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One of the main activities of Eurocontrol is the provision of real-time simulation platforms for simulation, experimentation & trials and operational evaluation for internal EUROCONTROL or European Union sponsored projects. This simulation capability has been deployed at external sites. MUAC - the Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre - is one of those external site. At MUAC, the usage of ESCAPE is basically dedicated to training, and, more precisely, to ab-initio air traffic controllers. MASS is one of the six components that has to be delivered for simulations capabilities. MASS:
- Generates simulated aircraft data (called aircraft state vectors) suitable for use in the simulation of surveillance system functions;
- Provides an air traffic simulation within a simulation exercise;
- Uses BADA (the Base of Aircraft Data) as a basis for aircraft trajectory calculations; and
- Supports advanced air-ground communication functions in order to evaluate advanced air traffic control concepts.
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MASS generates simulated aircraft data (called aircraft state vectors) suitable for use in the simulation of surveillance system functions. The air traffic can be generated either automatically or with the help of pseudo-pilots controlling simulated aircraft behaviour MASS provides an air traffic simulation with a maximum of 1000 flights within a simulation exercise and a maximum of 500 flights active simultaneously. MASS uses BADA as a basis for aircraft trajectory calculations. MASS supports advanced air-ground communication functions in order to evaluate advanced air traffic control concepts. In particular the following functions are supported, consistent with international protocols being developed for the ATN (Aeronautical Telecommunications Network) for Datalink:
- Context management(CM) application;
- DLIC (Datalink Inititiation Capability) services;
- CPDLC (Controller Pilot Datalink Communications) application;
- ACM (Aircraft Communication Management) services;
- ACL (Aircraft Clearance) services with automatic mode where MASS sends automatic pilot replies (the number of "standby" replies and "no replies" being configurable); and manual mode where the pseudo pilot has to reply to the up-linked ACL messages; and
- PPD(Pilot Preference Downlink).
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MASS can simulate the functions of an ASAS (Airborne Separation Assurance System) on suitably equipped flights and follow controller traffic delegation orders like:
- Select/retain/deselect/position target;
- Report clear of target/merging distance;
- Remain/merge/pass behind, pass above/below, offset, overtake;
- Heading/turn until clear of target then waypoint; and
- Heading/turn then resume/merge behind.
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MASS provides an operator interface (OI) enabling pseudo-pilots controlling simulated aircraft. Pseudo-piloting activities can also be supported by the PWP (See the EONS run-time paragraph).
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MASS is a traffic simulator providing the ESCAPE platform with simulated aircraft data. The MASS simulator supports advanced air-ground communications (datalink) and advanced concepts like ASAS delegation.
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To increase the functionnalities to those available in modern aircrafts. To provide an aircraft simulator to simulations experimenting advanced concepts like DOVE for datalink and COSPACE for ASAS delegation.
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Patrice
Bigare
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MASS Project Manager
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