Height‐keeping reliability of aircraft at high altitude

Abstract

AbstractIncreasing congestion in high altitude air routes has led to an expectation of large financial benefits from a reduction in separation standards, which will enable more aircraft to fly closer to their optimal altitude. The safety of reduced separation depends mainly on the reliability of aircraft height‐keeping, which is itself the product of a number of different airframe, instrument and pilot‐related errors. This is the subject of an international programme of studies under way in Europe, Japan and the United States. A review of studies being carried out in Europe is presented, indicating some of the problems encountered.