Enhancing aircraft operational safety with Free Flight

The concept of Flight Management Systems (FMS) was first introduced in the 1970's with the development of the TERN-100. However, since these early beginnings there has been a significant increase in air traffic, leading to congestion and reduced aircraft separation distances. Hence a new generation of FMS is required and the Free Flight - FMS is one such solution.

Industrial Technologies

FMS enables flight crews to compute the most efficient flight path and then engage the auto pilot/flight director so that the aircraft can fly the programmed route. Whilst the early systems were a combination of the Flight Management Computer (FMC) and the Control Display Units (CDU), today's systems can also incorporate new Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) technologies. When used properly, FMS increases situational awareness by minimising heads down in the cockpit, whilst also enhancing aircraft safety and operational efficiency. Further, Air Traffic Management (ATM) is currently stretched to full capacity with the continual growth of air traffic by approximately 4 percent per annum. However, CNS technologies can provide a basis for advanced ATM such as Free Flight. Otherwise known as 3FMS, the Free Flight - FMS project aimed to develop an early function definition of the European FMS for Free Flight. This entailed evaluating functions and procedures, and modern FMS acceptability including Airbus FMS compliance. This was achieved by adhering to a classical R&D technical approach, namely: definition, design and prototyping, development, integration, function validation and operational evaluation. As a result, several results were obtained that included gate-to-gate Free Flight operational concept, crew display and observational awareness management, and a recommendation definition for Automatic Dependant Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B). However, as with most lengthy time frames for aerospace technological solutions, the time frame for complete Free Flight implementation is not until 2020 at the earliest. This therefore provides the seven-partner consortium with more time to further evaluate many other projects especially the architecture and implementation of the Airborne Separation Assurance System (ASAS). Thus when the Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner and the Airbus A380 are commonplace, the 3FMS project should ensure that air transport will remain as the safest form of transport worldwide.