"Airport of the Future: Cutting-edge system aims to boost airport efficiency"

Monday, July 24, 2006

Cutting-edge system aims to boost airport efficiency
Embry-Riddle and partners are creating a high-tech model at Daytona Beach's
airport
By Ludmilla Lelis
The Orlando (FL) Sentinel 

 
DAYTONA BEACH -- It's a familiar scenario for air passengers: You've stowed
your luggage and buckled up. The airliner taxis toward the runway, only to
idle endlessly awaiting clearance for takeoff.

Or the jet lands safely at your destination, but then sits on the tarmac by
the arrival gate until another plane vacates the spot.

These annoying delays would disappear at the "Airport of the Future" as
envisioned by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which hopes to pioneer a
system that will increase efficiency and eliminate operational quirks that
add up to lost time and lost money.

The aviation and aerospace university and several private companies are
taking their vision to Daytona Beach International Airport, where they will
begin installing state-of-the-art technology later this year.

The Daytona airport is ideal for the project, because it is small and has a
mix of major airliners and general aviation, said Don Zarefoss, director of
aviation strategy for Lockheed Martin Transportation & Security Solutions.

"Our goal is to provide an environment to let the technologies mature and
thrive in a real-world environment," Zarefoss said.

If the three-year, $30 million venture succeeds there, the innovative system
could work anywhere, said John Metzner, Embry-Riddle vice president of
global planning and program development. "We could use this as a showcase
for the rest of the world," he said.

Officials at the area's largest airport, Orlando International Airport, have
learned about the project and are waiting to see how it develops.

"We applaud anyone using innovative technology in the industry," said OIA
spokeswoman Carolyn Fennell.

Meanwhile, Volusia County could benefit by having the Daytona airport as the
testing ground by potentially attracting high-tech companies, said Dennis
McGee, Volusia director of aviation at the airport, which had more than
600,000 passengers last year.

Airport and flight innovations are badly needed as the entire industry
braces for a higher demand for air travel.

Passenger demand nationwide could climb by 52 percent over the next 10
years, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. That will put a
strain on already congested airports and already crowded airspace.

The Daytona Beach project will incorporate different software programs and
equipment to improve weather prediction, security and surveillance, as well
as management of the runway and gate activity. Embry-Riddle is applying for
federal grants to pay for the project, though several of the partnering tech
firms are contributing expertise and equipment.

Take, for example, the typical Florida thunderstorm, said Ian Wilson,
director of the university's Center for Applied Air Traffic Management
Research.

The current Doppler radar system covers too large an area, and has too long
a time lag, to forecast when a particular storm will be in an aircraft's
way.

By refining the infrared radar so it covers a smaller area within a shorter
time loop, it would be easier to predict a quick-forming storm and redirect
a pilot.

"The air traffic controller can build the flight trajectory before the storm
is even there," Wilson said.

The centerpiece of the project transforms airport data into a 3-D display
that looks like it has been pulled out from a video game.

Called a "virtual camera," the display features a realistic view of the
planes at their gates, the catering and fueling trucks cruising along and
the airport personnel working by the planes.

"The idea of integration is to take all the operations of an airport, fuse
it into one database and offer it to the various stakeholders at the
airport," Metzner said.

Wilson demonstrated one such display at his center's lab, showing an actual
radar recording taken at the Madrid Barajas International Airport in Spain.
All the vehicles and personnel were easy to recognize, in contrast to radar
screens, which would only show dots and blobs with codes that aren't quickly
decipherable.

The 3-D display gets its information from optical sensors and a network of
ground-level radar that can detect and recognize whatever is there and can
constantly update it. With radar involved, the system would be better than
an actual window, which could get its view distorted by fog or low light.

Ideally, all the airport personnel would have access to the virtual camera,
Metzner said.

Security would be alerted if there is an unknown person or unauthorized
plane in the area.

Caterers and refuelers could have real-time information so that they could
time their work without having to sit at gates, or be late.

Air traffic controllers could have a clear view of any obstructions and
provide quick feedback to the pilots.

The system could also improve surveillance of the airport perimeter from
human and other intruders. McGee said airport managers everywhere not only
have to deal with criminal or terrorist threats, but wildlife obstacles --
birds or deer or reptiles -- clogging up the runways.

These advancements may not be apparent to passengers, but a more efficient
airport should help to save money and time, Metzner said.

Some of the technologies are already being tested at airports, said Dick
Marchi, a senior adviser for policy and regulatory affairs at the Airports
Council International-North America.

What makes the Daytona project unique is the attempt to mesh several
different technologies into one usable system, he said.

"One of the difficulties is the technologies have had separate program
development so it's hard to integrate them," Marchi said.

"This is the largest attempt to combine the technologies."

Attached Photo's:

A 3-year, $30-million venture at the Daytona Beach airport hopes to create a
model for high-tech efficiency.
 
Ian Wilson, director of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Center for
Applied Air Traffic Management Research, works in the school's simulation
lab. 
 
Ian Wilson of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University demonstrates some of the
equipment in the school's aviation operations simulation lab. Embry-Riddle
is developing a project to improve airport efficiency.

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