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| | PHARE Demonstration 1 airspace (Click for a larger image) |
PHARE Demonstration 1 (PD/1) brought together research organisations from four European nations. The work programme was led by the National Air Traffic Services Ltd. (NATS), a subsidiary of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, with the participation of CENA of France, DLR of Germany, NLR of the Netherlands and the EUROCONTROL Experimental Centre at Brétigny. This was the first occasion in which Europe managed to co-operate in an extensive ATM research programme and demonstrate its capabilities to a world-wide audience, and was considered a significant achievement.
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The PHARE Demonstration 1 system was demonstrated in the autumn of 1995 on the NATS’ real-time ATC simulator, the NATS Research Facility, using 32 controllers from 7 countries. The experimental system included: advanced computer assistance tools; a live aircraft; simulated and real 4-D flight management systems (FMS); and an air-ground datalink.
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| The BAC1-11 | |
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The aim was to explore the effectiveness of the negotiation of conflict-free trajectories and the reduction of the workload primarily of the Tactical Controller, but also of the Planning Controller, and thus increase airspace capacity.
The PHARE Demonstration 1 airborne demonstration programme, with the participation of the Defence Research Agency BAC 1-11, was extremely successful. It confirmed the ability of an aircraft to agree conflict-free trajectories with ATC, and to fly these trajectories while operating within continuous 4-D constraints. The flights also provided a convincing demonstration to the aviation community of the ‘silent cockpit’.
The training programme showed that one week’s training was insufficient for the controllers fully to assimilate the new facility and concepts. This lack of training and familiarisation time may have influenced the results described below.
Controllers approved of the PHARE Demonstration 1 trials environment. Fundamental aspects of the system were well accepted, such as electronic co-ordination and colour coding of track data blocks. The computer assistance tools with human machine interface received a mixed degree of controller approval. The primary planning tool, the Highly Interactive Problem Solver (HIPS), was particularly well received. The agreed view of the controllers was that the tools and functions should continue to be developed. This requirement to further develop the tools was to be expected, since the PHARE Demonstration 1 system was experimental rather than pre-operational.
The statistical analysis showed little evidence of a change in airspace capacity. However, the study of capacity measures highlighted two important issues: the question of whether, under the operational concept examined, the controller needs to maintain the same level of awareness of the ATC picture as in today’s system; and the representation of aircraft separation on the controller’s display. It was concluded that further addressing these two issues would improve the chances of capacity gains.
In summary, PHARE Demonstration 1 was considered to be a major, successful demonstration of the integration of air and ground air traffic management, in en route airspace, through computer assistance tools, 4-D FMS and air-ground datalink. The evidence suggested that gains are achievable in controller workload, airspace capacity and quality of service to airlines.
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PHARE Demonstration 1 is documented in the following:
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