In this issue:

WAAS Completes 60-Day

Stability

Test......................................1

New LAAS Product Team

Lead.......................................2

LAAS Acquisition and

Implementation Activities...2

WAAS Completes First

Maintainer Training

Course.................................4

Enhanced GEO Services for

WAAS.................................4

SatNav at Oshkosh.............4

VFR Waypoints on Phoenix

Chart...................................5

WAAS Completes 60-Day Stability Test

By Bill Wanner, FAA/ACT-360

On September 16, 2002, the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) completed its final

test before FAA acceptance of the WAAS from the prime contractor, the Raytheon Corporation. This final test, the 60-Day Stability Test, completes the formal test and integration

phase of this system that augments GPS for aviation applications. Preliminary results show

that the system has met all requirements allocated to the test. A final decision on the status

of the test will occur after the FAA reviews the final test report, which is expected sometime

in late October. Analysis of test data has shown that accuracy levels have been as low as one

meter in the horizontal and vertical dimensions. In addition, over 95 percent of CONUS

(Continental United States) receives WAAS service for the Lateral Precision with Vertical

Guidance (LPV) service level. LPV has the criteria of a horizontal alert limit of 40 meters

and a vertical alert limit of 50 meters.

The requirements associated with the 60-Day Stability Test include the system’s integrity,

availability, coverage, and accuracy. The system meets those requirements, according to

preliminary analysis by Raytheon and the FAA. The FAA and Raytheon worked closely

together while preparing for and during the test. Due to this close coordination, the FAA

was aware of system performance during the entire test. Raytheon has been comparing test

results that were independently generated by the FAA each week of the test. Currently, the

FAA is conducting a review of those test results. The successful end of the 60-Day Stability

Test marks the completion of a crucial milestone for the WAAS program.
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The WAAS has been available for use in non-safety-of-life

applications since August 2000. Once WAAS is commissioned next year, aviation users will be able to expand the

use of the WAAS to include instrument flight rules (IFR)

applications.

New LAAS Product Team

Lead-Words of Introduction

by Gary N. Skillicorn, FAA/AND-710

with Christine Cave, GPSTAC and Mary Ann Davis, GPSTAC

This month, Gary Skillicorn took the reins as LAAS Product

Team Lead. He anticipates working with the team members

who he says are dedicated to bringing the Local Area Augmentation System into focus. He shared an introductory message of hope and excitement with SatNav News.

“As I join the LAAS Integrated Product Team as the team

lead, I’d like to offer a few words of self-introduction. It is

with great pleasure and excitement that I begin to work with

a fine group of team members dedicated to making LAAS a

reality. As my wife simply states, our job is to ‘make other

people’s dreams come true’. The dream, in this case, is for a

safe reliable terminal approach and landing system that will

serve us all for years to come.”

Gary has been a government civil servant for more than 30

years. For the last 12 years, he has been with the Federal

Aviation Administration (FAA). Before joining the LAAS

team, Gary’s time at the FAA has largely been dedicated to

managing the ground-based navigation program, e.g. ILS,

VOR, NDB, DME, etc. “I feel a sense of accomplishment

from being involved in the fielding of hundreds of navigation aids in the last decade. I’m now looking forward to contributing to the development and fielding of LAAS as a natural evolution with technology.” Gary commented that in

many ways, LAAS is not unlike existing ground-based navigation equipment. It is faced with many of the same challenges;

e.g. avionics interface standards, multi-path propagation,

monitoring, competition for spectrum, flight inspection, certification, and, of course, logistic concerns - including maintenance, supply support, and training. “LAAS and WAAS

are truly complex systems with a whole set of unique challenges. I did not fully appreciate that complexity until I started

being absorbed into the program.” Gary brings to the LAAS

program a strong acquisition background from many years

of experience, and a strong technical savvy with degrees in

electrical engineering and systems management, as well as a

personal interest in electronics and aviation. He is an active

instrument- rated general aviation pilot and aircraft owner.

Before working with the FAA, Gary worked with the Department of Defense in the development and acquisition of air

traffic radar, navigation aids, and landing systems

In closing, Gary had this to add, “I’d like to mention that

when I walk through an airport terminal, I sense the overwhelming importance of what we do. Millions of people I’ll

never know benefit from our efforts and, in turn, they trust a

team of folks they will never know with making their travel

as safe as possible. The challenge I give to the LAAS Product

Team is to share that same feeling that the work we’re doing

is truly important and will matter in a countless number of

ways in decades to come.”

LAAS Acquisition and

Implementation Activities

By Dieter Guenter, GPS TAC/AND-710

The FAA LAAS Product Team (AND-710) and the FAA Navigation Systems Implementation Product Team (AND-720)

have been leading the effort for the acquisition and implementation of the LAAS program. Many of our SATNAV

News readers are familiar with the main areas of focus of the

LAAS program. Here is a quick review:

Phase 1 - Establishment of a Government Industry Partnership (GIP) to develop a LAAS CAT I system (private system for public use) to be fielded in the National Airspace

System (NAS). Under the GIP, commercial vendors develop

the systems, and the FAA provides type-acceptance support.

The GIP industry partners are Honeywell, Raytheon, and

Thales.)

Phase 2 - Development of a government-procured LAAS

CAT I system, which meets all FAA requirements for a public-use system to be operated and maintained by the FAA.

Phase 3 - Research and Development (R&D) leading to a

developmental contract for the LAAS CAT II/III system.
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As a result of the GIP work completed in Phase 1, some industry partners have established LAAS prototypes (private systems,

not FAA type-accepted) at various airports throughout the NAS.

One of these prototypes is installed at Chicago O’Hare Airport and another at Chicago Midway Airport. The Chicago

Airport Authority has

been very active in the

promotion of new technology such as the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B),

Airborne Information for

Lateral Spacing (AILS),

and LAAS. Their intent

is to implement these capabilities as soon as possible to help solve some of

O’Hare’s operational

problems. Chicago O’Hare (ORD) will also be one of six U.S.

airports to receive a “limited rate initial production” (LRIP)

LAAS CAT I system as part of the Phase 2 LAAS CAT I Procurement activities.

The user community, which is mainly represented by the Air

Transport Association, and air carriers such as FedEx, United

Airlines, Delta Airlines and Alaskan Airlines, are very interested in LAAS. Its primary focus is on the benefits that LAAS

can provide above and beyond an ILS-like straight-in capability. Specifically, the user community wants “complex procedures” (curved, segmented approaches and guided departures)

to solve some of their operational problems. For example,

these complex procedures can reduce overall flight time while

increasing Visual Flight Rules (VFR) acceptance rates during

times of reduced visibility.

The FAA and the user community, along with the Chicago

Airport Authority, met this summer to discuss various alternatives for the use of LAAS at Chicago O’Hare. The goal has

been to evaluate operational areas where LAAS could provide

significant value to their operations in Chicago. A particular

runway configuration at ORD (triple conversion, 09L/R and

04) requires visual meteorological conditions (VMC) and close

monitoring and guidance from air traffic control (ATC).

ATC’s main requirement is a precise, repeatable path in space

flown by all users. This path can be provided by LAAS with

an up-linked complex procedure. The sample graphic below,

included for demonstration purposes only, outlines one possible application of

LAAS at Chicago

O’Hare.

LAAS can support

complex procedures in

different ways. First,

LAAS can provide input to the onboard

area navigation

(RNAV) systems for an

RNAV approach. Second, LAAS can provide the approach procedure as part of the system’s uplink

message. In the first case, the database resides in the aircraft; in the second case the database for the approach resides in the LAAS ground system. The different implementation philosophies are part of the LAAS Concept of Operations and are being discussed within the FAA and the user

community.

The team has established the basic requirements and is now

assessing the implementation activities required to complete

the integration efforts. These efforts include establishing or

modifying existing avionics standards, LAAS ground system

requirements, and rule-making activities (Flight Standards).

Ongoing close coordination with the user community and

ATC has been a critical requirement for successful LAAS

implementation.

Over the next few months, the team will continue similar

activities at the remaining five airports selected to receive

the first LRIP LAAS CAT I systems. The team’s strategy for

these implementation activities will be the same: Identify user

and ATS requirements at the local airport level and then

determine where LAAS can provide the best overall benefits.
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WAAS Completes First

Maintainer Training

Course

By Christine Cave, GPSTAC – with inputs from John Otey,

GPSTAC and Steve Mason, FAA/AMA-430

On September 25, the Wide Area

Augmentation System (WAAS) completed its first prototype course on

maintainer training for wide area

ground reference stations (WRS) and wide area master stations (WMS). This is the first course that would train FAA

airway facilities technicians to maintain WAAS equipment.

The prototype training development began September 4 and

subjects included the removal and replacement of line replaceable units (LRU), configurations, and troubleshooting. Seven

students gathered in Oklahoma City, OK, to assist with this

training development. The students were a group from the

field that included three operators; two from the National

Operations Control Center (NOCC), and one from the Pacific Operations Control Center (POCC). With the students’

assistance, instructors in Oklahoma City were able to make

changes in the training materials as needed. The first class of

eight students begin WRS maintainer training on October

16, 2002.

Enhanced GEO Services

for WAAS

by Pamela Gomez, FAA, AND-730

The FAA intends to award a contract for the

Geostationary Satellite and Control Segment

(GCCS) Acquisition by December 2003. The

FAA is currently definitizing a contract with

the team of Lockheed Martin Air Traffic

Management, Inmarsat, Boeing, and

Raytheon Company.

On June 5, 2002, the FAA issued a competitive Screening Information Request/Request For Offer (SIR/RFO) to acquire

on a competitive basis, a third GEO for WAAS. Offeror responses from Industry were received on August 2, 2002. The

GCCS Contract will provide the FAA the flexibility to procure up to three satellites through the WAAS Initial Operating Capability and up through Final Operating Capability.

This acquisition will allow the FAA flexibility for procuring

leased services that take into account changes in the constellation due to satellite relocations, satellite failure, unplanned

outages, as well as maintaining Geostationary diversity and

security. It also provides the FAA the flexibility to improve

WAAS performance for availability and continuity of service

over time. The FAA currently has communications transponders on two INMARSAT-III satellites providing single coverage over most of the United States and hopes to have the

first additional communications link, operating on a GEO

satellite by 2004.

SatNav at Oshkosh

By Dean Alexander, GPS TAC/AFS-420

It is considered a bonus for the FAA

when the administration uses forums

such as the Experimental Aircraft

Association’s (EAA) AirVenture to

publicly discuss its major programs

and directly answer pilots’ questions. The FAA provided such

a forum on July 25th in the FAA Pavilion at this Oshkosh

event. The information session entitled, “Transition to Satellite Navigation” was provided to a full house of as many as

200 pilot participants. The objective of this presentation

was to convey the FAA’s satellite navigation mission, present

an overview of the operational integration aspects of

transitioning to satellite navigation, and provide the current

status of the various operational integration projects. As always, the WAAS/LAAS briefings generated interest, and questions came from an enthusiastic audience. Two of the hottest items on pilots’ minds were the possibility of a new and

improved Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) system, and the lowcost database promised by the Administrator. Interested pilots asked so many questions that the follow-on question and

answer period was moved outside the pavilion to make way

for the next briefing. Team members Dave Peterson, FAA

Lead for Satellite Navigation Operational Integration, and

Dean Alexander, GPS Technical Assistant Contract (TAC)

support, co-briefed and answered questions an hour beyond

the official end of the session. The event was viewed as a

success, and one can expect more of these types of presentations to take place in the coming year.
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VFR Waypoints Used On

Phoenix Terminal Area

Chart

by Bob Brekke, GPS TAC/AWP-520.6

Western-Pacific Region on October 31, 2002, will start using

Visual Flight Rules (VFR) Waypoints on the Phoenix Terminal Area Chart (TAC). The VFR Waypoints Chart Program

gives navigation guidance to pilots who are unfamiliar with

an area in or near Class B, Class C, and Special Use Airspace. The program was established to assist pilots with position awareness while they are visually navigating in aircraft

equipped with Area Navigation (RNAV) receivers.

Federal Aviation Administration

800 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20591

http://gps.faa.gov