Periodic Reporting for period 2 - INVIRCAT (IFR RPAS Control in Airports and TMA)
Reporting period: 2021-07-01 to 2022-12-31
The goal of INVIRCAT is the investigation of IFR RPAS control in TMA and airport environments, involving all stakeholders, and posing as little change to the existing air traffic management (ATM) system as possible without a negative impact on the expected outcomes. This is achieved by the creation of a concept of operations (CONOPS) for RPAS in the TMA, assessing it through simulations, and draft a set of recommendations for rule makers and standardization bodies. Particular focus is on the impact of latency, ATOL, and handover of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) control between Ground Control Stations/Remote Pilot Stations (GCS/RPS).
The project’s objectives include to develop a complete CONOPS to enable IFR RPAS operating from airports. This CONOPS served as a basis for implementing a cooperative, heterogeneous and distributed simulation infrastructure to enable IFR RPAS flights.
Based on the results of the simulations and the validation of the CONOPS, a refined version of the CONOPS and a set of high level operational and technical requirements have been defined. Further, high-level requirements on technical capabilities and procedural means to allow IFR RPAS to safely operate in airport environments have been formulated, including requirements to fully comply with ATC instructions and the development of new procedures and tools to allow ATC to handle IFR RPAS in a cooperative environment with the objective of full integration with manned aviation. Requirements have been established in a two-step process, benefitting from the outcomes of the simulation campaign. Means of integrating airport-located RPS for the control of RPAS in a TMA have been investigated.
The integration of IFR RPAS within TMA is expected to have an impact on the TMA operations. Although INVIRCAT project results show that the current ATM system would allow the integration of IFR RPAS within the TMA environment, some contingency situations are expected to be further investigated and specific procedures and phraseologies may be of future interest.
The project’s objectives include to develop a complete CONOPS to enable IFR RPAS operating from airports. This CONOPS served as a basis for implementing a cooperative, heterogeneous and distributed simulation infrastructure to enable IFR RPAS flights.
Based on the results of the simulations and the validation of the CONOPS, a refined version of the CONOPS and a set of high level operational and technical requirements have been defined. Further, high-level requirements on technical capabilities and procedural means to allow IFR RPAS to safely operate in airport environments have been formulated, including requirements to fully comply with ATC instructions and the development of new procedures and tools to allow ATC to handle IFR RPAS in a cooperative environment with the objective of full integration with manned aviation. Requirements have been established in a two-step process, benefitting from the outcomes of the simulation campaign. Means of integrating airport-located RPS for the control of RPAS in a TMA have been investigated.
The integration of IFR RPAS within TMA is expected to have an impact on the TMA operations. Although INVIRCAT project results show that the current ATM system would allow the integration of IFR RPAS within the TMA environment, some contingency situations are expected to be further investigated and specific procedures and phraseologies may be of future interest.
Highlights of INVIRCAT achievements are the final documentation of key objectives of the INVIRCAT project, including the final concept of operations (D2.4) the final list of requirements (D4.2) and the conclusions and recommendations (D4.3).
In more detail, an analysis of the legal, operational and technical aspects of integrating RPAS into the TMA has been conducted, the state-of-the-art of IFR RPAS in the TMA has been assembled and, together with a collection of related RPAS projects of the present and the past, this content is available as D2.1 State-of-the-Art Analysis. Based on the research, a set of representative nominal and non-nominal use cases have been compiled and defined in detail, distinguished between applicable flight phases, if required. These use cases are presented in D2.2 Use Case Definition and Concept Outline. The CONOPS in D2.4 describes the system and subsystems of IFR RPAS in TMA and airports in multiple levels as well as the RPAS operations and the relevant environment based on the results of the simulation campaigns, the feedback of ATCOs and RPILs, outcomes of a dedicated Advisory Board meeting, and other comments received. Functional and operational requirements towards the establishment of a reference architecture have been collected, each with its own rationale, and have been made available through D2.5. This initial version of the requirements was then refined and improved according to simulations results obtained, which are interpreted and transformed into operational and technical (functional and non-functional) requirements in D4.2. Non-functional requirements related to safety, latency and performance are extracted from the results of the simulation exercises. The current legal framework has been used as a basis for determining which requirements are applicable to it and which ones will be transformed into proposals in the future.
The validation of the INVIRCAT concept together with the related operational scenarios, procedures and developed technologies was realized through real-time simulation campaigns. These have been based on a high-level validation plan applicable to all validation exercises and the introduction of different validation architectures, followed by a detailed local validation plan applicable to each specific validation exercise. In D3.4 Exploratory Research Validation Report, the validation context of the INVIRCAT project is summarized based on the combined validation results of the different validation exercises. The validation exercises focussed on the use of the ATOL, contingency conditions (ATOL contingency, C2 link failure, voice link failure, transponder failure), non-nominal conditions (traffic conflicts), different levels of C2 and voice link latency, and operational handover procedures between RPILs. The validation exercises have been assessed qualitatively and quantitatively, and the results have been discussed in the final report of the project.
The main areas and technologies exposed in the INVIRCAT CONOPS are further analysed in D4.1 which identifies advantages, disadvantages and gaps of these areas. Also, an implementation recommendation divided into two steps and based on timeframes from the SESAR Joint Undertaking ATM European Master Plan has been created. Effects on safety and efficiency are considered as well as the mitigation possibilities of potential negative effects stemming from the implementation elements. Finally, impacts of the INVIRCAT concept on the current operation and its possible effects on safety, human performance, operational efficiency, capacity and equity are summarised in D4.3 Final Report. Operational, technical and regulatory recommendations are extracted from the whole project.
In more detail, an analysis of the legal, operational and technical aspects of integrating RPAS into the TMA has been conducted, the state-of-the-art of IFR RPAS in the TMA has been assembled and, together with a collection of related RPAS projects of the present and the past, this content is available as D2.1 State-of-the-Art Analysis. Based on the research, a set of representative nominal and non-nominal use cases have been compiled and defined in detail, distinguished between applicable flight phases, if required. These use cases are presented in D2.2 Use Case Definition and Concept Outline. The CONOPS in D2.4 describes the system and subsystems of IFR RPAS in TMA and airports in multiple levels as well as the RPAS operations and the relevant environment based on the results of the simulation campaigns, the feedback of ATCOs and RPILs, outcomes of a dedicated Advisory Board meeting, and other comments received. Functional and operational requirements towards the establishment of a reference architecture have been collected, each with its own rationale, and have been made available through D2.5. This initial version of the requirements was then refined and improved according to simulations results obtained, which are interpreted and transformed into operational and technical (functional and non-functional) requirements in D4.2. Non-functional requirements related to safety, latency and performance are extracted from the results of the simulation exercises. The current legal framework has been used as a basis for determining which requirements are applicable to it and which ones will be transformed into proposals in the future.
The validation of the INVIRCAT concept together with the related operational scenarios, procedures and developed technologies was realized through real-time simulation campaigns. These have been based on a high-level validation plan applicable to all validation exercises and the introduction of different validation architectures, followed by a detailed local validation plan applicable to each specific validation exercise. In D3.4 Exploratory Research Validation Report, the validation context of the INVIRCAT project is summarized based on the combined validation results of the different validation exercises. The validation exercises focussed on the use of the ATOL, contingency conditions (ATOL contingency, C2 link failure, voice link failure, transponder failure), non-nominal conditions (traffic conflicts), different levels of C2 and voice link latency, and operational handover procedures between RPILs. The validation exercises have been assessed qualitatively and quantitatively, and the results have been discussed in the final report of the project.
The main areas and technologies exposed in the INVIRCAT CONOPS are further analysed in D4.1 which identifies advantages, disadvantages and gaps of these areas. Also, an implementation recommendation divided into two steps and based on timeframes from the SESAR Joint Undertaking ATM European Master Plan has been created. Effects on safety and efficiency are considered as well as the mitigation possibilities of potential negative effects stemming from the implementation elements. Finally, impacts of the INVIRCAT concept on the current operation and its possible effects on safety, human performance, operational efficiency, capacity and equity are summarised in D4.3 Final Report. Operational, technical and regulatory recommendations are extracted from the whole project.
With the publication of the deliverable D2.4 ‘Final CONOPS’, an important step beyond the state-of-the-art has been accomplished. The project defined specific issues on which regulation could be necessary to support operations taking also into account all the relevant requirements in the respective documentation, summarised in D4.3 Final Report. INVIRCAT foresees that the high-level operational and technical requirements will be a core part for future applications. Considered technologies are at a sufficiently high TRL, in order to make a TMA implementation easier. In order to identify and foster the potential impacts of the project, the exploitation plan has been defined by the consortium members and has been followed.