Developing the next generation of air traffic control in Canada

空中交通管制历来依靠位于地面的导航辅助设备和雷达，分别用于导航和交通监测。利用卫星进行地理定位的最新进展使不需要地面导航辅助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。到目前为止，飞行员很少甚至根本没有收到关于周围其他交通的信息：这些信息被提供给中央空中交通管制单位，然后由中央空中交通管制单位使用这些信息来建议和指导飞行员，以便保持飞机之间的安全距离。*这种限制对可使用的航线和系统容量都造成了严重的限制，特别是在交通流量较大的机场航站区。*数据通信技术的发展现在使飞机有可能配备设备，允许飞行员--包括人工和自动--接收关于周围地区其他交通的重要信息，潜在地减少了对空中交通管制员的*需求，并提高了容量和安全性。然而，关于这些系统如何运行的许多问题仍然没有解决，这项技术对航空业的实际影响在很大程度上仍然是未知的。*这项研究将研究这些新技术在加拿大空域的开发和应用。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；为下一代空中交通管理系统设计机场进场和起飞程序；以及调查委托分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.