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| | The PHARE Demonstration 2 facility (Click for a larger image) |
PHARE Demonstration 2 formed the second major real time simulation exercise in the PHARE series. The work programme of PHARE Demonstration 2 to design, implement, and demonstrate the PHARE prototype air and ground computer assistance tools for air traffic management in the extended terminal area (ETMA) was led by the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR). The participating partners were CENA of France, NATS of UK, NLR of the Netherlands, and the EUROCONTROL Experimental Centre at Brétigny (EEC).
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The PHARE Demonstration 2 system was run on DLR’s real-time simulator ATMOS (Air Traffic Management and Operations Simulator), using 32 controllers from 7 European countries. The system incorporated advanced controller assistance tools with an associated Ground Human Machine Interface (GHMI) designed in the PHARE GHMI project. Originally, it was planned to integrate a fully working arrival management system with advanced arrival management tools performing arrival time prediction, sequencing, approach problem solving and 4D descent management during the whole arrival phase. Due to system limitations, however, no trajectory renegotiations were possible once the aircraft was in the TMA.
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| The DLR Attas | |
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The airborne component of the experiment was evaluated by integrating the DLR Advanced Technologies Testing Aircraft System (ATTAS) Experimental Cockpit, simulating air-ground datalink and 4D EFMS.
Six pilots participated in an evaluation of the PHARE Demonstration 2 on-board components developed in the PHARE airborne human-machine interface (AHMI) project. The ability of an aircraft to fly negotiated trajectories in a routine manner while operating on its inbound route down to the approach gate within continuous 4D tolerances, was convincingly demonstrated.
All participating controllers undertook a training programme of one-week, which enabled them to practice their roles for PHARE Demonstration 2 in a reference baseline mode with paper strips based on current practice, as well as in the PHARE advanced tools mode. During more than one hundred hours of simulation, a variety of performance and workload measures were recorded. Audio and video documentation, observer logs, debriefing sessions, and questionnaires were used for PHARE Demonstration 2 data collection.
The controllers considered the training to be sufficient and thought the simulation setup to be realistic and valid. The PHARE Demonstration 2 Ground Human Machine Interface gained a high degree of controller approval, with significant acceptance of display principles such as colour coding of aircraft labels, and an equally high acceptance of the interaction principles, such as use of mouse for on-screen interaction with aircraft labels and pop-up menus.
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| | The PHARE Demonstration 2 route (Click for a larger image) |
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Quantitative analysis of system performance data revealed various gains from the introduction of the PHARE Demonstration 2 PATs and Ground Human Machine Interface in terms of traffic throughput and quality of service. Overall, benefits were achieved for the number of landings per unit time, average flight time of aircraft, inbound delays, and time precision of delivery particularly under conditions of high traffic load. Analysis of the wake vortex category separations measured at the approach gate showed that these benefits were not achieved at the expense of closer separation.
Another general point was that, in parallel with improvements gained in the advanced system, the variability of the measurements was considerably reduced. Controller team performances and work styles became more homogeneous, and thus more predictable.
It is concluded that improvements in traffic throughput and quality of service were achievable with the advanced ground system alone. The introduction of 4D Flight Management System/datalink aircraft which automatically followed their negotiated trajectories in two steps of 30 % and 70 % of equipped aircraft, resulted in considerably higher percentages of aircraft which were delivered at the approach gate exactly on their planned time.
Statistical analysis of controller workload revealed some re-distribution between Tactical Controller positions as a result of the introduction of PHARE Demonstration 2 PGARE Advanced Tools and Ground Human Machine Interface. It is important to note the observed decrease of workload at the approach pickup controller position, since this was the position with relatively the highest workload under reference baseline conditions. Furthermore, the introduction of 30 % and 70 % 4D Flight Management System/datalink aircraft in the traffic sample showed a stepwise reduction of workload for all Tactical Controller positions involved.
The effect of releasing the controllers from the duty of transferring ATC instructions gave significant reductions in all objective workload measures at all controller working positions irrespective of traffic volume. It can therefore be concluded that workload from merely guiding traffic strongly decreased as the proportion of 4D Flight Management System/datalink equipped aircraft increased.
In summary, PHARE Demonstration 2 was a successful demonstration of the integration of advanced tools, 4D Flight Manaagement System and datalink into an air-ground air traffic management system in an extended terminal area airspace. Experimental evidence suggests that the PHARE concept of trajectory-based traffic guidance provided by the advanced tools and human/machine interfaces was approved by the controllers and pilots, and that it has the potential for improving traffic throughput and quality of service, at acceptable or reduced levels of controller workload.
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PHARE Demonstration 2 is documented in the following:
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