By Major Rob Aman, CD and Mike Dimic Photo composite by CFAWC Legacy A310 Airbus with Problems Fleet Description wo distinct problems were identified The Department of National Defence in the 1995 A310 Airbus, and in 2005, (DND) operates a total of five CC150 aircraft T two statements of capability deficiency that are being maintained by Aveos under a (SOCDs) were filed for the CC150 Fleet. Public Works and Government Services Canada Attempts began in 2005 to provide a solution (PWGSC) contract. They are responsible for to these problems. Finally, after the third try all aspects of maintenance, airworthiness, and beginning March 2010, a solution was approved configuration control of the aircraft through for implementation on December 10 for both. DAEPM(TH). The Airbus A310 aircraft is a In March 2010, a working group was formed to wide-body, twin-engine, low-wing monoplane identify the requirements, consider options, and with a pressurized fuselage and normal mitigate the risk. This group included Director configuration tail. They were manufactured by Aerospace Requirements (DAR), Director Airbus Industries in approximately 1986, hold Aerospace Equipment Program Management a Transport Canada (TC) Approval of the Type (Transport and Helicopter) DAEPM(TH), Design Certificate, and were bought by DND Transport Operational Test and Evaluation around 1992. Flight (TOTEF), 437 Squadron (Sqn), and Aveos Fleet Performance Inc. This team identified options and selected the one to enable THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE Airbus performance vertical coupling to ensure IS TO DETAIL THE CERTIFICATION the present certification for the aircraft is retained PROCESS, INTENDED TO BE USED and to enable future growth for next generation (gen) avionics, including Future Air Navigation IN THE FLIGHT MANAGEMENT System 1 Boeing first stage A Airbus (FANs SYSTEM (FMS) REPLACEMENT 1A) and global positioning system (GPS) Wide AND GPS WAAS UPGRADE ON Area Augmentation System (WAAS). These THE THREE-PASSENGER / CARGO problems (SOCDs) will be described further on CONFIGURATION OF THE CC150 in the article. AIRCRAFT FLEET. The purpose of this article is to detail the certification process, intended to be used in the flight management system (FMS) replacement The five aircraft are built and certified to and GPS WAAS upgrade on the three- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Federal passenger / cargo configuration of the CC150 Aviation Regulations Part 25 (FAR 25) standards, aircraft fleet. which also include supplemental requirements It will also detail a separate polar navigation in amendment 45 to cover the Damage- (nav) upgrade on the two multi-role tanker Tolerant Design specifications for commercial transport (MRTT) CC150T special mission fuel civilian aircraft that include failsafe design and tankers that will be done through an identical system redundancy. The aircraft are operated by process which also includes an FMS replacement 437 Sqn out of Trenton, Ontario, to the approved as part of an integrated avionics solution for this limitations of each model type that are specified functionality. This modification will remove the within the latest revision of the TC Approval of present Flight Manual Limitation on these two the Type Design Certificate and approved flight aircraft and certify them to allow flight above manuals from Airbus. The mission role of three Latitude 72 degrees (°) North and below 60° of the aircraft is presently within the original South, including their ability to navigate in the type design and mission profile for this aircraft, polar regions using a new FMS, true north labels which consists of transportation for government from the inertial navigation systems (INS), and officials, DND personnel, cargo, and medical WAAS GPS as an additional navigation sensor. evacuation (MEDEVAC) missions as required. SUMMER 2011 • VOL. 4, NO. 3 CC150 (A310) POLARIS 27 The two remaining aircraft have been Flight Management Systems Issues converted to add MRTT in-flight refueling mission capability for the CF18 fleet; however, The present Honeywell FMS is heavily when in the CC150T is in the P3 normal integrated with the aircraft auto-flight system configuration (non-refueling), it maintains the by Airbus, and includes aircraft performance civilian “Type Design” certification/approvals data that is based on its predicted weight, for the A310 aircraft, and could also be used power, climb, and descent capabilities in present for transportation of passengers, cargo, and ambient atmospheric conditions. In addition, MEDEVAC missions as required. the aircraft is also presently certified for reduced vertical separation requirements, extended twin The Director Technical Airworthiness & engine operations, and Category (CAT) III Engineering Support (DTAES) / DND has reduced visual landing operations that includes accepted the TC Type Certificate data sheet and auto pilot and throttle coupling. its limitations for the CC150 aircraft as the basis for its DND registry and airworthiness of the As the worldwide required navigation CC150 / Airbus A310-300 aircraft. performance (RNP) has increased over the last 25 years due to the number of aircraft flying, Aircraft details for each model related to incorporation of the GPS satellite system, new the approved engines, operational limitations, enroute navigational abilities, GPS WAAS which include power management, configuration vertical navigation guidance, and multiple new airspeeds, TO weights, centre of gravity limits, system runway approach overlays, it has reached and references to instructions required for the point where the present legacy Honeywell continuing airworthiness and the approved flight management system can no longer hold publications are all listed within the A310 Type one quarter of the present world navigational Certificate data sheet. data available. The legacy Honeywell FMS as originally The existing 25-plus-year-old FMS is at the integrated, installed, and certified in the aircraft end of its technological life cycle with no planned by Airbus contains specific A310 aircraft upgrade path by Honeywell. Its computer performance data provided by Airbus that memory for the Jeppesen world navigation data can be vertically coupled to the aircraft power base (presently at eight megabytes) is limited and flight control systems in all flight modes to approximately two megabytes maximum as required. requiring that the present navigation data base is Defining the Problems (Statement of broken up into four separate disks that need to Capability Deficiency) be loaded and unloaded as required to complete trip planning and actual worldwide flying navigation. In many cases, the four disks also Two distinct problems were identified and have had certain data omitted to allow room for SOCDs filed for the CC150 Fleet: essential navigational waypoints at the expense 1. the severely limited navigation data base of missing emergency alternative airports. Crews memory and processing power of the Honeywell have had to compensate by manually entering FMS that was originally installed in 1986; and waypoints, a system which is subject to human error. The added workload is one issue, but the 2. the two MRTT fueling tankers have a errors made during manual entry of waypoints present aircraft flight manual limitation based have become a serious safety concern. on its Type Certificate approval of not being able to operate above North Latitude 72° or The FMS replacement project will need below South 60°, and not be able to navigate in to ensure all present aircraft Type Certificate the polar regions, which is required as part of approvals/limitations for the A310 are taken this new mission capability. into consideration to maintain its original 28 CC150 (A310) POLARIS SUMMER 2011 • VOL. 4, NO. 3 functionality and certifications. The Esterline use the true north data labels provided from Technologies Corporation’s Canadian Marconi the inertial reference system (IRS) while the Company (CMC) Electronics’ retrofit FMS aircraft is in its true north navigation mode so solution is the only one presently available on the that FMS will properly align the map displays market that can provide the CC150 with vertical and navigation information waypoints it has in coupled performance through its software, using its data base with the radio magnetic indicator Airbus performance data to control the auto- (RMI) true north direction being displayed on flight/auto-throttles and flight control systems the pilot’s and co-pilot’s primary flight displays. that will have a TC Technical Standing Order (TSO) approval for its internal software so that The FMS software for polar operations it can be used in the Airbus A310 to maintain also needs the ability to set direction heading this functionality. and compensate using waypoint information in CF Photo: Sgt Gaetan Racine Polar Navigation Issues its navigation database, where it will cross the closely converging lines of latitude of the North As previously noted, the A310 aircraft Pole, and because of its original heading selection under its original type design certification is not at some point it would only see south and try approved for flight above North Latitude 72° or to turn the aircraft back around if not properly below South Latitude 60°. New aircraft that are programmed to fly in this airspace. The polar nav designed and certified to fly in the polar areas upgrade, like the FMS replacement project, will have the ability to switch and use true north also need to ensure that all the present