Editor's NotePerspectives: RNP: Foundation for ATM Efficiency In July 2002, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced its commitment to implementing required navigation performance (RNP) airspace and procedures throughout the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS). It is an important step…
ATM ModernizationProduct Focus: Countdown to DRVSM Jan. 20, 2005, is the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) implementation deadline for the application of domestic reduced vertical separation minimums (DRVSM) in the upper airspace over the 48 contiguous states, Alaska and…
ATM ModernizationSafety: ETOPS Revisited Electrically related in-flight fires may be a greater threat to the safety of long-range flights than engine failures. A new report on extended twin-engine operations (ETOPS) marks a major effort to rationalize…
Editor's NoteIndustry Scan WARP and New Airspace The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently made two announcements pertinent to its airspace modernization plan. At a Washington press briefing, agency officials announced plans to deploy an advanced…
Business & GAWeather Avoidance Advances in receiving and processing radar- and satellite-derived weather data, plus communications breakthroughs, are allowing critical weather information to be presented to pilots in flight – on-line and in near real time.…
Business & GAPrecision and Flexibility, Too Precision, accuracy, stability – these are what a pilot wants in a precision instrument approach. The instrument landing system (ILS) has provided these qualities for years; however, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)…
ATM ModernizationNav Canada Towers–Big and Small Of all the ground facilities in aviation’s total infrastructure, few are more interesting than airport control towers. Whether serving smaller communities or large metroplexes, airport towers provide one of the best close-up…
ATM ModernizationSystem Design: Evaporating Data Recently, we have seen evidence in our shop of a disturbing fault trend that merits wider discussion in the avionics community. My coworkers and I happen to be involved in a great…