Category: SWIM

Articles on System Wide Information Management

AIXM 5.1 arrives in operational service

You can be excused if the abbreviation AIXM does not ring any bells… I mean, to fly or control aircraft, you do not need to know what AIXM is… just enjoy its benefits. Of course if you are a regular reader of Roger-Wilco, you will have seen our articles on System Wide Information Management and… Continue reading AIXM 5.1 arrives in operational service

Aircraft guy saving Ford. The key? Shared information!

I remember clearly how surprised I was to read a while back that Boeing’s Alan Mulally, after 37 years with the aircraft maker, went to head up the Ford Motor Company in Detroit. While still with Boeing, Alan gave the impression that he was an aircraft guy through and through and in fact he kept… Continue reading Aircraft guy saving Ford. The key? Shared information!

Why airlines are reluctant to SWIM

In the air traffic management context, System Wide Information Management (SWIM) is an accepted concept and in fact SWIM is considered as one of the most important mainstays of both SESAR in Europe and NextGen in the USA. SWIM attained this status through the widespread recognition that the lack of information and the poor management… Continue reading Why airlines are reluctant to SWIM

Who owns the radar blip?

I am sure many of you had read about the proposed slot swap between Delta Airlines and US Airways, giving the former substantially more presence at La Guardia while the latter would gain strength at Reagan National in Washington D.C. When the airlines applied for approval, the FAA set conditions that would have nixed most… Continue reading Who owns the radar blip?

US DOT/Volpe Survey on the subject of aircraft cyber security

Hello, My name is Kevin Harnett and I work for the Department of Transportation, Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, Mass. My team is actively involved in supporting the FAA, DoD/USAF, and UK on several Cyber Security aircraft initiatives, such as: Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs) Security Testing, Aerospace Network Security Simulator (ANSS), Next Generation… Continue reading US DOT/Volpe Survey on the subject of aircraft cyber security

SWIM – proper terminology at last?

During the SESAR definition phase we had to spend a lot of time explaining to the various authors that talking about System Wide Information Management (SWIM) using the old terminology is counter productive and will only make the documents more difficult to understand (and easier to misunderstand). Let me explain. For some reason, most people… Continue reading SWIM – proper terminology at last?

SWIM – How much information should we be sharing?

I would like to propose a simple rule: anybody asking how much information we should be sharing in air traffic management should have their Christmas bonus cancelled… Here is why.   System Wide Information Management (SWIM) is the concept and set of rules, procedures and other needed elements that underpin the net-centric approach of the… Continue reading SWIM – How much information should we be sharing?

NOTAM goes digital

What is a NOTAM? There are a few things in aviation that have survived over the years with so little change as the NOTAM, in spite of its numerous, known shortcomings. NOTAM is a quasi-acronym for Notice to Airmen, a system of providing aeronautical information introduced well over 60 years ago. NOTAMs… we have all… Continue reading NOTAM goes digital

SITA selected to provide PENS – but SWIM is more than just ANSPs!

Those of our readers who have looked at the various postings on System Wide Information Management (SWIM) will be familiar with the abbreviation PENS which stands for “Pan European Network Service”. PENS will allow air navigation service providers from 38 countries to exchange operational data communications across a common network for the first time. Following… Continue reading SITA selected to provide PENS – but SWIM is more than just ANSPs!