view on the future of the Single European Sky A small working group within the Eu-ropean Commission continues to work on this thus planning beyond SES II+ legisla-tion Amongst other things the look into the Reference Period 3 (after 2019) and how the Regulatory framework should evolve in the future

EASA has published its opinion on the common rules of the air and operational

provisions regarding services and pro-cedures in air navigation and Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA) part C

DatalinkDatalink implementation has been post-poned by at least 5 years and the outlook is quite grim as the technology used will most probably by outdated by the time it becomes mandatory Maybe a novel ap-proach to this issue is needed New tech-nologies that achieve the same or better CPDLC performance might become avail-able and those in charge of coordinating the implementation seem to want to wait and see what materialises before taking large scale initiatives

Occurrence ReportingTransposition of the Mandatory Occur-rence Reporting Implementation Regula-tion will be finalised by a high level work-shop on the 1st of October 2015 IFATCA has been working together with other stakeholders to achieve a balance be-tween safety and Just Culture in the form of industry Guidance Material This work is ongoing and the challenge is to keep the advanced Just Culture in the corporate environment intact while allowing the new sectors to join these developments

The new regulation on Occurrence Report-ing will become effective in all European states (plus Norway and Switzerland) on 15 November 2015 Promotional material will become available during the summer IFATCA has worked towards diversity for the different sectors while maintaining Just Culture recognisable throughout the avia-tion industry

The motivation for and the Regulation it-self can be found via these links link1 and link2

Prosecutor Expert CourseAt the end of May 2015 the 5th Eurocon-trolIFATCA Prosecutor Expert Training course was held at the Eurocontrol HQ in Brussels In total some 100 participants have attended this training initiative Bringing together professionals from the judiciary and the aviation world has proven to be a real contribution to Just Culture

loeuifatcaorgsesarcoordifatcaorg

BE READY FOR CHANGEUPDATE ON EUROPEAN ISSUES

^ by Paul Neering IFATCA Liaison to the EU amp Marc Baumgartner IFATCA SESAR Coordinator

copy m

einz

ahn

ww

wfo

tose

arch

com

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER16

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

MADRID HOST TO 70TH EDITION

4 Capt Martin Chalk newly elected IFALPA President

Photo IFALPA

IFALPA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The 70th annual conference of the Inter-national Federation of Air Line Pilotsrsquo As-sociations (IFALPA) was held in Madrid on 10-12 April 2015 Nearly 500 pilots attend-ed and debated a wide range of subjects

ContractsOne of these was the new pilot employ-ment contracts being devised by many airlines more particularly those operat-ing as so-called low-cost operators One such practice is the ldquoPay-to-Flyrdquo contract whereby mostly young pilots looking for a job and requiring to buildkeep experi-ence have to pay between 20 and 50000 USD in exchange for the ldquoprivilegeldquo of working as a pilot for an airline

Another deplorable one is the so-called ldquozero hoursldquo contract Here pilots are only paid when they fly In other words they have no fixed income and are not paid during months where traffic is low The last one is referred to as ldquoself-employmentrdquo where companies (Ryanair was mentioned) only employ pilots that have their own ldquocompanyrdquo This avoids the airline hav-ing to pay pension contributions social and medical benefitsetc Needless to say that job security in all these schemes is non-existent

While the main reason is of course cost-cutting they also undermine collective bargaining for working conditions etc These tendencies are extremely worri-some and we have to be careful that con-trollers will not be the next victims of this form of modern slavery

GermanwingsThere were of course long discussions on the aftermath of the Germanwings crash As other professional organisations IFAL-PA strongly condemned the witchhunt by the worldrsquos media the release of details of the Cockpit Voice Recorder to the press within 36 hours of it being recovered and especially the rash measures taken by au-thorities and some airlines without await-ing the outcome of the full investigation The European Cockpit Association (ECA the European Branch of IFALPA) made a resolution opposing the requirement to re-place a pilot leaving the cockpit saying it actually increases risks They also opposed publishing medical records of pilots which would only result in pilots avoiding medi-cal treatment They also reacted strongly against regular psychological assessments by the employer which they argued would also be counterproductive as people would lie to protect their job A better overall solution would be a Peer Interven-tion Program similar to CISM combined with a good loss of license insurance cov-ering mental illness

Most strongly condemned was the unprec-edented statement of a state prosecutor which identified a crew member as ldquothe only culpritrdquo Without awaiting all the el-ements of the investigation it is clearly a grave and unprecedented violation of ICAO Annex 13

Safety SeminarTheir safety seminar this year dealt with emergency responses and media commu-nications after incident or accident includ-

ing how to handle social media This has becomes one of their priorities similar to what IFATCA is currently embarking upon

Changes In Training IFALPA allows presentations from outsid-ers to be made during their plenary Tra-ditionally this privilege is for Airbus andor Boeing but they included Embraer this year as well Essentially all 3 manufactur-ers promoted the new features of their latest-generation aircraft

One excellent presentation came from Captain Harry Nelson an Airbus senior test pilot He talked about the drastic changes needed in training following a number of recent accidents where automation or rather how humans interact with this au-tomation played a major role According to Captain Nelson less books and class-rooms lectures were needed but self train-ing using laptops and tablets were the way forward ldquoTraining must be fun againrdquo he said ldquowith an emphasis on hands-on ex-perience rather than on written materialrdquo

ElectionsDeputy President Martin Chalk from the UK was elected to become the new IFAL-PA President Martin is the former Presi-dent of the European Cockpit Association and he is keen to continue the very good cooperation with IFATCA Their next Con-ference will be in New Orleans USA from April 15 unitl 18 2016 For once it doesnrsquot clash with our own IFATCA Conference ^

dpthe-controllernet

INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

THE FUTURE OF GLOBALAIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

This is version 20 of the IFATCA Statement on the Future of Global Air Traffic Management It was formally adopted at the IFATCA Annual Conference in Sofia Bulgaria in April 2015 For more information contact our EVP Technical via evptifatcaorg

8 INTRODUCTIONAir traffic control at its core is a safety service Many future systems focus on increasing system capac-ity and efficiency It is not that capacity concerns have overshadowed safety as priority instead it is an acknowledgement that a system operated in excess of available capacity creates unsafe conditions To remedy an overcapacity condition one can either restrict access or increase capacity IFATCA recognizes that restricting growth in global aviation is not a realistic approach In order to maintain the necessary standard of safety in air traffic control moving forward we must be willing to take advantage of innovation in technology and procedures that will build the needed system capacity

8 PERFORMANCE BASED ATM4 AIR NAVIGATION SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE

Air navigation infrastructures develop on an evolutionary path that requires cooperation between ground based providers and airborne users Moving forward with advanced technologies to build sys-tem capacity requires coordinated investment from governments air navigation service providers and system users

In other modes of transport the infrastructure can be developed independently from the network us-ers For example adding a new lane to a highway increases system capacity without the need for new investment in vehicle technology With the exception of new runways this is not the case for aviation

Moving toward a performance based model for Air Traffic Management requires more than placing performance targets on outputs It requires a fundamental rethinking of the air traffic infrastruc-ture and standards development process Each element of the system should be developed using a performance-based process By shifting to a true performance based model we change the concept of standards making in a way that encourages technological advancement and allows system users to take advantage of the benefits new systems offer This concept embraces the ideas embodied in Required Navigation Performance Required Surveillance Performance and Required Communication Performance

4 REQUIRED SURVEILLANCE PERFORMANCERequired Surveillance Performance is a concept within the ICAO community Transition to a true RSP environment requires the establishment of clear standards for precision update rates and latency of any surveillance system Ideally this will lead to the concept of simplified surveillance separation standards that replaces the current process of developing new separation standards to accommodate new technologies

Rather than evaluate new surveillance systems and develop separation standards necessary to uti-lize a new technology a performance based approach requires the sensor technology to meet the specifications to allow the existing separation standards to be applied1 This provides developers and manufacturers with a clear design target In addition moving away from sensor based standards can reduce sector complexity in a mixed mode operation allowing for increased capacity

It is not necessary for air traffic controllers to know the source of a surveillance target only that the displayed target meets the necessary requirements for accuracy and reliability This approach allows both users and ANSPs to take advantage of developing technologies more rapidly and can expand the amount of airspace where surveillance based separation standards can be applied As we move away from radar dependent surveillance in the long term we introduce new flexibility for airspace design capacity and efficiency

1 Separation standards are not solely based on the surveillance system they also require standards for com-munication and navigation availability and precision

4 IFATCA Statement

illustrations copy csp_Harlekino | wwwfotosearchcom

INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

4 REQUIRED NAVIGATION PERFORMANCEThe development process for Required Navigation Performance can provide an effective model for the continued development of RCP and RSP RNP has illustrated that continual improvements in the on board precision coupled with effective airspace design can provide substantial and measurable benefits The application of a rigorous safety case is a fundamental part of the process Moving away from a technology based standard to a performance based one has improved the process and allows for operators to conduct independent evaluations on the business case to support the on board investment Operational benefits from increased airspace capacity are demonstrated This approach formed the basis for PBN (Performance Based Navigation)

4 REQUIRED COMMUNICATION PERFORMANCEExisting standards are dependent upon direct air to ground voice communications While this is cur-rently the preferred means of communication when possible opportunities for development of less infrastructure dependent communications technologies are foreseeable A focus on the performance requirements of alternative systems that includes the human factors elements may allow for develop-ment of alternative systems with equal or greater levels of reliability than existing air to ground voice concepts

4 SERVICE PRIORITYExisting ATC service priority models that place heavy emphasis on the concept of first come first served do not take advantage of the reduced demand on ATC resources that result from advances in onboard capabilities Tactical sector resources include air traffic controller staffing available fre-quency time and coordination requirements The level and type of communication navigation and surveillance equipment on board an aircraft affects the tactical sector resources needed to provide air traffic control services For example an RNAV equipped aircraft uses fewer sector resources when flying an RNAV STAR than a lesser- equipped aircraft that must be vectored to the final approach

The evolution of air navigation and airspace design over the last decade has placed increasing empha-sis on airborne equipment From GNSS routes to PBN efficient airspace design and utilization requires that sufficient percentages of aircraft be appropriately equipped to utilize the advanced routes

Performance Based ATM requires both air navigation service providers and system users invest in sys-tems that allow for maximization of airspace capacity and efficiency In order to develop a business case for the investment operational benefits must be quantifiable A service priority model based on first come first served without consideration of the relative sector resources needed to provide the service may discourage or delay modernisation efforts

New service priority models are a critical element of performance based ATM In the same manner that system users seek to obtain operational benefits from on board investment air navigation ser-vice providers should be able to derive benefits from investment in the ground based technologies Under the current service priority model lesser equipped aircraft are afforded the same priority as better equipped aircraft regardless of the additional resources they may consume Delaying aircraft to accommodate minimally equipped users particularly through holding consumes considerable sec-tor resources for which the ANSP is not compensated If the ANSP is able to establish a service prior-ity model that considers aircraft equipment requirements to maximise sector capacity and efficiency it will be more able to offset the investment costs of advanced technologies

A truly performance based model for ATM would permit ANSPs to consider airborne equipment as a dynamic tool for managing sector capacity and efficiency Aircraft equipment requirements could be in place during periods of peak demand and lifted when the capacity enhancing tools are no longer required This strategic approach will require enhanced attention to both airspace planning and flight planning In addition to the capacity enhancement the strategic approach can also be seen as a means to ensure equitable access to airports and airspace when compared to the equipment mandate approach

4 IFATCA Statement

INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

4 IFATCA Statement

4 AIRSPACE DESIGN AND ACCESSAdvanced airspace design and procedures are evolving to maximise airspace availability and effi-ciency PBN Approaches reduce track distance and can allow aircraft to navigate around terrain in low visibility Continuous Descent Operations allow operators to maximise fuel economy RNP standards allow for reduced separation in procedural airspace increasing capacity and new in-trail climb and descent procedures in en route airspace will allow equipped aircraft to access preferred flight levels These advanced procedures also have the ability to reduce demand on sector resources Airspace de-sign that takes advantage of modern aircraft navigation capabilities has the possibility to de-conflict traffic flows reduce the need for vectoring and reduce frequency congestion Advanced airspace design will play an increasingly important role in managing traffic in high-density areas However this type of airspace design is only of value if the aircraft operating in the airspace are able to use it

Airspace analysis and planning is a critical component in developing an airborne equipment based service priority model Airspace service volumes should be evaluated to determine if and when ben-efits can be derived from advanced procedures This evaluation of airspace service volumes should be an ongoing process and can aid in the evolution to a dynamic concept of airspace management and access

By granting access to the most efficient procedures and airspace to aircraft equipped to use them the business model for airborne investment can be made without artificial manipulation The demand on controllers to manage a new service priority model is mitigated Finally while this model can pro-vide an incentive for operators to equip aircraft for those that want to defer or delay the on board investment the option of moving flights away from peak periods to unconstrained periods could improve overall system efficiency and safety

4 TRAFFIC FLOW MANAGEMENTThe regionalisation of traffic flow management is necessary to meet the traffic growth and environ-mental demands on aviation in the future Safe orderly and expeditious air traffic flows necessitate coordination beyond state boundaries Avoidance of extreme weather events as well as conflict zones that create hazards to aviation cannot be effectively managed without regional collaboration Traffic flow management must take advantage of technologies for information sharing planning and response

4 AIRSPACE INTEGRATION AND USE( CIVIL-MILITARYETC)Global goals of interoperability and airspace capacity are hindered without effective airspace integra-tion Achieving a balance for airspace access between users including civil military manned un-manned and transitional (ie commercial space operators) presents significant challenges for future systems The demand for airspace use is increasing in both quantity and diversity of operations

Technological advances in aircraft coupled with expanded civil uses will place demands on the system that are not supported by current policies Unmanned aircraft both autonomous and remotely piloted are in development In addition the growth in commercial space operations and the development of space tourism will place increasing demands on airspace particularly in the launch and return phases of flight Integrating diverse operations into common airspace will present new challenges that will require innovative thinking to move forward

In some cases particularly in the case of autonomous unmanned aircraft or a ballistic launch phase for a commercial space vehicle where the aircraft or spacecraft may not have a means to execute an air traffic control clearance integration may not be possible In order to accommodate these types of operations clear standards for separation or protected airspace are necessary to ensure the safety of other aircraft

8 EMERGING TECHNOLOGIESInnovation is a hallmark of aviation The first commercial flight occurred within a decade from when the Wright Brothers first took to the air It was less than half a century between the first powered flight and the supersonic jet Our industry has embraced and advanced new technologies that have not only made air travel faster but also safer and more efficient The constant adaptation and integration of new technolo-gies into air traffic control is the mark of the profession This integration and acceptance is not without

INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

4 IFATCA Statement

caution or scepticism The approach where technologies are rigorously evaluated prior to integration into the air traffic control system has ensured high levels of safety Air traffic controllers are a critical part of this process Certain new technologies will require a rethinking of long standing operational concepts and standards to facilitate their accommodation Just as radar allowed for the development of new separation standards certain new tools may require the same level of work in developing fundamental concepts and new safety analysis Tools like synthetic vision remote towers and remotely piloted aircraft blur the lines between standards based on visual acquisition of traffic and surveillance based traffic identification These hybrid systems where the human is tasked with visual evaluation of electronically derived information do not fit within the existing separation paradigm New separation standards recognizing that these systems are neither traditional surveillance nor visual systems need to be developed and validated to support the safe integration of these types of systems

8 SAFETYSafety remains the most important performance indicator in ATM As traffic figures rise the accident rate has to be reduced to prevent the number of accidents from increasing The approach towards safety has developed over the years introducing technical human and organisational factors The linear safety ap-proach has been successful in demonstrating causes whenever an incident or accident occurs However the very low rate of aircraft accidents makes it an ineffective safety indicator

It is important to examine safety risks even in the absence of aircraft accidents or incidents This requires a new approach towards safety A proactive approach seeks to understand all the contributing factors in the system and identify systemic safety risks This systems safety approach is based on a principle to maximize the success rate of the overall system In this approach the human factor is seen as the resilient element in a vulnerable system and as a safety net when the system fails Under this concept steps are taken to ensure that the systems are adequately robust and safety risks are mitigated and the human operator is given the necessary tools to perform the safety task

In order to collect and analyse safety information adequate protection of safety information and its sources is critical Systems that penalise people or organisations for reporting safety data limit the data that will be made available The ability to report safety problems including those of human error without fear of reprisal it the foundation of any safety system

8 HUMAN FACTORSThe need for human factors analysis in the development of new technologies is well established The Human-Machine Interface is a critical part of the design process and successful deployment of major new systems have included considerable attention to the human factors analysis However new systems are increasingly network centred rather than single systems that can be analysed as stand alone products introducing broader human factors considerations that go well beyond HMI

As technologies are deployed to maximise system capacity the limits of human performance must be considered While system reliability requirements are very high external factors that could cause disrup-tion cannot be entirely eliminated It is essential to ensure that the ability of human operators to maintain system safety in the event of technology failure is not exceeded

The concept of a systems approach to safety should be expanded to include human factors The human operator should be viewed in totality recognising as new systems allow for increased system capac-ity workload related fatigue issues will need to be considered in addition to those related to schedules and duty time Workload related fatigue can be a symptom of sustained periods either high or very low workload

In order to fully realise peak capacity operational complexity must be minimised Reducing or eliminating mixed mode operations in high-density airspace allows for higher sector capacity Formulas that determine maximum sector capacity must consider both volume and complexity aircraft performance and capability is an important component of sector complexity

8 IFATCAS ROLEIFATCA is in the unique position to provide operational expertise in the development of future ATM The organisation has a leadership role to play in the design development and analysis of emerging concepts for air traffic control IFATCA technical and professional expertise is a critical component of the decision chain The global reach of the Federation provides the opportunity to advance these concepts IFATCA provides ambitious ideas to meet the challenges of the global future of aviation through comprehensive research studies and participation in the global aviation community ^

4 Europe

21

INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

Over the past 12 monhts European traf-fic has increased slightly 13 according to the Network Managerrsquos Monthly report Delays have also increased along with the traffic levels And with some severe CB activity at the end of May and early June controllersrsquo skills have been severely tested

Some of our colleagues work with reduced runway systems and face other operational challenges Meanwhile the Single Europe-an Sky (SES) is slowly but surely moving forward This is a quick update on what is currently ongoing on the political front with regard to the Single European Sky program and its so-called pillars

TechnicalOn the technical front within SESAR the ATM Master Plan update campaign is ongoing

A final draft of the future

ATM

Mas-ter Plan will be released for consulta-tion at the end of June 2015 The ATM Master

Plan will re-group all the elements for a modernisation of the techno-logical infra-structure in Europe It will include the de-

ployment of new technology the road-map for modernisation and the elements needed for the next step of SESAR called ldquoSESAR 2020rdquo The ambitious task of revis-iting the ATM Masterplan was coordinated by IFATSEA (Dany van der Biest) on behalf of the professional staff organisations Our input including valuable comments by the many IFATCASESAR representatives was greatly appreciated

Beyond SES II+At the beginning of May the European Commission invited all the stakeholders to a SES Vision Workshop All stakeholders and institutions were invited to give their view on the future of the Single European Sky A small working group within the Eu-ropean Commission continues to work on this thus planning beyond SES II+ legisla-tion Amongst other things the look into the Reference Period 3 (after 2019) and how the Regulatory framework should evolve in the future

EASA has published its opinion on the common rules of the air and operational

provisions regarding services and pro-cedures in air navigation and Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA) part C

DatalinkDatalink implementation has been post-poned by at least 5 years and the outlook is quite grim as the technology used will most probably by outdated by the time it becomes mandatory Maybe a novel ap-proach to this issue is needed New tech-nologies that achieve the same or better CPDLC performance might become avail-able and those in charge of coordinating the implementation seem to want to wait and see what materialises before taking large scale initiatives

Occurrence ReportingTransposition of the Mandatory Occur-rence Reporting Implementation Regula-tion will be finalised by a high level work-shop on the 1st of October 2015 IFATCA has been working together with other stakeholders to achieve a balance be-tween safety and Just Culture in the form of industry Guidance Material This work is ongoing and the challenge is to keep the advanced Just Culture in the corporate environment intact while allowing the new sectors to join these developments

The new regulation on Occurrence Report-ing will become effective in all European states (plus Norway and Switzerland) on 15 November 2015 Promotional material will become available during the summer IFATCA has worked towards diversity for the different sectors while maintaining Just Culture recognisable throughout the avia-tion industry

The motivation for and the Regulation it-self can be found via these links link1 and link2

Prosecutor Expert CourseAt the end of May 2015 the 5th Eurocon-trolIFATCA Prosecutor Expert Training course was held at the Eurocontrol HQ in Brussels In total some 100 participants have attended this training initiative Bringing together professionals from the judiciary and the aviation world has proven to be a real contribution to Just Culture

loeuifatcaorgsesarcoordifatcaorg

BE READY FOR CHANGEUPDATE ON EUROPEAN ISSUES

^ by Paul Neering IFATCA Liaison to the EU amp Marc Baumgartner IFATCA SESAR Coordinator

copy m

einz

ahn

ww

wfo

tose

arch

com

INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

THE FUTURE OF GLOBALAIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

This is version 20 of the IFATCA Statement on the Future of Global Air Traffic Management It was formally adopted at the IFATCA Annual Conference in Sofia Bulgaria in April 2015 For more information contact our EVP Technical via evptifatcaorg

8 INTRODUCTIONAir traffic control at its core is a safety service Many future systems focus on increasing system capac-ity and efficiency It is not that capacity concerns have overshadowed safety as priority instead it is an acknowledgement that a system operated in excess of available capacity creates unsafe conditions To remedy an overcapacity condition one can either restrict access or increase capacity IFATCA recognizes that restricting growth in global aviation is not a realistic approach In order to maintain the necessary standard of safety in air traffic control moving forward we must be willing to take advantage of innovation in technology and procedures that will build the needed system capacity

8 PERFORMANCE BASED ATM4 AIR NAVIGATION SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE

Air navigation infrastructures develop on an evolutionary path that requires cooperation between ground based providers and airborne users Moving forward with advanced technologies to build sys-tem capacity requires coordinated investment from governments air navigation service providers and system users

In other modes of transport the infrastructure can be developed independently from the network us-ers For example adding a new lane to a highway increases system capacity without the need for new investment in vehicle technology With the exception of new runways this is not the case for aviation

Moving toward a performance based model for Air Traffic Management requires more than placing performance targets on outputs It requires a fundamental rethinking of the air traffic infrastruc-ture and standards development process Each element of the system should be developed using a performance-based process By shifting to a true performance based model we change the concept of standards making in a way that encourages technological advancement and allows system users to take advantage of the benefits new systems offer This concept embraces the ideas embodied in Required Navigation Performance Required Surveillance Performance and Required Communication Performance

4 REQUIRED SURVEILLANCE PERFORMANCERequired Surveillance Performance is a concept within the ICAO community Transition to a true RSP environment requires the establishment of clear standards for precision update rates and latency of any surveillance system Ideally this will lead to the concept of simplified surveillance separation standards that replaces the current process of developing new separation standards to accommodate new technologies

Rather than evaluate new surveillance systems and develop separation standards necessary to uti-lize a new technology a performance based approach requires the sensor technology to meet the specifications to allow the existing separation standards to be applied1 This provides developers and manufacturers with a clear design target In addition moving away from sensor based standards can reduce sector complexity in a mixed mode operation allowing for increased capacity

It is not necessary for air traffic controllers to know the source of a surveillance target only that the displayed target meets the necessary requirements for accuracy and reliability This approach allows both users and ANSPs to take advantage of developing technologies more rapidly and can expand the amount of airspace where surveillance based separation standards can be applied As we move away from radar dependent surveillance in the long term we introduce new flexibility for airspace design capacity and efficiency

1 Separation standards are not solely based on the surveillance system they also require standards for com-munication and navigation availability and precision

4 IFATCA Statement

illustrations copy csp_Harlekino | wwwfotosearchcom

INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

4 REQUIRED NAVIGATION PERFORMANCEThe development process for Required Navigation Performance can provide an effective model for the continued development of RCP and RSP RNP has illustrated that continual improvements in the on board precision coupled with effective airspace design can provide substantial and measurable benefits The application of a rigorous safety case is a fundamental part of the process Moving away from a technology based standard to a performance based one has improved the process and allows for operators to conduct independent evaluations on the business case to support the on board investment Operational benefits from increased airspace capacity are demonstrated This approach formed the basis for PBN (Performance Based Navigation)

4 REQUIRED COMMUNICATION PERFORMANCEExisting standards are dependent upon direct air to ground voice communications While this is cur-rently the preferred means of communication when possible opportunities for development of less infrastructure dependent communications technologies are foreseeable A focus on the performance requirements of alternative systems that includes the human factors elements may allow for develop-ment of alternative systems with equal or greater levels of reliability than existing air to ground voice concepts

4 SERVICE PRIORITYExisting ATC service priority models that place heavy emphasis on the concept of first come first served do not take advantage of the reduced demand on ATC resources that result from advances in onboard capabilities Tactical sector resources include air traffic controller staffing available fre-quency time and coordination requirements The level and type of communication navigation and surveillance equipment on board an aircraft affects the tactical sector resources needed to provide air traffic control services For example an RNAV equipped aircraft uses fewer sector resources when flying an RNAV STAR than a lesser- equipped aircraft that must be vectored to the final approach

The evolution of air navigation and airspace design over the last decade has placed increasing empha-sis on airborne equipment From GNSS routes to PBN efficient airspace design and utilization requires that sufficient percentages of aircraft be appropriately equipped to utilize the advanced routes

Performance Based ATM requires both air navigation service providers and system users invest in sys-tems that allow for maximization of airspace capacity and efficiency In order to develop a business case for the investment operational benefits must be quantifiable A service priority model based on first come first served without consideration of the relative sector resources needed to provide the service may discourage or delay modernisation efforts

New service priority models are a critical element of performance based ATM In the same manner that system users seek to obtain operational benefits from on board investment air navigation ser-vice providers should be able to derive benefits from investment in the ground based technologies Under the current service priority model lesser equipped aircraft are afforded the same priority as better equipped aircraft regardless of the additional resources they may consume Delaying aircraft to accommodate minimally equipped users particularly through holding consumes considerable sec-tor resources for which the ANSP is not compensated If the ANSP is able to establish a service prior-ity model that considers aircraft equipment requirements to maximise sector capacity and efficiency it will be more able to offset the investment costs of advanced technologies

A truly performance based model for ATM would permit ANSPs to consider airborne equipment as a dynamic tool for managing sector capacity and efficiency Aircraft equipment requirements could be in place during periods of peak demand and lifted when the capacity enhancing tools are no longer required This strategic approach will require enhanced attention to both airspace planning and flight planning In addition to the capacity enhancement the strategic approach can also be seen as a means to ensure equitable access to airports and airspace when compared to the equipment mandate approach

4 IFATCA Statement

INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

4 IFATCA Statement

4 AIRSPACE DESIGN AND ACCESSAdvanced airspace design and procedures are evolving to maximise airspace availability and effi-ciency PBN Approaches reduce track distance and can allow aircraft to navigate around terrain in low visibility Continuous Descent Operations allow operators to maximise fuel economy RNP standards allow for reduced separation in procedural airspace increasing capacity and new in-trail climb and descent procedures in en route airspace will allow equipped aircraft to access preferred flight levels These advanced procedures also have the ability to reduce demand on sector resources Airspace de-sign that takes advantage of modern aircraft navigation capabilities has the possibility to de-conflict traffic flows reduce the need for vectoring and reduce frequency congestion Advanced airspace design will play an increasingly important role in managing traffic in high-density areas However this type of airspace design is only of value if the aircraft operating in the airspace are able to use it

Airspace analysis and planning is a critical component in developing an airborne equipment based service priority model Airspace service volumes should be evaluated to determine if and when ben-efits can be derived from advanced procedures This evaluation of airspace service volumes should be an ongoing process and can aid in the evolution to a dynamic concept of airspace management and access

By granting access to the most efficient procedures and airspace to aircraft equipped to use them the business model for airborne investment can be made without artificial manipulation The demand on controllers to manage a new service priority model is mitigated Finally while this model can pro-vide an incentive for operators to equip aircraft for those that want to defer or delay the on board investment the option of moving flights away from peak periods to unconstrained periods could improve overall system efficiency and safety

4 TRAFFIC FLOW MANAGEMENTThe regionalisation of traffic flow management is necessary to meet the traffic growth and environ-mental demands on aviation in the future Safe orderly and expeditious air traffic flows necessitate coordination beyond state boundaries Avoidance of extreme weather events as well as conflict zones that create hazards to aviation cannot be effectively managed without regional collaboration Traffic flow management must take advantage of technologies for information sharing planning and response

4 AIRSPACE INTEGRATION AND USE( CIVIL-MILITARYETC)Global goals of interoperability and airspace capacity are hindered without effective airspace integra-tion Achieving a balance for airspace access between users including civil military manned un-manned and transitional (ie commercial space operators) presents significant challenges for future systems The demand for airspace use is increasing in both quantity and diversity of operations

Technological advances in aircraft coupled with expanded civil uses will place demands on the system that are not supported by current policies Unmanned aircraft both autonomous and remotely piloted are in development In addition the growth in commercial space operations and the development of space tourism will place increasing demands on airspace particularly in the launch and return phases of flight Integrating diverse operations into common airspace will present new challenges that will require innovative thinking to move forward

In some cases particularly in the case of autonomous unmanned aircraft or a ballistic launch phase for a commercial space vehicle where the aircraft or spacecraft may not have a means to execute an air traffic control clearance integration may not be possible In order to accommodate these types of operations clear standards for separation or protected airspace are necessary to ensure the safety of other aircraft

8 EMERGING TECHNOLOGIESInnovation is a hallmark of aviation The first commercial flight occurred within a decade from when the Wright Brothers first took to the air It was less than half a century between the first powered flight and the supersonic jet Our industry has embraced and advanced new technologies that have not only made air travel faster but also safer and more efficient The constant adaptation and integration of new technolo-gies into air traffic control is the mark of the profession This integration and acceptance is not without

INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

4 IFATCA Statement

caution or scepticism The approach where technologies are rigorously evaluated prior to integration into the air traffic control system has ensured high levels of safety Air traffic controllers are a critical part of this process Certain new technologies will require a rethinking of long standing operational concepts and standards to facilitate their accommodation Just as radar allowed for the development of new separation standards certain new tools may require the same level of work in developing fundamental concepts and new safety analysis Tools like synthetic vision remote towers and remotely piloted aircraft blur the lines between standards based on visual acquisition of traffic and surveillance based traffic identification These hybrid systems where the human is tasked with visual evaluation of electronically derived information do not fit within the existing separation paradigm New separation standards recognizing that these systems are neither traditional surveillance nor visual systems need to be developed and validated to support the safe integration of these types of systems

8 SAFETYSafety remains the most important performance indicator in ATM As traffic figures rise the accident rate has to be reduced to prevent the number of accidents from increasing The approach towards safety has developed over the years introducing technical human and organisational factors The linear safety ap-proach has been successful in demonstrating causes whenever an incident or accident occurs However the very low rate of aircraft accidents makes it an ineffective safety indicator

It is important to examine safety risks even in the absence of aircraft accidents or incidents This requires a new approach towards safety A proactive approach seeks to understand all the contributing factors in the system and identify systemic safety risks This systems safety approach is based on a principle to maximize the success rate of the overall system In this approach the human factor is seen as the resilient element in a vulnerable system and as a safety net when the system fails Under this concept steps are taken to ensure that the systems are adequately robust and safety risks are mitigated and the human operator is given the necessary tools to perform the safety task

In order to collect and analyse safety information adequate protection of safety information and its sources is critical Systems that penalise people or organisations for reporting safety data limit the data that will be made available The ability to report safety problems including those of human error without fear of reprisal it the foundation of any safety system

8 HUMAN FACTORSThe need for human factors analysis in the development of new technologies is well established The Human-Machine Interface is a critical part of the design process and successful deployment of major new systems have included considerable attention to the human factors analysis However new systems are increasingly network centred rather than single systems that can be analysed as stand alone products introducing broader human factors considerations that go well beyond HMI

As technologies are deployed to maximise system capacity the limits of human performance must be considered While system reliability requirements are very high external factors that could cause disrup-tion cannot be entirely eliminated It is essential to ensure that the ability of human operators to maintain system safety in the event of technology failure is not exceeded

The concept of a systems approach to safety should be expanded to include human factors The human operator should be viewed in totality recognising as new systems allow for increased system capac-ity workload related fatigue issues will need to be considered in addition to those related to schedules and duty time Workload related fatigue can be a symptom of sustained periods either high or very low workload

In order to fully realise peak capacity operational complexity must be minimised Reducing or eliminating mixed mode operations in high-density airspace allows for higher sector capacity Formulas that determine maximum sector capacity must consider both volume and complexity aircraft performance and capability is an important component of sector complexity

8 IFATCAS ROLEIFATCA is in the unique position to provide operational expertise in the development of future ATM The organisation has a leadership role to play in the design development and analysis of emerging concepts for air traffic control IFATCA technical and professional expertise is a critical component of the decision chain The global reach of the Federation provides the opportunity to advance these concepts IFATCA provides ambitious ideas to meet the challenges of the global future of aviation through comprehensive research studies and participation in the global aviation community ^

4 Europe

21

INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

Over the past 12 monhts European traf-fic has increased slightly 13 according to the Network Managerrsquos Monthly report Delays have also increased along with the traffic levels And with some severe CB activity at the end of May and early June controllersrsquo skills have been severely tested

Some of our colleagues work with reduced runway systems and face other operational challenges Meanwhile the Single Europe-an Sky (SES) is slowly but surely moving forward This is a quick update on what is currently ongoing on the political front with regard to the Single European Sky program and its so-called pillars

TechnicalOn the technical front within SESAR the ATM Master Plan update campaign is ongoing

A final draft of the future

ATM

Mas-ter Plan will be released for consulta-tion at the end of June 2015 The ATM Master

Plan will re-group all the elements for a modernisation of the techno-logical infra-structure in Europe It will include the de-

ployment of new technology the road-map for modernisation and the elements needed for the next step of SESAR called ldquoSESAR 2020rdquo The ambitious task of revis-iting the ATM Masterplan was coordinated by IFATSEA (Dany van der Biest) on behalf of the professional staff organisations Our input including valuable comments by the many IFATCASESAR representatives was greatly appreciated

Beyond SES II+At the beginning of May the European Commission invited all the stakeholders to a SES Vision Workshop All stakeholders and institutions were invited to give their view on the future of the Single European Sky A small working group within the Eu-ropean Commission continues to work on this thus planning beyond SES II+ legisla-tion Amongst other things the look into the Reference Period 3 (after 2019) and how the Regulatory framework should evolve in the future

EASA has published its opinion on the common rules of the air and operational

provisions regarding services and pro-cedures in air navigation and Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA) part C

DatalinkDatalink implementation has been post-poned by at least 5 years and the outlook is quite grim as the technology used will most probably by outdated by the time it becomes mandatory Maybe a novel ap-proach to this issue is needed New tech-nologies that achieve the same or better CPDLC performance might become avail-able and those in charge of coordinating the implementation seem to want to wait and see what materialises before taking large scale initiatives

Occurrence ReportingTransposition of the Mandatory Occur-rence Reporting Implementation Regula-tion will be finalised by a high level work-shop on the 1st of October 2015 IFATCA has been working together with other stakeholders to achieve a balance be-tween safety and Just Culture in the form of industry Guidance Material This work is ongoing and the challenge is to keep the advanced Just Culture in the corporate environment intact while allowing the new sectors to join these developments

The new regulation on Occurrence Report-ing will become effective in all European states (plus Norway and Switzerland) on 15 November 2015 Promotional material will become available during the summer IFATCA has worked towards diversity for the different sectors while maintaining Just Culture recognisable throughout the avia-tion industry

The motivation for and the Regulation it-self can be found via these links link1 and link2

Prosecutor Expert CourseAt the end of May 2015 the 5th Eurocon-trolIFATCA Prosecutor Expert Training course was held at the Eurocontrol HQ in Brussels In total some 100 participants have attended this training initiative Bringing together professionals from the judiciary and the aviation world has proven to be a real contribution to Just Culture

loeuifatcaorgsesarcoordifatcaorg

BE READY FOR CHANGEUPDATE ON EUROPEAN ISSUES

^ by Paul Neering IFATCA Liaison to the EU amp Marc Baumgartner IFATCA SESAR Coordinator

copy m

einz

ahn

ww

wfo

tose

arch

com

INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

4 REQUIRED NAVIGATION PERFORMANCEThe development process for Required Navigation Performance can provide an effective model for the continued development of RCP and RSP RNP has illustrated that continual improvements in the on board precision coupled with effective airspace design can provide substantial and measurable benefits The application of a rigorous safety case is a fundamental part of the process Moving away from a technology based standard to a performance based one has improved the process and allows for operators to conduct independent evaluations on the business case to support the on board investment Operational benefits from increased airspace capacity are demonstrated This approach formed the basis for PBN (Performance Based Navigation)

4 REQUIRED COMMUNICATION PERFORMANCEExisting standards are dependent upon direct air to ground voice communications While this is cur-rently the preferred means of communication when possible opportunities for development of less infrastructure dependent communications technologies are foreseeable A focus on the performance requirements of alternative systems that includes the human factors elements may allow for develop-ment of alternative systems with equal or greater levels of reliability than existing air to ground voice concepts

4 SERVICE PRIORITYExisting ATC service priority models that place heavy emphasis on the concept of first come first served do not take advantage of the reduced demand on ATC resources that result from advances in onboard capabilities Tactical sector resources include air traffic controller staffing available fre-quency time and coordination requirements The level and type of communication navigation and surveillance equipment on board an aircraft affects the tactical sector resources needed to provide air traffic control services For example an RNAV equipped aircraft uses fewer sector resources when flying an RNAV STAR than a lesser- equipped aircraft that must be vectored to the final approach

The evolution of air navigation and airspace design over the last decade has placed increasing empha-sis on airborne equipment From GNSS routes to PBN efficient airspace design and utilization requires that sufficient percentages of aircraft be appropriately equipped to utilize the advanced routes

Performance Based ATM requires both air navigation service providers and system users invest in sys-tems that allow for maximization of airspace capacity and efficiency In order to develop a business case for the investment operational benefits must be quantifiable A service priority model based on first come first served without consideration of the relative sector resources needed to provide the service may discourage or delay modernisation efforts

New service priority models are a critical element of performance based ATM In the same manner that system users seek to obtain operational benefits from on board investment air navigation ser-vice providers should be able to derive benefits from investment in the ground based technologies Under the current service priority model lesser equipped aircraft are afforded the same priority as better equipped aircraft regardless of the additional resources they may consume Delaying aircraft to accommodate minimally equipped users particularly through holding consumes considerable sec-tor resources for which the ANSP is not compensated If the ANSP is able to establish a service prior-ity model that considers aircraft equipment requirements to maximise sector capacity and efficiency it will be more able to offset the investment costs of advanced technologies

A truly performance based model for ATM would permit ANSPs to consider airborne equipment as a dynamic tool for managing sector capacity and efficiency Aircraft equipment requirements could be in place during periods of peak demand and lifted when the capacity enhancing tools are no longer required This strategic approach will require enhanced attention to both airspace planning and flight planning In addition to the capacity enhancement the strategic approach can also be seen as a means to ensure equitable access to airports and airspace when compared to the equipment mandate approach

4 IFATCA Statement

INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

4 IFATCA Statement

4 AIRSPACE DESIGN AND ACCESSAdvanced airspace design and procedures are evolving to maximise airspace availability and effi-ciency PBN Approaches reduce track distance and can allow aircraft to navigate around terrain in low visibility Continuous Descent Operations allow operators to maximise fuel economy RNP standards allow for reduced separation in procedural airspace increasing capacity and new in-trail climb and descent procedures in en route airspace will allow equipped aircraft to access preferred flight levels These advanced procedures also have the ability to reduce demand on sector resources Airspace de-sign that takes advantage of modern aircraft navigation capabilities has the possibility to de-conflict traffic flows reduce the need for vectoring and reduce frequency congestion Advanced airspace design will play an increasingly important role in managing traffic in high-density areas However this type of airspace design is only of value if the aircraft operating in the airspace are able to use it

Airspace analysis and planning is a critical component in developing an airborne equipment based service priority model Airspace service volumes should be evaluated to determine if and when ben-efits can be derived from advanced procedures This evaluation of airspace service volumes should be an ongoing process and can aid in the evolution to a dynamic concept of airspace management and access

By granting access to the most efficient procedures and airspace to aircraft equipped to use them the business model for airborne investment can be made without artificial manipulation The demand on controllers to manage a new service priority model is mitigated Finally while this model can pro-vide an incentive for operators to equip aircraft for those that want to defer or delay the on board investment the option of moving flights away from peak periods to unconstrained periods could improve overall system efficiency and safety

4 TRAFFIC FLOW MANAGEMENTThe regionalisation of traffic flow management is necessary to meet the traffic growth and environ-mental demands on aviation in the future Safe orderly and expeditious air traffic flows necessitate coordination beyond state boundaries Avoidance of extreme weather events as well as conflict zones that create hazards to aviation cannot be effectively managed without regional collaboration Traffic flow management must take advantage of technologies for information sharing planning and response

4 AIRSPACE INTEGRATION AND USE( CIVIL-MILITARYETC)Global goals of interoperability and airspace capacity are hindered without effective airspace integra-tion Achieving a balance for airspace access between users including civil military manned un-manned and transitional (ie commercial space operators) presents significant challenges for future systems The demand for airspace use is increasing in both quantity and diversity of operations

Technological advances in aircraft coupled with expanded civil uses will place demands on the system that are not supported by current policies Unmanned aircraft both autonomous and remotely piloted are in development In addition the growth in commercial space operations and the development of space tourism will place increasing demands on airspace particularly in the launch and return phases of flight Integrating diverse operations into common airspace will present new challenges that will require innovative thinking to move forward

In some cases particularly in the case of autonomous unmanned aircraft or a ballistic launch phase for a commercial space vehicle where the aircraft or spacecraft may not have a means to execute an air traffic control clearance integration may not be possible In order to accommodate these types of operations clear standards for separation or protected airspace are necessary to ensure the safety of other aircraft

8 EMERGING TECHNOLOGIESInnovation is a hallmark of aviation The first commercial flight occurred within a decade from when the Wright Brothers first took to the air It was less than half a century between the first powered flight and the supersonic jet Our industry has embraced and advanced new technologies that have not only made air travel faster but also safer and more efficient The constant adaptation and integration of new technolo-gies into air traffic control is the mark of the profession This integration and acceptance is not without

INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

4 IFATCA Statement

caution or scepticism The approach where technologies are rigorously evaluated prior to integration into the air traffic control system has ensured high levels of safety Air traffic controllers are a critical part of this process Certain new technologies will require a rethinking of long standing operational concepts and standards to facilitate their accommodation Just as radar allowed for the development of new separation standards certain new tools may require the same level of work in developing fundamental concepts and new safety analysis Tools like synthetic vision remote towers and remotely piloted aircraft blur the lines between standards based on visual acquisition of traffic and surveillance based traffic identification These hybrid systems where the human is tasked with visual evaluation of electronically derived information do not fit within the existing separation paradigm New separation standards recognizing that these systems are neither traditional surveillance nor visual systems need to be developed and validated to support the safe integration of these types of systems

8 SAFETYSafety remains the most important performance indicator in ATM As traffic figures rise the accident rate has to be reduced to prevent the number of accidents from increasing The approach towards safety has developed over the years introducing technical human and organisational factors The linear safety ap-proach has been successful in demonstrating causes whenever an incident or accident occurs However the very low rate of aircraft accidents makes it an ineffective safety indicator

It is important to examine safety risks even in the absence of aircraft accidents or incidents This requires a new approach towards safety A proactive approach seeks to understand all the contributing factors in the system and identify systemic safety risks This systems safety approach is based on a principle to maximize the success rate of the overall system In this approach the human factor is seen as the resilient element in a vulnerable system and as a safety net when the system fails Under this concept steps are taken to ensure that the systems are adequately robust and safety risks are mitigated and the human operator is given the necessary tools to perform the safety task

In order to collect and analyse safety information adequate protection of safety information and its sources is critical Systems that penalise people or organisations for reporting safety data limit the data that will be made available The ability to report safety problems including those of human error without fear of reprisal it the foundation of any safety system

8 HUMAN FACTORSThe need for human factors analysis in the development of new technologies is well established The Human-Machine Interface is a critical part of the design process and successful deployment of major new systems have included considerable attention to the human factors analysis However new systems are increasingly network centred rather than single systems that can be analysed as stand alone products introducing broader human factors considerations that go well beyond HMI

As technologies are deployed to maximise system capacity the limits of human performance must be considered While system reliability requirements are very high external factors that could cause disrup-tion cannot be entirely eliminated It is essential to ensure that the ability of human operators to maintain system safety in the event of technology failure is not exceeded

The concept of a systems approach to safety should be expanded to include human factors The human operator should be viewed in totality recognising as new systems allow for increased system capac-ity workload related fatigue issues will need to be considered in addition to those related to schedules and duty time Workload related fatigue can be a symptom of sustained periods either high or very low workload

In order to fully realise peak capacity operational complexity must be minimised Reducing or eliminating mixed mode operations in high-density airspace allows for higher sector capacity Formulas that determine maximum sector capacity must consider both volume and complexity aircraft performance and capability is an important component of sector complexity

8 IFATCAS ROLEIFATCA is in the unique position to provide operational expertise in the development of future ATM The organisation has a leadership role to play in the design development and analysis of emerging concepts for air traffic control IFATCA technical and professional expertise is a critical component of the decision chain The global reach of the Federation provides the opportunity to advance these concepts IFATCA provides ambitious ideas to meet the challenges of the global future of aviation through comprehensive research studies and participation in the global aviation community ^

4 Europe

21

INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

Over the past 12 monhts European traf-fic has increased slightly 13 according to the Network Managerrsquos Monthly report Delays have also increased along with the traffic levels And with some severe CB activity at the end of May and early June controllersrsquo skills have been severely tested

Some of our colleagues work with reduced runway systems and face other operational challenges Meanwhile the Single Europe-an Sky (SES) is slowly but surely moving forward This is a quick update on what is currently ongoing on the political front with regard to the Single European Sky program and its so-called pillars

TechnicalOn the technical front within SESAR the ATM Master Plan update campaign is ongoing

A final draft of the future

ATM

Mas-ter Plan will be released for consulta-tion at the end of June 2015 The ATM Master

Plan will re-group all the elements for a modernisation of the techno-logical infra-structure in Europe It will include the de-

ployment of new technology the road-map for modernisation and the elements needed for the next step of SESAR called ldquoSESAR 2020rdquo The ambitious task of revis-iting the ATM Masterplan was coordinated by IFATSEA (Dany van der Biest) on behalf of the professional staff organisations Our input including valuable comments by the many IFATCASESAR representatives was greatly appreciated

Beyond SES II+At the beginning of May the European Commission invited all the stakeholders to a SES Vision Workshop All stakeholders and institutions were invited to give their view on the future of the Single European Sky A small working group within the Eu-ropean Commission continues to work on this thus planning beyond SES II+ legisla-tion Amongst other things the look into the Reference Period 3 (after 2019) and how the Regulatory framework should evolve in the future

EASA has published its opinion on the common rules of the air and operational

provisions regarding services and pro-cedures in air navigation and Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA) part C

DatalinkDatalink implementation has been post-poned by at least 5 years and the outlook is quite grim as the technology used will most probably by outdated by the time it becomes mandatory Maybe a novel ap-proach to this issue is needed New tech-nologies that achieve the same or better CPDLC performance might become avail-able and those in charge of coordinating the implementation seem to want to wait and see what materialises before taking large scale initiatives

Occurrence ReportingTransposition of the Mandatory Occur-rence Reporting Implementation Regula-tion will be finalised by a high level work-shop on the 1st of October 2015 IFATCA has been working together with other stakeholders to achieve a balance be-tween safety and Just Culture in the form of industry Guidance Material This work is ongoing and the challenge is to keep the advanced Just Culture in the corporate environment intact while allowing the new sectors to join these developments

The new regulation on Occurrence Report-ing will become effective in all European states (plus Norway and Switzerland) on 15 November 2015 Promotional material will become available during the summer IFATCA has worked towards diversity for the different sectors while maintaining Just Culture recognisable throughout the avia-tion industry

The motivation for and the Regulation it-self can be found via these links link1 and link2

Prosecutor Expert CourseAt the end of May 2015 the 5th Eurocon-trolIFATCA Prosecutor Expert Training course was held at the Eurocontrol HQ in Brussels In total some 100 participants have attended this training initiative Bringing together professionals from the judiciary and the aviation world has proven to be a real contribution to Just Culture

loeuifatcaorgsesarcoordifatcaorg

BE READY FOR CHANGEUPDATE ON EUROPEAN ISSUES

^ by Paul Neering IFATCA Liaison to the EU amp Marc Baumgartner IFATCA SESAR Coordinator

copy m

einz

ahn

ww

wfo

tose

arch

com

INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

4 IFATCA Statement

4 AIRSPACE DESIGN AND ACCESSAdvanced airspace design and procedures are evolving to maximise airspace availability and effi-ciency PBN Approaches reduce track distance and can allow aircraft to navigate around terrain in low visibility Continuous Descent Operations allow operators to maximise fuel economy RNP standards allow for reduced separation in procedural airspace increasing capacity and new in-trail climb and descent procedures in en route airspace will allow equipped aircraft to access preferred flight levels These advanced procedures also have the ability to reduce demand on sector resources Airspace de-sign that takes advantage of modern aircraft navigation capabilities has the possibility to de-conflict traffic flows reduce the need for vectoring and reduce frequency congestion Advanced airspace design will play an increasingly important role in managing traffic in high-density areas However this type of airspace design is only of value if the aircraft operating in the airspace are able to use it

Airspace analysis and planning is a critical component in developing an airborne equipment based service priority model Airspace service volumes should be evaluated to determine if and when ben-efits can be derived from advanced procedures This evaluation of airspace service volumes should be an ongoing process and can aid in the evolution to a dynamic concept of airspace management and access

By granting access to the most efficient procedures and airspace to aircraft equipped to use them the business model for airborne investment can be made without artificial manipulation The demand on controllers to manage a new service priority model is mitigated Finally while this model can pro-vide an incentive for operators to equip aircraft for those that want to defer or delay the on board investment the option of moving flights away from peak periods to unconstrained periods could improve overall system efficiency and safety

4 TRAFFIC FLOW MANAGEMENTThe regionalisation of traffic flow management is necessary to meet the traffic growth and environ-mental demands on aviation in the future Safe orderly and expeditious air traffic flows necessitate coordination beyond state boundaries Avoidance of extreme weather events as well as conflict zones that create hazards to aviation cannot be effectively managed without regional collaboration Traffic flow management must take advantage of technologies for information sharing planning and response

4 AIRSPACE INTEGRATION AND USE( CIVIL-MILITARYETC)Global goals of interoperability and airspace capacity are hindered without effective airspace integra-tion Achieving a balance for airspace access between users including civil military manned un-manned and transitional (ie commercial space operators) presents significant challenges for future systems The demand for airspace use is increasing in both quantity and diversity of operations

Technological advances in aircraft coupled with expanded civil uses will place demands on the system that are not supported by current policies Unmanned aircraft both autonomous and remotely piloted are in development In addition the growth in commercial space operations and the development of space tourism will place increasing demands on airspace particularly in the launch and return phases of flight Integrating diverse operations into common airspace will present new challenges that will require innovative thinking to move forward

In some cases particularly in the case of autonomous unmanned aircraft or a ballistic launch phase for a commercial space vehicle where the aircraft or spacecraft may not have a means to execute an air traffic control clearance integration may not be possible In order to accommodate these types of operations clear standards for separation or protected airspace are necessary to ensure the safety of other aircraft

8 EMERGING TECHNOLOGIESInnovation is a hallmark of aviation The first commercial flight occurred within a decade from when the Wright Brothers first took to the air It was less than half a century between the first powered flight and the supersonic jet Our industry has embraced and advanced new technologies that have not only made air travel faster but also safer and more efficient The constant adaptation and integration of new technolo-gies into air traffic control is the mark of the profession This integration and acceptance is not without

INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

4 IFATCA Statement

caution or scepticism The approach where technologies are rigorously evaluated prior to integration into the air traffic control system has ensured high levels of safety Air traffic controllers are a critical part of this process Certain new technologies will require a rethinking of long standing operational concepts and standards to facilitate their accommodation Just as radar allowed for the development of new separation standards certain new tools may require the same level of work in developing fundamental concepts and new safety analysis Tools like synthetic vision remote towers and remotely piloted aircraft blur the lines between standards based on visual acquisition of traffic and surveillance based traffic identification These hybrid systems where the human is tasked with visual evaluation of electronically derived information do not fit within the existing separation paradigm New separation standards recognizing that these systems are neither traditional surveillance nor visual systems need to be developed and validated to support the safe integration of these types of systems

8 SAFETYSafety remains the most important performance indicator in ATM As traffic figures rise the accident rate has to be reduced to prevent the number of accidents from increasing The approach towards safety has developed over the years introducing technical human and organisational factors The linear safety ap-proach has been successful in demonstrating causes whenever an incident or accident occurs However the very low rate of aircraft accidents makes it an ineffective safety indicator

It is important to examine safety risks even in the absence of aircraft accidents or incidents This requires a new approach towards safety A proactive approach seeks to understand all the contributing factors in the system and identify systemic safety risks This systems safety approach is based on a principle to maximize the success rate of the overall system In this approach the human factor is seen as the resilient element in a vulnerable system and as a safety net when the system fails Under this concept steps are taken to ensure that the systems are adequately robust and safety risks are mitigated and the human operator is given the necessary tools to perform the safety task

In order to collect and analyse safety information adequate protection of safety information and its sources is critical Systems that penalise people or organisations for reporting safety data limit the data that will be made available The ability to report safety problems including those of human error without fear of reprisal it the foundation of any safety system

8 HUMAN FACTORSThe need for human factors analysis in the development of new technologies is well established The Human-Machine Interface is a critical part of the design process and successful deployment of major new systems have included considerable attention to the human factors analysis However new systems are increasingly network centred rather than single systems that can be analysed as stand alone products introducing broader human factors considerations that go well beyond HMI

As technologies are deployed to maximise system capacity the limits of human performance must be considered While system reliability requirements are very high external factors that could cause disrup-tion cannot be entirely eliminated It is essential to ensure that the ability of human operators to maintain system safety in the event of technology failure is not exceeded

The concept of a systems approach to safety should be expanded to include human factors The human operator should be viewed in totality recognising as new systems allow for increased system capac-ity workload related fatigue issues will need to be considered in addition to those related to schedules and duty time Workload related fatigue can be a symptom of sustained periods either high or very low workload

In order to fully realise peak capacity operational complexity must be minimised Reducing or eliminating mixed mode operations in high-density airspace allows for higher sector capacity Formulas that determine maximum sector capacity must consider both volume and complexity aircraft performance and capability is an important component of sector complexity

8 IFATCAS ROLEIFATCA is in the unique position to provide operational expertise in the development of future ATM The organisation has a leadership role to play in the design development and analysis of emerging concepts for air traffic control IFATCA technical and professional expertise is a critical component of the decision chain The global reach of the Federation provides the opportunity to advance these concepts IFATCA provides ambitious ideas to meet the challenges of the global future of aviation through comprehensive research studies and participation in the global aviation community ^

4 Europe

21

INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

Over the past 12 monhts European traf-fic has increased slightly 13 according to the Network Managerrsquos Monthly report Delays have also increased along with the traffic levels And with some severe CB activity at the end of May and early June controllersrsquo skills have been severely tested

Some of our colleagues work with reduced runway systems and face other operational challenges Meanwhile the Single Europe-an Sky (SES) is slowly but surely moving forward This is a quick update on what is currently ongoing on the political front with regard to the Single European Sky program and its so-called pillars

TechnicalOn the technical front within SESAR the ATM Master Plan update campaign is ongoing

A final draft of the future

ATM

Mas-ter Plan will be released for consulta-tion at the end of June 2015 The ATM Master

Plan will re-group all the elements for a modernisation of the techno-logical infra-structure in Europe It will include the de-

ployment of new technology the road-map for modernisation and the elements needed for the next step of SESAR called ldquoSESAR 2020rdquo The ambitious task of revis-iting the ATM Masterplan was coordinated by IFATSEA (Dany van der Biest) on behalf of the professional staff organisations Our input including valuable comments by the many IFATCASESAR representatives was greatly appreciated

Beyond SES II+At the beginning of May the European Commission invited all the stakeholders to a SES Vision Workshop All stakeholders and institutions were invited to give their view on the future of the Single European Sky A small working group within the Eu-ropean Commission continues to work on this thus planning beyond SES II+ legisla-tion Amongst other things the look into the Reference Period 3 (after 2019) and how the Regulatory framework should evolve in the future

EASA has published its opinion on the common rules of the air and operational

provisions regarding services and pro-cedures in air navigation and Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA) part C

DatalinkDatalink implementation has been post-poned by at least 5 years and the outlook is quite grim as the technology used will most probably by outdated by the time it becomes mandatory Maybe a novel ap-proach to this issue is needed New tech-nologies that achieve the same or better CPDLC performance might become avail-able and those in charge of coordinating the implementation seem to want to wait and see what materialises before taking large scale initiatives

Occurrence ReportingTransposition of the Mandatory Occur-rence Reporting Implementation Regula-tion will be finalised by a high level work-shop on the 1st of October 2015 IFATCA has been working together with other stakeholders to achieve a balance be-tween safety and Just Culture in the form of industry Guidance Material This work is ongoing and the challenge is to keep the advanced Just Culture in the corporate environment intact while allowing the new sectors to join these developments

The new regulation on Occurrence Report-ing will become effective in all European states (plus Norway and Switzerland) on 15 November 2015 Promotional material will become available during the summer IFATCA has worked towards diversity for the different sectors while maintaining Just Culture recognisable throughout the avia-tion industry

The motivation for and the Regulation it-self can be found via these links link1 and link2

Prosecutor Expert CourseAt the end of May 2015 the 5th Eurocon-trolIFATCA Prosecutor Expert Training course was held at the Eurocontrol HQ in Brussels In total some 100 participants have attended this training initiative Bringing together professionals from the judiciary and the aviation world has proven to be a real contribution to Just Culture

loeuifatcaorgsesarcoordifatcaorg

BE READY FOR CHANGEUPDATE ON EUROPEAN ISSUES

^ by Paul Neering IFATCA Liaison to the EU amp Marc Baumgartner IFATCA SESAR Coordinator

copy m

einz

ahn

ww

wfo

tose

arch

com

INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

4 IFATCA Statement

caution or scepticism The approach where technologies are rigorously evaluated prior to integration into the air traffic control system has ensured high levels of safety Air traffic controllers are a critical part of this process Certain new technologies will require a rethinking of long standing operational concepts and standards to facilitate their accommodation Just as radar allowed for the development of new separation standards certain new tools may require the same level of work in developing fundamental concepts and new safety analysis Tools like synthetic vision remote towers and remotely piloted aircraft blur the lines between standards based on visual acquisition of traffic and surveillance based traffic identification These hybrid systems where the human is tasked with visual evaluation of electronically derived information do not fit within the existing separation paradigm New separation standards recognizing that these systems are neither traditional surveillance nor visual systems need to be developed and validated to support the safe integration of these types of systems

8 SAFETYSafety remains the most important performance indicator in ATM As traffic figures rise the accident rate has to be reduced to prevent the number of accidents from increasing The approach towards safety has developed over the years introducing technical human and organisational factors The linear safety ap-proach has been successful in demonstrating causes whenever an incident or accident occurs However the very low rate of aircraft accidents makes it an ineffective safety indicator

It is important to examine safety risks even in the absence of aircraft accidents or incidents This requires a new approach towards safety A proactive approach seeks to understand all the contributing factors in the system and identify systemic safety risks This systems safety approach is based on a principle to maximize the success rate of the overall system In this approach the human factor is seen as the resilient element in a vulnerable system and as a safety net when the system fails Under this concept steps are taken to ensure that the systems are adequately robust and safety risks are mitigated and the human operator is given the necessary tools to perform the safety task

In order to collect and analyse safety information adequate protection of safety information and its sources is critical Systems that penalise people or organisations for reporting safety data limit the data that will be made available The ability to report safety problems including those of human error without fear of reprisal it the foundation of any safety system

8 HUMAN FACTORSThe need for human factors analysis in the development of new technologies is well established The Human-Machine Interface is a critical part of the design process and successful deployment of major new systems have included considerable attention to the human factors analysis However new systems are increasingly network centred rather than single systems that can be analysed as stand alone products introducing broader human factors considerations that go well beyond HMI

As technologies are deployed to maximise system capacity the limits of human performance must be considered While system reliability requirements are very high external factors that could cause disrup-tion cannot be entirely eliminated It is essential to ensure that the ability of human operators to maintain system safety in the event of technology failure is not exceeded

The concept of a systems approach to safety should be expanded to include human factors The human operator should be viewed in totality recognising as new systems allow for increased system capac-ity workload related fatigue issues will need to be considered in addition to those related to schedules and duty time Workload related fatigue can be a symptom of sustained periods either high or very low workload

In order to fully realise peak capacity operational complexity must be minimised Reducing or eliminating mixed mode operations in high-density airspace allows for higher sector capacity Formulas that determine maximum sector capacity must consider both volume and complexity aircraft performance and capability is an important component of sector complexity

8 IFATCAS ROLEIFATCA is in the unique position to provide operational expertise in the development of future ATM The organisation has a leadership role to play in the design development and analysis of emerging concepts for air traffic control IFATCA technical and professional expertise is a critical component of the decision chain The global reach of the Federation provides the opportunity to advance these concepts IFATCA provides ambitious ideas to meet the challenges of the global future of aviation through comprehensive research studies and participation in the global aviation community ^

4 Europe

21

INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

Over the past 12 monhts European traf-fic has increased slightly 13 according to the Network Managerrsquos Monthly report Delays have also increased along with the traffic levels And with some severe CB activity at the end of May and early June controllersrsquo skills have been severely tested

Some of our colleagues work with reduced runway systems and face other operational challenges Meanwhile the Single Europe-an Sky (SES) is slowly but surely moving forward This is a quick update on what is currently ongoing on the political front with regard to the Single European Sky program and its so-called pillars

TechnicalOn the technical front within SESAR the ATM Master Plan update campaign is ongoing

A final draft of the future

ATM

Mas-ter Plan will be released for consulta-tion at the end of June 2015 The ATM Master

Plan will re-group all the elements for a modernisation of the techno-logical infra-structure in Europe It will include the de-

ployment of new technology the road-map for modernisation and the elements needed for the next step of SESAR called ldquoSESAR 2020rdquo The ambitious task of revis-iting the ATM Masterplan was coordinated by IFATSEA (Dany van der Biest) on behalf of the professional staff organisations Our input including valuable comments by the many IFATCASESAR representatives was greatly appreciated

Beyond SES II+At the beginning of May the European Commission invited all the stakeholders to a SES Vision Workshop All stakeholders and institutions were invited to give their view on the future of the Single European Sky A small working group within the Eu-ropean Commission continues to work on this thus planning beyond SES II+ legisla-tion Amongst other things the look into the Reference Period 3 (after 2019) and how the Regulatory framework should evolve in the future

EASA has published its opinion on the common rules of the air and operational

provisions regarding services and pro-cedures in air navigation and Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA) part C

DatalinkDatalink implementation has been post-poned by at least 5 years and the outlook is quite grim as the technology used will most probably by outdated by the time it becomes mandatory Maybe a novel ap-proach to this issue is needed New tech-nologies that achieve the same or better CPDLC performance might become avail-able and those in charge of coordinating the implementation seem to want to wait and see what materialises before taking large scale initiatives

Occurrence ReportingTransposition of the Mandatory Occur-rence Reporting Implementation Regula-tion will be finalised by a high level work-shop on the 1st of October 2015 IFATCA has been working together with other stakeholders to achieve a balance be-tween safety and Just Culture in the form of industry Guidance Material This work is ongoing and the challenge is to keep the advanced Just Culture in the corporate environment intact while allowing the new sectors to join these developments

The new regulation on Occurrence Report-ing will become effective in all European states (plus Norway and Switzerland) on 15 November 2015 Promotional material will become available during the summer IFATCA has worked towards diversity for the different sectors while maintaining Just Culture recognisable throughout the avia-tion industry

The motivation for and the Regulation it-self can be found via these links link1 and link2

Prosecutor Expert CourseAt the end of May 2015 the 5th Eurocon-trolIFATCA Prosecutor Expert Training course was held at the Eurocontrol HQ in Brussels In total some 100 participants have attended this training initiative Bringing together professionals from the judiciary and the aviation world has proven to be a real contribution to Just Culture

loeuifatcaorgsesarcoordifatcaorg

BE READY FOR CHANGEUPDATE ON EUROPEAN ISSUES

^ by Paul Neering IFATCA Liaison to the EU amp Marc Baumgartner IFATCA SESAR Coordinator

copy m

einz

ahn

ww

wfo

tose

arch

com

4 Europe

21

INTER-

NATIO

NAL F

EDERATIO

N OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERSrsquo ASSNS

Over the past 12 monhts European traf-fic has increased slightly 13 according to the Network Managerrsquos Monthly report Delays have also increased along with the traffic levels And with some severe CB activity at the end of May and early June controllersrsquo skills have been severely tested

Some of our colleagues work with reduced runway systems and face other operational challenges Meanwhile the Single Europe-an Sky (SES) is slowly but surely moving forward This is a quick update on what is currently ongoing on the political front with regard to the Single European Sky program and its so-called pillars

TechnicalOn the technical front within SESAR the ATM Master Plan update campaign is ongoing

A final draft of the future

ATM

Mas-ter Plan will be released for consulta-tion at the end of June 2015 The ATM Master

Plan will re-group all the elements for a modernisation of the techno-logical infra-structure in Europe It will include the de-

ployment of new technology the road-map for modernisation and the elements needed for the next step of SESAR called ldquoSESAR 2020rdquo The ambitious task of revis-iting the ATM Masterplan was coordinated by IFATSEA (Dany van der Biest) on behalf of the professional staff organisations Our input including valuable comments by the many IFATCASESAR representatives was greatly appreciated

Beyond SES II+At the beginning of May the European Commission invited all the stakeholders to a SES Vision Workshop All stakeholders and institutions were invited to give their view on the future of the Single European Sky A small working group within the Eu-ropean Commission continues to work on this thus planning beyond SES II+ legisla-tion Amongst other things the look into the Reference Period 3 (after 2019) and how the Regulatory framework should evolve in the future

EASA has published its opinion on the common rules of the air and operational

provisions regarding services and pro-cedures in air navigation and Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA) part C

DatalinkDatalink implementation has been post-poned by at least 5 years and the outlook is quite grim as the technology used will most probably by outdated by the time it becomes mandatory Maybe a novel ap-proach to this issue is needed New tech-nologies that achieve the same or better CPDLC performance might become avail-able and those in charge of coordinating the implementation seem to want to wait and see what materialises before taking large scale initiatives

Occurrence ReportingTransposition of the Mandatory Occur-rence Reporting Implementation Regula-tion will be finalised by a high level work-shop on the 1st of October 2015 IFATCA has been working together with other stakeholders to achieve a balance be-tween safety and Just Culture in the form of industry Guidance Material This work is ongoing and the challenge is to keep the advanced Just Culture in the corporate environment intact while allowing the new sectors to join these developments

The new regulation on Occurrence Report-ing will become effective in all European states (plus Norway and Switzerland) on 15 November 2015 Promotional material will become available during the summer IFATCA has worked towards diversity for the different sectors while maintaining Just Culture recognisable throughout the avia-tion industry

The motivation for and the Regulation it-self can be found via these links link1 and link2

Prosecutor Expert CourseAt the end of May 2015 the 5th Eurocon-trolIFATCA Prosecutor Expert Training course was held at the Eurocontrol HQ in Brussels In total some 100 participants have attended this training initiative Bringing together professionals from the judiciary and the aviation world has proven to be a real contribution to Just Culture

loeuifatcaorgsesarcoordifatcaorg

BE READY FOR CHANGEUPDATE ON EUROPEAN ISSUES

^ by Paul Neering IFATCA Liaison to the EU amp Marc Baumgartner IFATCA SESAR Coordinator

copy m

einz

ahn

ww

wfo

tose

arch

com

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER22

Joe Sultana Director Network Manager addressed a Single European Sky Vision Workshop organized by the European Commission on Tuesday 5 May 2015 He shared his vision on the future role of the Network Manager function as part of the European ATM system

He pointed out that some documents still state that traffic will double by 2030 Cur-rent forecasts indicate that by 2030 traffic will be 30 above todays figures A future strategy should therefore give a higher priority on meeting the user preferred end-to-end trajectory over building extra capacity This does not apply to airport capacity however as studies show major delays are to be expected by 2035

Linking the last 20 years of CFMU to the next 20 years as NM within SES he said ldquoWe have a history of 20 years of central flow management and nearly four years as the Network Manager We sense Europe-an network-wide operations because we see the network feel the network touch the network every day But we are not go-ing to spend time congratulating ourselves on our successes I want to say a few words about what needs to change wasted ca-pacity competition for revenues without considering network impact or user ben-efit no controller mobility a patchwork of irregular systems deployment and limited attention paid to real flight efficiencyrdquo Mr Sultana told the participants

Flight efficiency is sometimes confused with airline cost efficiency to the detri-ment of the environment Airlines today flight plan over longer but cheaper routes and then trick the system by asking for a re-clearance back the shortest route The accepted business trajectory should meet environmental criteria but then should be

what the airline perceives as most flight ef-ficient This is then the challenge of ATM - to get flight from A to B safely as close as possible to its selected route A free-route airspace has begun replacing the conventional route network in parts of the European network

This means that ATM would need to look at a flight as a whole and not as today a segmented portion within the responsibil-ity of a number of ANSPs along the route The future ATM system will also have to adapt to deliver more capacity and more safety using a guaranteed accuracy of a 4D flight profile

Better user-preferred trajectories need network-wide coordination It means col-laborative traffic management between ANSPs and NM in close cooperation with airspace users and in an operationally consistent and technically interconnected new ATM system The future ATM is de-pendent on sharing of planning and flight data before and during a flight

The Network Manager is evolving its oper-ational concepts and its systems interfaces with stakeholders The latter is aimed at fulfilling the Single European Sky II objec-tive of an ATM Information Portal A set of projects culminates in a network concept of operations by 2020 which will deliver the targets for the so-called Reporting Pe-riod 2

This network vision 2020 consists of air-space where free route is widespread above FL 310 The airspace below will be rigidly structured feeding the large and medium airports It also addresses the needed civil-military coordination for effective airspace management and the new flow management concept of regulat-

ing traffic by giving target times in the air rather than delaying on the ground Such a flow system linked to the Arrival Managers of ANSPs will ensure more capacity better flight efficiency and lower environmental impact

For the third performance area costs a more active role in capacity manage-ment at network level will significantly re-duce the current inefficiencies These are caused by having over-capacity for some appreciable time and a chronic under-ca-pacity during other periods Users suffer a double whammy when they pay extra for capacity while itrsquos not needed and then suffer delays and additional costs when the capacity cannot meet demand

Between 1900utc and 0400utc traffic in most ACCs is significantly lower and in each we have a number of sectors open at night requiring controllers on duty If ATM provision at night was rationalised and sectors combined at FAB level or inter FAB level we could schedule underused controllers from the night to day shifts al-lowing for additional sectors to be opened during peak traffic times

NETWORK MANAGERS VISION FOR EUROPES ATMEUROPEAN NETWORK OPERATIONS CONCEPT2019 AND BEYOND

4 Joe Sultana Director Network Management EUROCONTROL

Photo EUROCONTROL

^by Nathalie Bossiroy External Communications Network Manager Directorate EUROCONTROL

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER 23

This would contribute significantly to reduce the ATM costs part of the over-all value chain Another area of cost ef-ficiency is common centralised support services The principle is logical and rarely challenged ATM is built on an integration of services in a vertical layer ie within 1 ANSP due to the historical interpretation of ICAO assigned responsibility to provide all ATS in that States airspace 25 years ago European Ministers of transport de-cided that national and sub-regional flow management were operationally ineffec-tive and cost inefficient and decided to go for a central flow management concept Fast-forward to today and the idea of hori-zontal integration of support services is on the table If the proposals are demonstrat-ed to be cost beneficial if the governance is effective if it is performance driven and if market forces are effective to avoid mo-nopoly service prices why not use as part

of the component of a cost effective SES model for the future

Mr Sultana concluded by pointing out how the NM concept perfectly fits the Single European Sky complementing the SJU EASA and the Deployment Manager ldquoThe Network Manager is not just there for major disruptions or crisis management or day-to-day flow management The NM is the heartbeat of the SES ensuring that the operation works around all its body parts and beyond In the future it needs to re-main ndash with roles in capacity management airspace design and organisation crisis management aeronautical data sharing flow management flight plan processing scarce resources management trajectory planning and prediction It can do all this in an impartial and transparent manner acting in the interests of network efficiency and meeting cost efficiency targets The

SES needs an impartial competent proac-tive and cost-efficient Network Managerrdquo he stated

ldquoWorking with ASNPsFABs and airports and serving both civil and military opera-tors the Network Manager can deliver an efficient airspace design as well as coordi-nating the implementation and operation of the Europersquos ATM networkrdquo Collabora-tive Air Traffic Management between ATC and NM is the key ^

nathaliebossiroyeurocontrolint

Joe Sultanarsquos full speech including slides is on the EUROCONTROL website httpwwweurocontrolintspeechesspeech-joe-sultana-network-manager-vision-atm

4 What will Europersquos network operations look like in 2019 The Network Manager has published the first Release of the Network Operational Concept which sets out our ideas It describes the changes that will need to be made so as to meet the SES Performance Targets set for Reference Period 2 (RP2 2015-2019) You can access the Network Operations Concept 2019 via httpwwweurocontrolintnewsnetwork-operations-2019

Illustration EUROCONTROL

4 Europe

THE CONTROLLER 23

This would contribute significantly to reduce the ATM costs part of the over-all value chain Another area of cost ef-ficiency is common centralised support services The principle is logical and rarely challenged ATM is built on an integration of services in a vertical layer ie within 1 ANSP due to the historical interpretation of ICAO assigned responsibility to provide all ATS in that States airspace 25 years ago European Ministers of transport de-cided that national and sub-regional flow management were operationally ineffec-tive and cost inefficient and decided to go for a central flow management concept Fast-forward to today and the idea of hori-zontal integration of support services is on the table If the proposals are demonstrat-ed to be cost beneficial if the governance is effective if it is performance driven and if market forces are effective to avoid mo-nopoly service prices why not use as part

of the component of a cost effective SES model for the future

Mr Sultana concluded by pointing out how the NM concept perfectly fits the Single European Sky complementing the SJU EASA and the Deployment Manager ldquoThe Network Manager is not just there for major disruptions or crisis management or day-to-day flow management The NM is the heartbeat of the SES ensuring that the operation works around all its body parts and beyond In the future it needs to re-main ndash with roles in capacity management airspace design and organisation crisis management aeronautical data sharing flow management flight plan processing scarce resources management trajectory planning and prediction It can do all this in an impartial and transparent manner acting in the interests of network efficiency and meeting cost efficiency targets The

SES needs an impartial competent proac-tive and cost-efficient Network Managerrdquo he stated

ldquoWorking with ASNPsFABs and airports and serving both civil and military opera-tors the Network Manager can deliver an efficient airspace design as well as coordi-nating the implementation and operation of the Europersquos ATM networkrdquo Collabora-tive Air Traffic Management between ATC and NM is the key ^

nathaliebossiroyeurocontrolint

Joe Sultanarsquos full speech including slides is on the EUROCONTROL website httpwwweurocontrolintspeechesspeech-joe-sultana-network-manager-vision-atm

4 What will Europersquos network operations look like in 2019 The Network Manager has published the first Release of the Network Operational Concept which sets out our ideas It describes the changes that will need to be made so as to meet the SES Performance Targets set for Reference Period 2 (RP2 2015-2019) You can access the Network Operations Concept 2019 via httpwwweurocontrolintnewsnetwork-operations-2019

Illustration EUROCONTROL

4 AsiaPacific

^ by Phil Parker AsiaPacific Regional Editor

THE BLAME GAME

I was reading some feedback on the inter-net from pilots discussing the bad weather around Hong Kong for a couple of days in late May and how it affected airport opera-tions specifically the lsquoATC delaysrsquo I have spent most of my 45 year career in ATC trying to educate pilots airline executives in both operations and engineering air-craft maintenance organizations and the general public to the fact that ATC does not delay aircraft Other aircraft weath-er airspace design airport design lack of staff and equipment design amongst other things cause delays All ATC does is separate the aircraft under our control in accordance with the rules and regulations under which we work

There are a number of reasons for this per-ception of ATC causing delay The primary one is from pilots Besco (1997) labelled the controllerpilot relationship the ldquoawk-ward alliancerdquo Most pilots have no idea of how the ATC system actually works and pass on their inaccurate perceptions of what we do and how we do it to each oth-er on the flight deck or these days over the internet as above If there is any delay to a flight the usual communication from the flight deck to the waiting passengers is that it is caused by Air Traffic Control (I wouldnrsquot mind so much if they said it was

caused by Air

Traffic instead of Air Traffic Control but ATC seems to lsquoroll off the tonguersquo better)

Irsquom not saying all pilots are the same how-ever the use of ATC as a catch-all for delay does us a disservice and develops in the mind of the flying public and some airline companies themselves the attitude that ATC is un-caring at best and incompetent at worst How many pilots take the easy way out when filling in their log or explain-ing the reason for a delay by blaming Air Traffic Control

I was on a flight once with Cathay Pacific to Fukuoka via Taipei There was a short de-lay on the push-back which was explained by the Captain as caused by the fact that one of Taipeirsquos 2 runways was being resur-faced This meant that all traffic now had to use the remaining runway Because of this there was a requirement for more time between aircraft out of Hong Kong A colleague who arrived the following day and was going to the same meeting as me in Fukuoka (which was all about reducing separation standards between Hong Kong Taipei amp Tokyo) said that the Captain on his flight simply said that there is ATC delay out of Hong Kong for aircraft going to Taipei What a difference in explanation to passengers between the pilots concerned

I have talked to many pilot friends about the respective delay causes that they put

in their flight log They have a num-ber of reasons that they can

log such as technical faults

or late dispatch Anything that does not fit with the list is put under the catch-all of ATC delay Is it any wonder that airlines complain about ATC caused delays

The problem is that controllers and pilots look at delay differently Pilots are con-cerned with delay to their aircraft only and thatrsquos as it should be In ATC however we are of course interested in lsquoleast average over-all delay to all aircraftrsquo Our job is to make maximum use of levels routes run-ways and taxiways while maintaining the laid down separation standards required We donrsquot play favourites and we donrsquot de-liberately delay

Perhaps the best explanation of the differ-ence between ATC and pilots was put for-ward by Burt Ruitenberg (former IFATCA Human Factors expert) when he said the following at an international conference in 1995 when contrasting the work of pilots and controllers ldquoAlthough trained to deal with many potentialities pilots in their normal work ideally should encounter no problems But the routine work of a con-troller almost exclusively exists of problem solving in trying to accommodate traffic safely efficiently and in an orderly manner in the available airspacerdquo

Quite often itrsquos pilots who cause the de-lays Many pilots I know have no regard at all for other flights or other pilots I have often heard from such pilots statements like ldquowhen Irsquom lined up on the runway Irsquoll decide when to roll when cleared for take-off not the controllerrdquo or ldquo when cleared

to expedite line up Irsquoll de-cide how long I

4 Tow holding short of a runway exit taxiway Photo Phil Parker

THE CONTROLLER24

DEBUNKING THE ATC DELAY MYTH

4 AsiaPacific

will takerdquo They have no concern at

all for following aircraft and the delay it causes They tend to think so what if I take an extra 30 seconds forgetting that every aircraft behind them is also delayed that 30 seconds

Airlines are notorious for scheduling their own aircraft for the same departure time and then insisting that they park next to each other so they can be close to the lounges and for the efficiency of ground staff and then blame ATC because they canrsquot all push back at the same time In Hong Kong the major home airline does this with the European flights on the South apron next to each other and the Austral-ian flights on the West apron next to each other and then complain because they canrsquot all push back at the same time In the past A340s were scheduled just ahead of B747s meaning that ATC had to have a larger time separation between them

In the early hours of the morning when there are a large number of freighter de-partures in Hong Kong there is the same problem One of the freight airlines parks all of their aircraft in an apron cul-de-sac so that they can transfer freight between the aircraft easily They then schedule all of the aircraft for departure at the same time and wonder why ATC wonrsquot allow them all to push at the same time

ATC can also get the blame for runway capacity rates There are regular meetings of airline representatives at Hong Kong Airport and amongst agenda items is al-

ways how to increase the hourly runway

movement rate There are the usual state-ments such as Heathrow has 2 runways and they have a much higher rate than Hong Kong ATC can handle the traffic at Heathrow why canrsquot Hong ATC do the same Well Heathrow doesnrsquot have 3000rsquo mountains alongside the airport nor an-other FIR 6NM away which uses Metres for vertical separation and a number of other factors which affect Hong Kong Airport

A few days after one of these meetings I was talking to the Engineering Manager for Cathay Pacific He was telling me about new SOPs he had implemented through Flight Operations for pilots to use idle-reverse as much as possible and to reduce braking on landing role He was telling me how much money airline engineering could save by implementing these re-quirements I pointed out to him that this increases runway occupancy times and that his own companyrsquos commercial side had been trying to pressure the Civil Avia-tion Department to increase runway rates and here we have the major operator at the airport trying to decrease them I also suggested to him that the various Cathay departments talk to each other instead of blaming ATC for inefficiencies

ATC is also blamed for towing delay or de-laying aircraft to facilitate tows Different airports have different policies and modes of operation At some major airports the terminals are ownedoperated by individ-ual airlinesairline groupings and airport operations are only impacted when the air-craft on tow require entryexit tofrom the associated terminal aprons In these cases Air Traffic Control only become involved

when an aircraft joins a taxiway

from a taxilane At other airports eg Hong Kong International Airport ATC in addition to normal traffic handle ALL traf-fic including tows into amp out of the Termi-nal ApronsGates

In Hong Kong no matter what you do ATC is blamed for towing delay ATC han-dles around 130 tows a day and up to 20 per hour depending on time of day Many of these tows are against the normal traf-fic flow If ATC delays the tow the airline or maintenance company complains to the Airport Authority The Airport Author-ity simply advise them that itrsquos not their fault even though they are the ones that organize the tow for the respective opera-tor Thatrsquos an ATC delay If ATC does allow the tow and delays a push-back or taxiing aircraft because of a tow the delayed pilot is saying to ATC ldquowhy are you giving pri-ority to an empty aircraftrdquo As a controller yoursquore dammed if you do and dammed if you donrsquot

What can we do about this ATC blame cul-ture Well not a lot really We are never there in the cockpitboardroomschedul-ing meetings or airline operations rooms to defend ourselves All we can do as con-trollers is to take every opportunity to try and educate as many people as possible You can be certain that no one else is go-ing to do it

philatcinhkgmailcom

Besco R (1997) The awkward alliance the controllerpilot team The Journal of Air Traffic Control December pp 24-31

Ruitenberg B (1995) CRM in ATCmdashis it feasible Australian Aviation Psychology Symposium Manly 20-24 November

4 The result of a 20 minute Red Lightning warning which delayed push-backs

Photo Phil Parker

4 Hong Kong ATC Ground Movement Control looks after all Apron movements Photo Phil Parker

25 THE CONTROLLER

4 Training

THE CONTROLLER26

^ by Dr Mohammed M El Mahdy PhD in ATC TrainingFreelance Course Designer amp Developer Egypt

MOBILE LEARNINGFOR CONTROLLERS

Mobile Learning is defined as an active individual learning process within which a learner is not at a specific or predeter-mined location or time and interacts with pre-designed content for mobile learning through a variety of mobile technologies In other words any educational interactive content delivered through mobile technol-ogy and accessed at a studentrsquos conveni-ence from any location

Over the past few years Mobile Learning has started gaining increased importance as a tool in education despite the confu-sion of psychologists course developers teachers examiners and others The rea-son behind this confusion is that tradition-ally audio-visual material for education is designed to satisfy the demands of trainer and trainee thereby helping to achieve the training objectives In the case of M-Learning however the infrastructure and mobile devices are already there Addi-tionally their performance and capabilities are rapidly evolving forcing education to adapt to these developments rather than driving them

Todayrsquos trainers and trainees increas-ingly rely on mobile technology such as smartphones PDArsquos and tablets Todayrsquos devices offer an overall ease of use with a high degree of efficiency and accuracy

In addition the mobile technol-ogy offers high speed wireless internet for personal and busi-ness use as well as software and hardware applications and capabilities that meet most user requirementsATC instructors and course designers have begun to real-ize that learning through mo-bile technology could be more structured and organized with specific learning objectives There are likely some isolated attempts by ATC instructors who have started to design and integrate some educational modules into their instruction

using mobile devices These ef-forts probably do not use the full potential and capabilities of the advanced mobile hardwaresoft-ware infrastructure

The challenge is how should Mobile Technology be used in ATC Training

With respect to Aviation Training in general it is understood that formal education in aviation can-not keep pace with the rapidly changing and successive nature of information in various aviation fields Hence Mobile Learning as a type of informal Distance Learning has become one of the most effective means to provide organized and current educa-tional content In ATCO training Mobile Learning - as individual self-learning ndash should contain tai-lored lessons and modules that are well-designed and geared towards portable devices aimed at achieving specific training outcomes

Training content should be de-livered through trusted sources that have valid and reliable quali-

fications to ensure objectivity and credibil-ity of what is delivered to ATCOs

Unlike E-Learning M-Learning focuses on ldquoMan-to-Machine interactionrdquo or ldquoindivid-ual interactionrdquo between learners and their personal portable devices E-learning in some cases is referred to as ldquogroup-learn-ingrdquo as learners use common audio-visual aids in classrooms and workshops

Training through mobile devices is one of the most appropriate means of ATCO Training since the content can be devel-oped and delivered anytime and any-where In a shift-working environment where operational duties tend to get prior-ity over training this is particularly impor-

AdvantagesEnjoyable and collaborative It is a free and joyful learning experience with a collaborative spirit compared to learning in-side detention rooms (Traditional classrooms)

Motivation Educators and psychologists do believe that own-ing mobile devices increases student motivation Furthermore curiosity with mobile phones and tablets and its applications colorful learning material and user friendly software may at-tract learners and prompt them to go back and forth for further practice

Self-paced Taking into account the individual variations among learners M-Learning is considered a self-paced learning experience

Best use of time M-Learning allows ATCOs to continue with M-Learning content in their spare time between Work and Home life ATCOs can choose to take advantage of free time during shifts vacations transportation vehicles or relaxing in places of leisure to focus their interest on M-Learning content

Trainer support Trainer support could be organized and ex-pected anytime ATCOs may send their inquiries to their trainers and receive answers promptly

Smaller lighter portable devices Mobile devices like smart phones and tablets are smaller lighter and more portable than PCs and laptops Using these devices are much easier for learn-ers than sitting at a PC at home after being sat at radar screens and computers during the shift

C

copy T

omw

ang1

12 |

Dre

amst

ime

com

4 Training

THE CONTROLLER 27

tant M-Learning may partially address this problem and bridge the gap between de-livering refresher training or current train-ing to ATCOs during busy shift roasters if integrated with other types of training

When thinking about integrating M-Learn-ing into ATC training systems itrsquos clear that all methods of instruction should in-tegrate with each other in order to achieve training objectives In ATCO training the most common instruction techniques are classroom instruction for cognitive objec-tives and the simulation method for psy-chomotor and affective objectives through practical sessions in terms of simulators and on-the-job training M-Learning may work complementary with these conven-tional instructional techniques but we should not exaggerate our expectations M-Learning needs to be placed in the right context and used it in an appropriate way

Factors to considerDevices As people tend to have their own device which matches their personal needs expectations and budget a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy is pre-ferred This means that trainers and course designers need to take a variety of brands interfaces models and screen sizes in ac-count when designing content

Screen resolution and size M-Learning course designers should not waste screen space It is better to use larger icons to easily click on any device or larger font size text

It is preferable to insert touch controls and navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen which is compatible with right and left handed users and keeps the screen visible at all times as a users hand may cover the screen every time he or she goes

to touch the upper right or left icons

Operating systems Different devices also imply different op-erating systems M-Training con-tent will need to be in a readable format for all operating systems Alternatively it would require different versions of the same content to be published along with its supporting application to allow trainees to play it on their devices

Connection speeds Internet speed should be considered and predetermined before pub-lishing M-Learning content IT specialists should examine and test download times the ease through which content runs over a variety of different Internet speeds and trainee accessibil-ity to M-Learning material over Wi-Fi connection If media files are ldquodownload heavyrdquo it may be better to replace them with smaller animated files and written text to minimize download time

Content type Navigation through single touch selections and moving from one page to another is most likely the easi-est way for a trainee to navigate through course content On the other hand lengthy instructions small font size drop-down men-us pop-up menus scroll bars

small size menu bar icons and less colour contrast may distract the trainees atten-tion and make him or her nervous and eventually abort the course

Different applicationsRecurrent amp Refresher Training Design-ing and uploading various modules cover-ing the theoretical content of Recurrent or Refresher Training courses to mobile devices of ATCOs could be more effective than traditional training in lecture rooms

Emergency Continuation Training M-Learning could be one of the most ef-fective methods to deliver ECT through training modules illustrating the accidents and incidents with its video and animation clips

Demonstration of new procedures In-stead of calling ATCOs for a classroom session or short brief in ATC units a very short demonstration of new procedures in forms of animated clips info graphics and text on their mobile devices could be more than enough to describe procedures

Replacing CBT of new systems New ATC systems and its software updates may require specific training for the new func-tions or newly installed hardware While supplying companies may deliver a sort of CBT to acquire ATCOs the new system concepts this could be easily replaced by M-Training ^

mahdy1414hotmailcom

DisadvantagesFeedback Normally trainers prefer to receive immediate feed-back from learners in order to develop their instructional meth-ods This is not available in M-Learning

Interaction No interaction between trainer and trainees or be-tween the trainees themselves

Cost Cost of the device and data charges for mobile networks may vary between different communities and in some cases exceed the learners budget

Storage capacity Although newer versions of mobile devices are adding more memory to storage capacities it still limited and learners need to transfer data frequently to their PC Laptop or Mobile drive etc

Size of device Too small of a screen size may strain the eyes of trainees who use it for a long period of time Also only a small amount of data can be displayed so M-Learning designers prefer to divide data into small chunks with a convenient font size to fit the screen

Battery life Device battery may serve a limited period of time depending on the applications running This could interrupt the learning process and needs to start from the beginning

Network coverage In some areas network coverage is weak interrupted or not found This may disturb and interrupt learn-ers who may abort when they find it too difficult to download content

Distractions The possibility of receiving incoming calls and SMS or social media notifications may distract learners who may need to start again sometimes from the beginning

Autism M-Learning is a Man-Machine interaction so it may in-crease autism that may be present in some trainees

D

4 Screen size comparison across different devices

4 Technology

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

GSA amp AIRBUS DEMONSTRATE SATELLITE APPROACHES

28

EGNOS FLIGHT EVENT

THE CONTROLLER

Last May the European Global Navi-gation System Agency (GSA) or-ganised an event in Toulouse This agency oversees the introduction of the European Geostationary Naviga-tion Overlay Service (EGNOS) and the European GPS equivalent (Galileo)

The aim of the event was to dem-onstrate the capabilities of EGNOS particularly how it enables making ILS-like approaches at unequipped airports landing strips and helipads

A very varied group of people attended the event journalists as well as regula-tors from both space and aerospace domains and aircraft manufacturers including ATR and of course Airbus Teams from the A350 Beluga and helicopter divisions were represented

The EGNOS technology is already in op-eration and it is mainly used by regional airlines business jets and helicopter operators It doesnrsquot require any ground

infrastructure at the airports or landing sites And probably most importantly it is available free of charge to the users It does require special procedures and maps (RNAV Approach maps) to be developed for each airport Those can allow ILS-like ap-proaches (called Lateral Perfor-mance with Vertical guidance or LPV) down to decision height of 200ft We were told that making such a procedure is a once off for all users and that it costs around the same as maintaining one ILS every year And of course your aircraft has the required equipment If itrsquos not a retrofit solution might be expensive

The present iteration of the system called EGNOS V2 is currently used in some150 air-ports Around 250 EGNOS procedures already exist all across Europe Whereas V2 is only foreseen to cover Eu-

What is EGNOS

The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) is the first pan-European satellite navigation system It augments the US GPS satellite navigation system and makes it suitable for safety critical applications such as flying air-craft or navigating ships through narrow channels

Consisting of three geostationary satel-lites and a network of ground stations EGNOS achieves its aim by transmitting a signal containing information on the re-liability and accuracy of the positioning signals sent out by GPS It allows users in Europe and beyond to determine their position to within 15 metres

Phot

os D

P ex

cept

whe

re o

ther

wis

e in

dica

ted

4 Technology

THE CONTROLLER

The Airbus A350The aircraft with the cool sunglasses

One of the most striking features of the new A350 is the cockpit windows The curved shape and dark colour makes them look like a pair of sleek modern sunglasses The dark colour protects them from UV rays but it is the curved glass that is the real innova-tion It is the first time it has been used in a commercial aircraft design according to Air-bus Contrary to the traditional flat panes of glass curved windows are not only better from an aerodynamic perspective but also offer better resistance against bird strikes They also give the pilots a wider view The only drawback is that they cannot be opened so the emergency escape for the crew is via a hatch in the roof of the aircraft^

EGNOS on the Airbus A350The A350 is the first commercial airliner that comes factory-equipped with a Sat-ellite Landing System Itrsquos a multi-receiver that works for both for the US WAAS and European EGNOS augmentation systems Switching between the 2 systems is fully automatic and transparent to the crew I asked Captain Jean-Christophe Lair experimental flight test pilot on the A350 what his experiences were with using the system ldquoItrsquos a very smooth way to fly an approach We had no issues at all during any of the flights we didrdquo he said ldquoIn fact when you try it you will immediately like it It is the same or better than doing an ILS approach Unlike ILS there is no reflection or interference from nearby buildings Low tempera-tures do not affect it and satellite LPV approaches are independent of the QNH it gives a fixed glide slope not affected by barometric altimeter temperatureldquo^

29

rope the next generation called V3 will extend the availability to cover the entire planet It requires Galileo to be fully operational allowing the system to then use dual frequencies and dual navigation satellites (GPS and Galileo)

The first large commercial aircraft to have satellite based landing possibili-ties as standard equipment is the Air-bus A350 All the new Airbus helicop-ters formerly known as Eurocopter also carry the equipment as standard

That was the main reason to hold the event in Toulouse Airbus could show us their H175 helicopter and the A350 which they brought in especially for us And we got to make an RNAV Approval Required (AR) approach using one of their ATRs equipped with the system^

dpthe-controllernet

4 Technology

30 THE CONTROLLER

EGNOS in HelicoptersWe learned that it is in fact helicopters that stand to gain the most from satellite LVP ap-proaches It will allow them to operate in bad weather or at night even in difficult places such as oilrigs or hospitals ldquoItsrsquo like having your own ILS in every hospitalrdquo said one of the helicopter pilots present

All Airbus Helicopters are now EGNOS capable We were shown their latest product the H175 They demonstrated a procedure using their brand new FMS-like displays called Helinonix These will also become standard in all their new helicopters The displays reduce the number of instruments required in a cockpit by half and is reported to be very user friendly

To program an EGNOS approach entry only takes a few clicks which is done within seconds Also worth mentioning is that their helicopters are also all TCAS equipped with the resolu-tion advisories being flown automatically like in the A380^

What does it mean for controllers While the main lsquomarketrsquo for the system is places where there is no ground infrastructure or ATC there is definitively a need for tower controllers to be adequately trained if your airport decides to introduce such a procedure Approach and en-route control-lers will be confronted with aircraft going into airports that were not previously accessible especially in bad weather conditions

Itrsquos clear that these satellite-based landing systems will be the future as they only cost a fraction of what it costs to install and maintain fixed ground infrastructure such as ILS While EGNOS currently only supports CAT 1 approaches they plan go down to CAT 2 and 3 minima when Galileo is fully operational At that point it might well happen that very expensive ILS installations will quickly become obsolete and no longer upgraded

4 Obnserving an EGNOS Approach Photo copy GSA

Flying an EGNOS ApproachTo demonstrate the EGNOS approach pro-cedure we all had a flight in their test bed an ATR42-600 equipped with 15 seats and in-struments in the cabin to follow the approach

Right after take-off the pilot put the aircraft downwind at 3000ft He then engaged the au-topilot with sat navigation to follow the RNAV procedure for the active runway in Toulouse The aircraft followed the specified tracks and points precisely starting a descent at the designated ap-proach fix It continued on the virtual glide slope all the way down to 200ft and right on centreline At that point the pilot took over for a manual landing A very clean and even neat processAfter landing discussing the procedure with the crew both were very enthusiastic ldquoIt re-duces the workload of the pilot considerablyldquo said First Officer Damien Roujas rdquoIt also reduc-es the number of go-arounds in bad weather at airports that are not equipped with an ILSldquo

ldquoFor a regional airline or a business jet operator it allows to go to small airports that are normally off limits in bad weatherrdquo added Captain Eric Delesalle Head of the ATR Flight Test team^

4 Book Review

THE CONTROLLER

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

A BOOK REVIEWSKYFARING

copy Iw

ikoz

6 | D

ream

stim

eco

m

This is not your usual ldquoAirline pilot sto-ryrdquo book Itrsquos more a book about the love of aviation and all aspects of it and about the love of flying in particu-lar If like me you grew up building model airplanes or are still tilting your head up to the sky every time you hear an aircraft passing overhead or simply enjoy boarding an aircraft to take a journey somewhere then this book is definitely for you

It is extremely well written full of emo-tions and anecdotes At times it bor-ders on being poetic The different chapters of the book all center on a part of the aviation journey There is a part about air traffic control titled ldquoWayfindingrdquo It is a small history of air traffic control in itself Through small anecdotes the author reminds us of our place in the aviation system This book tells us that it is above all still people men and women that create

the miracle of aviation rather than the ever-increasing cost cutting measures and technical automation that we see growing around us everyday now

Itrsquos a good read for a long journey ndash think a long A380 or B777ER daytime ocean andor continent crossing flight But itrsquos also very pleasant and relaxing reading ndash think at the beach or beside a pool side with a glass of your favorite drink not too far away

The author Mark Vanhoenhacker is a British airways pilot He currently flies B747s and will soon be moving to the B787 the so called ldquoDreamlinerrdquo As the book illustrates for him the dream has already startedhellip

I truly enjoyed reading his book and I can highly recommend it^

dpthe-controllernet

Skyfaring by Marc VanhoenackerISBN 9780 7011 88665

Published in the UK 337 pagesAlso available as an e-book

31

4 AsiaPacific

will takerdquo They have no concern at

all for following aircraft and the delay it causes They tend to think so what if I take an extra 30 seconds forgetting that every aircraft behind them is also delayed that 30 seconds

Airlines are notorious for scheduling their own aircraft for the same departure time and then insisting that they park next to each other so they can be close to the lounges and for the efficiency of ground staff and then blame ATC because they canrsquot all push back at the same time In Hong Kong the major home airline does this with the European flights on the South apron next to each other and the Austral-ian flights on the West apron next to each other and then complain because they canrsquot all push back at the same time In the past A340s were scheduled just ahead of B747s meaning that ATC had to have a larger time separation between them

In the early hours of the morning when there are a large number of freighter de-partures in Hong Kong there is the same problem One of the freight airlines parks all of their aircraft in an apron cul-de-sac so that they can transfer freight between the aircraft easily They then schedule all of the aircraft for departure at the same time and wonder why ATC wonrsquot allow them all to push at the same time

ATC can also get the blame for runway capacity rates There are regular meetings of airline representatives at Hong Kong Airport and amongst agenda items is al-

ways how to increase the hourly runway

movement rate There are the usual state-ments such as Heathrow has 2 runways and they have a much higher rate than Hong Kong ATC can handle the traffic at Heathrow why canrsquot Hong ATC do the same Well Heathrow doesnrsquot have 3000rsquo mountains alongside the airport nor an-other FIR 6NM away which uses Metres for vertical separation and a number of other factors which affect Hong Kong Airport

A few days after one of these meetings I was talking to the Engineering Manager for Cathay Pacific He was telling me about new SOPs he had implemented through Flight Operations for pilots to use idle-reverse as much as possible and to reduce braking on landing role He was telling me how much money airline engineering could save by implementing these re-quirements I pointed out to him that this increases runway occupancy times and that his own companyrsquos commercial side had been trying to pressure the Civil Avia-tion Department to increase runway rates and here we have the major operator at the airport trying to decrease them I also suggested to him that the various Cathay departments talk to each other instead of blaming ATC for inefficiencies

ATC is also blamed for towing delay or de-laying aircraft to facilitate tows Different airports have different policies and modes of operation At some major airports the terminals are ownedoperated by individ-ual airlinesairline groupings and airport operations are only impacted when the air-craft on tow require entryexit tofrom the associated terminal aprons In these cases Air Traffic Control only become involved

when an aircraft joins a taxiway

from a taxilane At other airports eg Hong Kong International Airport ATC in addition to normal traffic handle ALL traf-fic including tows into amp out of the Termi-nal ApronsGates

In Hong Kong no matter what you do ATC is blamed for towing delay ATC han-dles around 130 tows a day and up to 20 per hour depending on time of day Many of these tows are against the normal traf-fic flow If ATC delays the tow the airline or maintenance company complains to the Airport Authority The Airport Author-ity simply advise them that itrsquos not their fault even though they are the ones that organize the tow for the respective opera-tor Thatrsquos an ATC delay If ATC does allow the tow and delays a push-back or taxiing aircraft because of a tow the delayed pilot is saying to ATC ldquowhy are you giving pri-ority to an empty aircraftrdquo As a controller yoursquore dammed if you do and dammed if you donrsquot

What can we do about this ATC blame cul-ture Well not a lot really We are never there in the cockpitboardroomschedul-ing meetings or airline operations rooms to defend ourselves All we can do as con-trollers is to take every opportunity to try and educate as many people as possible You can be certain that no one else is go-ing to do it

philatcinhkgmailcom

Besco R (1997) The awkward alliance the controllerpilot team The Journal of Air Traffic Control December pp 24-31

Ruitenberg B (1995) CRM in ATCmdashis it feasible Australian Aviation Psychology Symposium Manly 20-24 November

4 The result of a 20 minute Red Lightning warning which delayed push-backs

Photo Phil Parker

4 Hong Kong ATC Ground Movement Control looks after all Apron movements Photo Phil Parker

25 THE CONTROLLER

4 Training

THE CONTROLLER26

^ by Dr Mohammed M El Mahdy PhD in ATC TrainingFreelance Course Designer amp Developer Egypt

MOBILE LEARNINGFOR CONTROLLERS

Mobile Learning is defined as an active individual learning process within which a learner is not at a specific or predeter-mined location or time and interacts with pre-designed content for mobile learning through a variety of mobile technologies In other words any educational interactive content delivered through mobile technol-ogy and accessed at a studentrsquos conveni-ence from any location

Over the past few years Mobile Learning has started gaining increased importance as a tool in education despite the confu-sion of psychologists course developers teachers examiners and others The rea-son behind this confusion is that tradition-ally audio-visual material for education is designed to satisfy the demands of trainer and trainee thereby helping to achieve the training objectives In the case of M-Learning however the infrastructure and mobile devices are already there Addi-tionally their performance and capabilities are rapidly evolving forcing education to adapt to these developments rather than driving them

Todayrsquos trainers and trainees increas-ingly rely on mobile technology such as smartphones PDArsquos and tablets Todayrsquos devices offer an overall ease of use with a high degree of efficiency and accuracy

In addition the mobile technol-ogy offers high speed wireless internet for personal and busi-ness use as well as software and hardware applications and capabilities that meet most user requirementsATC instructors and course designers have begun to real-ize that learning through mo-bile technology could be more structured and organized with specific learning objectives There are likely some isolated attempts by ATC instructors who have started to design and integrate some educational modules into their instruction

using mobile devices These ef-forts probably do not use the full potential and capabilities of the advanced mobile hardwaresoft-ware infrastructure

The challenge is how should Mobile Technology be used in ATC Training

With respect to Aviation Training in general it is understood that formal education in aviation can-not keep pace with the rapidly changing and successive nature of information in various aviation fields Hence Mobile Learning as a type of informal Distance Learning has become one of the most effective means to provide organized and current educa-tional content In ATCO training Mobile Learning - as individual self-learning ndash should contain tai-lored lessons and modules that are well-designed and geared towards portable devices aimed at achieving specific training outcomes

Training content should be de-livered through trusted sources that have valid and reliable quali-

fications to ensure objectivity and credibil-ity of what is delivered to ATCOs

Unlike E-Learning M-Learning focuses on ldquoMan-to-Machine interactionrdquo or ldquoindivid-ual interactionrdquo between learners and their personal portable devices E-learning in some cases is referred to as ldquogroup-learn-ingrdquo as learners use common audio-visual aids in classrooms and workshops

Training through mobile devices is one of the most appropriate means of ATCO Training since the content can be devel-oped and delivered anytime and any-where In a shift-working environment where operational duties tend to get prior-ity over training this is particularly impor-

AdvantagesEnjoyable and collaborative It is a free and joyful learning experience with a collaborative spirit compared to learning in-side detention rooms (Traditional classrooms)

Motivation Educators and psychologists do believe that own-ing mobile devices increases student motivation Furthermore curiosity with mobile phones and tablets and its applications colorful learning material and user friendly software may at-tract learners and prompt them to go back and forth for further practice

Self-paced Taking into account the individual variations among learners M-Learning is considered a self-paced learning experience

Best use of time M-Learning allows ATCOs to continue with M-Learning content in their spare time between Work and Home life ATCOs can choose to take advantage of free time during shifts vacations transportation vehicles or relaxing in places of leisure to focus their interest on M-Learning content

Trainer support Trainer support could be organized and ex-pected anytime ATCOs may send their inquiries to their trainers and receive answers promptly

Smaller lighter portable devices Mobile devices like smart phones and tablets are smaller lighter and more portable than PCs and laptops Using these devices are much easier for learn-ers than sitting at a PC at home after being sat at radar screens and computers during the shift

C

copy T

omw

ang1

12 |

Dre

amst

ime

com

4 Training

THE CONTROLLER 27

tant M-Learning may partially address this problem and bridge the gap between de-livering refresher training or current train-ing to ATCOs during busy shift roasters if integrated with other types of training

When thinking about integrating M-Learn-ing into ATC training systems itrsquos clear that all methods of instruction should in-tegrate with each other in order to achieve training objectives In ATCO training the most common instruction techniques are classroom instruction for cognitive objec-tives and the simulation method for psy-chomotor and affective objectives through practical sessions in terms of simulators and on-the-job training M-Learning may work complementary with these conven-tional instructional techniques but we should not exaggerate our expectations M-Learning needs to be placed in the right context and used it in an appropriate way

Factors to considerDevices As people tend to have their own device which matches their personal needs expectations and budget a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy is pre-ferred This means that trainers and course designers need to take a variety of brands interfaces models and screen sizes in ac-count when designing content

Screen resolution and size M-Learning course designers should not waste screen space It is better to use larger icons to easily click on any device or larger font size text

It is preferable to insert touch controls and navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen which is compatible with right and left handed users and keeps the screen visible at all times as a users hand may cover the screen every time he or she goes

to touch the upper right or left icons

Operating systems Different devices also imply different op-erating systems M-Training con-tent will need to be in a readable format for all operating systems Alternatively it would require different versions of the same content to be published along with its supporting application to allow trainees to play it on their devices

Connection speeds Internet speed should be considered and predetermined before pub-lishing M-Learning content IT specialists should examine and test download times the ease through which content runs over a variety of different Internet speeds and trainee accessibil-ity to M-Learning material over Wi-Fi connection If media files are ldquodownload heavyrdquo it may be better to replace them with smaller animated files and written text to minimize download time

Content type Navigation through single touch selections and moving from one page to another is most likely the easi-est way for a trainee to navigate through course content On the other hand lengthy instructions small font size drop-down men-us pop-up menus scroll bars

small size menu bar icons and less colour contrast may distract the trainees atten-tion and make him or her nervous and eventually abort the course

Different applicationsRecurrent amp Refresher Training Design-ing and uploading various modules cover-ing the theoretical content of Recurrent or Refresher Training courses to mobile devices of ATCOs could be more effective than traditional training in lecture rooms

Emergency Continuation Training M-Learning could be one of the most ef-fective methods to deliver ECT through training modules illustrating the accidents and incidents with its video and animation clips

Demonstration of new procedures In-stead of calling ATCOs for a classroom session or short brief in ATC units a very short demonstration of new procedures in forms of animated clips info graphics and text on their mobile devices could be more than enough to describe procedures

Replacing CBT of new systems New ATC systems and its software updates may require specific training for the new func-tions or newly installed hardware While supplying companies may deliver a sort of CBT to acquire ATCOs the new system concepts this could be easily replaced by M-Training ^

mahdy1414hotmailcom

DisadvantagesFeedback Normally trainers prefer to receive immediate feed-back from learners in order to develop their instructional meth-ods This is not available in M-Learning

Interaction No interaction between trainer and trainees or be-tween the trainees themselves

Cost Cost of the device and data charges for mobile networks may vary between different communities and in some cases exceed the learners budget

Storage capacity Although newer versions of mobile devices are adding more memory to storage capacities it still limited and learners need to transfer data frequently to their PC Laptop or Mobile drive etc

Size of device Too small of a screen size may strain the eyes of trainees who use it for a long period of time Also only a small amount of data can be displayed so M-Learning designers prefer to divide data into small chunks with a convenient font size to fit the screen

Battery life Device battery may serve a limited period of time depending on the applications running This could interrupt the learning process and needs to start from the beginning

Network coverage In some areas network coverage is weak interrupted or not found This may disturb and interrupt learn-ers who may abort when they find it too difficult to download content

Distractions The possibility of receiving incoming calls and SMS or social media notifications may distract learners who may need to start again sometimes from the beginning

Autism M-Learning is a Man-Machine interaction so it may in-crease autism that may be present in some trainees

D

4 Screen size comparison across different devices

4 Technology

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

GSA amp AIRBUS DEMONSTRATE SATELLITE APPROACHES

28

EGNOS FLIGHT EVENT

THE CONTROLLER

Last May the European Global Navi-gation System Agency (GSA) or-ganised an event in Toulouse This agency oversees the introduction of the European Geostationary Naviga-tion Overlay Service (EGNOS) and the European GPS equivalent (Galileo)

The aim of the event was to dem-onstrate the capabilities of EGNOS particularly how it enables making ILS-like approaches at unequipped airports landing strips and helipads

A very varied group of people attended the event journalists as well as regula-tors from both space and aerospace domains and aircraft manufacturers including ATR and of course Airbus Teams from the A350 Beluga and helicopter divisions were represented

The EGNOS technology is already in op-eration and it is mainly used by regional airlines business jets and helicopter operators It doesnrsquot require any ground

infrastructure at the airports or landing sites And probably most importantly it is available free of charge to the users It does require special procedures and maps (RNAV Approach maps) to be developed for each airport Those can allow ILS-like ap-proaches (called Lateral Perfor-mance with Vertical guidance or LPV) down to decision height of 200ft We were told that making such a procedure is a once off for all users and that it costs around the same as maintaining one ILS every year And of course your aircraft has the required equipment If itrsquos not a retrofit solution might be expensive

The present iteration of the system called EGNOS V2 is currently used in some150 air-ports Around 250 EGNOS procedures already exist all across Europe Whereas V2 is only foreseen to cover Eu-

What is EGNOS

The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) is the first pan-European satellite navigation system It augments the US GPS satellite navigation system and makes it suitable for safety critical applications such as flying air-craft or navigating ships through narrow channels

Consisting of three geostationary satel-lites and a network of ground stations EGNOS achieves its aim by transmitting a signal containing information on the re-liability and accuracy of the positioning signals sent out by GPS It allows users in Europe and beyond to determine their position to within 15 metres

Phot

os D

P ex

cept

whe

re o

ther

wis

e in

dica

ted

4 Technology

THE CONTROLLER

The Airbus A350The aircraft with the cool sunglasses

One of the most striking features of the new A350 is the cockpit windows The curved shape and dark colour makes them look like a pair of sleek modern sunglasses The dark colour protects them from UV rays but it is the curved glass that is the real innova-tion It is the first time it has been used in a commercial aircraft design according to Air-bus Contrary to the traditional flat panes of glass curved windows are not only better from an aerodynamic perspective but also offer better resistance against bird strikes They also give the pilots a wider view The only drawback is that they cannot be opened so the emergency escape for the crew is via a hatch in the roof of the aircraft^

EGNOS on the Airbus A350The A350 is the first commercial airliner that comes factory-equipped with a Sat-ellite Landing System Itrsquos a multi-receiver that works for both for the US WAAS and European EGNOS augmentation systems Switching between the 2 systems is fully automatic and transparent to the crew I asked Captain Jean-Christophe Lair experimental flight test pilot on the A350 what his experiences were with using the system ldquoItrsquos a very smooth way to fly an approach We had no issues at all during any of the flights we didrdquo he said ldquoIn fact when you try it you will immediately like it It is the same or better than doing an ILS approach Unlike ILS there is no reflection or interference from nearby buildings Low tempera-tures do not affect it and satellite LPV approaches are independent of the QNH it gives a fixed glide slope not affected by barometric altimeter temperatureldquo^

29

rope the next generation called V3 will extend the availability to cover the entire planet It requires Galileo to be fully operational allowing the system to then use dual frequencies and dual navigation satellites (GPS and Galileo)

The first large commercial aircraft to have satellite based landing possibili-ties as standard equipment is the Air-bus A350 All the new Airbus helicop-ters formerly known as Eurocopter also carry the equipment as standard

That was the main reason to hold the event in Toulouse Airbus could show us their H175 helicopter and the A350 which they brought in especially for us And we got to make an RNAV Approval Required (AR) approach using one of their ATRs equipped with the system^

dpthe-controllernet

4 Technology

30 THE CONTROLLER

EGNOS in HelicoptersWe learned that it is in fact helicopters that stand to gain the most from satellite LVP ap-proaches It will allow them to operate in bad weather or at night even in difficult places such as oilrigs or hospitals ldquoItsrsquo like having your own ILS in every hospitalrdquo said one of the helicopter pilots present

All Airbus Helicopters are now EGNOS capable We were shown their latest product the H175 They demonstrated a procedure using their brand new FMS-like displays called Helinonix These will also become standard in all their new helicopters The displays reduce the number of instruments required in a cockpit by half and is reported to be very user friendly

To program an EGNOS approach entry only takes a few clicks which is done within seconds Also worth mentioning is that their helicopters are also all TCAS equipped with the resolu-tion advisories being flown automatically like in the A380^

What does it mean for controllers While the main lsquomarketrsquo for the system is places where there is no ground infrastructure or ATC there is definitively a need for tower controllers to be adequately trained if your airport decides to introduce such a procedure Approach and en-route control-lers will be confronted with aircraft going into airports that were not previously accessible especially in bad weather conditions

Itrsquos clear that these satellite-based landing systems will be the future as they only cost a fraction of what it costs to install and maintain fixed ground infrastructure such as ILS While EGNOS currently only supports CAT 1 approaches they plan go down to CAT 2 and 3 minima when Galileo is fully operational At that point it might well happen that very expensive ILS installations will quickly become obsolete and no longer upgraded

4 Obnserving an EGNOS Approach Photo copy GSA

Flying an EGNOS ApproachTo demonstrate the EGNOS approach pro-cedure we all had a flight in their test bed an ATR42-600 equipped with 15 seats and in-struments in the cabin to follow the approach

Right after take-off the pilot put the aircraft downwind at 3000ft He then engaged the au-topilot with sat navigation to follow the RNAV procedure for the active runway in Toulouse The aircraft followed the specified tracks and points precisely starting a descent at the designated ap-proach fix It continued on the virtual glide slope all the way down to 200ft and right on centreline At that point the pilot took over for a manual landing A very clean and even neat processAfter landing discussing the procedure with the crew both were very enthusiastic ldquoIt re-duces the workload of the pilot considerablyldquo said First Officer Damien Roujas rdquoIt also reduc-es the number of go-arounds in bad weather at airports that are not equipped with an ILSldquo

ldquoFor a regional airline or a business jet operator it allows to go to small airports that are normally off limits in bad weatherrdquo added Captain Eric Delesalle Head of the ATR Flight Test team^

4 Book Review

THE CONTROLLER

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

A BOOK REVIEWSKYFARING

copy Iw

ikoz

6 | D

ream

stim

eco

m

This is not your usual ldquoAirline pilot sto-ryrdquo book Itrsquos more a book about the love of aviation and all aspects of it and about the love of flying in particu-lar If like me you grew up building model airplanes or are still tilting your head up to the sky every time you hear an aircraft passing overhead or simply enjoy boarding an aircraft to take a journey somewhere then this book is definitely for you

It is extremely well written full of emo-tions and anecdotes At times it bor-ders on being poetic The different chapters of the book all center on a part of the aviation journey There is a part about air traffic control titled ldquoWayfindingrdquo It is a small history of air traffic control in itself Through small anecdotes the author reminds us of our place in the aviation system This book tells us that it is above all still people men and women that create

the miracle of aviation rather than the ever-increasing cost cutting measures and technical automation that we see growing around us everyday now

Itrsquos a good read for a long journey ndash think a long A380 or B777ER daytime ocean andor continent crossing flight But itrsquos also very pleasant and relaxing reading ndash think at the beach or beside a pool side with a glass of your favorite drink not too far away

The author Mark Vanhoenhacker is a British airways pilot He currently flies B747s and will soon be moving to the B787 the so called ldquoDreamlinerrdquo As the book illustrates for him the dream has already startedhellip

I truly enjoyed reading his book and I can highly recommend it^

dpthe-controllernet

Skyfaring by Marc VanhoenackerISBN 9780 7011 88665

Published in the UK 337 pagesAlso available as an e-book

31

4 Training

THE CONTROLLER26

^ by Dr Mohammed M El Mahdy PhD in ATC TrainingFreelance Course Designer amp Developer Egypt

MOBILE LEARNINGFOR CONTROLLERS

Mobile Learning is defined as an active individual learning process within which a learner is not at a specific or predeter-mined location or time and interacts with pre-designed content for mobile learning through a variety of mobile technologies In other words any educational interactive content delivered through mobile technol-ogy and accessed at a studentrsquos conveni-ence from any location

Over the past few years Mobile Learning has started gaining increased importance as a tool in education despite the confu-sion of psychologists course developers teachers examiners and others The rea-son behind this confusion is that tradition-ally audio-visual material for education is designed to satisfy the demands of trainer and trainee thereby helping to achieve the training objectives In the case of M-Learning however the infrastructure and mobile devices are already there Addi-tionally their performance and capabilities are rapidly evolving forcing education to adapt to these developments rather than driving them

Todayrsquos trainers and trainees increas-ingly rely on mobile technology such as smartphones PDArsquos and tablets Todayrsquos devices offer an overall ease of use with a high degree of efficiency and accuracy

In addition the mobile technol-ogy offers high speed wireless internet for personal and busi-ness use as well as software and hardware applications and capabilities that meet most user requirementsATC instructors and course designers have begun to real-ize that learning through mo-bile technology could be more structured and organized with specific learning objectives There are likely some isolated attempts by ATC instructors who have started to design and integrate some educational modules into their instruction

using mobile devices These ef-forts probably do not use the full potential and capabilities of the advanced mobile hardwaresoft-ware infrastructure

The challenge is how should Mobile Technology be used in ATC Training

With respect to Aviation Training in general it is understood that formal education in aviation can-not keep pace with the rapidly changing and successive nature of information in various aviation fields Hence Mobile Learning as a type of informal Distance Learning has become one of the most effective means to provide organized and current educa-tional content In ATCO training Mobile Learning - as individual self-learning ndash should contain tai-lored lessons and modules that are well-designed and geared towards portable devices aimed at achieving specific training outcomes

Training content should be de-livered through trusted sources that have valid and reliable quali-

fications to ensure objectivity and credibil-ity of what is delivered to ATCOs

Unlike E-Learning M-Learning focuses on ldquoMan-to-Machine interactionrdquo or ldquoindivid-ual interactionrdquo between learners and their personal portable devices E-learning in some cases is referred to as ldquogroup-learn-ingrdquo as learners use common audio-visual aids in classrooms and workshops

Training through mobile devices is one of the most appropriate means of ATCO Training since the content can be devel-oped and delivered anytime and any-where In a shift-working environment where operational duties tend to get prior-ity over training this is particularly impor-

AdvantagesEnjoyable and collaborative It is a free and joyful learning experience with a collaborative spirit compared to learning in-side detention rooms (Traditional classrooms)

Motivation Educators and psychologists do believe that own-ing mobile devices increases student motivation Furthermore curiosity with mobile phones and tablets and its applications colorful learning material and user friendly software may at-tract learners and prompt them to go back and forth for further practice

Self-paced Taking into account the individual variations among learners M-Learning is considered a self-paced learning experience

Best use of time M-Learning allows ATCOs to continue with M-Learning content in their spare time between Work and Home life ATCOs can choose to take advantage of free time during shifts vacations transportation vehicles or relaxing in places of leisure to focus their interest on M-Learning content

Trainer support Trainer support could be organized and ex-pected anytime ATCOs may send their inquiries to their trainers and receive answers promptly

Smaller lighter portable devices Mobile devices like smart phones and tablets are smaller lighter and more portable than PCs and laptops Using these devices are much easier for learn-ers than sitting at a PC at home after being sat at radar screens and computers during the shift

C

copy T

omw

ang1

12 |

Dre

amst

ime

com

4 Training

THE CONTROLLER 27

tant M-Learning may partially address this problem and bridge the gap between de-livering refresher training or current train-ing to ATCOs during busy shift roasters if integrated with other types of training

When thinking about integrating M-Learn-ing into ATC training systems itrsquos clear that all methods of instruction should in-tegrate with each other in order to achieve training objectives In ATCO training the most common instruction techniques are classroom instruction for cognitive objec-tives and the simulation method for psy-chomotor and affective objectives through practical sessions in terms of simulators and on-the-job training M-Learning may work complementary with these conven-tional instructional techniques but we should not exaggerate our expectations M-Learning needs to be placed in the right context and used it in an appropriate way

Factors to considerDevices As people tend to have their own device which matches their personal needs expectations and budget a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy is pre-ferred This means that trainers and course designers need to take a variety of brands interfaces models and screen sizes in ac-count when designing content

Screen resolution and size M-Learning course designers should not waste screen space It is better to use larger icons to easily click on any device or larger font size text

It is preferable to insert touch controls and navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen which is compatible with right and left handed users and keeps the screen visible at all times as a users hand may cover the screen every time he or she goes

to touch the upper right or left icons

Operating systems Different devices also imply different op-erating systems M-Training con-tent will need to be in a readable format for all operating systems Alternatively it would require different versions of the same content to be published along with its supporting application to allow trainees to play it on their devices

Connection speeds Internet speed should be considered and predetermined before pub-lishing M-Learning content IT specialists should examine and test download times the ease through which content runs over a variety of different Internet speeds and trainee accessibil-ity to M-Learning material over Wi-Fi connection If media files are ldquodownload heavyrdquo it may be better to replace them with smaller animated files and written text to minimize download time

Content type Navigation through single touch selections and moving from one page to another is most likely the easi-est way for a trainee to navigate through course content On the other hand lengthy instructions small font size drop-down men-us pop-up menus scroll bars

small size menu bar icons and less colour contrast may distract the trainees atten-tion and make him or her nervous and eventually abort the course

Different applicationsRecurrent amp Refresher Training Design-ing and uploading various modules cover-ing the theoretical content of Recurrent or Refresher Training courses to mobile devices of ATCOs could be more effective than traditional training in lecture rooms

Emergency Continuation Training M-Learning could be one of the most ef-fective methods to deliver ECT through training modules illustrating the accidents and incidents with its video and animation clips

Demonstration of new procedures In-stead of calling ATCOs for a classroom session or short brief in ATC units a very short demonstration of new procedures in forms of animated clips info graphics and text on their mobile devices could be more than enough to describe procedures

Replacing CBT of new systems New ATC systems and its software updates may require specific training for the new func-tions or newly installed hardware While supplying companies may deliver a sort of CBT to acquire ATCOs the new system concepts this could be easily replaced by M-Training ^

mahdy1414hotmailcom

DisadvantagesFeedback Normally trainers prefer to receive immediate feed-back from learners in order to develop their instructional meth-ods This is not available in M-Learning

Interaction No interaction between trainer and trainees or be-tween the trainees themselves

Cost Cost of the device and data charges for mobile networks may vary between different communities and in some cases exceed the learners budget

Storage capacity Although newer versions of mobile devices are adding more memory to storage capacities it still limited and learners need to transfer data frequently to their PC Laptop or Mobile drive etc

Size of device Too small of a screen size may strain the eyes of trainees who use it for a long period of time Also only a small amount of data can be displayed so M-Learning designers prefer to divide data into small chunks with a convenient font size to fit the screen

Battery life Device battery may serve a limited period of time depending on the applications running This could interrupt the learning process and needs to start from the beginning

Network coverage In some areas network coverage is weak interrupted or not found This may disturb and interrupt learn-ers who may abort when they find it too difficult to download content

Distractions The possibility of receiving incoming calls and SMS or social media notifications may distract learners who may need to start again sometimes from the beginning

Autism M-Learning is a Man-Machine interaction so it may in-crease autism that may be present in some trainees

D

4 Screen size comparison across different devices

4 Technology

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

GSA amp AIRBUS DEMONSTRATE SATELLITE APPROACHES

28

EGNOS FLIGHT EVENT

THE CONTROLLER

Last May the European Global Navi-gation System Agency (GSA) or-ganised an event in Toulouse This agency oversees the introduction of the European Geostationary Naviga-tion Overlay Service (EGNOS) and the European GPS equivalent (Galileo)

The aim of the event was to dem-onstrate the capabilities of EGNOS particularly how it enables making ILS-like approaches at unequipped airports landing strips and helipads

A very varied group of people attended the event journalists as well as regula-tors from both space and aerospace domains and aircraft manufacturers including ATR and of course Airbus Teams from the A350 Beluga and helicopter divisions were represented

The EGNOS technology is already in op-eration and it is mainly used by regional airlines business jets and helicopter operators It doesnrsquot require any ground

infrastructure at the airports or landing sites And probably most importantly it is available free of charge to the users It does require special procedures and maps (RNAV Approach maps) to be developed for each airport Those can allow ILS-like ap-proaches (called Lateral Perfor-mance with Vertical guidance or LPV) down to decision height of 200ft We were told that making such a procedure is a once off for all users and that it costs around the same as maintaining one ILS every year And of course your aircraft has the required equipment If itrsquos not a retrofit solution might be expensive

The present iteration of the system called EGNOS V2 is currently used in some150 air-ports Around 250 EGNOS procedures already exist all across Europe Whereas V2 is only foreseen to cover Eu-

What is EGNOS

The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) is the first pan-European satellite navigation system It augments the US GPS satellite navigation system and makes it suitable for safety critical applications such as flying air-craft or navigating ships through narrow channels

Consisting of three geostationary satel-lites and a network of ground stations EGNOS achieves its aim by transmitting a signal containing information on the re-liability and accuracy of the positioning signals sent out by GPS It allows users in Europe and beyond to determine their position to within 15 metres

Phot

os D

P ex

cept

whe

re o

ther

wis

e in

dica

ted

4 Technology

THE CONTROLLER

The Airbus A350The aircraft with the cool sunglasses

One of the most striking features of the new A350 is the cockpit windows The curved shape and dark colour makes them look like a pair of sleek modern sunglasses The dark colour protects them from UV rays but it is the curved glass that is the real innova-tion It is the first time it has been used in a commercial aircraft design according to Air-bus Contrary to the traditional flat panes of glass curved windows are not only better from an aerodynamic perspective but also offer better resistance against bird strikes They also give the pilots a wider view The only drawback is that they cannot be opened so the emergency escape for the crew is via a hatch in the roof of the aircraft^

EGNOS on the Airbus A350The A350 is the first commercial airliner that comes factory-equipped with a Sat-ellite Landing System Itrsquos a multi-receiver that works for both for the US WAAS and European EGNOS augmentation systems Switching between the 2 systems is fully automatic and transparent to the crew I asked Captain Jean-Christophe Lair experimental flight test pilot on the A350 what his experiences were with using the system ldquoItrsquos a very smooth way to fly an approach We had no issues at all during any of the flights we didrdquo he said ldquoIn fact when you try it you will immediately like it It is the same or better than doing an ILS approach Unlike ILS there is no reflection or interference from nearby buildings Low tempera-tures do not affect it and satellite LPV approaches are independent of the QNH it gives a fixed glide slope not affected by barometric altimeter temperatureldquo^

29

rope the next generation called V3 will extend the availability to cover the entire planet It requires Galileo to be fully operational allowing the system to then use dual frequencies and dual navigation satellites (GPS and Galileo)

The first large commercial aircraft to have satellite based landing possibili-ties as standard equipment is the Air-bus A350 All the new Airbus helicop-ters formerly known as Eurocopter also carry the equipment as standard

That was the main reason to hold the event in Toulouse Airbus could show us their H175 helicopter and the A350 which they brought in especially for us And we got to make an RNAV Approval Required (AR) approach using one of their ATRs equipped with the system^

dpthe-controllernet

4 Technology

30 THE CONTROLLER

EGNOS in HelicoptersWe learned that it is in fact helicopters that stand to gain the most from satellite LVP ap-proaches It will allow them to operate in bad weather or at night even in difficult places such as oilrigs or hospitals ldquoItsrsquo like having your own ILS in every hospitalrdquo said one of the helicopter pilots present

All Airbus Helicopters are now EGNOS capable We were shown their latest product the H175 They demonstrated a procedure using their brand new FMS-like displays called Helinonix These will also become standard in all their new helicopters The displays reduce the number of instruments required in a cockpit by half and is reported to be very user friendly

To program an EGNOS approach entry only takes a few clicks which is done within seconds Also worth mentioning is that their helicopters are also all TCAS equipped with the resolu-tion advisories being flown automatically like in the A380^

What does it mean for controllers While the main lsquomarketrsquo for the system is places where there is no ground infrastructure or ATC there is definitively a need for tower controllers to be adequately trained if your airport decides to introduce such a procedure Approach and en-route control-lers will be confronted with aircraft going into airports that were not previously accessible especially in bad weather conditions

Itrsquos clear that these satellite-based landing systems will be the future as they only cost a fraction of what it costs to install and maintain fixed ground infrastructure such as ILS While EGNOS currently only supports CAT 1 approaches they plan go down to CAT 2 and 3 minima when Galileo is fully operational At that point it might well happen that very expensive ILS installations will quickly become obsolete and no longer upgraded

4 Obnserving an EGNOS Approach Photo copy GSA

Flying an EGNOS ApproachTo demonstrate the EGNOS approach pro-cedure we all had a flight in their test bed an ATR42-600 equipped with 15 seats and in-struments in the cabin to follow the approach

Right after take-off the pilot put the aircraft downwind at 3000ft He then engaged the au-topilot with sat navigation to follow the RNAV procedure for the active runway in Toulouse The aircraft followed the specified tracks and points precisely starting a descent at the designated ap-proach fix It continued on the virtual glide slope all the way down to 200ft and right on centreline At that point the pilot took over for a manual landing A very clean and even neat processAfter landing discussing the procedure with the crew both were very enthusiastic ldquoIt re-duces the workload of the pilot considerablyldquo said First Officer Damien Roujas rdquoIt also reduc-es the number of go-arounds in bad weather at airports that are not equipped with an ILSldquo

ldquoFor a regional airline or a business jet operator it allows to go to small airports that are normally off limits in bad weatherrdquo added Captain Eric Delesalle Head of the ATR Flight Test team^

4 Book Review

THE CONTROLLER

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

A BOOK REVIEWSKYFARING

copy Iw

ikoz

6 | D

ream

stim

eco

m

This is not your usual ldquoAirline pilot sto-ryrdquo book Itrsquos more a book about the love of aviation and all aspects of it and about the love of flying in particu-lar If like me you grew up building model airplanes or are still tilting your head up to the sky every time you hear an aircraft passing overhead or simply enjoy boarding an aircraft to take a journey somewhere then this book is definitely for you

It is extremely well written full of emo-tions and anecdotes At times it bor-ders on being poetic The different chapters of the book all center on a part of the aviation journey There is a part about air traffic control titled ldquoWayfindingrdquo It is a small history of air traffic control in itself Through small anecdotes the author reminds us of our place in the aviation system This book tells us that it is above all still people men and women that create

the miracle of aviation rather than the ever-increasing cost cutting measures and technical automation that we see growing around us everyday now

Itrsquos a good read for a long journey ndash think a long A380 or B777ER daytime ocean andor continent crossing flight But itrsquos also very pleasant and relaxing reading ndash think at the beach or beside a pool side with a glass of your favorite drink not too far away

The author Mark Vanhoenhacker is a British airways pilot He currently flies B747s and will soon be moving to the B787 the so called ldquoDreamlinerrdquo As the book illustrates for him the dream has already startedhellip

I truly enjoyed reading his book and I can highly recommend it^

dpthe-controllernet

Skyfaring by Marc VanhoenackerISBN 9780 7011 88665

Published in the UK 337 pagesAlso available as an e-book

31

4 Training

THE CONTROLLER 27

tant M-Learning may partially address this problem and bridge the gap between de-livering refresher training or current train-ing to ATCOs during busy shift roasters if integrated with other types of training

When thinking about integrating M-Learn-ing into ATC training systems itrsquos clear that all methods of instruction should in-tegrate with each other in order to achieve training objectives In ATCO training the most common instruction techniques are classroom instruction for cognitive objec-tives and the simulation method for psy-chomotor and affective objectives through practical sessions in terms of simulators and on-the-job training M-Learning may work complementary with these conven-tional instructional techniques but we should not exaggerate our expectations M-Learning needs to be placed in the right context and used it in an appropriate way

Factors to considerDevices As people tend to have their own device which matches their personal needs expectations and budget a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy is pre-ferred This means that trainers and course designers need to take a variety of brands interfaces models and screen sizes in ac-count when designing content

Screen resolution and size M-Learning course designers should not waste screen space It is better to use larger icons to easily click on any device or larger font size text

It is preferable to insert touch controls and navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen which is compatible with right and left handed users and keeps the screen visible at all times as a users hand may cover the screen every time he or she goes

to touch the upper right or left icons

Operating systems Different devices also imply different op-erating systems M-Training con-tent will need to be in a readable format for all operating systems Alternatively it would require different versions of the same content to be published along with its supporting application to allow trainees to play it on their devices

Connection speeds Internet speed should be considered and predetermined before pub-lishing M-Learning content IT specialists should examine and test download times the ease through which content runs over a variety of different Internet speeds and trainee accessibil-ity to M-Learning material over Wi-Fi connection If media files are ldquodownload heavyrdquo it may be better to replace them with smaller animated files and written text to minimize download time

Content type Navigation through single touch selections and moving from one page to another is most likely the easi-est way for a trainee to navigate through course content On the other hand lengthy instructions small font size drop-down men-us pop-up menus scroll bars

small size menu bar icons and less colour contrast may distract the trainees atten-tion and make him or her nervous and eventually abort the course

Different applicationsRecurrent amp Refresher Training Design-ing and uploading various modules cover-ing the theoretical content of Recurrent or Refresher Training courses to mobile devices of ATCOs could be more effective than traditional training in lecture rooms

Emergency Continuation Training M-Learning could be one of the most ef-fective methods to deliver ECT through training modules illustrating the accidents and incidents with its video and animation clips

Demonstration of new procedures In-stead of calling ATCOs for a classroom session or short brief in ATC units a very short demonstration of new procedures in forms of animated clips info graphics and text on their mobile devices could be more than enough to describe procedures

Replacing CBT of new systems New ATC systems and its software updates may require specific training for the new func-tions or newly installed hardware While supplying companies may deliver a sort of CBT to acquire ATCOs the new system concepts this could be easily replaced by M-Training ^

mahdy1414hotmailcom

DisadvantagesFeedback Normally trainers prefer to receive immediate feed-back from learners in order to develop their instructional meth-ods This is not available in M-Learning

Interaction No interaction between trainer and trainees or be-tween the trainees themselves

Cost Cost of the device and data charges for mobile networks may vary between different communities and in some cases exceed the learners budget

Storage capacity Although newer versions of mobile devices are adding more memory to storage capacities it still limited and learners need to transfer data frequently to their PC Laptop or Mobile drive etc

Size of device Too small of a screen size may strain the eyes of trainees who use it for a long period of time Also only a small amount of data can be displayed so M-Learning designers prefer to divide data into small chunks with a convenient font size to fit the screen

Battery life Device battery may serve a limited period of time depending on the applications running This could interrupt the learning process and needs to start from the beginning

Network coverage In some areas network coverage is weak interrupted or not found This may disturb and interrupt learn-ers who may abort when they find it too difficult to download content

Distractions The possibility of receiving incoming calls and SMS or social media notifications may distract learners who may need to start again sometimes from the beginning

Autism M-Learning is a Man-Machine interaction so it may in-crease autism that may be present in some trainees

D

4 Screen size comparison across different devices

4 Technology

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

GSA amp AIRBUS DEMONSTRATE SATELLITE APPROACHES

28

EGNOS FLIGHT EVENT

THE CONTROLLER

Last May the European Global Navi-gation System Agency (GSA) or-ganised an event in Toulouse This agency oversees the introduction of the European Geostationary Naviga-tion Overlay Service (EGNOS) and the European GPS equivalent (Galileo)

The aim of the event was to dem-onstrate the capabilities of EGNOS particularly how it enables making ILS-like approaches at unequipped airports landing strips and helipads

A very varied group of people attended the event journalists as well as regula-tors from both space and aerospace domains and aircraft manufacturers including ATR and of course Airbus Teams from the A350 Beluga and helicopter divisions were represented

The EGNOS technology is already in op-eration and it is mainly used by regional airlines business jets and helicopter operators It doesnrsquot require any ground

infrastructure at the airports or landing sites And probably most importantly it is available free of charge to the users It does require special procedures and maps (RNAV Approach maps) to be developed for each airport Those can allow ILS-like ap-proaches (called Lateral Perfor-mance with Vertical guidance or LPV) down to decision height of 200ft We were told that making such a procedure is a once off for all users and that it costs around the same as maintaining one ILS every year And of course your aircraft has the required equipment If itrsquos not a retrofit solution might be expensive

The present iteration of the system called EGNOS V2 is currently used in some150 air-ports Around 250 EGNOS procedures already exist all across Europe Whereas V2 is only foreseen to cover Eu-

What is EGNOS

The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) is the first pan-European satellite navigation system It augments the US GPS satellite navigation system and makes it suitable for safety critical applications such as flying air-craft or navigating ships through narrow channels

Consisting of three geostationary satel-lites and a network of ground stations EGNOS achieves its aim by transmitting a signal containing information on the re-liability and accuracy of the positioning signals sent out by GPS It allows users in Europe and beyond to determine their position to within 15 metres

Phot

os D

P ex

cept

whe

re o

ther

wis

e in

dica

ted

4 Technology

THE CONTROLLER

The Airbus A350The aircraft with the cool sunglasses

One of the most striking features of the new A350 is the cockpit windows The curved shape and dark colour makes them look like a pair of sleek modern sunglasses The dark colour protects them from UV rays but it is the curved glass that is the real innova-tion It is the first time it has been used in a commercial aircraft design according to Air-bus Contrary to the traditional flat panes of glass curved windows are not only better from an aerodynamic perspective but also offer better resistance against bird strikes They also give the pilots a wider view The only drawback is that they cannot be opened so the emergency escape for the crew is via a hatch in the roof of the aircraft^

EGNOS on the Airbus A350The A350 is the first commercial airliner that comes factory-equipped with a Sat-ellite Landing System Itrsquos a multi-receiver that works for both for the US WAAS and European EGNOS augmentation systems Switching between the 2 systems is fully automatic and transparent to the crew I asked Captain Jean-Christophe Lair experimental flight test pilot on the A350 what his experiences were with using the system ldquoItrsquos a very smooth way to fly an approach We had no issues at all during any of the flights we didrdquo he said ldquoIn fact when you try it you will immediately like it It is the same or better than doing an ILS approach Unlike ILS there is no reflection or interference from nearby buildings Low tempera-tures do not affect it and satellite LPV approaches are independent of the QNH it gives a fixed glide slope not affected by barometric altimeter temperatureldquo^

29

rope the next generation called V3 will extend the availability to cover the entire planet It requires Galileo to be fully operational allowing the system to then use dual frequencies and dual navigation satellites (GPS and Galileo)

The first large commercial aircraft to have satellite based landing possibili-ties as standard equipment is the Air-bus A350 All the new Airbus helicop-ters formerly known as Eurocopter also carry the equipment as standard

That was the main reason to hold the event in Toulouse Airbus could show us their H175 helicopter and the A350 which they brought in especially for us And we got to make an RNAV Approval Required (AR) approach using one of their ATRs equipped with the system^

dpthe-controllernet

4 Technology

30 THE CONTROLLER

EGNOS in HelicoptersWe learned that it is in fact helicopters that stand to gain the most from satellite LVP ap-proaches It will allow them to operate in bad weather or at night even in difficult places such as oilrigs or hospitals ldquoItsrsquo like having your own ILS in every hospitalrdquo said one of the helicopter pilots present

All Airbus Helicopters are now EGNOS capable We were shown their latest product the H175 They demonstrated a procedure using their brand new FMS-like displays called Helinonix These will also become standard in all their new helicopters The displays reduce the number of instruments required in a cockpit by half and is reported to be very user friendly

To program an EGNOS approach entry only takes a few clicks which is done within seconds Also worth mentioning is that their helicopters are also all TCAS equipped with the resolu-tion advisories being flown automatically like in the A380^

What does it mean for controllers While the main lsquomarketrsquo for the system is places where there is no ground infrastructure or ATC there is definitively a need for tower controllers to be adequately trained if your airport decides to introduce such a procedure Approach and en-route control-lers will be confronted with aircraft going into airports that were not previously accessible especially in bad weather conditions

Itrsquos clear that these satellite-based landing systems will be the future as they only cost a fraction of what it costs to install and maintain fixed ground infrastructure such as ILS While EGNOS currently only supports CAT 1 approaches they plan go down to CAT 2 and 3 minima when Galileo is fully operational At that point it might well happen that very expensive ILS installations will quickly become obsolete and no longer upgraded

4 Obnserving an EGNOS Approach Photo copy GSA

Flying an EGNOS ApproachTo demonstrate the EGNOS approach pro-cedure we all had a flight in their test bed an ATR42-600 equipped with 15 seats and in-struments in the cabin to follow the approach

Right after take-off the pilot put the aircraft downwind at 3000ft He then engaged the au-topilot with sat navigation to follow the RNAV procedure for the active runway in Toulouse The aircraft followed the specified tracks and points precisely starting a descent at the designated ap-proach fix It continued on the virtual glide slope all the way down to 200ft and right on centreline At that point the pilot took over for a manual landing A very clean and even neat processAfter landing discussing the procedure with the crew both were very enthusiastic ldquoIt re-duces the workload of the pilot considerablyldquo said First Officer Damien Roujas rdquoIt also reduc-es the number of go-arounds in bad weather at airports that are not equipped with an ILSldquo

ldquoFor a regional airline or a business jet operator it allows to go to small airports that are normally off limits in bad weatherrdquo added Captain Eric Delesalle Head of the ATR Flight Test team^

4 Book Review

THE CONTROLLER

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

A BOOK REVIEWSKYFARING

copy Iw

ikoz

6 | D

ream

stim

eco

m

This is not your usual ldquoAirline pilot sto-ryrdquo book Itrsquos more a book about the love of aviation and all aspects of it and about the love of flying in particu-lar If like me you grew up building model airplanes or are still tilting your head up to the sky every time you hear an aircraft passing overhead or simply enjoy boarding an aircraft to take a journey somewhere then this book is definitely for you

It is extremely well written full of emo-tions and anecdotes At times it bor-ders on being poetic The different chapters of the book all center on a part of the aviation journey There is a part about air traffic control titled ldquoWayfindingrdquo It is a small history of air traffic control in itself Through small anecdotes the author reminds us of our place in the aviation system This book tells us that it is above all still people men and women that create

the miracle of aviation rather than the ever-increasing cost cutting measures and technical automation that we see growing around us everyday now

Itrsquos a good read for a long journey ndash think a long A380 or B777ER daytime ocean andor continent crossing flight But itrsquos also very pleasant and relaxing reading ndash think at the beach or beside a pool side with a glass of your favorite drink not too far away

The author Mark Vanhoenhacker is a British airways pilot He currently flies B747s and will soon be moving to the B787 the so called ldquoDreamlinerrdquo As the book illustrates for him the dream has already startedhellip

I truly enjoyed reading his book and I can highly recommend it^

dpthe-controllernet

Skyfaring by Marc VanhoenackerISBN 9780 7011 88665

Published in the UK 337 pagesAlso available as an e-book

31

4 Technology

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

GSA amp AIRBUS DEMONSTRATE SATELLITE APPROACHES

28

EGNOS FLIGHT EVENT

THE CONTROLLER

Last May the European Global Navi-gation System Agency (GSA) or-ganised an event in Toulouse This agency oversees the introduction of the European Geostationary Naviga-tion Overlay Service (EGNOS) and the European GPS equivalent (Galileo)

The aim of the event was to dem-onstrate the capabilities of EGNOS particularly how it enables making ILS-like approaches at unequipped airports landing strips and helipads

A very varied group of people attended the event journalists as well as regula-tors from both space and aerospace domains and aircraft manufacturers including ATR and of course Airbus Teams from the A350 Beluga and helicopter divisions were represented

The EGNOS technology is already in op-eration and it is mainly used by regional airlines business jets and helicopter operators It doesnrsquot require any ground

infrastructure at the airports or landing sites And probably most importantly it is available free of charge to the users It does require special procedures and maps (RNAV Approach maps) to be developed for each airport Those can allow ILS-like ap-proaches (called Lateral Perfor-mance with Vertical guidance or LPV) down to decision height of 200ft We were told that making such a procedure is a once off for all users and that it costs around the same as maintaining one ILS every year And of course your aircraft has the required equipment If itrsquos not a retrofit solution might be expensive

The present iteration of the system called EGNOS V2 is currently used in some150 air-ports Around 250 EGNOS procedures already exist all across Europe Whereas V2 is only foreseen to cover Eu-

What is EGNOS

The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) is the first pan-European satellite navigation system It augments the US GPS satellite navigation system and makes it suitable for safety critical applications such as flying air-craft or navigating ships through narrow channels

Consisting of three geostationary satel-lites and a network of ground stations EGNOS achieves its aim by transmitting a signal containing information on the re-liability and accuracy of the positioning signals sent out by GPS It allows users in Europe and beyond to determine their position to within 15 metres

Phot

os D

P ex

cept

whe

re o

ther

wis

e in

dica

ted

4 Technology

THE CONTROLLER

The Airbus A350The aircraft with the cool sunglasses

One of the most striking features of the new A350 is the cockpit windows The curved shape and dark colour makes them look like a pair of sleek modern sunglasses The dark colour protects them from UV rays but it is the curved glass that is the real innova-tion It is the first time it has been used in a commercial aircraft design according to Air-bus Contrary to the traditional flat panes of glass curved windows are not only better from an aerodynamic perspective but also offer better resistance against bird strikes They also give the pilots a wider view The only drawback is that they cannot be opened so the emergency escape for the crew is via a hatch in the roof of the aircraft^

EGNOS on the Airbus A350The A350 is the first commercial airliner that comes factory-equipped with a Sat-ellite Landing System Itrsquos a multi-receiver that works for both for the US WAAS and European EGNOS augmentation systems Switching between the 2 systems is fully automatic and transparent to the crew I asked Captain Jean-Christophe Lair experimental flight test pilot on the A350 what his experiences were with using the system ldquoItrsquos a very smooth way to fly an approach We had no issues at all during any of the flights we didrdquo he said ldquoIn fact when you try it you will immediately like it It is the same or better than doing an ILS approach Unlike ILS there is no reflection or interference from nearby buildings Low tempera-tures do not affect it and satellite LPV approaches are independent of the QNH it gives a fixed glide slope not affected by barometric altimeter temperatureldquo^

29

rope the next generation called V3 will extend the availability to cover the entire planet It requires Galileo to be fully operational allowing the system to then use dual frequencies and dual navigation satellites (GPS and Galileo)

The first large commercial aircraft to have satellite based landing possibili-ties as standard equipment is the Air-bus A350 All the new Airbus helicop-ters formerly known as Eurocopter also carry the equipment as standard

That was the main reason to hold the event in Toulouse Airbus could show us their H175 helicopter and the A350 which they brought in especially for us And we got to make an RNAV Approval Required (AR) approach using one of their ATRs equipped with the system^

dpthe-controllernet

4 Technology

30 THE CONTROLLER

EGNOS in HelicoptersWe learned that it is in fact helicopters that stand to gain the most from satellite LVP ap-proaches It will allow them to operate in bad weather or at night even in difficult places such as oilrigs or hospitals ldquoItsrsquo like having your own ILS in every hospitalrdquo said one of the helicopter pilots present

All Airbus Helicopters are now EGNOS capable We were shown their latest product the H175 They demonstrated a procedure using their brand new FMS-like displays called Helinonix These will also become standard in all their new helicopters The displays reduce the number of instruments required in a cockpit by half and is reported to be very user friendly

To program an EGNOS approach entry only takes a few clicks which is done within seconds Also worth mentioning is that their helicopters are also all TCAS equipped with the resolu-tion advisories being flown automatically like in the A380^

What does it mean for controllers While the main lsquomarketrsquo for the system is places where there is no ground infrastructure or ATC there is definitively a need for tower controllers to be adequately trained if your airport decides to introduce such a procedure Approach and en-route control-lers will be confronted with aircraft going into airports that were not previously accessible especially in bad weather conditions

Itrsquos clear that these satellite-based landing systems will be the future as they only cost a fraction of what it costs to install and maintain fixed ground infrastructure such as ILS While EGNOS currently only supports CAT 1 approaches they plan go down to CAT 2 and 3 minima when Galileo is fully operational At that point it might well happen that very expensive ILS installations will quickly become obsolete and no longer upgraded

4 Obnserving an EGNOS Approach Photo copy GSA

Flying an EGNOS ApproachTo demonstrate the EGNOS approach pro-cedure we all had a flight in their test bed an ATR42-600 equipped with 15 seats and in-struments in the cabin to follow the approach

Right after take-off the pilot put the aircraft downwind at 3000ft He then engaged the au-topilot with sat navigation to follow the RNAV procedure for the active runway in Toulouse The aircraft followed the specified tracks and points precisely starting a descent at the designated ap-proach fix It continued on the virtual glide slope all the way down to 200ft and right on centreline At that point the pilot took over for a manual landing A very clean and even neat processAfter landing discussing the procedure with the crew both were very enthusiastic ldquoIt re-duces the workload of the pilot considerablyldquo said First Officer Damien Roujas rdquoIt also reduc-es the number of go-arounds in bad weather at airports that are not equipped with an ILSldquo

ldquoFor a regional airline or a business jet operator it allows to go to small airports that are normally off limits in bad weatherrdquo added Captain Eric Delesalle Head of the ATR Flight Test team^

4 Book Review

THE CONTROLLER

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

A BOOK REVIEWSKYFARING

copy Iw

ikoz

6 | D

ream

stim

eco

m

This is not your usual ldquoAirline pilot sto-ryrdquo book Itrsquos more a book about the love of aviation and all aspects of it and about the love of flying in particu-lar If like me you grew up building model airplanes or are still tilting your head up to the sky every time you hear an aircraft passing overhead or simply enjoy boarding an aircraft to take a journey somewhere then this book is definitely for you

It is extremely well written full of emo-tions and anecdotes At times it bor-ders on being poetic The different chapters of the book all center on a part of the aviation journey There is a part about air traffic control titled ldquoWayfindingrdquo It is a small history of air traffic control in itself Through small anecdotes the author reminds us of our place in the aviation system This book tells us that it is above all still people men and women that create

the miracle of aviation rather than the ever-increasing cost cutting measures and technical automation that we see growing around us everyday now

Itrsquos a good read for a long journey ndash think a long A380 or B777ER daytime ocean andor continent crossing flight But itrsquos also very pleasant and relaxing reading ndash think at the beach or beside a pool side with a glass of your favorite drink not too far away

The author Mark Vanhoenhacker is a British airways pilot He currently flies B747s and will soon be moving to the B787 the so called ldquoDreamlinerrdquo As the book illustrates for him the dream has already startedhellip

I truly enjoyed reading his book and I can highly recommend it^

dpthe-controllernet

Skyfaring by Marc VanhoenackerISBN 9780 7011 88665

Published in the UK 337 pagesAlso available as an e-book

31

4 Technology

THE CONTROLLER

The Airbus A350The aircraft with the cool sunglasses

One of the most striking features of the new A350 is the cockpit windows The curved shape and dark colour makes them look like a pair of sleek modern sunglasses The dark colour protects them from UV rays but it is the curved glass that is the real innova-tion It is the first time it has been used in a commercial aircraft design according to Air-bus Contrary to the traditional flat panes of glass curved windows are not only better from an aerodynamic perspective but also offer better resistance against bird strikes They also give the pilots a wider view The only drawback is that they cannot be opened so the emergency escape for the crew is via a hatch in the roof of the aircraft^

EGNOS on the Airbus A350The A350 is the first commercial airliner that comes factory-equipped with a Sat-ellite Landing System Itrsquos a multi-receiver that works for both for the US WAAS and European EGNOS augmentation systems Switching between the 2 systems is fully automatic and transparent to the crew I asked Captain Jean-Christophe Lair experimental flight test pilot on the A350 what his experiences were with using the system ldquoItrsquos a very smooth way to fly an approach We had no issues at all during any of the flights we didrdquo he said ldquoIn fact when you try it you will immediately like it It is the same or better than doing an ILS approach Unlike ILS there is no reflection or interference from nearby buildings Low tempera-tures do not affect it and satellite LPV approaches are independent of the QNH it gives a fixed glide slope not affected by barometric altimeter temperatureldquo^

29

rope the next generation called V3 will extend the availability to cover the entire planet It requires Galileo to be fully operational allowing the system to then use dual frequencies and dual navigation satellites (GPS and Galileo)

The first large commercial aircraft to have satellite based landing possibili-ties as standard equipment is the Air-bus A350 All the new Airbus helicop-ters formerly known as Eurocopter also carry the equipment as standard

That was the main reason to hold the event in Toulouse Airbus could show us their H175 helicopter and the A350 which they brought in especially for us And we got to make an RNAV Approval Required (AR) approach using one of their ATRs equipped with the system^

dpthe-controllernet

4 Technology

30 THE CONTROLLER

EGNOS in HelicoptersWe learned that it is in fact helicopters that stand to gain the most from satellite LVP ap-proaches It will allow them to operate in bad weather or at night even in difficult places such as oilrigs or hospitals ldquoItsrsquo like having your own ILS in every hospitalrdquo said one of the helicopter pilots present

All Airbus Helicopters are now EGNOS capable We were shown their latest product the H175 They demonstrated a procedure using their brand new FMS-like displays called Helinonix These will also become standard in all their new helicopters The displays reduce the number of instruments required in a cockpit by half and is reported to be very user friendly

To program an EGNOS approach entry only takes a few clicks which is done within seconds Also worth mentioning is that their helicopters are also all TCAS equipped with the resolu-tion advisories being flown automatically like in the A380^

What does it mean for controllers While the main lsquomarketrsquo for the system is places where there is no ground infrastructure or ATC there is definitively a need for tower controllers to be adequately trained if your airport decides to introduce such a procedure Approach and en-route control-lers will be confronted with aircraft going into airports that were not previously accessible especially in bad weather conditions

Itrsquos clear that these satellite-based landing systems will be the future as they only cost a fraction of what it costs to install and maintain fixed ground infrastructure such as ILS While EGNOS currently only supports CAT 1 approaches they plan go down to CAT 2 and 3 minima when Galileo is fully operational At that point it might well happen that very expensive ILS installations will quickly become obsolete and no longer upgraded

4 Obnserving an EGNOS Approach Photo copy GSA

Flying an EGNOS ApproachTo demonstrate the EGNOS approach pro-cedure we all had a flight in their test bed an ATR42-600 equipped with 15 seats and in-struments in the cabin to follow the approach

Right after take-off the pilot put the aircraft downwind at 3000ft He then engaged the au-topilot with sat navigation to follow the RNAV procedure for the active runway in Toulouse The aircraft followed the specified tracks and points precisely starting a descent at the designated ap-proach fix It continued on the virtual glide slope all the way down to 200ft and right on centreline At that point the pilot took over for a manual landing A very clean and even neat processAfter landing discussing the procedure with the crew both were very enthusiastic ldquoIt re-duces the workload of the pilot considerablyldquo said First Officer Damien Roujas rdquoIt also reduc-es the number of go-arounds in bad weather at airports that are not equipped with an ILSldquo

ldquoFor a regional airline or a business jet operator it allows to go to small airports that are normally off limits in bad weatherrdquo added Captain Eric Delesalle Head of the ATR Flight Test team^

4 Book Review

THE CONTROLLER

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

A BOOK REVIEWSKYFARING

copy Iw

ikoz

6 | D

ream

stim

eco

m

This is not your usual ldquoAirline pilot sto-ryrdquo book Itrsquos more a book about the love of aviation and all aspects of it and about the love of flying in particu-lar If like me you grew up building model airplanes or are still tilting your head up to the sky every time you hear an aircraft passing overhead or simply enjoy boarding an aircraft to take a journey somewhere then this book is definitely for you

It is extremely well written full of emo-tions and anecdotes At times it bor-ders on being poetic The different chapters of the book all center on a part of the aviation journey There is a part about air traffic control titled ldquoWayfindingrdquo It is a small history of air traffic control in itself Through small anecdotes the author reminds us of our place in the aviation system This book tells us that it is above all still people men and women that create

the miracle of aviation rather than the ever-increasing cost cutting measures and technical automation that we see growing around us everyday now

Itrsquos a good read for a long journey ndash think a long A380 or B777ER daytime ocean andor continent crossing flight But itrsquos also very pleasant and relaxing reading ndash think at the beach or beside a pool side with a glass of your favorite drink not too far away

The author Mark Vanhoenhacker is a British airways pilot He currently flies B747s and will soon be moving to the B787 the so called ldquoDreamlinerrdquo As the book illustrates for him the dream has already startedhellip

I truly enjoyed reading his book and I can highly recommend it^

dpthe-controllernet

Skyfaring by Marc VanhoenackerISBN 9780 7011 88665

Published in the UK 337 pagesAlso available as an e-book

31

4 Technology

30 THE CONTROLLER

EGNOS in HelicoptersWe learned that it is in fact helicopters that stand to gain the most from satellite LVP ap-proaches It will allow them to operate in bad weather or at night even in difficult places such as oilrigs or hospitals ldquoItsrsquo like having your own ILS in every hospitalrdquo said one of the helicopter pilots present

All Airbus Helicopters are now EGNOS capable We were shown their latest product the H175 They demonstrated a procedure using their brand new FMS-like displays called Helinonix These will also become standard in all their new helicopters The displays reduce the number of instruments required in a cockpit by half and is reported to be very user friendly

To program an EGNOS approach entry only takes a few clicks which is done within seconds Also worth mentioning is that their helicopters are also all TCAS equipped with the resolu-tion advisories being flown automatically like in the A380^

What does it mean for controllers While the main lsquomarketrsquo for the system is places where there is no ground infrastructure or ATC there is definitively a need for tower controllers to be adequately trained if your airport decides to introduce such a procedure Approach and en-route control-lers will be confronted with aircraft going into airports that were not previously accessible especially in bad weather conditions

Itrsquos clear that these satellite-based landing systems will be the future as they only cost a fraction of what it costs to install and maintain fixed ground infrastructure such as ILS While EGNOS currently only supports CAT 1 approaches they plan go down to CAT 2 and 3 minima when Galileo is fully operational At that point it might well happen that very expensive ILS installations will quickly become obsolete and no longer upgraded

4 Obnserving an EGNOS Approach Photo copy GSA

Flying an EGNOS ApproachTo demonstrate the EGNOS approach pro-cedure we all had a flight in their test bed an ATR42-600 equipped with 15 seats and in-struments in the cabin to follow the approach

Right after take-off the pilot put the aircraft downwind at 3000ft He then engaged the au-topilot with sat navigation to follow the RNAV procedure for the active runway in Toulouse The aircraft followed the specified tracks and points precisely starting a descent at the designated ap-proach fix It continued on the virtual glide slope all the way down to 200ft and right on centreline At that point the pilot took over for a manual landing A very clean and even neat processAfter landing discussing the procedure with the crew both were very enthusiastic ldquoIt re-duces the workload of the pilot considerablyldquo said First Officer Damien Roujas rdquoIt also reduc-es the number of go-arounds in bad weather at airports that are not equipped with an ILSldquo

ldquoFor a regional airline or a business jet operator it allows to go to small airports that are normally off limits in bad weatherrdquo added Captain Eric Delesalle Head of the ATR Flight Test team^

4 Book Review

THE CONTROLLER

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

A BOOK REVIEWSKYFARING

copy Iw

ikoz

6 | D

ream

stim

eco

m

This is not your usual ldquoAirline pilot sto-ryrdquo book Itrsquos more a book about the love of aviation and all aspects of it and about the love of flying in particu-lar If like me you grew up building model airplanes or are still tilting your head up to the sky every time you hear an aircraft passing overhead or simply enjoy boarding an aircraft to take a journey somewhere then this book is definitely for you

It is extremely well written full of emo-tions and anecdotes At times it bor-ders on being poetic The different chapters of the book all center on a part of the aviation journey There is a part about air traffic control titled ldquoWayfindingrdquo It is a small history of air traffic control in itself Through small anecdotes the author reminds us of our place in the aviation system This book tells us that it is above all still people men and women that create

the miracle of aviation rather than the ever-increasing cost cutting measures and technical automation that we see growing around us everyday now

Itrsquos a good read for a long journey ndash think a long A380 or B777ER daytime ocean andor continent crossing flight But itrsquos also very pleasant and relaxing reading ndash think at the beach or beside a pool side with a glass of your favorite drink not too far away

The author Mark Vanhoenhacker is a British airways pilot He currently flies B747s and will soon be moving to the B787 the so called ldquoDreamlinerrdquo As the book illustrates for him the dream has already startedhellip

I truly enjoyed reading his book and I can highly recommend it^

dpthe-controllernet

Skyfaring by Marc VanhoenackerISBN 9780 7011 88665

Published in the UK 337 pagesAlso available as an e-book

31

4 Book Review

THE CONTROLLER

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

A BOOK REVIEWSKYFARING

copy Iw

ikoz

6 | D

ream

stim

eco

m

This is not your usual ldquoAirline pilot sto-ryrdquo book Itrsquos more a book about the love of aviation and all aspects of it and about the love of flying in particu-lar If like me you grew up building model airplanes or are still tilting your head up to the sky every time you hear an aircraft passing overhead or simply enjoy boarding an aircraft to take a journey somewhere then this book is definitely for you

It is extremely well written full of emo-tions and anecdotes At times it bor-ders on being poetic The different chapters of the book all center on a part of the aviation journey There is a part about air traffic control titled ldquoWayfindingrdquo It is a small history of air traffic control in itself Through small anecdotes the author reminds us of our place in the aviation system This book tells us that it is above all still people men and women that create

the miracle of aviation rather than the ever-increasing cost cutting measures and technical automation that we see growing around us everyday now

Itrsquos a good read for a long journey ndash think a long A380 or B777ER daytime ocean andor continent crossing flight But itrsquos also very pleasant and relaxing reading ndash think at the beach or beside a pool side with a glass of your favorite drink not too far away

The author Mark Vanhoenhacker is a British airways pilot He currently flies B747s and will soon be moving to the B787 the so called ldquoDreamlinerrdquo As the book illustrates for him the dream has already startedhellip

I truly enjoyed reading his book and I can highly recommend it^

dpthe-controllernet

Skyfaring by Marc VanhoenackerISBN 9780 7011 88665

Published in the UK 337 pagesAlso available as an e-book

31

4 Flying

THE CONTROLLER32

^ by Philippe Domogala Deputy Editor

FLYING VFR IN NORWAY

During a recent visit to Stavanger Nor-way I enlisted the help of a local air traf-fic controller to get in touch with one of the oldest aeroclubs in Norway the Sola Flyklubb The controller Leif Olsen also happens to be an instructor at the club and arranged a flight for me in one of their newest babies a brand new C172 fully equipped with Garmin 1000 etc

The weather at the time I was there (March) can be challenging and the win-dow of opportunity for flying was only a few hours between 2 passing fronts

each of which was associated with gusting winds and rainBut in between the weather was forecast to be good and we managed to book the air-craft for that period We took off from runway 36 overflying the city centre towards the en-trance of the famous Lysefjord fjord

The walls of the fjord climb from sea lev-el to over 1000m (3300ft) on either side Fortunately the wind had died down by

the time we got there and visibility was over 100 Km in the cold dry air We could clearly see the snow on the higher cliffs in the distance Without wind it meant there were also no rotors or downdraft This allowed us to re-main inside the fjord flying slight-ly below the tops We first over-flew the famous Preikestolen or

Pulpit Rock in English itrsquos featured in most if not every Norwegian tourist bro-chure Itrsquos a natural platform at the edge of the fjord with a 1000m vertical drop directly underneath Further along inside the fjord the slopes were stilly fully cov-ered with snow

Climbing to 4000ft we cleared the cliffs towards the end and continued fly low level just above the snow to reach anoth-er fjord further north When we reached this we dove into it ndash an absolutely fan-tastic feeling We followed this back to Stavanger Further along we needed to descend to 500ft over the water to stay clear of the normal approach path for the jets coming in to land in Stavanger We were cleared to land on runway 18 while a Boeing 737 was making its ap-proach on the intersecting runway 29 We slowed down a bit to make sure we passed behind him if we had to over-shoot Fortunately therersquos more than 1500m of asphalt before the intersection

Phot

os D

P

4 Flying

THE CONTROLLER 33

and I guess thatrsquos enough to come to a complete stop long before that This new C-172 handles beautifully much better than the old ones Irsquove flown before most of which were in the USA

We needed just a little bit of flap to slow down the approach speed Full flap on this type results in a huge torque effect on this type anyway Keeping a stable and right speed during the APP is the key to a good landing in nearly all US made aircraft [note from the editor not a pilot but is that not key in ALL aircraft] You can fly an approach in French aircraft such as the Jodel Robin Rallyes with a speed ranging from 55 to 80 Kts and still land correctly in the end This is because you can lose excessive speed quickly and easily But that doesnrsquot work with a Cess-na or a Piper let alone with a Grumman While the new C-172s are very good we kept 65 Kts all the way for a good touch down

Taxying back to the club was easy and relaxed despite the size of the airport As we parked the aircraft in the hangar the next front was already moving in from the west obscuring the sun Two hours later it started raining again ndash for two days non-stop

So we had been lucky to have made what was a really beautiful flight ^

dpthe-controllernet

If you are in the area you can contact the Skola Flyklubb Theyrsquoll be more than happy to accommodate you Contact details are on their websitewwwsolaflyklubbno

4 Flying

THE CONTROLLER 33

and I guess thatrsquos enough to come to a complete stop long before that This new C-172 handles beautifully much better than the old ones Irsquove flown before most of which were in the USA

We needed just a little bit of flap to slow down the approach speed Full flap on this type results in a huge torque effect on this type anyway Keeping a stable and right speed during the APP is the key to a good landing in nearly all US made aircraft [note from the editor not a pilot but is that not key in ALL aircraft] You can fly an approach in French aircraft such as the Jodel Robin Rallyes with a speed ranging from 55 to 80 Kts and still land correctly in the end This is because you can lose excessive speed quickly and easily But that doesnrsquot work with a Cess-na or a Piper let alone with a Grumman While the new C-172s are very good we kept 65 Kts all the way for a good touch down

Taxying back to the club was easy and relaxed despite the size of the airport As we parked the aircraft in the hangar the next front was already moving in from the west obscuring the sun Two hours later it started raining again ndash for two days non-stop

So we had been lucky to have made what was a really beautiful flight ^

dpthe-controllernet

If you are in the area you can contact the Skola Flyklubb Theyrsquoll be more than happy to accommodate you Contact details are on their websitewwwsolaflyklubbno

4 Charlie

34

charliethe-controllernet

CHARLIESCOLUMN

THE CONTROLLER

Look Mom No WheelsAdvertisement agencies love to Photoshop their adverts Sometimes they get a bit car-ried away Turkish Airlines ran this advert in a number of newspapers Either the Boeing 777 is performing yoga or its a new model without any nose gear Any suggestion that Boeing developed a special model for TK in responses to their recent attempts to land beside runways is of course pure speculation

GotchaMr Gubin lives near an air-port and he has a weird sense of humour Years ago he painted ldquoWEL-COME TO CLEVELANDrdquo on his roof Passengers that arrive get an imme-diate warm feeling seeing such a friendly message That is until they remember that theyrsquore on a flight to Milwaukee For the past 40 years the sign has caused passengers on planes to freak out thinking that they were landing at the wrong airport Things get especially confusing on board Denver to Cleveland flights that make a stopo-ver in Milwaukee passen-gers invariably believe the plane must have skipped the layover

First World ProblemsHerersquos a photograph of the business jet parking at Las Vegasrsquo main airport a few months ago A major sports event had the rich and famous fly in from all over the place Itrsquos even not abnormal apparently the number of private jets is on the rise in the USA and Las Vegas is still one of the most popular destinations for the own-ers of such toys And of course you cannot refuse peo-ple bringing money into townhellip The two agencies that handle private flights apparently had over 400 biz-jets between them at McCarran before the airport authority requested all inbound private aircraft to use either Hen-derson Executive or North Las Vegas Airports I would love to hear the ATC ground frequency when someone in the middle decided to leave earlyhellip

Overheard on the FrequencyBefore it was fenced in a certain German airport regularly had deer crossing the runway On one such occasion the following exchange took placeTWR controller ABC 123 cleared for take off wind 2305 knotsPilot Tower eerrrhellipwe seem to have a deer in the middle of the runway TWR Roger ABC123 Hold position Break Break deer on runway 24 cleared for immediate departureA few seconds later the deer startled and ran off back into the woodsTWR ABC 123 cleared for take off Wind still 2305 caution wake turbu-lence departing deer

Vintage BusWith the trade-embargo against Cuba finally ended its only a matter of time before Toyotas and Kias start re-placing all those vintage cars and ldquointeresting vehiclesrdquo One of them will be particularly missed this bus was built by an ingenious aviation enthusiast and used to shuttle many passengers over the years Lets hope it ends up in a museum instead of being scrapped and replaced by a Korean minivanhellip

Professional headsets for aviation amp space

Comfort and safety at airports

Communication equipment itself has become safetyfactor Imtradex has developed special communicationsystems for air traffi c control ramp handling and pilots to meet the specifi c needs of the aviation industry Our products are already in use in many of the worldrsquos airports ATC centers and cockpitsThe ATC sector has very high standards for its technological communication tools We are proud to have met these requirements with our AirTalk Series The IFATCA awarded headset AirTalk 3000 XD Flex is distinguished by its crystal clear sound light weight high wearing comfort CoolMaxreg ear cushions and fl exible microphone arm

Imtradex Houmlr-Sprechsysteme GmbH Daimlerstr 23 D-63303 Dreieich Phone +49 (0) 6103 48569-40 Email salesimtradexcom

wwwimtradexcom

Visit usATC Global in Dubai

Oct 05 ndash 07 2015

Professional headsets for aviation amp space

Comfort and safety at airports

Communication equipment itself has become safetyfactor Imtradex has developed special communicationsystems for air traffi c control ramp handling and pilots to meet the specifi c needs of the aviation industry Our products are already in use in many of the worldrsquos airports ATC centers and cockpitsThe ATC sector has very high standards for its technological communication tools We are proud to have met these requirements with our AirTalk Series The IFATCA awarded headset AirTalk 3000 XD Flex is distinguished by its crystal clear sound light weight high wearing comfort CoolMaxreg ear cushions and fl exible microphone arm

Imtradex Houmlr-Sprechsysteme GmbH Daimlerstr 23 D-63303 Dreieich Phone +49 (0) 6103 48569-40 Email salesimtradexcom

wwwimtradexcom

Visit usATC Global in Dubai

Oct 05 ndash 07 2015

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE

WHAT IS REQUIRED

To find out if there are any colleagues from your

country participating send an email to contactplaythewcccom

MEXICOMEXICORiviera Maya Playa del Carmen

8 to 14 NOV20158 to 14NOV2015

The Global Soccer Tournament for Air Traffic Controllers amp PilotsWORLD CONTROLLERSlsquo CUP

INVITATION