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!
Tag: ATM
Aircraft Operational Fuel Savings & Noise Reduction – Past and Future
The way pilots fly their aircraft can have a significant effect on the economics, fuel consumption and environmental performance of their airline. Many airlines and Air Navigation Service Providers are working on Constant Descent Approaches (CDAs) but to do these it is necessary to have well motivated pilots, good operating procedures and efficient ATM procedures.… Continue reading Aircraft Operational Fuel Savings & Noise Reduction – Past and Future
NCS – What? Not CNS?!
Whoever came up with the abbreviation CNS (a.k.a. Communications/Navigation/Surveillance) probably had no idea how much damage their invention would cause in air traffic management by perpetuating the kind of silo mentality that keeps many organizations hopelessly divided and experts retreating into their respective ivory towers. If at least the inventors had the good sense of… Continue reading NCS – What? Not CNS?!
GDP and the Key Performance Indicators of air traffic management
Time magazine in their 2 November issue published a very interesting essay. The author, Steven Faris, argues that using GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to judge how well a country was doing is wrong and misleading. The idea behind GDP was only to show how much money is changing hands, nothing more, nothing less. Should we… Continue reading GDP and the Key Performance Indicators of air traffic management
Single Sky Committee unanimously supports Aeronautical Data and Information Quality (ADQ) Implementing Rule
The drive is on to transform Aeronautical Information Services (AIS) into Aeronautical Information Management (AIM). This is needed to set the scene for the introduction of System Wide Information Management (SWIM), the ultimate goal of the activity. The change from AIS to AIM is primarily the morphing of the traditional, package based aeronautical information system… Continue reading Single Sky Committee unanimously supports Aeronautical Data and Information Quality (ADQ) Implementing Rule
Enterprise Architecture and service orientation – what is this?
Few abbreviations connected with the future air traffic management system have given rise to so many questions and misunderstandings as EA (Enterprise Architecture) and SOA (Service Oriented Architecture). In the United States both concepts are part and parcel of air traffic management system development since the marching orders were given by the Federal Government. In… Continue reading Enterprise Architecture and service orientation – what is this?
A short (unofficial) history of air/ground digital link – 3
Pioneers to the rescue In spite of the positive business case, airspace users were not exactly rushing to equip with air/ground digital link. Because of the slow down of traffic growth in the wake of 9/11, the expected ACARS problems did not materialize and the ATC frequency congestion was also pushed far into the future.… Continue reading A short (unofficial) history of air/ground digital link – 3
What is nanotechnology’s equivalent in air traffic management?
It has been all over the trade press recently. 10 billion extra euros to go into French aeronautics research, the money coming from a planned public bond issue. Some of the fruits of this dough will come in the form of ground and flight demonstrations in the 2011-2014 time-frame and the primary aim of the… Continue reading What is nanotechnology’s equivalent in air traffic management?
Whatever happened to (the benefits of) Mode S Enhanced Surveillance (EHS)?
Though there are few who will not be familiar with the term Mode S Enhanced Surveillance, let me quickly recap. Mode S is a legacy, ground based surveillance system which has a rudimentary data link capability. It is this latter that was being pushed in the 90s as a solution to all ills of air… Continue reading Whatever happened to (the benefits of) Mode S Enhanced Surveillance (EHS)?
A short (unofficial) history of air/ground digital link – 1
Introduction Talking to a group of young controllers the other day I suddenly realized that Controller Pilot Digital Link Communications (CPDLC) and its enabler, air/ground digital link were a kind of given for them… Their centre has either already implemented it or had plans for it and while their opinion diverged on the usefulness of… Continue reading A short (unofficial) history of air/ground digital link – 1