NASA LogoNTRSNTRS - NASA Technical Reports ServerSearchmore_vertCollectionsAboutNewsHelpLogin Back to ResultsPrecision Departure Release Capability (PDRC) Technology DescriptionAfter takeoff, aircraft must merge into en route (Center) airspace traffic flows which may be subject to constraints that create localized demand-capacity imbalances. When demand exceeds capacity, Traffic Management Coordinators (TMCs) often use tactical departure scheduling to manage the flow of departures into the constrained Center traffic flow. Tactical departure scheduling usually involves use of a Call for Release (CFR) procedure wherein the Tower must call the Center TMC to coordinate a release time prior to allowing the flight to depart. In present-day operations release times are computed by the Center Traffic Management Advisor (TMA) decision support tool based upon manual estimates of aircraft ready time verbally communicated from the Tower to the Center. The TMA-computed release is verbally communicated from the Center back to the Tower where it is relayed to the Local controller as a release window that is typically three minutes wide. The Local controller will manage the departure to meet the coordinated release time window. Manual ready time prediction and verbal release time coordination are labor intensive and prone to inaccuracy. Also, use of release time windows adds uncertainty to the tactical departure process. Analysis of more than one million flights from January 2011 indicates that a significant number of tactically scheduled aircraft missed their en route slot due to ready time prediction uncertainty. Uncertainty in ready time estimates may result in missed opportunities to merge into constrained en route flows and lead to lost throughput. Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) plans call for development of Tower automation systems capable of computing surface trajectory-based ready time estimates. NASA has developed the Precision Departure Release Capability (PDRC) concept that uses this technology to improve tactical departure scheduling by automatically communicating surface trajectory-based ready time predictions to the Center scheduling tool. The PDRC concept also incorporates earlier NASA and FAA research into automation-assisted CFR coordination. The PDRC concept helps reduce uncertainty by automatically communicating coordinated release times with seconds-level precision enabling TMCs to work with target times rather than windows. NASA has developed a PDRC prototype system that integrates the Center's TMA system with a research prototype Tower decision support tool. A two-phase field evaluation was conducted at NASA's North Texas Research Station (NTX) in Dallas-Fort Worth. The field evaluation validated the PDRC concept and demonstrated reduced release time uncertainty while being used for tactical departure scheduling of more than 230 operational flights over 29 weeks of operations. This paper presents the Technology Description. Companion papers include the Final Report and a Concept of Operations.Document ID20140005549Acquisition SourceAmes Research CenterDocument TypeTechnical Memorandum (TM)AuthorsEngelland, Shawn A.*(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)*Capps, Richard*(Mosaic ATM, Inc. Leesburg, VA, United States)*Day, Kevin*(Mosaic ATM, Inc. Leesburg, VA, United States)*Robinson, Corissia*(Mosaic ATM, Inc. Leesburg, VA, United States)*Null, Jody R.*(California Univ. Moffett Field, CA, United States)*Date AcquiredMay 12, 2014Publication DateJune 1, 2013Subject CategoryAir Transportation And SafetyReport/Patent NumberNASA/TM-2013-216531ARC-E-DAA-TN9197Funding Number(s)CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS2-03144CONTRACT_GRANT: NNA11AC17CWBS: WBS 305295Distribution LimitsPublicCopyrightPublic Use Permitted.Keywordstactical departure schedulingair traffic managementenroute and surface integrationAvailable DownloadsNameType20140005549.pdfSTIcloud_downloadcontent_copyvisibilityRelated RecordsThere are no records associated with this record.visibility_offNo Preview Available
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