[Avionics Today 10-09-2015] An ongoing research, development and demonstration project involving the FAA-Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) Florida NextGen Testbed and several domestic and international government and industry partners are using International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards to facilitate global sharing of flight operational data. The project, Mini Global II, is scheduled to run through 2017 and demonstrates the applicability of global exchange models for sharing flight, aeronautical and weather information between Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), airspace operators and other aviation stakeholders. Ultimately, the project aims to simulate future international System Wide Information Management (SWIM) flight operational data sharing compliance between international civil aviation authorities.
The Florida NextGen Testbed (FTB), located at Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB), is a US facility established to provide an environment where the FAA can work with industry, agency and academic aviation experts to foster the concept development and evaluation of future NextGen technologies. Currently, the focus of FTB’s latest ongoing activity, Mini Global II, is to foster future SWIM compliance between multiple international ANSPs, operators, airport personnel and more.
Mini Global II will demonstrate the applicability of sharing the global exchange models for flight, aeronautical and weather information using the [Flight Information Exchange Model] FIXM, [Aeronautical Information Exchange Model] AIXM, and [Weather Information Exchange Model] WXXM standards via SWIM and its established standards. This data exchange amongst operators, ANSPs, and other stakeholders worldwide supports the ultimate goal of seamless interoperability and harmonization.
Through 2017, Mini Global II will develop and execute complex use cases to include air traffic flows, demonstrate new SWIM applications and assess near real-time data evaluations.
“The purpose is: How do you get countries that not only have a different language but have a different alphabet to conduct data exchange? SWIM technology used in Mini Global II allows us to make that happen,” Jorge Ferrand, PMP Director of Advanced Programs at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, told Avionics Magazine. “Using the approved data standards, that direct ‘data architecture, content and structure of what that message set should look is the fundamental and critical basis for data exchange. What SWIM allows you to do is to take those respective messages and conduct production and subscription globally.”
Embry Riddle and Germany’s national center for aerospace, energy and transportation research, Deutschen Zentrums für Luft-und Raumfahrt (DLR) teamed up to participate in the SESAR SWIM Master Class Competition to demonstrate the feasibility of using SWIM globally to communicate international aviation stakeholders with information about how future commercial space vehicle operations will impact air traffic.
“Leveraging the NextGen Florida Test Bed results, ERAU and DLR assets, we’ve begun conducting data exchange of a space vehicle re-entry in to a Global Airspace using SWIM technologies and the AXIM, FXIM data standards. The concept is to provide critical status of sovereign airspace during space vehicle re-entry both for planned operations and early abort — managing airspace with significant space vehicle debris in high density airspace is a challenge that is upon us. The results of this effort between ERAU and DLR are being presented as part of this year’s SWIM master class competition,” said Ferrand.