RNP RNAV Arrival Coordination
T
he current terminal area airspace design RPI places a indicator on the controller’s or TMC’s philosophy centers on defining point-to-point display to indicate the position of aircraft on merging Area Navigation (RNAV) routes. As terminal routes as if they were in-trail or in a line. It does this by area facilities continue to implement RNAV
arrival procedures, they are realizing a reduction in voice communications and increased predictability due to reduced vectoring. These benefits will accrue only if aircraft stay on their RNAV routes. For arriving aircraft, maintaining these benefits for merging traffic can be difficult, because merge conflicts are often addressed through vectoring. calculating the flight path distance to the merge of the source aircraft and places the indicator at that distance as measured along the merging route. RPI takes into account all of the non-linear segments and turn arcs of both routes prior to the merge point. The Roadmap for Performance Based Navigation has as an implementation strategy “in terminal areas with merging RNAV arrival streams, implements flow management through metering and tactical controller tools that maximize the efficiency and throughput for RNAV arrival operations.” The MITRE Corporation's Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (MITRE/CAASD) has researched different tools to address this need. The Relative Position Indicator (RPI) is a near term tool that could assist both the controller and the traffic management coordinator (TMC) in managing the flow of traffic through a terminal area merge point. With the use of RPI, the TMC could determine early in the coordination process whether the two flows of traffic can be merged without undue control actions. Similarly, controllers can also determine what early control actions can be taken, such as speed control that will keep the aircraft from being vectored off its route.
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The MITRE Corporation ● 7515 Colshire Drive ● McLean, VA 22102-7508 USA Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD) MITRE For More Information, visit: www.mitrecaasd.org . 2011 The MITRE Corporation. All rights reserved. MP06W0169R1
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