Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T05:58:43.652Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Analysis of Long-Range Air Traffic Systems: Separation Standards—I

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 January 2010

P. G. Reich
Affiliation:
(Royal Aircraft Establishment)

Extract

This and the following paper by Mr. Attwooll are the first of a series which will describe the work of the Royal Aircraft Establishment on various aspects of air collision risk and traffic control. Mr. Reich's paper will be presented in three parts, the last two of which deal with the analytical techniques and how they are applied. Mr. Attwooll deals with methods of costing the effects of air traffic control deviations and shows how these costs are related to the size of separation standards. He discusses systems for both subsonic and supersonic transports.

1. Objectives. The main task of air traffic controllers is to plan traffic flows so that aircraft are allotted sufficient separation to absorb not only systematic differences in speed but also the imperfections of navigation and piloting, which we term flying errors. To this end, they usually work with three separation standards, to be applied in, respectively, the along-track, across-track and vertical dimensions of space. The separation standard for any one dimension is the minimum intended (i.e. planned) separation permitted in that dimension when the intended separations are less than standard in the other two. The problem is to choose standards which are safe enough, but not so large as to lead to unnecessary traffic delays and deviations.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Crown Copyright 1966

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1International Air Transport Association (1963). Report on vertical separation study, North Atlantic region, 15 July–30 09 1963, I.A.T.A. DOC. GEN. 1951.Google Scholar
2Kolnick, J. J. and Bentley, Barbara S. (1963). ‘Random deviations from stabilized cruise altitude of commercial transports at altitudes up to 40,000 ft. with autopilot in altitude hold, N.A.S.A. T.N. D-1950.Google Scholar
3Federal Aviation Agency (1964). Operation Accordion, Vol. I Report No. RD-64-52, I.Google Scholar
4Reich, P. G. (1964). A theory of safe separation standards for air traffic control, R.A.E. Tech. Report 64041.Google Scholar
5Reich, P. G. (1964). An analysis of planned aircraft proximity and its relation to collision risk with special reference to the North Atlantic region 1965–1971, R.A.E. Tech. Report 64042.Google Scholar
6Reich, P. G. (1964). Separation standards in the North Atlantic region 1965–71 in the light of recent measurements of flying errors, R.A.E. Tech. Report 64043.Google Scholar
7Piggott, B. A. M. (1965). A non-linear maximization problem arising in the study of aircraft collision risk. R.A.E. Tech. Report 65044.Google Scholar
8Treweek, K. H. (1965). An approach to the problem of estimating safe separation standards for air traffic. This Journal, 18, 285.Google Scholar
9Attwooll, V. W. (1965). Costing air traffic control deviations. This Journal, 19, 99.Google Scholar
10Hampton, D. E. and Mills, J. R. (1964). The long-range navigation of civil aircraft. This Journal, 17, 167.Google Scholar
11Pool, A. and Burgerhout, T. J. (1964). Vertical separation of civil aircraft during cruising. National Aeronautical and Aeronautical Research Institute, Amsterdam, Report V. 1930.Google Scholar