Developing the next generation of air traffic control in Canada

空中交通管制历来依赖于导航辅助设备和雷达，它们都位于地面上，分别用于导航和交通监控。最近在利用卫星进行地理定位方面的发展使不需要地面导航设备的飞行程序得以发展。然而，空中交通管制仍然主要依靠雷达。迄今为止，飞行员几乎没有收到周围其他交通情况的信息：这些信息被提供给中央空中交通管制单位，然后该单位利用这些信息向飞行员提供建议和指导，以保持飞机之间的安全距离。***这一限制对可使用的航线和系统容量造成严重限制，特别是在交通量较高的机场航站楼区。数据通信技术的发展使得飞机上装备一些设备成为可能，这些设备可以让飞行员——无论是人工的还是自动的——接收到周围地区其他交通的重要信息，这可能会减少对空中交通管制员的需求，提高能力和安全性。然而，关于这些系统如何运作的许多问题仍未解决，这项技术对航空业的实际影响在很大程度上仍是未知的。这项研究将研究这些新技术在加拿大空域的发展和应用。计算机模拟和数学优化工具将用于：估计地面接收器的最佳位置；为新一代航空交通管理系统设计机场进港及离港程序；调查委托隔离管理和交通碰撞检测和避免的程序。

Air traffic control has historically depended on navigational aids and radars, both located on the ground, for navigation and traffic monitoring, respectively. Recent developments in geographical positioning using satellites has allowed the development of flight procedures that do not require ground navigational aids. However, air traffic control still relies mostly on radars. To date, pilots receive little to no information on other traffic in their surrounding: that information is made available to a centralized air traffic control unit, which then uses it to advise and guide pilots in order to maintain a safe distance between aircraft.***This limitation creates severe constraints both to air routes that can be used and to system capacity, especially in airport terminal zones where traffic volumes are higher.***The development of data communication technologies now makes it possible to equip aircraft with devices that allow the pilots - both human and automated - to receive vital information about other traffic in the surrounding area, potentially reducing the***need for air traffic controllers and increasing both capacity and safety. However, many issues on how these systems will operate remain unresolved, and the actual impact of this technology on the aviation industry is still largely unknown.***This research will look into the development and application of these new technologies to the Canadian airspace. Computer simulation and mathematical optimization tools will be used to: estimate the best location for ground-based receivers; design airport approach and departure procedures for the next generation of air traffic management systems; and investigate procedures for delegated separation management and traffic collision detection and avoidance.