AIDC safety benefits

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AIDC safety benefits limitations

• AIDC Implementation Seminar
• 28th 31st October 2014

Adam Watkin Airservices Australia
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Introduction
Presentation title

• Implementation of AIDC
• Safety benefits
• Data adaptation issues to consider
• Limitations

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Safety benefits

• Coordination errors - reduced
• Coordinated data should be extracted
  automatically from flight data processing system
• Coordination should occur automatically
• Controller workload - reduced
• Less reliance on intercom/phone lines
• More time available to complete other tasks
• Efficiency - increased
• Controller can manage increased traffic levels
• Support DARPs etc

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Considerations Adaptation data

• What AIDC messages to send?
• ABI, EST/ACP or
• ABI, CPL/ACP
• What about ICD V3 messages such as TRU, FAN, FCN
  etc
• Coordinating changes
• CDN or
• Voice
• Will AIDC hand offs be used?

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Considerations Adaptation data

• When are AIDC messages sent?
• Timing parameters
• When does automation send AIDC messages?

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Considerations Adaptation data

• Format of Field 14 (Estimate data) supported by
  neighbouring ATS Units
• Block levels
• Weather deviations and offsets
• Mach Number Technique
• Needs to be configurable per FIR

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Considerations Adaptation data

• Content of Field 15 (Route) required by
  neighbouring ATS Units
• full flight planned route or
• route information to commence at the waypoint
  preceding the coordination point
• Should be configurable per FIR

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Limitations

• A benefit of AIDC is its automation. However,
  this can also be a disadvantage!
• Controller is out of the loop
• What information was coordinated?
• Unintentional changes to profile (e.g. level)
  after coordination has occurred
• Automatic updates to profile (e.g. estimates)
  without controller awareness (e.g. ADS-C estimate
  updates)

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Limitations

• Processing AIDC messaging for short term FIR
  transits

• Problems occur when ATSU2 attempts to send AIDC
  messages to ATSU1 for the entry to ATSU1s FIR at
  DONLD, while aircraft is still under the control
  of ATSU 1

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Limitations

• Duplicate unknown waypoints, duplicate ATS
  routes
• Cause problems for flight data processing systems
• All waypoints and routes within the area of
  responsibility should be known and unambiguous
• Truncation
• A means to truncate (delete) unknown route
  information and allow downstream units to still
  accurately process AIDC messaging
• Must be completed correctly
• Dont just delete unknown/duplicate waypoints or
  routes!

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More information

• Adam Watkin
• Air Traffic Controller
• Brisbane Centre
• adam.watkin_at_airservicesaustralia.com