time based separation · introduction • aim - improve landing rate resilience to headwind...

Heathrow Concept of Operation

TIME BASED SEPARATION

Introduction

• Aim - Improve landing rate resilience to headwind conditions on final approach

• How - Change from distance based separation to time based separation rules

• Tools to support the safe application of Time Based Separation (TBS) between wake pairs

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Headwind affect on landing rate

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Normal Landing Rate – Light Headwind

Headwind affect on landing rate

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Reduced Landing Rate – Strong Headwind

Heathrow wind delay

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Wind is the biggest cause of Heathrow ATFM delay

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DBS/TBS Minima

Nautical Miles 3 4 5 6 7 8

TBS equivalent (seconds) 68 90 113 135 158 180

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Effect on Distance Between Aircraft

L igh t H eadw ind

90s = 4N M

S trong H eadw ind

90s = 3 .5N M

90s = 4 .25N M

L igh t T a ilw ind

IA S = S teady 160ktM ean G S = 160kt



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Indicators

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Indicators

• Linked to preceding aircraft• A reference for separation

Separation Indicators

TEAM• Required diagonal separation displayed

• In trail and not in trail indicators calculated

• Maximum constraint displayed

• Distance indicators– TBS indicator

distance– Actual distance from

indicator

• Aircraft/indicator pairing

Quick Look Tools

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TBS System Overview

AMAN

METRULES

RADAR SEQUENCE

Heathrow Approach

NODE

Heathrow Tower

ATM

TBSENGINE

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TBS Landing Rate Recovery


Reduced Landing Rate – Strong Headwind

TBS Landing Rate – Strong Headwind

• TBS applied to wake pairs only• Indicators displayed for wake pairs, not in

trail and some spacing separations– No indicators for minimum radar pairs

• Mode-S derived winds used for TBS tool calculations

• No Electronic Flight Data on Heathrow Approach– Sequence determined automatically by system

– Aircraft detected when it turns on to base-leg– Indicators displayed later to controller

Adaptations from SESAR P6.8.1

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Benefits

Flight cancellations due to strong

headwinds would be minimised

Reduce ATFM delays due to strong

headwinds on final approach by up to 50%

Save over 80,000 minutes of delay per annum through

recovering lost landing rate

Tower and Approach

ATCOs trained how

to use indicators

ATC Procedures

will be written and published

KEY ACTIONS

Working with the UK regulator

Switch indicators on with current distance

based rules

Consolidate using

indicators with

familiar DBS rules

Further training in simulator

before moving to TBS rules

Operational Spring 2015

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Thanks for your attention

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Please visit the stand, 890

time based separation · introduction • aim - improve landing rate resilience to headwind...

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