PBN Route Structure Alaska Sub-Committee AACA Co-Chair Dennis Parrish

Transcription

1 ALASKA AIR CARRIERS ASSOCIATION 2301 Merrill Field Drive A-3, Anchrage, Alaska PBN Rute Structure Alaska Sub-Cmmittee AACA C-Chair Dennis Parrish AACA desires member input. Please cmplete the fllwing tw surveys. Yur input will be included in summary discussins during the Nvember 15-16, Final RTCA PBN Rute Structure Alaska Subcmmittee meeting. Recmmendatins resulting frm this meeting will be frwarded t the FAA fr implementatin. PLEASE COMPLETE SURVEY #1 and #2 and frward yur cmpany cmpleted survey t d.parrish@cp.cm r aaca@alaskaaircarriers.rg by September 23. The surveys fllw the summary belw. Yu are welcme t cntact Dennis Parrish with questins r additinal cmments. Summary The FAA s Perfrmance Based Navigatin (PBN) is prpsed t utilize GPS satellite navigatin. As a result, FAA intends t remve NDB appraches by 2025 and mst NDB infrastructure by FAA is seeking an alternate means f navigatin fr the Natinal Air Space in the event GPS is lst. Resiliency, the back-up system is prpsed t be prvided thrugh a VOR Minimal Operatinal Netwrk (MON) fr the lwer 48 nly. AACA desires additinal infrmatin s the future Alaska enrute structure is meets AACA member needs. Assumptins which are currently in use within the FAA and the FAA research supprt grups are: The VOR MON is primarily t ensure the ability f an aircraft t land shuld the GPS system fail in a specific area r glbally. It is nt cnsidered a means fr lng term and cntinuus navigatin belw specific altitudes r apprach capabilities at remte lcatins. The VOR MON prgram fr the lwer 48 has the advantage f grund transprtatin t all cmmunities shuld the GPS system fail fr an extended perid. Fr that reasn, different strategies are being cnsidered in Alaska. NDB Airways currently have lwer enrute minimums than the T rutes which wuld replace them after the eliminatin f NDB s. That is; as a rule, T Rutes will likely have higher MEA s than the NDB Rute it replaces. The difference is smetimes several thusand feet which is due t the requirement f cntinuus radi cmmunicatin with ATC. T rutes are cnsidered a higher precisin perating envirnment when cmpared t NDB Airways, with tighter separatin standards, thus the need fr cntinuus cmmunicatin. The FAA is lking at the pssibility f exceptins fr Alaska in regards t cmmunicatin standards, hwever it shuld nt be assumed that will ccur when answering the belw questins. Regarding Victr Airways: The assumptin is that all V rutes which have way pints anchred by an NDB can have the NDB designated waypints replaced by a GPS based waypint. The V Rutes knwn t have NDB anchrs are listed in this dcument. Please review and cmment if the NDB s can AACA Advcates and Supprts the Alaskan Cmmercial Aviatin Cmmunity.

2 be remved with n impact t enrute navigatin, r if there are any V Rutes which are missed n this list that have NDB s invlved in the rute. Additinal infrmatin and cnsideratins when answering questins: Terminal access is nt a part f this study, hwever it will prve t be fundamental in the discussin f VOR s and NDB s. The current decisin is t fllw-up with a Terminal and Apprach study after the airway study is cmpleted. With that the questin n Resiliency (redundancy???) will have a greater play. NDB s are viewed by the FAA and mst f industry as utdated and unnecessary. It is understd that ADF s are expensive t install, and NDB instrument appraches are used infrequently. Fr thse reasns there is a desire t cmpletely eliminate all NDB s frm the Natinal Airspace System (NAS). If the GPS system were ut f service fr an extended perid f weeks r mnths, wuld there be adequate backup in Alaska fr enrute navigatin frm the VOR system, withut NDB s. Again, during GPS utage, backup appraches fr lcatins such as Gambell r Ambler will be discussed later. Des yur cmpany fly IFR? Hw many pilts des yur cmpany emply? Cmpany Name and Cntact Infrmatin Survey #1 this survey is fcused nly n enrute navigatin. Terminal navigatin will be addressed separately at a later date. Are cmpany aircraft equipped with the fllwing equipment in the panel? ADF ne installed tw installed VOR ne installed tw installed WAAS GPS ne installed tw installed ADSB ne installed tw installed GPS ne installed tw installed D yu r ther cmpany pilts use VOR as a primary surce fr enrute navigatin? Yes N D yu r ther cmpany pilts use VOR as a secndary surce fr enrute navigatin? Yes N D yu r ther cmpany pilts use ADF as a primary surce fr enrute navigatin? Yes N D yu r ther cmpany pilts use ADF as a secndary surce fr enrute navigatin? Yes N Is WAAS GPS as a primary surce fr enrute navigatin? Yes N 2 P a g e

3 Is WAAS GPS as a secndary surce fr enrute navigatin? Yes N D yu r cmpany pilts regularly fly airways (VOR, NDB, T r Q rutes)? Yes N If yu answered yes, please list the mst frequently airways used and frequency f use: VOR airways NDB airways T rutes Q rutes D yu r cmpany pilts file IFR direct (nt filed n airways)? Yes N If yu answered yes, what percentage f flights are filed IFR direct? % Please check all the answers that apply t cmpany aircraft. All aircraft are equipped with ADSB in and ut. All aircraft are equipped with ADSB in. All aircraft are equipped with ADSB ut. N aircraft are equipped with ADSB. If equipage is mixed, please list the number f aircraft fully equipped, number with ADSB in and number with ADSB ut. Are there cmmunicatin r navigatin issues impacting IFR flights? Yes N If yu answered Yes, please explain belw, listing the lcatin and specific issue. T review the current list f issues, please visit: Survey #2 (If yu have already cmpleted Survey #1, please start here) There are incnsistencies with MEAs fr Victr airways, GNSS, T-Rutes, and NDB airways. Ensuring there are benefits frm an existing and future rute structure is critical t Alaskan cmmercial air peratrs. Sme NDB airways are planned t be replaced with T-rutes by 2025, but nly if deemed necessary and required. Due t cmmunicatin requirements, MEA s fr NDB airways are lwer than fr T-rutes. D yu supprt replacing NDB airways with T-rutes, even if it resulted in higher MEA s? Yes N Wuld yu supprt replacing NDB airways with T-rutes, if MEA s were nt raised? Yes N Are there specific areas where a T-rute wuld imprve yur peratin s ecnmic efficiency? Yes N If yes, please list Wuld a GPS waypint in lieu f an NDB serve yur cmpany needs? Yes N If s, which NDB s culd be replaced with a waypint? If nt, which NDB supprted airways are vital t yur peratin? Are there any victr airways, anchred by an NDB, that are vital t yur peratin Yes N If s which air ways are vital? If s wuld a GPS waypint in lieu f an NDB serve yur cmpany needs? Yes N 3 P a g e

4 Why are the NDB airways r Victr airways anchred n ne end by an NDB, imprtant t yur peratin, Lwer MEA altitudes Yes N Lcatin Yes N please indicate lcatins Other, please identify ther Unlike NDB airways, T-rutes require cntinuus cmmunicatin. Which are mre critical t Alaskan peratrs: additinal RCOs fr imprved cmmunicatin with flight service r RCAGs fr imprved cmmunicatin with Center. Currently FAA is cnsidering installing tw new RCO s. Our cmpany supprts additinal RCO s fr FSS cmmunicatins. Lcatins that wuld benefit ur cmpany peratins include: Additinal RCAGs are needed fr Center cmmunicatins. RCAGs are necessary t reslve issues in the fllwing lcatins: FAA intends t use a VOR MON fr redundancy in the Perfrmance Based Navigatin (PBN) Rute Structure. In the lwer 48, the VOR MON Prgram will enable pilts t: Revert frm PBN t cnventinal navigatin in the event f a Glbal Psitining System (GPS) utage; Tune and identify a VOR at a minimum altitude f 5,000 feet abve grund level r higher; Cnduct VOR navigatin thrugh a GPS utage area r; Navigate t a MON airprt within 100 nautical miles t fly an Instrument Landing System (ILS) r VOR instrument apprach withut Distance Measuring Equipment (DME), Autmatic Directin Finder (ADF), surveillance, r radar (where the capability currently exists); and Navigate alng VOR Airways, especially in muntainus terrain, where Minimum En-rute Altitudes (MEAs) make direct-t navigatin impracticable. Alaska s existing VOR infrastructure wuld NOT currently supprt the MON standard. If the satellite based navigatin was nt peratinal, hw wuld yur peratin be impacted? Wuld yur peratin be adequately served by the existing Alaska VOR infrastructure? yes n Wuld yur peratin require any f the NDB supprted airways? yes n If yes, which NDB supprted airways are imprtant In regard t redundancy, Is there a need t cnsider additinal recmmendatins arund GPS interference such as current military exercises in Alaska? Yes n Allwing pint t pint flight in uncntrlled airspace abve 1,200 AGL can result in ATC nt prviding traffic separatin services t aircraft under their cntrl, pilts nt being tld when entering r exiting this area, and ATC unable t vectr a pilt unless requested. Eliminating all high altitude Class G airspace with Class E airspace in Alaska wuld be beneficial fr pint-t-pint flight. Des yur cmpany supprt eliminating all Class G airspace abve 1200 in Alaska? yes n The definitin fr muntainus areas are verly cnservative and d nt reflect the advanced navigatin technlgy available tday which culd allw a safe reductin in size. D yu agree? yes n Are there specific areas where this wuld benefit yur cmpany peratin? yes n 4 P a g e

5 If yes, please list Hw will Alaskan Air Carriers perate IFR in 2025? Is there cnfusin amng the pilt cmmunity n rute planning and flight plan filing when it cmes t ff rute flying. Wuld updating the Instrument Prcedures Handbk and Instrument Flying Handbk t include ff rute RNAV guidance remedy the issue? yes n Is additinal FAA utreach and educatin needed fr the Alaskan Cmmercial Aviatin Industry? yes n Are there incentives that wuld encurage yur cmpany t equip with the TSO 145/146 WAAS navigatin equipment? List Terminal infrastructure imprvements needed List Enrute Infrastructure imprvements needed What wuld the mnetary incentive need t be? It has been estimated that 12 t 14 additinal radi statins are needed t adequately supprt ADSB statewide. Others have estimated far mre than 14 radi statins are needed. D yu supprt including ADSB system needs with the enrute recmmendatins? yes n Given what yu knw f cmmunicatins issues, d yu feel that additinal studies n radi statin lcatin shuld be dne prir t frwarding a recmmendatin t FAA? yes n Please rank the fllwing (1 mst imprtant t 8 lesser imprtance) fr Alaska: Address RCO Cmmunicatin Issues Address RCAG Cmmunicatin Issues Redefine Muntainus Terrain Update Educatin Material that Supprts Pilt Flight Planning Eliminate uncntrlled airspace abve 1200 in Alaska A VOR MON r cmbinatin VOR/NBD MON must be available in Alaska by 2025 fr system redundancy Establish Incentives fr equipping with TSO 145/146 Equipment Eliminate NDB airways D yu supprt RTCA hsting an additinal sub-cmmittee t discuss terminal issues: What additinal issues wuld yu like included, check all that apply: Need fr additinal LPV/LP appraches Imprved cmmunicatin Additin AWOS infrastructure Mre tech ps supprt Other, please list. 5 P a g e