CONCEPT FOR A SATELLITE-BASED ADVANCED AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. VOLUME IV. OPERATIONAL DESCRIPTION AND QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT

The volume presents a description of how the Satellite-Based Advanced Air Traffic Management System (SAATMS) operates and a qualitative assessment of the system. The operational description includes the services, functions, and tasks performed by the system, a description of user classes, the airspace structure, and rules and procedures. The concept for managing air traffic is then presented. It is characterized by pilot responsibility for conforming to a flight path while the ground concentrates on assuring flight safety, maximizing capacity, and minimizing delay. A discussion of the SAATMS automation philosphy and a description of how an aircarrier and a GA aircraft fly through the system complete the operational description. The qualitative assessment is concerned with three main issues: can the SAATMS readily be built as defined, what happens to the system after it is built and conditions change from what was assumed during the development stage, and the extent to which the system is vulnerable to intentional and unintentional interference.