What is the connection between an octopus and flight plan adherence?
Daily across Europe, regulations are put in place to protect ATC from receiving more traffic than the controller can handle safely. However, it regularly happens that more aircraft than planned enter these protected sectors, exceeding their capacities by more than 10%, which is regarded as an ATFCM “over-delivery”.
The Flight Plan & ATFCM Adherence campaign is an initiative of DMEAN and the CFMU. A Task Force gathers representatives from the pilots, dispatchers and controllers communities, their representative bodies and associations as well as airlines and ANSPs. Together they are working on the preparation of the Flight Level Adherence Days to be held on 29-30 September 2010.
So, what is the fuss?
When investigating those occurrences described earlier, it is found in most cases that the additional flights entered the concerned sector as a result of:
• not flying at the initial requested flight level (RFL); or
• departing at times different from the original estimated off block time (EOBT) or calculated take off time (CTOT); or
• arriving in the sector earlier or later than originally planned; or,
• deviating from their original planned route; often direct routing (DCT)
In 35% of all ATFCM reported over-deliveries during 2008, the actual FL was different to the RFL in the Flight Plan. The network impact of this over-delivery can result in:
• wasted capacity in some sectors
• potentially excessive workload
• an overall lack of confidence in the accuracy of forecast traffic counts
• protective capacity reduction
• increased workload, stress or working conditions such that the ability of ATC controller may be significantly impaired and thus a safety issue
The trial is an exercise organized and run in partnership with all the actors involved in operations: air traffic controllers, pilots, flight dispatchers, aircraft operators and ANSPs. It triggers better appreciation of all involved operational aspects, from each community’s point of view. Feedback, which is an essential element of the trial, will also bring more than just figures and statistics, but also opinions, ATCOs’ and pilots’ perception of the situation in regards to workload and flexibility and identify specific local constraints and particularities.
Of course an aircraft wanting to have a level different from its original RFL or getting a direct should not cause the system to struggle with over deliveries and one can only hope that the solutions worked out will aim to improve the system rather than put constraints on the choice of flight levels or accepting directs… Incidentally, the very name of the event, Flight Level Adherence Days, would suggest to the unwary that asking for a level that is different from the original RFL is a case of non-adherence of some kind.
But where does the octopus come in?
Well, Paul is a cute little creature, fashioned by EUROCONTROL after the real octopus of football forecasting fame, to promote the flight level adherence days. The design is simple, the animation simpler still but the end result is surprisingly nice and effective. No self respecting design company would ever release something like Paul… and they would be wrong. Paul shows clearly what can be achieved with simple lines and simple movement when put to serve a complex subject like flight level adherence.
To be perfectly honest, our design team would have gone for something a little bit fancier but if the client had asked for something simple but effective, we would have followed the principle behind Paul. I would not be surprised if Paul (or his kin) turned up also in the future promoting other things EUROCONTROL will be doing.
Check out Paul in the video below.