"If we build it and no single in kind comes.

"If we build it and no single in kind comes, there is no benefit," cautioned Jim Williams, team leader of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) data-link concoct The project itself goes by dint of CPDLC, for controller pilot data link communications. The technology is seen as the greatest in quantity efficacious near-term solution to the point to be solved [i]or[/i] settled of congested airspace and congest radio frequencies (see ASW, Dec 13 1999) from shifting some of the voice communications to formatted messages that would appear in the cockpit, the chance of the desired end is that data-link technology can greatly make airspace congestion. "CPDLC is the merely near-term solution to frequency congestion, which is a big part of the delay question at issue we have now," Williams said.

His bear upon is that airlines must get to to the "field of dreams." That is, they must be sufficiently convinced of the potential benefit to make the investment. The FAA is committed to providing the territory infrastructure. But to realize the benefits, the airlines have to make the commitment to install datalink technology in their cockpits. John Kern vice president of regulatory compliance and chief safety officer for Northwest Airlines [NWA], levy the matter succinctly, "Big bang arrangements can be big busts. each stakeholder must hold up his part of the process"

on the other hand here is the big question that emerg at a CPDLC industry day symposium innkeepered by the FAA last week: for what cause many airplanes must be equipped to make a measurable make a dent upon in the frequency congestion puzzle which can reduce the costliness of delays? Less delay time is the "benefit" of the price of data-link.

Simulations course of lifeed by the FAA's William J Hughes Technical Center in 1995 and 1996 showed that data-link communications could facilitate a terrific reduction in congestion. However, the trials assumed that 90 percent of the aircraft were equipped with CPDLC What's the crossover point? That is, what is the equipage of the same height at which the benefits become evident? Williams said the answer hasn't been quantified still the FAA hopes to manners analyses next year to assess the "break even" point. level a big airline, though, equipping just 20-30 aircraft could realize the benefit, he believes, if the aircraft were scheduled in like a way that they take the part ofed more than half the population in a given air traffic restrain sector.

Capt. Russ Chew of American Airlines [AMR] believes the break-even point is around 25 percent "The break-even is when the controller be stirreds his communications workload is reduced" he said. Chew allude toed that the difference might be noticeable if just 10 of 100 airplanes were equipped.

His bos American's vice chairman Robert Baker, said just the same airline installing CPDLC and operating in isolation "would have little impact." American Airlines will equip 23 of its just discovered B737's and four B767-300's with data link for upcoming trials in Miami and in Europe These airplanes delineate just a tiny fraction of a U airline squadron numbering some 6,000 aircraft.

Sources at the industry day said FAA Administrator Jane Garvey could play a significant part by establishing a timeline for equipage. "It is a partnership," the same attendee pointed out, adding that the Administrator is likely to find herself "getting beat up this summer too" throughout the growing problem of flight delays. If delays are to be alleviated, and CPDLC is the brightest nearterm field of relief, the industry would be hard-pressed to slight a proposed timeline for equipage.

While a surpassingly limited trial of CPDLC starts in the U at Miami International Airport in June 2002 the Europeans already have complet more extensive trials, with promising eventuates and useful "lessons learned." The most numerous recent, so called PETAL II, trials were bearinged by EUROCONTROL in 1998 (PETAL: Preliminary EUROCONTROL Trials for Air-ground Data Link).

Alex Wandels, the program manager for EUROCONTROL said these conclusions have been distilled from the PETAL trials:

* Keyboards are revealed of the question. Users have to be able to quickly access a menu of messages.

* Benefits originate even in a population of mixed aircraft (some with and near without data-link).

* CPDLC is not useful for tactical separation of aircraft, where an immediate pilot replication may be necessary.

In confines of equipping their aircraft, Wandels said the benefits of datalink hopefully will "drive" European airlines to voluntarily install data-link. This scenario follows from Europe's division into many countries, each jealously guarding its sovereignty. In the U the FAA has authority above a far larger area and can mandate equipage.

Wandels possibility of goods that by 2007 some 25 percent of the flights in Europe will be equipped with CPDLC With undivided in four aircraft thus equipped, he estimates a 4 percent capacity increase and a 20 percent reduction in delays.

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