Air navigation conference hears how planned traffic increases could be stymied
Wake vortices are emerging as a potential barrier to achieving the capacity increases sought from next-generation air traffic management (ATM) systems planned in the USA and Europe, and industry experts are warning that real-time knowledge of wake hazards is needed to provide several capabilities planned for these systems.
Mike Lewis, business development director for Boeing’s advanced ATM unit, told an air navigation conference in Montreal last week that one of the challenges to system transformation is “we do not know where the wakes are – we need accurate prediction tools”. Capacity-increasing capabilities requiring real-time wake information include 2nm [3.7km] final approach spacing: safe multi-aircraft runway operations: and the ability to build new runways between existing runways, Lewis told the conference, organised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation and McGill University.
“The issue with 2nm separation is vortices,” said Capt Miguel Marin, of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations. “And closely spaced runway operations are the same issue as wake separation in trail.” An ability to share real-time wake information between controllers and pilots is needed. “We do not have the technology today to have the collaborative information on board.”
The potential hazard posed by wake vortices is mitigated procedurally by enforcing separation standards between aircraft, but this limits en route and terminal airspace capacity. The ability to detect wake turbulence would allow the hazard to be managed tactically, said Russ Chew, chief operating officer of the US Federal Aviation Administration’s air traffic organisation. “Most days, wakes are not a problem in operations,” he said.
Source: Flight International
