Steve Nichols
A number of European companies are supporting research into the next generation of navigation, communications and air traffic systems.
The North European CNS/ATM Applications (NEAP) project, which is supported by SAS, Lufthansa, Luftfartsverket, DFS and SLV, is investigating and testing a range of future applications.
Six Boeing 747 aircraft belonging to Lufthansa have been equipped with state-of-the-art cockpit displays showing traffic information (ADS-B and TIS-B).
PERCEPTION
The display also includes high precision maps of the area around Frankfurt airport to enable pilots to get a better perception of where they are.
In a further investigation, SAS is using two F-28 aircraft to test a new guidance approach system at Angelholm Airport in Sweden.
During approach and landing the controllers in the tower are able to monitor the flight in both the horizontal and vertical plane on their traffic display using broadcast data from the aircraft.
SURVEILLANCE
Other projects involve the automatic broadcast of terminal information to aircraft at all major German airports, and extended surveillance tests whereby data is sent from helicopters and planes.
Currently, helicopters flying at low altitudes to rigs in the North Sea run a 30% or more risk of having to turn back.
It is hoped that the use of Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast equipment (ADS-B) may help improve the safety of these flights.
Source: Flight Daily News
