Flight Deck-Based Merging and Spacing Operations

Abstract

The advent of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) has opened up a new realm of precise air-to-air surveillance in which flight crews, when properly supported by automation and procedures, will be able to accept new tasks and function at a level in keeping with far-term strategic goals in air traffic management. In pursuit of that goal, MITRE and NASA are participating in a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-sponsored group that is developing and testing an early airborne spacing application called Flight Deck-based Merging and Spacing (FDMS). Several human-in-the-loop and Monte Carlo simulations have validated the ability of an aircraft to space itself precisely relative to another aircraft during continuous descent arrivals (CDA). Results indicate that FDMS is viable and that expected benefits should be realized. A limited implementation of FDMS is currently certified and in use in revenue flights by UPS. This is the first fielding of an airborne spacing concept.