Alaska's Technology: "We Are So Ready"
08-30-2009, 08:41 AM
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Alaska's Technology: "We Are So Ready"
So my old friend, SkyHigh, is correct - pretty soon, planes will just fly and land themselves. 
Seriously, it sounds wonderful, but nobody in their right minds is out flying at 3 am anyway.
Seriously, it sounds wonderful, but nobody in their right minds is out flying at 3 am anyway.
From Seattle Times:
On a clear mid-August night at about 3 a.m., an Alaska Airlines 737 heading to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport took a radical turn.
Jets typically begin their approach to Sea-Tac as many as 20 miles north of the runway and fly south over Seattle's residential neighborhoods, roughly following Interstate 5 from Edmonds down through Northgate, Lake City, Green Lake, Ravenna, the U District and the Central District.
But on this test flight, Alaska Airlines was demonstrating a new satellite-based airplane navigation system that it hopes will transform air-traffic patterns at Sea-Tac.
So the jet made its turn over Elliott Bay instead, and lined up with Sea-Tac's runway lights near Qwest Field, just six miles north of the airport.
The new technology steers air traffic on autopilot along a smoothly descending, satellite-guided path, avoiding the stair-step approach and constant interplay with air traffic controllers now required to bring in planes.
Business & Technology | Quieter skies ahead: Seattle at forefront of high-tech plan to change airplane traffic | Seattle Times Newspaper
On a clear mid-August night at about 3 a.m., an Alaska Airlines 737 heading to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport took a radical turn.
Jets typically begin their approach to Sea-Tac as many as 20 miles north of the runway and fly south over Seattle's residential neighborhoods, roughly following Interstate 5 from Edmonds down through Northgate, Lake City, Green Lake, Ravenna, the U District and the Central District.
But on this test flight, Alaska Airlines was demonstrating a new satellite-based airplane navigation system that it hopes will transform air-traffic patterns at Sea-Tac.
So the jet made its turn over Elliott Bay instead, and lined up with Sea-Tac's runway lights near Qwest Field, just six miles north of the airport.
The new technology steers air traffic on autopilot along a smoothly descending, satellite-guided path, avoiding the stair-step approach and constant interplay with air traffic controllers now required to bring in planes.
Business & Technology | Quieter skies ahead: Seattle at forefront of high-tech plan to change airplane traffic | Seattle Times Newspaper
08-30-2009, 09:14 AM
#2
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Most planes already do fly and land themselves while the pilots monitor. This article is highlighting the new RNAV & RNP procedures that are being developed for all of the airports. Instead of using traditional land based navigational beacons, the aircraft uses GPS to update / manage drift on the aircraft's intertial position units. The result is, the aircraft can fly anywhere and doesn't need to be referencing itself off of a ground navaid. This technology has been around for quite some time, the FAA is finally putting it to good use.
08-30-2009, 09:22 AM
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I have flown these RNAV/RNP approaches as many as 2 years ago in a DASH
. They are nice but not only were most of the Captains confused by them so were most of the controlers.
. They are nice but not only were most of the Captains confused by them so were most of the controlers.
08-30-2009, 09:38 AM
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I guess these guys have never heard of the bay visual. Even when SEA is IFR they will turn you base over the bay. The only reason traffic gets put on an extended final is poor controlling. SEA tracon has some of the worst controllers in the country, nothing like getting your runway assignment on 6 mile final when it's 500 overcast. If coming from the south, you are at idle most of the approach anyway since they keep you at 10,000 till abeam the airport then slam you in. They also haven't come up with the technology to space the airplanes apart while doing these approaches.
08-30-2009, 09:53 AM
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Gee wiz... Been doing this across the pond about 4. Hmmm is it referred to as self positioning
? So remind me... what's the new technology here?
? So remind me... what's the new technology here?
08-30-2009, 07:08 PM
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Nah - my airline is certified for 0.15 RNP at certain airports, and 0.16 at the others. (on the plane I fly, the other planes are probably different)
08-30-2009, 07:20 PM
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I believe Alaska was instrumental in pioneering the technology back in the 90s when they wanted to have approaches with lower minimums into places like Juneau and Sitka.
And as far as who is crazy enough to be flying at 3AM, me, trying to go BET-ANC-SEA-HNL.
Here's a link to a PDF which explains some of the new technologies and capabilities of using RNP, as far as I can tell it's similar to WAAS in that it's trying to take GPS/RNAV approaches into lower minimums and tighter areas by not only providing a certain degree of navigational accuracy, but also having the system monitor to ensure that said accuracy is met.
http://www.juneau.org/airport/docume...RNVImpacts.pdf
And as far as who is crazy enough to be flying at 3AM, me, trying to go BET-ANC-SEA-HNL.
Here's a link to a PDF which explains some of the new technologies and capabilities of using RNP, as far as I can tell it's similar to WAAS in that it's trying to take GPS/RNAV approaches into lower minimums and tighter areas by not only providing a certain degree of navigational accuracy, but also having the system monitor to ensure that said accuracy is met.
http://www.juneau.org/airport/docume...RNVImpacts.pdf
Last edited by aviatorhi; 08-30-2009 at 07:30 PM.
08-30-2009, 07:46 PM
#9
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08-30-2009, 09:43 PM
#10
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When it comes to RNP, these guys at AS literally wrote the book on it.
Last edited by vagabond; 08-30-2009 at 10:13 PM. Reason: added Naverus link
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