NASA/TM–2004-213447 Deployment and Evaluation of the Helicopter In-Flight Tracking System (HITS) Final Report Anastasios Daskalakis and Patrick Martone U.S. Department of Transportation Volpe Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts Sponsored by Advanced Air Transportation Technologies Project Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California December 2004 The NASA STI Program Office . in Profile Since its founding, NASA has been dedicated to the • CONFERENCE PUBLICATION. Collected advancement of aeronautics and space science. The papers from scientific and technical confer- NASA Scientific and Technical Information (STI) ences, symposia, seminars, or other meetings Program Office plays a key part in helping NASA sponsored or cosponsored by NASA. maintain this important role. • SPECIAL PUBLICATION. 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Hanover, MD 21076-1320 NASA/TM–2004-213447 Deployment and Evaluation of the Helicopter In-Flight Tracking System (HITS) Final Report Anastasios Daskalakis and Patrick Martone U.S. Department of Transportation Volpe Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts Sponsored by Advanced Air Transportation Technologies Project Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California National Aeronautics and Space Administration Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California 94035-1000 December 2004 Acknowledgments The authors would like to acknowledge the assistance of many individuals whose contributions to the success of the HITS deployment and evaluation were particularly noteworthy: – Khang Nguyen and Colleen Moore of the Volpe Center, for their acquisition and analysis of flight test data; – Dr. Marc Buntin of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Headquarters, for his leadership of that agency’s participation in the HITS effort, including the contribution of flight-test aircraft; – Petroleum Helicopters, Incorporated, chief pilot Mike Hurst and staff, for graciously allowing the use of their Lafayette, Louisiana facility, for their cooperative/professional contributions to flight tests, and for their assistance in coordinating the HITS effort with other helicopter fleet operators; – FAA Technical Center pilots and flight crew, for their long flight hours and cooperation in accommodating the project’s need for nonstandard flight profiles; – Sensis Corporation personnel Joe Stevens and Bob Pakan, for their hard work and cooperative approach to the formation of an effective government-industry team. Available from: NASA Center for AeroSpace Information National Technical Information Service 7121 Standard Drive 5285 Port Royal Road Hanover, MD 21076-1320 Springfield, VA 22161 (301) 621-0390 (703) 487-4650 Table of Contents 1. Introduction................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Rationale for Helicopter In-Flight Tracking System (HITS).............................................................. 1 1.2 Objectives of the HITS Deployment and Evaluation ......................................................................... 2 1.3 Related Efforts.................................................................................................................................... 2 1.4 Deployment Overview........................................................................................................................ 3 1.5 Evaluation Overview .......................................................................................................................... 4 1.6 Document Organization...................................................................................................................... 5 2. HITS Technologies and Deployed Configurations .................................................................... 7 2.1 Wide-Area Multilateration Technique................................................................................................ 7 2.2 ADS-B Technique ............................................................................................................................ 20 2.3 HITS Ground Equipment.................................................................................................................. 23 3. Test and Evaluation Methodology............................................................................................. 29 3.1 Organizational Roles and Responsibilities ....................................................................................... 29 3.2 Deployed SSR Systems .................................................................................................................... 30 3.3 Rationale for Selecting HITS Evaluation Criteria ............................................................................ 31 3.4 HITS WAM and ADS-B Evaluation Criteria ................................................................................... 32 3.5 Test Methods and Nonflight Test Results......................................................................................... 35 4. Phase I: High-Density Helicopter Terminal/Offshore Logistical Support Configuration... 37 4.1 Phase I Overview.............................................................................................................................. 37 4.2 Test Aircraft Flight Patterns ............................................................................................................. 39 4.3 WAM Performance with ATCRBS Transponder (Sept. 17–18, 2002) ............................................ 42 4.4 WAM Assessment with Mode S Extended Squitter Transponder (Jan. 28, 2003)........................... 48 4.5 ADS-B Flight Test Results (Jan. 29, 2003) ...................................................................................... 52 5. Phase II Test: High-Density Helicopter Terminal Surveillance System................................ 55 5.1 Rationale for Phase II ....................................................................................................................... 55 5.2 Test Aircraft and Flight Profiles ....................................................................................................... 55 5.3 WAM Performance with ATCRBS Transponder (June 10–11, 2003) ............................................. 57 6. Phase III: High-Altitude Oceanic Surveillance System .......................................................... 67 6.1 Phase III Overview ........................................................................................................................... 67 6.2 ADS-B Flight-Test Results............................................................................................................... 80 6.3 WAM Flight-Test Results................................................................................................................. 86 6.4 Overall Assessment and Summary ................................................................................................... 91 7. HITS Deployment/Evaluation Synopsis ................................................................................... 93 7.1 Purpose ............................................................................................................................................. 93 7.2 Summary of Configurations and Flight-Test Findings ....................................................................