A, NextGen Performance Based Navigation (PBN) – Metroplex Area Navigation
(RNAV)/Required Navigation Performance (RNP), G05N.01-01
Program Description
NextGen Performance Based Navigation – Metroplex RNAV/Required Navigation Performance (RNP) will develop procedures at Metroplexes to improve airspace efficiency. The Airspace Optimization Group will begin integrated airspace design and associated activities, including traffic flow analysis, arrival and departure route design and
procedures optimization. This will lay the framework for developing PBN initiatives. Optimizing airspace use and associated procedures development in Metroplexes would:
• Examine use of additional transition access/egress points not tied to ground-based navigation aids; • Develop and implement arrival and departure procedures concurrently;
• Incorporate the process for optimizing procedures;
• Decouple conflicting operations to and from primary and secondary/satellite airports serviced by the same complex terminal airspace; and
• Develop high altitude routes through congested airspace to create more efficient routes between major metropolitan areas.
Development of RNAV and RNP routes and procedures will address the RTCA Task Force 5 recommendations, maximize benefits, and accelerate NextGen concepts.
Optimization of Airspace and Procedures in the Metroplex:
Airspace redesign and procedure development will target specific Metroplex areas that have been designated as high priority using criteria established by FAA with input from RTCA, using quantitative and qualitative metrics. The current program plan will address 13 Metroplexes. These can be unique metropolitan locations (e.g. North Texas with Dallas/Fort-Worth (DFW), Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL), and other regional airports) or consolidated Metroplex locations (e.g. Central and Southern Florida Metroplexes (Orlando (MCO), Miami (MIA), Tampa (TPA), Palm Beach (PBI), Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and other regional airports) which can be addressed as a single project to take advantage of overlapping airspace. This approach began in FY 2010 and will be completed at the selected locations by FY 2018. Study Team results guide the design and implementation of those procedures that have the highest benefits. Design and Evaluation Team efforts include analyses and simulations, assessment of alternatives, and modeling of projected airspace and procedures benefits. These efforts include:
• Study and Scoping: Identify issues and propose potential solutions through facility and industry interface meetings.
• Design and Procedure Development: Create the detailed Integrated Airspace and Procedure designs. • Evaluation: Complete all necessary operational modeling, Safety Management System (SMS) analyses,
and environmental reviews. It is conducted by the Design and Evaluation team after design and procedure development.
• Pre-Implementation: Complete Metroplex design package preparation, criteria evaluation, training plans, Safety Risk Management Documentation (SRMD) and publication preparation documentation.
• Post Evaluation: Complete Metroplex documentation reviews, lessons learned, and process improvement activities. It includes reviews of the airspace and procedure changes to determine if they have delivered the desired benefits while minimizing other impacts. Modifications or refinements may be made to the design process to better achieve desired benefits or address unforeseen impacts.
Alignment of Program to FAA Strategic Priority and Performance Metric
• FAA Strategic Priority 2 – Deliver Benefits through Technology and Infrastructure.
• FAA Performance Metric 5 – Optimize airspace and Performance Based Navigation (PBN) procedures to improve efficiency an average of 10 percent across Core airports by 2018. (FAA Business Planning Metric)
Relationship to Performance Metric
Developing performance based navigation in Metroplex airspace will allow more efficient use of the airspace and increases in arrival and departure flows.
Program Plans FY 2015 – Performance Output Goals
Optimization of Airspace and Procedures in the Metroplex:
• Complete analysis and studies, through established Optimization of Airspace and Procedures in the Metroplexes (OAPM) Study Team processes, at four Metroplex locations (e.g., Chicago, Memphis, Cleveland/Detroit and Boston) focusing on expedited integrated PBN procedure development coupled with airspace design to optimize benefits.
• Based on the output of the earlier analysis and study stage, begin OAPM design work at four Metroplex locations (e.g., Memphis, Cleveland/Detroit, Chicago and Boston).
• Begin OAPM pre-implementation/evaluation activities at four Metroplex locations (e.g., South/Central Florida, Chicago, Cleveland/Detroit and Phoenix).
• Establish standardized databases, software and data formats in support of the Navigation Procedures Implementation Plan (NAV Lean) initiative, which will accelerate Metroplex projects and NextGen by improving efficiency and production time for all Instrument Flight Procedures (IFPs).
Program Plans FY 2016 – Performance Output Goals
Optimization of Airspace and Procedures in the Metroplex:
• Complete Metroplex design work at three Metroplex locations (e.g., South/Central Florida, Boston and Memphis).
• Complete Metroplex pre-implementation evaluation activities at three Metroplex locations (e.g., Southern California, Phoenix and Cleveland/Detroit).
• Begin Post Evaluation activities at three Metroplex locations (e.g., Southern California, Phoenix and Cleveland/Detroit)
• Complete Post Evaluation activities at two Metroplex locations specifically for benefits analysis and metric analysis. (e.g., Charlotte and Atlanta)
• Begin Metroplex documentation reviews at two Metroplex locations (e.g., Charlotte and Atlanta)
• Complete Metroplex documentation reviews, lessons learned and potential redesign based on benefits analysis, and process improvement activities at two Metroplex locations. (e.g., DC, Northern California).
Program Plans FY 2017 – Performance Output Goals
Optimization of Airspace and Procedures in the Metroplex: • Complete the Evaluation of four Metroplex projects.
• Complete Post Evaluation activities at one Metroplex project specifically for benefits analysis and metric analysis.
• Complete Metroplex documentation reviews, lessons learned and evaluate potential redesign based on benefits analysis, and process improvement activities for three Metroplex projects.
Program Plans FY 2018 – Performance Output Goals
Optimization of Airspace and Procedures in the Metroplex:
• Complete Post Evaluation activities for four Metroplex projects specifically for benefits analysis and metric analysis.
• Complete Metroplex documentation reviews, lessons learned and evaluate potential redesign based on benefits analysis, and process improvement activities for one Metroplex project.
Program Plans FY 2019 – Performance Output Goals
Optimization of Airspace and Procedures in the Metroplex:
• Complete Metroplex documentation reviews, lessons learned and evaluate potential redesign based on benefits analysis, and process improvement activities for four Metroplex projects.
B, NextGen Performance Based Navigation (PBN) – NAV Lean, G05N.01-02
Program Description
The Navigation Procedures Implementation Plan (NAV Lean) was published in June 2011, in response to the Navigation (NAV) Procedures Project Final Report, dated September 2010, containing 21 recommendations to
streamline the Instrument Flight Procedures (IFP) development process. This program will facilitate implementation of the recommendations to include a streamlined version of the current core process for developing instrument flight procedures (including request, design and development, approval, implementation, and maintenance). It will also clarify the role of auxiliary processes, such as Safety Management System (SMS), environmental, and operational approval. The process will be better managed by having all IFP requests submitted through an authorized Web-based portal established as the official entry point into a system for processing, tracking, and managing the IFP development life cycle.
NAV Lean will allow participants in the process to obtain up-to-date information concerning an IFP status, exchange information with other system users, and will provide an archive function and audit trail. This system will also serve as a gateway to the consolidated databases required for IFP design and development, applicable publications, and forms and templates. Consolidation and standardization of the databases will provide improved data integrity and improved process management. Use of this system will facilitate early screening of requests to ensure they are complete and have been assigned a priority, and it will provide transparency for users. It will also ensure that safety, airspace, operational approval, and environmental aspects are all considered early in the process. Use of this common portal will also facilitate the early recognition of potential requirements for new or modified criteria.
NAV Lean Implementation of the future IFP process is expected to significantly reduce the average time required to implement IFPs and will position the FAA to meet the increased demand for instrument flight procedures that are the cornerstone for NextGen. Achieving this optimal future process and all of its benefits will require full implementation of all recommendations.
Alignment of Program to FAA Strategic Priority and Performance Metric
• FAA Strategic Priority 2 – Deliver Benefits through Technology and Infrastructure.
• FAA Performance Metric 7 – Organizations throughout the agency will continue to implement cost efficiency initiatives. FY 2014 Target: 90 percent of targeted savings. (FAA Business Planning Metric)
Relationship to Performance Metric
Nav Lean improved processes will result in better managed IFP requests which have been submitted through an authorized web-based portal established as the single entry point into a system for requesting, processing, tracking, and managing the IFP development life cycle. At least a 40% improvement in processing time is estimated and this high quality procedure development will enhance NextGen efforts.
Program Plans FY 2015 – Performance Output Goals
• Migrate National Airspace System Resource (NASR) functionality into AirNav 2.0.
• Complete implementation of a secured technical solution for authentication and access point for external users. • Complete system development, testing, integration and implementation of Airports, Points and Holding,
Enroute, Departures, and Approaches Authoritative Sources.
• Complete Web based Request and Access Portal Testing and Implementation, including Stakeholder and User Training.
• Standardize software and data formats that allow auto-population/extraction of data to produce, populate, and edit documents that are accessible to all parties for review.
• Develop, implement, and ensure standards to electronically communicate, transfer, and integrate data among tools.
Program Plans FY 2016-2019 – Performance Output Goals
• None.
C, Concept Development for Integrated NAS Design & Procedure Planning, G05A.02-04
Program Description
The Integrated National Airspace Design and Procedure Planning program is currently conducting PBN Initiatives safety analyses to allow for the future NAS-wide implementation of Established-on-RNP Instrument Approach Procedures (IAPs). Established-on- Required Navigation Performance (RNP) (EoR) will allow air traffic controllers to clear aircraft on an RNP approach with a turn to final without providing standard radar separation between aircraft that are established on approaches to parallel runways. In addition, EoR is expected to provide opportunities for increased efficiency including reduced track length, fuel burn, environmental footprint and noise exposure. Furthermore, EoR may be able to provide opportunities for increased capacity via reduced standard separation.
The program supports RTCA Task Force 5 recommendations and integrates industry and agency efforts to maximize utility of aircraft performance capabilities, Standard Terminal Arrivals (STARs) and Optimum Profile Descents (OPDs). The primary focus of the program is to conduct design, safety analysis and implementation of various EoR IAPs in an effort to provide shorter, repeatable and stabilized paths to runway for RNP aircraft.
Facilitating the EoR concept of operation from a key developmental site to a NAS-wide Document Changes Proposals (DCP) is a major undertaking effort involves designing comprehensive scenarios of various simultaneous parallel runways operations and configurations, which will then be analyzed from a safety and benefits perspective to support Safety Risk Management Process (SRMP) and specific waivers that will allow experimental EoR flight trials to be conducted. From the experimental operations/flight trials, additional data will be collected to support final safety and benefits analyses. These final analyses will be utilized in support of actual DCPs that would alter separation standards in FAA orders allowing NAS wide use of the EoR operational capability. Some of these scenarios will happen in parallel, however, the majority will occur in a consecutive progression as the analysis models for the more complex configurations are typically constructed from the framework of the less complex configurations.
Alignment of Program to FAA Strategic Priority and Performance Metric
• FAA Strategic Priority 2 – Deliver Benefits through Technology and Infrastructure.
• FAA Performance Metric 2 – Maintain an average daily capacity for Core airports of 58,166, or higher, arrivals and departures.
Relationship to Performance Metric
This program will contribute to the average daily airport capacity metric by providing the modeling and analysis needed to modify airspace and procedures. This will result in more efficient use of airspace thereby increasing capacity.
Program Plans FY 2015 – Performance Output Goals
• Initiate modeling and safety analysis of two new RNP approach standards. • Support the implementation of one RNP approach standard.
Program Plans FY 2016 – Performance Output Goals
• Complete safety analysis of two RNP approach standards.
Program Plans FY 2017 – Performance Output Goals
• Initiate modeling and safety analysis of one new RNP approach standard. • Support the implementation of one RNP approach standard.
Program Plans FY 2018 – Performance Output Goals
• Complete safety analysis of one RNP approach standard. • Support the implementation of one RNP approach standard.
Program Plans FY 2019 – Performance Output Goals
• Initiate modeling and safety analysis of one new RNP approach standard. • Support the implementation of one RNP approach standard.