CDR Usage

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CDR Usage

• A Computer Flight-Plan Suppliers viewpoint

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Lets just think about what CFPS do...
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Apart from that!

• We provide airlines and corporate aviation with
  flight briefing details, including flightplans,
  weather, notams and integrate data and
  information, so that their flight crews can
  operate efficiently and safely.
• To do this, we require significant amounts of
  information ourselves weather data, navigation
  data, aircraft performance data and details our
  customers plans, routes, timings, payloads, etc.
• The key to all of that is data exchange between
  systems, in a manner that allows automatic and
  timely responses to a dynamic and complex
  environment. Our customers expect and need that,
  Eurocontrol (and any other authority which may be
  involved) expect and need that. Gradually, over
  the last few years, considerable progress has
  been made in the way we all operate but there
  still seems to be a long way to go.

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CDRs

• CDRs are a case in point and one that has been a
  topic of conversation for some time now but
  with little real progress.
• At the risk of being controversial, I would say
  that our overall feeling is that CDRs are there
  for the convenience of the service providers
  (i.e.the individual States ATC) rather than the
  users (i.e the airlines). Critically, CDRs are
  still only published as paper documents (PDF
  files are not usefully machine-readable) as is
  the additional information that is associated
  with them notams, danger areas, public
  holidays, etc.

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The problem

• The problem is that airlines do not really want
  to read the CRAM, make changes to their schedules
  (so as to take advantage of CDR2 or other
  short-notice opportunities) or to look for more
  efficient routings
• Their task is fire-fighting the slot
  cancellations, delays and technical problems that
  beset them daily.
• They want their flightplanning systems to do the
  planning work for them and, to do that properly,
  we need data in an electronic format.

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Lets just look at the CDR definitions

• CDR1 Segments that are normally open but may be
  closed by ATC for short periods normally plan
  able.
• CDR2 Segments that are normally closed but may be
  opened by ATC under certain conditions.not plan
  able.
• CDR3 Segments that are almost permanently closed,
  but may be opened by ATC at short notice not
  plan able.

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What are they for?

• CFPS do not, therefore, normally use CDR-2s and
  CDR-3s in flight planning.
• CDR1 closures can be converted to airway
  restrictions so that they could be used in
  flight planning

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So what are the problems?

• Some airways are published as CDR1s for certain
  time-periods only at other times they are CDR2
  (or even CDR3)
• CDR2 openings are usually ignored for planning
  purposes because of the timing constraints
  imposed by an airlines automated schedule and
  the difficulties involved in changing this at the
  last minute.
• Some states publish airways as CDR2 during the
  day, but they can be CDR1 at night, weekends, or
  other times (or by CRAM notification). These
  times can even be different on either side of an
  FIR boundary

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Because there is no real database of CDRs, CDR2
and CDR3 they cannot be easily used by a CFP
system.

• The CDRs are published on a monthly basis, as
  paper documents (i.e. in the AIPs).  Even
  Eurocontrols useful CDR Catalogue is a PDF
  document every AIRAC cycle this has to be
  converted into machine-readable form. 
• Where I work, we take this monthly CDR Catalogue
  and produce our own database of CDR-1s, CDR-2s
  and CDR-3s. This monthly CDR file is currently
  produced manually and is sent out to on-site
  customers
• Time-limited CDRs frequently have different time
  spans in summer and winter flight planning
  always uses UTC so the people having to do the
  conversions are usually the airlines themselves. 
  Morocco even has CDRs which are time-limited
  with reference to sunrise and sunset!

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Notams

• Many CDRs are opened or closed when restricted or
  danger areas are active.  Many of these areas are
  activated by Notams, which are still not
  machine-readable with any confidence so, again,
  it is very difficult to include them in
  computerised flight planning systems.
• Many CDRs come with additional instructions of
  what to file when the segment is unavailable. 
  Again, good for ATC but very difficult to include
  in a flight planning system which is trying to
  optimise routings and reduce the customers
  costs.

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The CDR Catalogue

• You can see the CDRs at
• http//www.eurocontrol.int/prisme/public/related_l
  inks/CRAM_BOOKLET.html
• ..where it talks about Flexible use of AirSpace
  (FUA)

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Flexible Use of Airspace Concept

• FUA ConceptThe basis for the Flexible Use of
  Airspace Concept is that airspace should no
  longer be designated as either military or civil
  airspace but should be considered as one
  continuum and used flexibly on a day-to-day
  basis. Consequently, any necessary airspace
  segregation should only be of a temporary nature.
  

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The FUA is managed at three levels

• Strategic - Level 1 State AIP Publication
• Ok for flight planning purposes
• Pre-Tactical - Level 2 CRAM message
• Sometimes OK for flightplanning purposes
• Real-Time - Level 3 ATC
• No use at the planning stage
• So there is not much here of practical use
  for the CFPS or airlines!

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CDR Catalogue
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Heres an example, from the Ukraine, of the sort
of complexity that gives CDRs a bad name

• A83             CY                    KEDUB
• Time CDR1WIN PERIOD MON-THU 0000-0600,1300-1800,
  FRI 0000-0600,1300-1800,2200-2400,SUN AND SAT
  H24.CDR1SUMER PERIOD MON-THU 0000-0500,1200-1700
  ,AND 2300-2400.FRI 0000-0500,1200-1700 AND
  2100-2400.SUN AND SAT H24.CDR2AT ALL OTHER
  TIMES.CDR3DURING THE TIME OF UNAVBL CDR2 ON ATC
  DISCRETION ONLY.Level CDR1/2/31200M-FL150.

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Another, closer to home, is

• L18              LIPGO                    LANON
• Time CDR1/2/3CDR1 MON-THU 1800-0800(W)1730-0700(
  S0AND FROM 1700(WIN AND SUM) ON FRI OR DAY
  PRECEDING APH TO 0800(W),0700(S)ON MON OR THE DAY
  FOLLOWING A PH.CDR2/3 AT ALL OTHER TIMES
  CDR1/2ACT OF NORTH WALES MTA SOUTHEN AREA BEYOND
  THE PUBLISHED HRS IS PERMITED ON WEEKDAYS,
  WEEKENDS AND PHS. DURING THESE PERIODS OF
  ACTIVITY L18 WEST OF RUTOK WILL NOT BE
  AVBL.Level CDR1/2/3FL55 TO FL245.

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CRAM

• On a daily basis, Eurocontrol publish the CRAM -
  which is a short-term modification of the CDRs,
  i.e. CDR-1 closures and CDR-2 openings. This CRAM
  message is not a bad idea but still has some
  gaps in it.
• For us and our airline customers, this means that
  stored routes containing CDR1 sectors may not
  always work, and that it is unlikely that many
  routes exist with CDR2 sectors (in the hope that
  they may be open).
• The daily CRAM message (AFTN?) is automatically
  transmitted to all applicable customer sites.
• In addition, the daily CRAM file is written to a
  database so that both the baseline and the
  temporary modifications are available for flight
  planning and warnings.

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Daily CRAM

• You can see the daily CRAM at
• http//www.cfmu.eurocontrol.be/j_cia_public/cia_pu
  blic/pages/msgCram.jsf

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CDR summary or catalogue

• The CRAM booklet (the Eurocontrol CDR summary
  or catalogue) is sometimes too late, prior to the
  AIRAC cycle date and withdrawn changes are
  not always marked as such.
• And, as I have said before PDF format is of
  no use to Computer systems!

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EAD

• This is where the CDRs and the CRAM should be
  and electronically available.

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Markus Kochle

• Markus Kochle (Tyrollean Airways, European
  Regional Airlines Association and IASA) has
  written a paper on the subject of easing
  flight-planning restrictions and problems, which
  I would suggest you might wish to have a look
  at.
• In this paper, he discusses the question of CDRs,
  as well as the problems of upper and lower
  airspace differences, the RAD, airways
  designators, vertical flight profiles and more.

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In conclusion

• I think that what we are all saying is that we
  need a consistent set of constraints (of whatever
  type) that stays stable for a reasonable time
  period (12 hours?). Short-term lifting of
  restrictions is completely useless for planning
  only good for tactical routing.
• We sincerely hope that the current mix in the
  UK/Ireland area of night-time fuel saving
  routes, free flight, constraints and UK SRDs
  doesnt become the model for the future!

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Emission-trading

• Of course, in closing, it might be worth
  mentioning that when Emission-trading starts in
  anger (no pun intended), the airlines will be
  pressurising their CFPS and everyone for more
  efficient flight-planning processes. States that
  insist on imposing impractical and restrictive
  constraints may find that, with EASA and its
  more political face, they also get put under
  some pressure to change!
• On that note, I will close with a quotation from
  James Hanson (a climate-change scientist) on
  emission-trading

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The end!

• This is analogous to the Indulgences that the
  Catholic church sold in the middle ages.
• The bishops collected lots of money and the
  sinners got redemption.
• Thankyou