DISTRIBUTED AIR/GROU ND TRAFFIC MANAGEMEN T - TECHNOLOGY AND CONCE PT DEMONSTRATION REP ORT

A technology and concept demonstration was conducted to evaluate three NASA Advanced Air Transportation Technologies Office, Dis tributed Air/Ground Traffic Management (DAG -TM) Concept Elements - En Route Free Maneuvering, En Route Trajectory Negotiation, and Terminal Arrival Self -Spacing - in a virtual operating environment that included controllers, pilots, and simulation support personnel. The test made use of three facilities - the Airspace Operations Laboratory, Flight Deck Display Research Laboratory, and Crew Vehicle Systems Research Facility's Advanced Concepts Flight Simulator (ACFS) - along with an array of existing and co ncept - specific decision support tools (DSTs) and procedures. Participant controllers monitored and then transitioned free flight aircraft into controlled airspace, data -linked route and clearance information, and sequenced aircraft for approach and landin g using NASA DSTs. Pilot participants flew the ACFS, solved route conflicts in free flight airspace, data -linked route changes to air traffic controllers for approval, and spaced on a lead aircraft during the approach phase using an enhanced Cockpit Displ ay of Traffic Information. Traffic density varied from light to heavy across four scenario types. The demonstration indicated that the DAG -TM concepts should be explored for their potential to increase NAS flexibility and capacity. The test environment was proven to be a robust and useful infrastructure for more advanced research in the future. The participant feedback provided valuable insight into the continued development of DSTs and procedures that will help guide the direction and refinement of fut ure research. Background NASA's Distributed Air/Ground Traffic Management (DAG -TM) research represents a paradigm shift that may bring change to the roles and responsibilities of air traffic service providers (ATSPs), traffic flow management (TFM) special ists, flight crews (FCs), and Airline Operations Center (AOC) dispatchers. The DAG -TM vision comprises 15 Concept Elements (CEs) covering all phases of flight. The CEs were designed to address specific inefficiencies in the National Airspace System. DAG -TM research is being carried out at the NASA Ames, Glenn and Langley research centers. The current research priorities include: CE 5, En Route Free Maneuvering; CE 6, En Route Trajectory Negotiation; and CE 11, Terminal Arrival Self - Spacing. 1 (The work reported on here represents only a part of the NASA DAG -TM research activities being undertaken, and the specific procedures described are subject to change and refinement as the work matures.)