Analysis of Long-Range Air Traffic Systems: Separation Standards—I

Abstract

This and the following paper by Mr. Attwooll are the first of a series which will describe the work of the Royal Aircraft Establishment on various aspects of air collision risk and traffic control. Mr. Reich's paper will be presented in three parts, the last two of which deal with the analytical techniques and how they are applied. Mr. Attwooll deals with methods of costing the effects of air traffic control deviations and shows how these costs are related to the size of separation standards. He discusses systems for both subsonic and supersonic transports.1. Objectives. The main task of air traffic controllers is to plan traffic flows so that aircraft are allotted sufficient separation to absorb not only systematic differences in speed but also the imperfections of navigation and piloting, which we term flying errors. To this end, they usually work with three separation standards, to be applied in, respectively, the along-track, across-track and vertical dimensions of space. The separation standard for any one dimension is the minimum intended (i.e. planned) separation permitted in that dimension when the intended separations are less than standard in the other two. The problem is to choose standards which are safe enough, but not so large as to lead to unnecessary traffic delays and deviations.