The Controller Working Position

(Maastricht UAC Case study)

 History → Current System Functionality
• 29 February 1972
• Maastricht UAC controls first flight at 23:05 UTC
• MINIFAP = MINimum Facilities Project
 History → Current System Functionality

• 1 October 1973
• Maastricht Automatic
DAta Processing
(MADAP) Operational
• Multi Radar Tracking
(Mono as back-up)
• Tabular Executive
Controller messages
with Paper Strips
 History → Current System Functionality

• 1980
• Short term Conflict Alert (STCA)
• 1992
• Flight Progress strips discarded
• Replaced by electronic data display
• 1995
• Preliminary Eurocontrol Trials of Air/Ground Data
Link (PETAL - FANS)
 Current System

02 November 2002
Transfer to New Ops Room with New ODS

12 December 2008
New Flight Data Processing System with
ODS Upgrade

2010
FSSA Alert
= major Safety improvement
2011
Near Term Conflict Detection
AMAN Interface
2015
Radio Direction (location) Finder
 ATC automation

ATC process:
Observe-Detect-Decide-Act

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER EFFICIENCY

AS A FUNCTION OF WORKLOAD
EFFICIENCY

RELAXATION STRESS AND

ZONE PANIC
ZONE

MINIMUM ERROR
ZONE

TRAFFIC
 Topics
1. Normal / Magnified Labels
2. The Radar Label Colours
3. Label Composition
a) Line 0 – General Information
b) Line 1 – Callsign & SYSCO
c) Line 2 – Actual Information
d) Line 3 – Planned Information
e) Line 4 – Radar Derived Information
 The Objectives
• Recognise the meaning of the different
colours in a Radar Label [1]
• State the difference between a Normal and
Magnified Label [1]
• Differentiate between incoming and outgoing
SYSCO [2]
• Extract data from the Label [3]
 Normal / Magnified
• A track contains:
– Track symbol
– History symbols
– Velocity leader
– Correlation line
– Track label
A magnified track contains:
More information
Accessible fields
 Radar Label Colours
• Not Involved
– white

• In-sequence
– First line green
– Other lines white
– Track symbol white
– Velocity leader white
 Radar Label Colours
• First or Next
– First line green
– Other lines white
– Track symbol green
– Velocity leader green

• Current
– All green
 Radar Label Colours
• Cancel assume (XASM) ==
handed over to next ATCO
– First line white
– Rest green

• Bright (highlighted)
– Blue
 Radar Label Colours
• “Intruder” Mode C
– Mode C and symbol
blue
 Label composition
1. Normal / Magnified Labels
2. The Radar Label Colours
3. Label Composition
a) Line 0 – General Information
b) Line 1 – Callsign & SYSCO
c) Line 2 – Actual Information
d) Line 3 – Planned Information
e) Line 4 – Radar Derived Information
 Line 0
• SSR
– Mode A
– NSSR
– Mode S ID

• Left click opens SSR menu

• Middle click toggles field
 Line 0
• Route / Message
Indicator
“?” or “!” ==
Info in the Flight Info
Message (FIM) window
 Line 0
• Vertical monitoring warnings:

• BUST
• LVL
• TSA
• VRC
• NO FPM
Vertical Deviation
 Line 0
• Sector List Status
– SKIP’D
• You remove your
sector

– BYPASS
• Your sector was
removed by previous
sector
 Line 0
• Sector List Status
COLOUR
– Blue
• The sector has been taken
out of the sequence
– Green
• The sector has been taken
out of the sequence BUT
the trajectory is such that
this sector will still be next
 Line 0
• Summary – Line 0
 Topics
1. Normal / Magnified Labels
2. The Radar Label Colours
3. Label Composition
a) Line 0 – General Information
b) Line 1 – Callsign & SYSCO
c) Line 2 – Actual Information
d) Line 3 – Planned Information
e) Line 4 – Radar Derived Information
 Line 1
• Manual Conflict Warning
– Local Conflict - Green
– Distributed Conflict -
Orange

• Moving the mouse pointer over

the square displays the graphical
VERA
 Line 1
• VERA information displayed in the TPD
• Difference between MTCD and VERA?
• Difference between MTCD and VERA?
 VERA
(manual conflict warning)
• VERA allows verification of the projected
minimum distance between two tracks
• Takes current speed and track to predict closest
distance
• If min sep >8NM, then predicted track symbols
stay at 8NM
• If min sep <8 NM, then predicted track symbols
will display min distance
• Track data ONLY – NO FPL data (unlike MTCD)
 VERA

VERA Symbol in Label (Local) VERA Symbol in Label (Distributed)

Predicted Track Symbols and
VERA QDM Line
VERA EXAMPLE
 MTCD
• Medium Term Conflict Detection
• Takes system flight path and speed into
consideration for prediction
• Needs correct track updates in order to be
accurate
• Blue line until MTCD is predictable
• Red line where MTCD is uncertain
Graphical MTCD Display
MEDIUM TERM CONFLICT DETECTION

Separation Criteria (I)

• MTCD functions consider each flight surrounded
by a safety volume (corridor)

V
L
T

V: Vertical separation (hundreds of feet)

L: Lateral separation (NM)
T: Longitudinal separation (minutes)

35
 MEDIUM TERM CONFLICT DETECTION

Conflict Calculation (III)

4D Trajectory

DLH007
Sector A

current time
11:39 UTC T1
Conflict Risc Display
DLH007 11:58
4D Trajectory DLH008
DLH008

T0 T1
Time 20 Min 36
MTCD EXAMPLE
Horizontal display
Vertical display
 TPD
• Tabular Problem Display
• Information on:
– VERA entries
– MTCD entries
for the corresponding aircraft pairs
 First Callsign Second Callsign

MTCD VERA
predicted predicted
minimum minimum
distance distance

Problem Indicator MTCD VERA Ops

time-to-go time-to-go Sector
Display
 Line 1
• Callsign

• Left click produces

the Callsign menu
 Line 1
• SSR Change Indicator
– PSSR ≠ NSSR
– Normal
– CPDLC Auto Uplink
 Line 1

Now take a deep breath…

 Line 1
• Coordination Indicators
> Coordination Pending (ACT not out)
< Before Coordination is possible with upstream sector

> Verbal Coordination Required

< ABI but no ACT / ACT no details – ASPL Created

< Outgoing Coordination with Upstream Sector

> Outgoing Coordination with Downstream Sector

< Incoming Coordination from Upstream Sector

> Incoming Coordination from Downstream Sector
 Line 1
• Sector ID
– Displayed in Mag
Label or if ID button
selected
– Forced after BYPASS
or SKIP

Left click produces the

Transfer Menu
 Line 1
• Summary – Line 1
 Topics
1. Normal / Magnified Labels
2. The Radar Label Colours
3. Label Composition
a) Line 0 – General Information
b) Line 1 – Callsign & SYSCO
c) Line 2 – Actual Information
d) Line 3 – Planned Information
e) Line 4 – Radar Derived Information
 Line 2
• Horizontal FPM Warning
– Only displayed to current
sector
– Appears when TP needs
controller input

• Left click produces the

Route Menu
Flight Plan Monitoring (FPM)
Radar label symbols
 Deviation from predicted track

• aircraft on steady track

 Line 2
• Actual FL
– N-RVSM
– N-RVSM State
Approved
– Intruder
 Line 2
• Attitude Indicator
– Derived from Mode C / S
– ↑ In the climb
– ↓ In the descent
– − Level

• Yellow if inserted manually

• Orange if no Mode S
 Line 2
• Cleared FL
– Two digits displayed
– NFL displayed before first
assume
– CFL = AFL → Not
displayed

• Left click opens Entry or CFL

menu
Line 2
Line 2
 NTCA (Near Term Conflict Alert)
Also based on track data (same as VERA)
• Short probe (2min)
– Mouse over FL in CFL/NFL menu
– Shows conflict of 3NM or less

• Long probe (8min)

– Left click and hold a level in label or CFL/NFL menu
– Shows conflict of 8NM or less
NTCA EXAMPLE
 Line 2
• FSSA - The FSSA is one of the DAPs
enabled by EHS!!!
– Yellow warning displayed if FSSA ≠ CFL
– Appears 4 track updates after CFL input
– 100ft buffer

– Track symbol for which no FSSA is

available
– Vertical bar and orange attitude indicator

– Other DAPs found in the FIM

 Final State Selected Altitude (FSSA)
mode S

FSSA warning No FSSA

 In case of AGDL FSSA warning
uplink color has Uncorrelated track
priority over FSSA
 Flight Information Window
and EHS (Enhianced Mode S data)
 Line 2
• N / U / L Field 0
– N – Next sector is
adjacent and:
• NFL ≠ TFL for next
sector or
• Multiple PFL or
• PFL not between NFL
and TFL
– U – Next sector is above
– L – Next sector is below
 Line 2
• Cleared Point
– Can display different items:
• HOLD
• NDS
• Cleared / Next Point
• LL
• H
• Hxxx

• Left click opens Heading menu

• Left click and hold displays the
flight leg
 Line 2
• Summary – Line 2
 Topics
1. Normal / Magnified Labels
2. The Radar Label Colours
3. Label Composition
a) Line 0 – General Information
b) Line 1 – Callsign & SYSCO
c) Line 2 – Actual Information
d) Line 3 – Planned Information
e) Line 4 – Radar Derived Information
 Line 3
• Planned Flight Level Sequence
– Two blocks of info in line 3

• For example:
– Flight is cleared FL290
– PFL is FL390
– TFL is FL330
– (Next sector adjacent with TFL
of FL330 also) → No ‘N’
 Line 3
• Left click opens either:
– FL menu or
– Entry Menu or
– SYSCO menu
 Line 3
• Should the level
selected be beyond
the Cleared Target
Level
– FL is underlined for
two minutes (for
Military Partners)
 Line 3
• SYSCO
– OUT

– IN
 Line 3
• GFL
– Corresponds to the
furthest vertical
deviation
– Grey
– Inaccessible
 Line 3
• Significant Point
– SIG PT after exit of MUAC
area if different from
cleared point or
– SYSCO request

OUT IN
 Line 3
• Summary – Line 3
 Topics
1. Normal / Magnified Labels
2. The Radar Label Colours
3. Label Composition
a) Line 0 – General Information
b) Line 1 – Callsign & SYSCO
c) Line 2 – Actual Information
d) Line 3 – Planned Information
e) Line 4 – Radar Derived Information
 Line 4
• Ground Speed
– Calculated in Knots
• Tracked Attitude
– Derived from Mode C / S
• Vertical Rate of Change
– In hundreds of feet
– ’00’ Less than 50ft/min
– ‘++’ More than 9950ft/min
• All toggled with middle click or on
global menu
 Line 4
• Left Click on Ground Speed or
VRC opens Constraint Menu

KLM1234
 Line 4
• Speed Constraint
– Either imposed by controller or
requested via SYSCO
– xxx in Knots or
– Mxx and
– + ‘or more’
– - ‘or less’
– AT
– S indication of Constraint in
Normal Label
– Shows the AMAN message
request from AMS
 Line 4
• VRC Constraint
– Either imposed by
controller or requested via
SYSCO
– Rxx in hundreds of ft/min
– + ‘or more’
– - ‘or less’
– AT
– R indication of Constraint in
Normal Label
 Line 4
• Summary – Line 4
That’s it!
 The Objectives
• Recognise the meaning of the different
colours in a Radar Label [1]
• State the difference between a Normal and
Magnified Label [1]
• Differentiate between incoming and outgoing
SYSCO [2]
• Extract data from the Label [3]