[LINK] Flying through clouds

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

Ivan writes,

> I work in the team responsible for planning, procuring and implementing
> the new system ... if you're interested in how the world's air traffic
> will be managed into the future, wade through this relatively short and
> simple document: http://www.icao.int/Meetings/anconf12/Documents/ASBU
> 20Working%20Doc%20full%20version_Edition2_V3.pdf


Thanks Ivan. Reading this, the global management of current and future 
air traffic is an *enormous* task. For example even down to the vortex
created by closely operating flights, and of remotely-piloted aircraft. 

B1-70: Increased Runway Throughput through Dynamic Wake Turbulence
Separation. Improved throughput on departure and arrival runways through
the dynamic management of wake vortex separation minima based on the real
time identification of wake vortex hazards

B2-90: Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) Integration in Traffic. Implements
refined operational procedures that cover lost link (including a unique
squawk code for lost link) as well as enhanced detect and avoid technology

B3-05: Full 4D Trajectory-based Operations. Trajectory-based operations
deploys an accurate four-dimensional trajectory that is shared among all
of the aviation system users at the cores of the system. This provides
consistent and up-to-date information systemwide which is integrated into
decision support tools facilitating a global decision-making.

One certainly wishes you Ivan, and all of your participants including
we passengers the best of luck with all the planning. It is certainly
an incredibly ambitious initiative. One thing that I would/do predict
is a need for an extreme system flexibility, due to human involvement.

For example the last O/S flight I took, via an major national carrier
a few months ago, all of we passengers had to rapidly move quite some 
distance to another departure gate. Speaking with ground staff, as to
why, they said that the pilots of the carrier regularly pull into the
nearest available gate and not to the gate allocated to that aircraft.
With this sort of human system-compliance one predicts major problems
for you and all involved in this very complicated world flight system. 

Best of luck, Ivan :)

Cheers,
Stephen