Something New Under the Sun: Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), the National Airspace System, and Unmanned Air Vehicles

‘he National Airspace System (NAS) is S defined as the network of United States airspace: air navigation facilities, equipment, services, airports, aeronautical charts, rules, regu­lations, procedures, technical information, man­power, and material. The NAS is a product of the evolution of aviation, including the incorporation of technology as it evolved, the establishment of airspace classifications, the promulgation of regulations and procedures, and the development of airports and facilities, all for the purpose of transporting people and cargo as safely and effi­ciently as possible.

The National Airspace System has become inadequate to fulfill its function in air trans­portation. The technology that is used to con­trol movement within the system is basically 1950s technology, largely ground-based radars and navaids, and the ground-based equipment that uses the system is essentially worn out. Congestion and weather externalities cause substantial delays. Fuel conservation cannot be optimized even as the price of fuel surges. Environmental concerns from air transporta­tion operations are not being assuaged. There
is little coordination between airport operations and airborne operations. Further evolution of the same technology will not serve the needs of the NAS and the traveling public in the future. A new technology and a new way of doing things are needed.

3 Vision 100-Century of Aviation
Reauthorization Act of 20031

After many years of anguished discussion con­cerning the state of U. S. air traffic control, FAA equipment problems, and the burgeoning volume of air traffic following economic deregulation of the airlines, Congress passed legislation in 2003 that will, in stages, revamp the way aircraft, passengers, and cargo are moved from airport to airport, and in the process will coordinate airport functions and ground operations with air segments.

This comprehensive and far-reaching statute encompasses many areas of the air transportation system, but most importantly it authorizes the development and implementation of a new and
modernized National Airspace System. Labeled “The Next Generation Air Transportation Sys­tem,” or NextGen, it proposes to transform the air transportation system from one based on ground radars to one based on precision satellite-based navigation, with comprehensive changes in virtu­ally every aspect of movement by air. This under­taking is so vast that it is best described as an evolution of ideas and technologies that are devel­oping even as it is being put in place. The process contemplates a 20-plus year time frame for com­pletion, projected for the year 2025.

NextGen is a transformative change in how we fly. It will change the management and opera­tion of the NAS, while enhancing safety, reduc­ing delays, saving fuel, and reducing adverse environmental impacts. It will integrate satellite navigation with advanced digital communica­tions and it will incorporate the airport environ­ment into the overall planning and functionality of the National Airspace System. It will change the way weather information is provided to pilots, controllers, and airline dispatchers.

Development and implementation of NextGen is a daunting task for many reasons, including: [21] [22] [23] [24] [25]

6, It requires the building of more than 700 new ground stations and facilities around the country to implement the new technology.

?. It requires the promulgation of new rules and procedures, and the publication of new charts and approach plates to use the new system.

8, The system must be integrated on a global basis.

The development and implementation of the new system, therefore, involves every entity that is in the production chain of development and every entity that is affected or will be affected by the implementation of the system, which includes virtually everyone involved in the air transpor­tation community. Collaboration among these stakeholders is being facilitated by several orga­nizations or relationships, including:

1. The Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO), which was authorized in the stat­ute, and which coordinates among the FAA, NASA, the Departments of Defense, Com­merce, and Homeland Security and which has laid the groundwork and plans for the future vision for NextGen.

2. RTCA, which is a private, not-for-profit corporation that functions as a Federal Advisory Committee and includes some 400 industry and academic organizations from the United States and other coun­tries. RTCA was organized in 1935 as the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronau­tics and develops consensus-based recom­mendations regarding communications, navigation, surveillance, and air traffic management.

3. The NextGen Mid-Term Implementation Task Force, which is a consortium of over 300 representatives of the aviation com­munity who provide recommendations to the FAA as it moves forward on NextGen implementation.

4, The FAA, which is collaborating with the Department of Defense and Homeland Secu­rity to facilitate the entry of unmanned air­craft systems (UAVs) into the NAS.

5, The FAA, which is collaborating with the military, NASA, and NOAA’s National Weather Service to incorporate weather data into the system.

6, The FAA, which is working through ICAO with international partners in Europe, Japan, and Australia to ensure compatibility with global standards.