WAKENET – OPERATIONS – INFORMATION BOARD for 1997-2001

 

 

1997

Ref No.

Information

Origin, Comments etc

Supplied by
       

1

The development of a wake vortex warning system is described. It models the propagation of vortices and forecasts their movement by the crosswind. The forecast is used to determine the risk for approaching aircraft.

System integration was complete in summer 1996.

A future paper will look at risk and cost/benefit analyses. (It had not been published by end ’99.)

 

See also Ref 4 of the 1999 section.

‘The Development of Wake vortices Warning System for Frankfurt airport: Theory and Implementation’, by

Gurke T and Lafferton H, in

Air traffic Control Quarterly Vol 5(1) 3-29, 1997.

C J Hume

2

In fact the whole of Vol 5(1) is a Special Issue titled ‘Wake vortices and ATC’.

 

In addition to the paper mentioned above, it contains:

 

  • Foreward: Wake Vortices and ATC by Cliff Hay

 

  • Wake Vortex Advisory System and Implementation at Orly Airport for Departing Aircraft by Christian le Roux and Alexandre Corjon

 

  • A Comprehensive System for Measuring Wake Vortex Behaviour and related Atmospheric conditions at Memphis, Tennesee by Timothy J Dasey et al

 

Air traffic Control Quarterly Vol 5(1) 1997.

C J Hume

 

1998

Ref No.

Information

Origin, Comments etc

Supplied by

1

The FAA will start evaluating wake vortex characteristics as part of the type certification process. The move is an attempt to more accurately define an aircraft’s weight classification when it comes to specifying minimum aircraft separation standards. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has expressed concern that the current weight classifications may be inappropriate.

Aviation Week SafeNews update 25 May 1998: http://www.awgnet.com/safety/news/nz052598.htm

 

C J Hume

2

Wake Vortex research – A Retrospective Look by James N Hallock, George C Greene and David C Burnham:

A discussion of lessons learned from FAA/NASA research and their effect of future solutions.

Air traffic Control Quarterly Vol 6(3) 1998, p 161.

C J Hume

3

Measurement of Aircraft wake Vortices at Heathrow by laser Doppler Velocimetry by

John S Greenwood and Michael J Vaughan:

Describes trials that recorded nearly 3000 vortices – their generation, evolution and decay.

Air traffic Control Quarterly Vol 6(3) 1998, p179.

C J Hume

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1999

Ref No.

Information

Origin, Comments etc

Supplied by
       

1

Boeing aerodynamicists believe they have discovered a revolutionary technique for tackling aircraft wake vortices. They hope to begin flight testing a soon as possible. The system works by making the two wingtip vortices collide with each other. The idea has been patented.

They say the system could be fitted to in-service aircraft after 2005.

Finding a way to safely reduce aircraft separations on approach could help airports cope with the increasing traffic.

‘Boeing technique leaves trailing vortices behind’, by A Doyle, in Flight international 27 Oct – 2 Nov 1999, p12.

C J Hume

2

The patent shows the idea is that of ‘lift sloshing’ – varying, fairly rapidly, the lift distribution across the wing to cause the trailing vortices to start oscillating – and eventually touching and destroying each other.

‘Active system for early destruction of trailing vortices’ –

 

International Publication Number: WO 99/00297

International Publication Date: 7 January 1999

C J Hume

3

Since 1997 Dallas FW has been the test bed for development of the NASA’s Aircraft Wake Vortex Spacing System (AVOSS). A test was done in November ’99 in which actual and predicted behaviour of vortices was compared in real time.

 

Information on AVOSS is at

http://avsp.larc.nasa.gov/avoss and

http://avsp.larc.nasa.goc/avoss/dallas.html

 

 

Dallas is also involved in the FAA’s free flight work; it is using a number of tools to give controllers guidance on aircraft sequencing and spacing and assigning runways.

Private discussions, and

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Air Transport World September 1999, p39 and

Aviation Week 25 Oct ’99, p89.

C J Hume

4

The work at Frankfurt (mentioned in Ref 1 of the 1997 section) is further described in papers at the Second WAKENET Workshop. (A list of the papers has been sent to all ‘Operations’ contacts.)

  

C J Hume

5

The latest scientific review of vortices.

‘Lift-generated vortex wakes of subsonic transport aircraft’ by V J Rossow, in Progress in Aerospace Sciences 35 (1999) 507-660.

  

 

 

2000

Ref No.

Information

Origin, Comments etc

Supplied by

1

Web sites of some ATC-relevant authorities & organisations:

 

Austria

Austrocontrol:

http://www.austrocontrol.co.at/

 

Finland

CAA: http://www.ilmailulaitos.com/english/

 

France

DGAC: http://www.dgac.fr/index_gb.htm

 

Germany

DFS: http://www.dfs.de

LBA: http://www.lba.de/

 

Netherlands

CAA: http://www.minvenw.nl/ (in Dutch)

 

Norway

CAA: http://www.luftfartsverket.no/indexie.html (in Norwegian)

 

Sweden

CAA: http://www.lfv.se (in Swedish)

 

UK

NATS: http://www.sdd.nats.co.uk/

CAA: http://www.caa.gov.uk/

 

 

 

  

C J Hume

2

Incident Reports

 

ETWIRL is a project funded by the European Commission to develop a pan-European wake vortex incident reporting system.

It is being run jointly by the UK meteorological Office and a telematics company RED Scientific Limited. The web site is at

http://www.met-office.gov.uk/sec5/etwirl/etwirl_home.html

Further ETWIRL information is at

http://www.smithgroup.co.uk/treaty/t5intro/htm

 

The aim seems to be a European version of something similar to the NATS reporting system in the UK.

EC funding was due to end in mid ’99 and the current status of the programme is unknown. Further information is available from:

jaturner@meto.gov.uk and/or

etwirl@meto.gov.uk

 

C J Hume

3

Incident Reports

 

In the USA the Aviation Safety Reporting System contains reports. Try:

 

http://olias.arc.nasa.goc/ASRS/ASRS.htnl and

http://nasadc.faa.gov/asp/asy_asrs.asp

 

    

4

Incident Reports

 

And of course, see also the ‘Incident Reporting’ section of the ‘Safety & Operations’ sector of the WAKENET website.

 

    

5

Short article on use of ADS-B to maintain precise minimum separations

Scientific American Jan 2000 p24-25

C J Hume

6

Vortex pictures at

 

http://www.princeton.edu/~asmits/pow_97_Sep26.html

http://www.princeton.edu/~asmits/pow_99_Feb15.html

http://www.vt.edu/fluids/msc/gallery/gall.htm

http://www.diam.unige.it/~irro/gallery.html

 

  

C J Hume

7

Us Air traffic Control Association – International Technical Conference is June 6-9, 2000 in Vancouver.

See www.atca.org

 

  

C J Hume
       

8

A possible method of on-board vortex detection is described here (the European MFLAME project).

http://aton.cerfacs.fr/~wakenet/instru/fields/Malvern-Article.htm

 

C J Hume

9

ICAO Journal March ’00 – describes on-board turbulence detection systems. Interesting although not specifically wake vortex turbulence.

ICAO Journal March 2000

C J Hume

10

ICAO Journal May ’00 – includes an article on reducing separation minima and the need for an airspace safety management plan.

ICAO Journal May 2000

C J Hume

11

A (scientific) overview of the wake vortex hazard during cruise.

Journal of Aircraft, Nov-Dec 2000.

C J Hume

12

Professional organisations:

ATCA - Air Traffic Control Association (US) . produces two journals Journal of Air Ttraffic Control (‘The Controller’) and ATCA Quarterly.

 

IFATCA – International federation of Air Traffic Control Associations

 

 

 

 

http://www.atca.org

 

 

 

 

 

http://ifatca.org

 

  

 

 

2001

Ref No.

Information

Origin, Comments etc

Supplied by
       

1

Symposium on Wake Vortices on 20 June 2001, in Paris.

The first session covers:

  • The wake vortex turbulence problem (speaker from DFS)
  • Wake vortex dynamics (ONERA)
  • Wake vortex prediction and observations: Towards an operational system (DLR)

Further information from web site at

 

http://www.onera.fr/odas2001

C J Hume

2

Wake Turbulence Training – a CDROM for training (pilots and air traffic controllers). Cost is $100.

 

ICAO also has some (older) material

http://www.ntis.gov

 

 

 

http://www.icao.int/icao/en/av.htm

 

C J Hume

3

ICAO Airport Operations Group (AOPG) – it is part of the European Air Navigation Planning Group (EANPG) and its deliberations include wake turbulence categorisation and separation

http://www.icao.org/eurnat

 

C J Hume

4

WARNING: If you use the ETWIRL web site (see item 2 of information for the year 2000) you need to know it will vanish on 31 March ’01. It might reappear on another site.

  

C J Hume
       

 

 

 

 

(Version of 27 March 2001)