Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC
Nav Canada hopes to begin full operational trials with automatic dependence surveillance (ADS) over the North Atlantic in early May, followed by controller-pilot datalink communications (CPDLC), with the upgrade of its Gander Automated Air Traffic Control System.
"We are targeting being operational on 7 May. High-frequency [HF] voice will then be dropped for aircraft that log on directly to ADS," says John Fekkes, Nav Canada manager, flight data system engineering. This is subject to the approval of the International Civil Aviation Organisation's Future Air Navigation System (FANS) implementation group, due to meet shortly.
Full ADS "shadow" trials are under way with FANS-equipped aircraft. The trial was launched across the North Atlantic last July, with position reports communicated to Gander and UK National Air Traffic Services via ARINC datalink, backed by HF voice (Flight International, 7-13 July, 1999).
Nav Canada wants to follow ADS in the fourth quarter with full CPDLC operational trials. New software developed by Prior to support these trials should be installed at Gander by July. The operational trials will be limited to FANS-1-equipped Boeing 747s and 777s, which Nav Canada estimates account for 15% of aircraft on transatlantic routes.
Talks have been held with Airbus Industrie to include its new FANS-A package, due to be operational by October. In the interim, trials will mirror those conducted earlier with Boeing, using simulator and ground testbeds. A limited pre-formatted exchange of CPDLC messages was recently conducted between two Air Canada 747-400s and Nav Canada's technical systems centre in Ottawa.
Talks are under way with airlines interested in participating in trials, such as Air New Zealand, which has experienced trial work over the Pacific and operates a Los Angeles-London extension route.
Source: Flight International
