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In performance-based navigation (PBN) procedures with barometric vertical guidance, the effective vertical path angle (VPA) depends on the actual air temperature at the time of approach execution. A very low design temperature could result in an obstacle clearance height (OCH) higher than needed; hence, the airport throughput could be reduced when the cloud ceiling is below the OCH. Conversely, the design of a low temperature higher than is practical could lead to long periods in which the procedure cannot be used. The results of this research show that there is not much difference between the effective VPA for the different low temperatures studied. However, this slight difference, when obstacles penetrating the final approach surface (FAS) exist, usually leads to the approach minima being significantly different from each other. The objective of this study was to analyse the impact of the selected designed low temperatures in PBN procedures with barometric vertical guidance on the OCH/runway throughput and approach periods of use balance. Finally, guidelines on the selection of the minimum designed low temperature are proposed.

Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) is a capital issue for the majority of aviation actors nowadays. The integration of RPAS is an extremely demanding task that must be tackled by multiple standpoints: economic, social, technological or environmental among others. Uspace is the answer from Europe to design the operation of multiple and different types of RPAS. U-space is a set of novel services designed to support efficient, safe and secure access to airspace, from the very low level to the upper airspace. This paper focuses on the terminal airspace to design the operational concept for the integration of RPAS in conjunction with conventional aircraft and general aviation. This work develops a holistic methodology to analyse the way RPAS integration affect crucial factors and tries to bring to the light different issues that can frustrate their integration. First, we focus on detailing the requirements specified by RPAS legislation. Second, all the requirements are gathered into different categories to perform further analysis. The categorisation identifies navigation, communication, surveillance, air traffic management and control, and safety as crucial categories (security is out of the scope of this study). The results provide for each category a proposal about how to solve the integration and implementation of RPAS in a TMA.

Trabajo en el que se presenta la aplicación de técnicas nuevas para la detección de conflictos en un espacio aéreo. Todo ello desarrollado usando Python.

La introducción segura y eficiente de los Sistemas de Aeronaves Pilotados en Remoto (RPAS) en un espacio aéreo no segregado requiere un análisis en profundidad de todos los aspectos operacionales involucrados. Este artículo analiza el impacto que tiene la integración de RPAS junto a aeronaves convencionales sobre la seguridad operacional. La metodología está basada en un modelo de riesgo de conflicto dirigido a las fases de diseño y planificación del espacio aéreo. Además, permite establecer relaciones entre la capacidad y la seguridad. En primer lugar, la metodología determina un riesgo de conflicto límite a partir de la operación existente en un sector aéreo, y, en segundo lugar, introduce RPAS por las aerovías del sector para analizar cómo varía el riesgo de conflicto. Además, se ha realizado un análisis adicional sobre cómo afecta la variación de la velocidad de los RPAS sobre el riesgo de conflicto. La metodología ha sido aplicada a un sector del espacio aéreo español y los resultados confirman la validez de la metodología para comparar modificaciones en la operación de un espacio aéreo y la viabilidad de integrar RPAS. No obstante, la introducción de RPAS no está exenta de determinadas restricciones operativas. ----------ABSTRACT---------- The efficient and safe introduction of Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) in non-segregated airspace requires an in-depth assessment of all operational aspects. This paperassesses the safety impact due to the integration of RPAS jointly with conventional aircraft. The methodology is basedon a conflict-risk model for airspace design and planning purposes. Moreover, it permits to determine relations between capacity and safety. Firstly, the methodology calculates a conflict-risk limit according to current operation in an air traffic volume, and, secondly, RPAS are introduced by airways to assess how conflict riskis affected. Moreover, a further analysis assesses the impact of RPAS speed on conflict risk. The methodology i

Remotely-piloted aircraft systems (RPASs) present interesting and complex challenges for air traffic management. One of the most critical aspects of the integration of RPASs in non-segregated airspace is safety assessments. This paper lays out a methodology for estimating the minimum protection distance (MPD) that is required to avoid potential conflicts between RPASs and conventional aircraft. The MPD determines the final moment that air traffic control may instruct a RPAS to start climbing with a fixed rate of climb (ROC) to avoid separation minima infringement. The methodology sets out a conflict-resolution algorithm to estimate the MPD. It also models the impact of communication, navigation, and surveillance requirements on the MPD. The main difference between RPASs and conventional aircraft is that the former needs additional communication between the RPAS and pilot in the form of a required Comand and Control link performance (RLP). Finally, the authors carried out Monte Carlo simulations to estimate the value of the MPD only for the head-on encounter, which is the worst scenario. The results showed that the main factors affecting the MPD were RLP and ROC. By increasing RLP and decreasing ROC it was possible to reduce the MPD from 28 to 17 nautical miles; however, the variation in the MPD was not linear.

The integration of remotely piloted aircraft system in non-segregated airspace requires a significant effort and new methodologies to underway this challenge. This paper develops a methodology to assess the impact of remotely piloted aircraft system integration by applying safety metrics in tactical planning. This methodology builds five modules to simulate remotely piloted aircraft system introduction in a conventional-aircraft schedule: Base scenario, path modelling, conflict detection, temporary-blocking window and safety metrics. The safety metrics quantify the safety state of the operation by the number of conflicts, the conflict severity and the airway availability. This last safety metric represents a step forward in the decision-making process because it provides the airway risk-suitability to integrate remotely piloted aircraft system. Moreover, the temporary-blocking window underlies the airway availability metric. This concept provides temporary restrictions to the integration of remotely piloted aircraft system depending on the entry times of the conventional aircraft. Finally, this methodology is applied in an air traffic volume of the Spanish upper airspace. Different simulations were performed by introducing remotely piloted aircraft system covering every airway of the airspace. Results provided the temporary-blocking windows that specified the temporary restrictions to remotely piloted aircraft system introduction as a function of the airway flown by the conventional aircraft. Furthermore, the methodology appraised the airway availability characterising the airways depending on the risk impact by the remotely piloted aircraft system.

The efficient and safe introduction of Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) in non-segregated airspace requires a thorough assessment of all operational elements. In this paper, we dealt with the safety problem that arises from the integration of RPAS jointly with conventional aircraft in non-segregated airspace. The authors propose a framework and methodology for airspace design and planning purposes based on a conflict-risk method. This method compares a target level of safety (base-scenario without RPAS) with the calculated level of safety (scenario with RPAS). Moreover, the framework proposes an in-depth assessment by identifying geometrical and operational factors that may affect conflict risk. These conflict-risk factors are critical for RPAS integration and must be assessed to detect relations between them and conflict risk. Moreover, we have performed a sensitivity analysis to assess how RPAS average speed affects conflict risk. A real air traffic volume is studied to characterise a conflict-risk indicator, and different permutations to the base-scenario study the RPAS integration all over airways. Results confirm the validity of the methodology for planning purposes and the viability of RPAS integration without a significant impact on safety but with several restrictions to the RPAS airway distribution.

The full benefits of Continuous Climb Operations (CCO) are realised when CCO are performed without interruption. However, CCO require safe departures that necessarily implies a reduction in capacity at high density traffic airports. This paper quantifies the capacity impact due to the integration of CCO (conflict-free with other departures and arrivals) in a high density traffic airport. The methodology develops a scheduling algorithm, a conflict-detection and resolution algorithm, and Monte Carlo simulations. The scheduling algorithm calculates two schedules, one for departures and another for arrivals, considering the CCO Rate. The conflict-detection and resolution algorithm compares CCO and arrival trajectories to detect which aircraft pairs are in conflict. The Air Traffic Control (ATC) intervention required to solve the conflict is modelled by delaying the CCO take-off. Numerical simulations based on Monte Carlo techniques are used to analyse scheduling combinations that are statistically significant in terms of conflict, ATC interventions, total delay and capacity. The results show a 32% reduction in the maximum theoretical capacity with a CCO Rate of 100%. Despite the reduction, the number of CCO departures is above the maximum operational capacity (50% of the maximum theoretical capacity). This implies that with optimised scheduling it is possible for all departures to be CCO.