Federal Aviation Administration Alaskan Region Capstone Program Office 801 B Street, Suite 300 Anchorage, Alaska 99501 Capstone Test and Evaluation Master Plan for Area Navigation (RNAV) Operations in Southeast Alaska DRAFT 30 September 2003 ALASKAN REGION Investment in Safety Preface The Capstone Program is sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) Alaskan Region and is conducted in cooperation with the FAA Safe Flight 21 Program. Capstone is a technology focused safety program in Alaska that seeks near-term safety and efficiency gains in aviation by accelerating implementation and use of modern technology. It links multiple programs and initiatives under a common umbrella for planning, coordination, focus, and direction. Capstone develops capabilities and requirements jointly with FAA, the Alaska community and aviation industry in a manner consistent with future National Airspace System (NAS) plans and concepts, and implements in a manner leading to self- equipage. Capstone is taking a phased implementation approach as industry directs and technologies mature. Starting in 1999 under Phase I, Capstone installed Global Positioning System (GPS) and Universal Access Transceiver (UAT) Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) avionics suites in over 150 commercial aircraft, and provided a corresponding ground infrastructure serving the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) River Delta in and around Bethel, Alaska. During Phase II, which began in 2001 and is focused in Southeast (SE) Alaska, Capstone will incorporate technologies matured in the Y-K Delta, explore the use of other safety technologies, and build on lessons learned to further reduce accidents and fatalities. A main goal for Phase II is to provide a “more useable” Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) infrastructure in SE Alaska consistent with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) safety study recommendation A-95-121. This Capstone Test and Evaluation Master Plan (TEMP) for Area Navigation (RNAV) Operations in Southeast Alaska outlines the activities within Phase II for use of Capstone RNAV services in SE Alaska, initially centered in and around Juneau. These activities are based on a transition from the use of conventional ground-based navigation aids to the use of GPS and the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). Use of GPS/WAAS opens usable airspace for IFR navigation below conventional minimum enroute altitudes (MEAs) on existing routes and enables new instrument approach and departure procedures. Capstone’s objectives are to use GPS/WAAS navigation, RNAV procedures, appropriate operational training and approvals, and advanced certified avionics to provide a usable IFR system (e.g., below hazardous weather) and to improve access to remote airports. Operational feedback during the initial period will lead to system refinements, requirement validation, and NAS implementation risk mitigation for services implemented in other parts of the NAS. The Capstone Program Office is producing this document in coordination with participating organizations. It presents program background; system descriptions; and test management, organization, planning, and documentation activities. The Capstone TEMP for RNAV Operations is not intended as a public relations document; these type inquiries should be directed to the appropriate offices of the participating organizations. iii Acknowledgments Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Alaska Air Carrier Association Alaska Airman’s Association, Inc. Alaska Aviation Safety Foundation FAA Alaskan Region (AAL) FAA Office of Rulemaking (ARM) FAA Office of the Chief Counsel (AGC) FAA Aviation System Standards (AVN) FAA Flight Standards Service (AFS) FAA Aircraft Certification Service (AIR) FAA Air Traffic Service (AAT) MITRE Corporation Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD) NAS Implementation Support Contract (NISC) University of Alaska Anchorage iv Table of Contents Section Page 1. Program Overview 1-1 1.1 Capstone Background 1-1 1.2 Capstone RNAV Services 1-2 1.2.1 Objective 1-2 1.2.2 Description of Operational Use 1-3 1.2.3 Potential Benefits 1-4 1.3 Other Capstone Phase II Services 1-4 1.4 Purpose of TEMP 1-5 1.5 Implementation and Operational Evaluation Activities 1-5 1.6 Schedule 1-6 1.7 System Description 1-6 1.7.1 Ground System 1-7 1.7.1.1 Voice Communications 1-7 1.7.1.2 MicroEARTS and Next Generation Ground Based Transceivers 1-8 1.7.1.3 Automated Weather Observation Sites 1-9 1.7.1.4 Other Infrastructure Changes Supporting Capstone Phase II 1-9 1.7.2 Aircraft System 1-10 1.7.3 Airspace 1-13 2. Capstone Deliverables 2-1 2.1 Operational Certifications and Approvals 2-1 2.2 Safety Engineering Report 2-2 2.3 Safety Benefit Study 2-3 v 3. Developmental Test and Evaluation 3-1 3.1 Ground System 3-1 3.1.1 Ground Infrastructure 3-1 3.1.2 Air Traffic Services Procedures and Training 3-1 3.2 Aircraft System 3-2 3.2.1 Equipment 3-2 3.2.2 Procedures and Training 3-2 3.3 Airspace 3-4 4. Operational Evaluation 4-1 4.1 Aircraft System 4-1 4.1.1 Data Collection Methodology and Performance Measures 4-1 4.2 Airspace 4-1 4.2.1 Data Collection Methodology and Performance Measures 4-2 4.3 UAA Safety Effects and Benefits 4-2 4.3.1 Data Collection Methodology and Performance Measures 4-2 5. Capstone System Safety 5-1 6. Resources Summary 6-1 vi Appendices A to O Appendix A.1 U.S. Senator Ted Stevens WAAS Letter A.2 AVR1 Letter to Industry A.3 ATS-1 RNAV Support Memo Appendix B.1 AAL Request to Lower MEAs to MOCAs B.2 AAL Departure-Approach Feasibility Request B.3 AAL-500 Request for Publishing MEAs Appendix C.1 RNAV EnRoute Schedule C.2 RNAV Approach-Departure Schedule C.3 Capstone RNAV Telcon Record and Matrix Appendix D.1 Avionics STC SA02203AK D.2 Approved Model List for STC SA 02203AK Appendix E AFS-1 RNAV GPS MEA Guidance Memo Appendix F.1 GPS MEA Flight Check Request F.2 GPS MEA 8260-16 Forms Appendix G NATCA GPS MEA Concurrence Letter Appendix H Haines, Hoonah IFR Designation Forms 7480-1 Appendix I AFS-400 Approach-Departure Guidance Memo Appendix J Draft Capstone SE Approach-Departure Procedure Charts Appendix K SFAR 97 Appendix L AIM Change Languange Appendix M SE RNAV Draft NOTAM Appendix N HBAT (Flight Standards Handbook Bulletin (03-01) Appendix O Acronyms vii 1. Program Overview 1.1 Capstone Background Capstone is a technology focused safety program in Alaska that seeks near-term safety and efficiency gains in aviation by accelerating implementation and use of modern technology. It links multiple programs and initiatives under a common umbrella for planning, coordination, focus, and direction. Capstone develops capabilities and requirements jointly with FAA, the Alaska community and aviation industry in a manner consistent with future National Airspace System (NAS) plans and concepts, and implements them in a manner leading to self-equipage. The program is implemented in cooperation with the Alaska aviation industry and responds to a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Safety Study, “Aviation Safety in Alaska,” Safety Study NTSB/SS-95/03, dated November 1955. The study’s foremost recommendation to the FAA states: “Implement, by December 31, 1997, a model program in the Arctic and southeast regions of Alaska to demonstrate a low altitude instrument flight rules (IFR) system that better fulfill the needs of Alaska's air transportation system. The model should include the following components: (1) The use of the global positioning system (GPS) as a sole source of navigational information for en route navigation and for non-precision instrument approaches at a representative number of airports where instrument approaches do not currently exist. (Operators participating in the program will have to be allowed to conduct these operations without the integrity monitoring functions of the wide area augmentation system (WAAS) until WAAS is fully implemented in the demonstration region.) (2) The use of satellite-based voice communications and satellite based, Mode S, or VHF data link (for aircraft position and altitude) between aircraft in flight and air traffic controllers. (3) The operation of commercial, passenger-carrying flight under IFR in turbine powered single-engine airplanes equipped with redundant sources of electrical power and gyroscopic instrument vacuum/pressure. (4) The use of currently uncontrolled airspace for IFR departures, en route flight, and instrument approaches in the demonstration program region. (Class II, Priority Action) (A-95-121).” Phase II of the Capstone Program responds to these recommendations and RNAV Services are directed toward recommendations (1) and (4). Capstone is also responsive to requests by the Alaska Aviation Coordination Council and the U.S. Congress as expressed in Appendix A1. Appendices A2 and A3 affirm FAA management support for initiatives to achieve the Capstone safety improvements. 1-1 Capstone implements new technologies enabling pilots to cope with terrain, traffic conflict and weather hazards. These technologies also allow dispatchers/operators better means to monitor their aircraft, and give air traffic controllers expanded surveillance coverage to provide Air Traffic Control (ATC) services. Capstone provides answers to technical, operational, and cost/benefit questions that enable the FAA and industry decision-makers to make future CNS technology implementation choices. Some of these questions were raised in an RTCA document on Free Flight operational enhancements.1 Capstone addresses many of these areas and the overall Safe Flight 21 Program addresses the remainder through additional work with the aviation industry. Capstone provides an improved aviation system and an infrastructure from which to gather data necessary to make better decisions on implementing the future NAS architecture. Capstone participation with the Alaskan aviation industry is vital to the successful outcome of the program. Industry “buy-in” connects everyone to the goals and objectives of Capstone and ensures support.