Center/TRACON Automation System: Development and Evaluation in the Field

https://doi.org/10.21949/14037661993PDFProceedingsAutomated radar terminal systemInteractive computer systemsField testsDevelopmentResearchAir Route Control Center (ARTCC)Center-TRACON Automation System (CTAS)Denver (Colorado)Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON)Traffic Management Advisor (TMA)United StatesSanford, Beverly D.Harwood, KellyNowlin, SarahBergeron, HughHeinriches, HaroldWells, Gary and Hart, MarvinAir Traffic Control AssociationNTL-AVIATION-Air Traffic ControlNTL-AVIATION-Aviation Human FactorsUS Transportation CollectionTechnological advances are changing the way that advanced air traffic controlautomation should be developed and assessed. Current standards and practices ofsystem development place field testing at the end of the development process.While such practices may have been suitable for manual control systems, they arebecoming quickly outdated for systems that are harnessing advanced informationtechnology. The FAA TATCA Program recognizes the importance of context throughearly field testing for the development of advanced Air Traffic Control (ATC)automation. It is using rapid prototyping and early field exposure as part ofthe Center-TRACON Automation System (CTAS) development process, using on-sitesystem evaluations with active controllers and representative traffic flows andconditions. A primary objective of the TATCA Program is the evolutionaryrefinement of CTAS for the purpose of bringing system functionality to a levelof usefulness and stability. This paper describes the development andassessment process that has been applied for CTAS at Denver Air Route TrafficControl Center (ARTCC) and Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON). This isthe first automated system to go through this early stage field testing andrefinement. CTAS is described first, followed by an overview of the developmentand assessment process. Descriptions are also provided of progressiveassessments, how the Traffic Management Advisor (TMA) is used in the field, andhow scenarios, shadow exercises and structured interviews are used duringassessments. The methods used for interpreting and analyzing data, as well asdrawing inferences and identifying implications, are also discussed. Finally,the training process is described.84