Required navigation performance

About: Required navigation performance is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 343 publications have been published within this topic receiving 3477 citations. The topic is also known as: RNP.

Benefits of RNAV terminal procedures: air/ground communication reduction and airport capacity improvements [ATC]

Abstract: The MITRE Corporation's Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD) has been working the past couple of years with the FAA, airlines, and other stakeholders to design and implement area navigation (RNAV) terminal procedures. Given that users have invested in equipping their fleet and that equipage levels continue to rise, the demand for terminal RNAV procedures is high. Recognizing that implementing procedures often took years, the FAA tasked CAASD to help bring about a speedier implementation - to develop generic implementation guidelines, track lessons learned, identify tool requirements, and facilitate working groups. Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) was the first facility chosen for developing the implementation guidelines for collaborative procedure development involving all stakeholders. Shortly after this initial project at PHL, working groups at additional airports started designing and implementing arrival and departure procedures. Now that a number of procedures have been implemented, post-implementation analysis of the benefits from these procedures can start. This paper reports on a first step at understanding the benefits of RNAV terminal procedures.

PPS RAIM algorithms and their performance

Abstract: This paper describes several receiver autonomous integrity monitoring (RAIM)-type algorithms that are candidates for use in military Precise Positioning Service (PPS) GPS receivers. Although these PPS RAIM-type algorithms are based on the Standard Positioning Service (SPS) RAIM and RAIM-type algorithms described in RTCA/DO-208, TSO-C129, and elsewhere, a number of interesting modifications are necessary to adapt those SPS algorithms for use in a PPS receiver. Among these modifications are not having to deal with selective availability (SA) effects and needing to operate in a “fewer-than-all-in-view” mode. The performance of the PPS RAIM-type algorithms is presented with respect to both TSO-C-129 requirements and global detection availability for en route, terminal, and nonprecision approach operation. The performance of the algorithms is compared against the evolving required navigation performance (RNP) standards for primary-means navigation, and a preliminary evaluation is offered.

Terminal RNAV: analyses of Las Vegas McCarran International Airport terminal RNAV operations

Abstract: Area navigation (RNAV) allows a cockpit-based pre-planned traversal of airspace with automatic, precise following of lateral, vertical and speed profiles. With appropriate coordination, air traffic control (ATC) and pilot voice communications are reduced because the need for altitude, heading, or speed directives is reduced. Use of RNAV in the terminal area promises benefits that include lower radio frequency congestion, greater predictability of flight path and flying time, reduced fuel burn, and increased situational awareness. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has tasked The MITRE Corporation's Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD) with assessing the impact of terminal RNAV at major airports in the US. This paper presents three analyses related to terminal RNAV performance and benefits at the Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS) terminal area. We analyzed route conformance, predictability given good conformance, and performed human-in-the-loop simulations.

An analysis of automation for monitoring Area Navigation (RNAV) and required navigation performance (RNP) terminal operations

Abstract: As stated in the roadmap for performance-based navigation, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is committed to implementing area navigation (RNAV) and required navigation performance (RNP) procedures throughout the National Airspace System (NAS). RNAV and RNP procedures provide lateral guidance as well as vertical and speed restrictions at waypoints where necessary along arrival or departure procedures. As compared to conventional vectoring operations where the terminal controller issues heading, speed, and altitude clearances, RNAV procedures reduce the number of clearances issued by air traffic control (ATC). The MITRE Corporationpsilas Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD) in coordination with ATC subject matter experts from FAA operational facilities has conducted research to define automation needs for monitoring RNAV and RNP operations. The needs focus on ensuring controllers maintain situation awareness in environments with high RNAV and RNP participation and increasing traffic levels. One major function of the automation is to provide an alert to a radar controller when an aircraft is deviating from its assigned RNAV or RNP procedure. This paper presents the automation needs associated with monitoring RNAV and RNP operations, and the results from human-in-the-loop experiments that measured latency times in detecting deviation events in simulated RNAV and RNP environments with and without the alerting automation. Results indicate that latency times associated with detecting pilot deviations were reduced in conditions with the monitoring automation. Subjective workload measures were not different in any significant way.

P-rnav, safety targets, blunders and parallel route spacing

Abstract: The aim is try to understand how aircraft flying on adjacent routes using precision area navigation, meeting Required Navigation Performance and under air traffic control, ought to be addressed by safety studies, given the increasing importance of blunders.