Area Navigation/Vertical Area Navigation Terminal Simulation

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Area Navigation/Vertical Area Navigation Terminal Simulation

W. Crimbring / J. Maurer

A dynamic simulation using the digital simulation facility at the National Aviation Facilities Experimental Center (NAFEC), Atlantic City, New Jersey, was conducted to determine the effects of the air traffic control (ATC) system and the system users derivable from the use of area navigation (RNAV) and area navigation with vertical guidance (VNAV) in a high-density terminal area. The John F. Kennedy Airport airspace was configured with an RNAV/VNAV route system to provide the test bed for the study. The study analyzed selected controller workload and system performance measures for various mixtures of RNAV, VNAV, and radar-vectored operations. Results show that controllers can use RNAV/VNAV maneuvers in the control of traffic in lieu of radar vector techniques and that controller workload decreased as the level of RNAV/VNAV participation increased. Controller acceptance of RNAV/VNAV principles and techniques in the ATC terminal area increased as familiarity and experience with RNAV/VNAV were gained. Controllers favored the use of RNAV over a pure radar-vector environment, expressing the opinion that RNAV could provide benefits to both controller and system user. Significant decreases in controller communications workload and slight increases in operations were recorded as the percentages of RNAV/VNAV aircraft in the system were increased. In general, the orderliness of the ATC system improved as the percentage of RNAV/VNAV aircraft was increased. Input from two general aviation trainers (GAT's) was integrated with the targets from the digital simulation facility.