TWC 400 Portfolio
Acer Gossett
The following are all assignments completed in Technical Communications 400
during the Fall Semester of 2013. I have learned a lot in this course, not only about writing
technical documents but also about creating different types of documents. We have created
everything form screen casts voice embedded PowerPoint presentations and blog posts. I
believe that I am much better prepared for life after college because of this. An emphasis in
this course has also been team projects. In industry there will be many times where I need
to collaborate with others. Our team worked well with each other for the most part. We
could have communicated a little better in order to compile our information but overall I
think we created a solid product. In my final presentation I will go into more detail about
specific things that I felt I retained for this course and assignments.
Table of Contents
Application letter...................................................................................................................... 2
Resume ......................................................................................................................................... 3
Project Proposal ........................................................................................................................ 4
Research Paper.......................................................................................................................... 6
Instructional Presentation ................................................................................................. 22
Blog ............................................................................................................................................. 22
Final Presentation ................................................................................................................. 22
Application letter
P.O. Box 1415
Page, AZ 86040
September 8, 2013
Mr. Josh Klein, ASU Program Manager
Airline Transport Professionals
5661 South Sossaman Rd.
Mesa, AZ 85212
Dear Mr. Klein:
I am writing in response to this advertisement for flight instructors located on the
ATP website http://www.atpflightschool.com/jobs/index.html With the education I
have obtained at Arizona State University and the training received at ATP, I believe
I am well qualified for the position.
At Arizona State I have received a strong background in aeronautical knowledge.
Not only have I studied general academics but I have taken many specialized
aviation courses. I have gained experience in crew resource management and
aeronautical decision-making. My major requires classes like Aviation safety and
human factors, Aviation law and regulations and Aviation professional. This rich
education sets me apart from those without a college degree.
While receiving flight instruction from ATP I was able to apply my aeronautical
knowledge. Through training i have adapted procedures used by ATP which in turn I
could use as an instructor. I have received my commercial multi engine rating in the
Piper Seminole and am familiar with simulators and aircraft used at ATP.
More information about my experience and education can be found on the enclosed
resume. I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you and discuss further my
qualifications for this position. You can reach me at (928) 640-2374 or e-mail me at
[email protected].
Yours truly,
Acer Gossett
Resume
Acer Gossett
P.O. Box 1415
Page, Az 86040
2374
[email protected]
(928) 640-
Objective
A Flight Instructor position at CAE Oxford Aviation Academy
Education
BS in Aeronautical Management Technology - Professional Flight
Arizona State University, Tempe, Az
Anticipated Graduation Date: 12/2013
Related Courses
Part 141 Private/Inst/Comm Ground schools
Flight Operations & Safety
Aviation Meteorology
Airline Instrument Procedures
Aviation Professional
Regional Jet Aircraft Systems
Aviation Safety & Human Factors
Aircraft Power plants
Aviation Law/Regulations
Employment
8/2009-present: Lifeguard
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Maintained patron safety in and around the pool. Checked and monitored
pool chemicals.
Red Cross certified in lifeguarding and CPR.
5/2012-present: Line Worker
Lake Powell Jet Center, Page, AZ
Fueled multi-million dollar aircraft. Provided excellent customer service to VIP
customers. Managed ramp space in accordance with a daily schedule.
Performed routine
maintenance on aircraft support vehicles.
Honors and Organizations
Deans List- Arizona State University Fall 2009
AMT Program Fees Scholarship 2010-2011
Angela Leclair Memorial Scholarship
2010-2011
Thunderbird Pilots Scholarship 2011-2012/2012-2013
Athletic Operations Committee Spring 2013
References
Available upon request
Project Proposal
(Red Team)
Acer Gossett
Matt Nissen
Thomas Linnnen
Purpose
The purpose of this proposal is to request approval to complete a group
research project on the subject of NextGen technologies in the National Airspace
System.
Introduction
The current National Airspace System (NAS) is composed of outdated and
costly technologies. This contributes to increased flight delays, fuel inefficient
routes of flight and expensive operating and maintenance costs of ground based
navigational aids. Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) is the
name given to the new National Airspace system currently being implemented in
the United States. The NextGen system will be able to handle the increased
congestion and is set to improve safety through the use of more accurate,
precise technologies.
In this project we will research the different technologies that make up the
NextGen system and discuss the impact their implementation will have in the
NAS. There are many resources on the subject that are available to us. The
Federal Aviation Administration has released everything from videos to formal
documents covering NextGen. Universities around the country have performed
research and industry companies have evaluated and developed products to
take advantage of NextGen technologies.
Our project will provide a document that can help others in the industry
understand the different aspects of the NextGen system and ease the transition
from current system. Included in this proposal is our proposed program, an
audience analysis, our qualifications and division of labor.
Proposed Program
This document is going to discuss the next generation system of air
transportation. Our report will contain an introduction, body, summary, and
conclusion. We will be discussing the new national airspace system being
implemented, also known as NextGen. The discussion will include the
advantages of NextGen, the disadvantages of the current airspace system, the
concept behind the NextGen airspace, the reasoning behind creating a NextGen
system, the impacts it will have on the aviation industry, and how the FAA plans
to implement NextGen. NextGen is going to change the current airspace system
of a ground based system to a satellite/GPS system using ADS-B technology.
This technology will enable air traffic controllers to reduce traffic delays around
airports, improve air safety, and shorten routes. Another important element of
NextGen is the ability to improve pilot and controller communication by
implementing data communications (text messages) with voice communication.
There are many challenges facing a change of this magnitude, not only cost
challenges but also challenges pertaining to delays, long term implementations,
and the environmental impacts.
Audience Analysis
Our group will be writing this report appealing to the aviation industry. We
choose to do this particular subject since we are all aviation majors and are
knowledgeable in the aspects and operations related to aviation. We hope to not
only appeal to the aviation industry but any audience that is interested or curious
about aviation or the NextGen transportation system. Aviation appeals to a wide
range of audience and we it is important that we appeal to these audiences as
well.
Qualifications and Division of Labor
We will divide the work evenly between the four of us. One person will talk
about how the airspace is currently organized and the disadvantages of it.
Another person will discuss the technology that is being included with NextGen.
The next part that will be handled by someone are the impacts that NextGen will
have on airspace. The last person will explain how the FAA will implement the
NextGen system. Each person will be expected to write around seven hundred
words so that the defined length of the paper can be met. We will have deadlines
that are due before the actual deadlines so that the paper is completed in a
timely manner.
Research Paper
Running Head: NEXTGEN AIRSPACE SYSTEM
NextGen Airspace System and Technologies
Thomas Linnen, Acer Gossett, Josh Kofron, Matt Nissen
Arizona State University
1
NEXTGEN AIRSPACE SYSTEM
2
Abstract
This paper focuses on the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen)
and how different improvements will affect the National Airspace System (NAS).
It is broken down into the main elements of Next. These elements are
Performance-Based Navigation (PBN), Area Navigation (RNAV), Wide Area
Augmentation System (WAAS), Optimized Profile Descent (OPD), Automatic
Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), Terminal Radar Approach Control
Facilities (TRACON), Traffic Management Advisor (TMA), Time Based Flow
Management (TBFM), and System Wide Information Management (SWIM). The
majority of this information will be gathered from the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) website. We will also use a number of other online sources
to gather information on these topics.We find that with the implementation of
NextGen and the supporting systems there will be a better and more efficient
means of air travel in the future.
NEXTGEN AIRSPACE SYSTEM
3
Since the early days of aviation radios have been used for navigation.
Specialized equipment was developed to receive these signals. At first it was as
simple as being able to track to and from the station transmitting a signal. With
the development of VOR or very high frequency omnidirectional range pilots
could now fly various radials to and from a station and determine distance by
measuring how long the radio signals take to travel back and forth. These VOR’s
are the basis of today's National airspace system. Linked together the VOR
stations on the ground make virtual highways in the sky that everyone from small
single engine pilots to the airlines use to navigate throughout the country. VOR
technology was first developed in the 1950’s and has become outdated as
aircraft have become highly advanced and extremely fast. As part of the
NextGen Air Transportation System a variety of new technologies referred to
Performance Based Navigation or PBN will be implemented.
“performance-based navigation (pbn) is a framework for defining
navigation performance requirements that can be applied to an air traffic route,
instrument procedure, or defined airspace.” (Boeing, 2008) PBN provides new
routes and procedures based off of satellite navigation. This has many benefits
over using ground based navaids. Ground based facilities require constant
maintenance and testing to verify they are operating within established
parameters. They also hinder traffic flow because they require the aircraft to fly
directly over them which makes for longer routes of flight and requires more
NEXTGEN AIRSPACE SYSTEM
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separation which reduces the amount of traffic that can pass through an area at
one time. “ PBN benefits include shorter, more direct flight paths, improved
airport arrival rates, enhanced controller productivity, increased safety due to
repeatable, predictable flight paths, fuel savings and a reduction in aviation’s
adverse environmental impact” (FAA, 2013).
Area Navigation (RNAV) allows for aircraft to operate on any flight path
desired. The flight path can consist of traditional ground fixes or virtual fixes
established by satellite or any combination of the two. This allows for more direct
flights which mentioned previously will reduce the amount of fuel required for a
trip, reducing both cost and environmental impact. Required Navigation
Performance (RNP) is a computer system onboard the aircraft that is used to
increase the accuracy of RNAV and verify accuracy requirements are met. (FAA,
2013). This lets the pilots know the accuracy they are obtaining in real time as
opposed to VOR’s which have a variety of errors but the pilots are not exactly
sure of how accurate the signal is.
Another important aspect of PBN is WAAS or Wide Area Augmentation
System. WAAS improves accuracy of the GPS signal allowing for GPS to be
used as a precision approach with vertical guidance. WAAS improves GPS
signal from about 50 feet down to 10 feet. (IFH, 2007) This again eliminates the
need for costly ground based instrument approach equipment. WAAS can
provide accurate approaches into small airports that would not receive such
treatment in todays system due to cost.
NEXTGEN AIRSPACE SYSTEM
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In addition to improved flight paths over the ground PBN will include
Optimized Profile Descent (OPD) . This will change the descent profiles as
aircraft approach their destination airports. The current system requires aircraft to
perform a series of “step downs”. To accomplish this the controllers clear aircraft
down to certain altitudes requiring
the pilots to constantly add more thrust to maintain the specified altitude once
there. OPD will allow for the pilots to descend from cruise flight in one continuous
descent. This will require less time to accomplish descent thus improving flow, it
will also require significantly less fuel in the descent again saving money and
pollution. “expected annual savings can be around $29 million if such
implementations are adapted by major airports in the U.S. Of these savings, 83%
are direct savings for airlines due to reduced fuel usage,” (Chen & Solak, 2013).
PBN as a part of the NextGen Air Transportation will revolutionize air
travel through several satellite based navigational systems. PBN is anticipated to
reduce costs by eliminating many ground facilities and lowering the amount of
fuel used by aircraft with better routing and accuracy. PBN is just a part of the
NextGen system there are several other technologies that with further enhance
the airspace system.
ADS-B is the future of NextGen technology and will be replacing our
current radar surveillance method and replacing it with Global Positioning
Satellite technology. ADS-B will be making significant changes and will be vastly
improving aircraft safety, flight tracking, routes, along with many other important
NEXTGEN AIRSPACE SYSTEM
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aspects of air transportation. ADS-B will not only improve the pilots workload but
will also reduce air traffic controls workload. GPS technology will give air traffic
controllers real time information about aircraft heading, location, altitude in
comparison to radar technology which delays information because it uses the
interrogation and response method. The current airspace system which utilizes
radar technology will send out an interrogation signal which the aircraft will
receive and
send a response signal back to the ground radar. This method is associated with
a lag that delays traffic information as well as weather information such as
thunderstorm activity, cloud coverage, precipitation, and snow fall. “Also, unlike
radar, ADS-B accuracy does not seriously degrade with range, atmospheric
conditions, or target altitude and update intervals do not depend on the rotational
speed or reliability of mechanical antennas.” (ADS-B.com)
ADS-B is made up of two different services; ADS-B Out and ADS-B In.
ADS-B Out provides information about each aircraft in a particular airspace such
as: aircraft tail number (identification), position, altitude, speed, through a
transmitter that is installed onboard the aircraft. As mentioned before, ADS-B Out
will provide air traffic controllers with more real time information as compared to
the current radar based systems. With the more accurate information that air
traffic controllers will be provided with, they can therefore separate aircraft with
increased precision and timing. This will increase airport efficiency and allow
more aircraft to arrive and depart from airports in a given time as well as
NEXTGEN AIRSPACE SYSTEM
7
increasing revenue and air safety. “ADS-B In is the reception by aircraft of FIS-B
and TIS-B data and other ADS-B data such as direct communication from nearby
aircraft.” ( ADS-B) To utilize ADS-B Out technology, the aircraft will have to either
install a new transponder or modify their current transponder with manufacturer
parts.
This NextGen airspace system which utilizes ADS-B (GPS) technology not
only has many great benefits but will also improve aircraft safety, efficiency,
resources, and cockpit management. Just some of the benefits that ADS-B will
provide for pilots and air traffic controllers are: more up to date, accurate traffic
information, the ability to receive weather reports and forecasts through flight
information systems, more precise terrain elevations, NOTAMS, Temporary flight
restrictions (TFRs), and other flight information. Unlike our current in flight
weather services which are offered to commercial operations, ADS-B will not
require a subscription fee or any other form of compensation which in turn will
reduce commercial operators budgets and allow the money to be spent towards
improving aircraft, terminals, airport security, etc. Safety is the biggest concern in
the aviation industry and ADS-B will vastly improve safety with aircraft taxing on
the ground and maneuvering in flight. Situational awareness is an ability that
every pilot must possess and ADS-B technology will improve our situational
awareness through additional data displayed on aircraft’s avionics, other traffic in
the area, runway closings, updates to airport information, and all of this data will
be clear, more detailed, and accessible to crew members of the aircraft.
NEXTGEN AIRSPACE SYSTEM
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ADS-B will have as much as an impact on air traffic controllers efficiency
as it will on the pilots of a particular aircraft. Since this NextGen technology will
provide controllers with a more accurate report of an aircraft's position,
controllers will be able to reduce the separation between aircraft. Thus allowing
for increased traffic flow management, enhanced approaches and departures,
reducing runway incursions, shorter routes during the cruise phase of flight,
enhanced operations in high altitudes, improved communication, and reduced
environmental impact (less fuel burn with shortened routes). Radar based ground
systems have been in use for decades and have had minimal improvements in
the efficiency of the system. NextGen ADS-B will be the biggest implementation
that the aviation community has ever seen and will likely take time to reach the
optimal efficiency capability. This new national airspace system will be
implemented anywhere from the current date to as far as 2025. NextGen will
provide unlimited applications to the aviation community and will be the biggest
implementation to ever hit aviation.
One element of the Next Generation Air Transportation System that will
play a big role is the System Wide Information Management or SWIM. The main
goal of SWIM is to share Air Traffic Management system information. Currently
there are many different FAA systems that do not interface with each other
because they are through different companies. If the FAA wanted two different
systems to work together then they would have to pay vast amounts of money to
get it to work. If they wanted another two systems to work together they would
NEXTGEN AIRSPACE SYSTEM
9
again have to go through this same process. Instead of doing this they decided
that they should just have one central program where all of the different systems
can report to.
SWIM was first presented to the FAA in 1997. Currently it is now being
developed for the Next Generation Air Transportation System and the European
Union. The FAA officially established SWIM in 2007. It will be rolled out in three
different segments with segment starting from 2013 to 2015.The current
problems with the managing and sharing of information are the time it takes to
get all the necessary information, the availability of the information, and the
knowledge on how to acquire all the information. “SWIM enables the sharing of
information between diverse systems enabling the Next Generation Air
Transportation System (NextGen) to deliver the right information to the right
place at the right time.” (FAA, 2013) In order to be able to do this it will use
Information Technology to share and reuse information and increase the ability of
systems to work together. “This infrastructure enables systems to publish
information of interest to NAS users, request and receive information from other
NAS services, and support NAS security requirements. Further, SWIM provides
governance to NAS programs to ensure services are SWIM compliant and meet
all FAA SOA standards.” (FAA, 2013).
The benefits of SWIM are Business and information Technology (IT) Alignment,
Adaptability, Interoperability, Reuse, Scalability. “Business and IT alignment will
help the system evolve with the environment rather than designed and built as a
NEXTGEN AIRSPACE SYSTEM
10
fixed structure (a city vs. a building).” (FAA 2013). “Adaptability will enable ondemand composition and restructuring of services to meet business needs” (FAA
2013). Scalability will allow for information to be widely distributed and accessed.
The first image shows how the NAS is organized now without SWIM. As
you can see there are a lot of fixed network connections going from one
individual program to another individual. The bottom image shows how it will be
NEXTGEN AIRSPACE SYSTEM
11
organized when SWIM is included. This centralized location is the the key to
getting all the information easily available to the people who need it.
Overall the introduction of SWIM to the NAS will help to great increase
efficiency and organize information. It will also help to keep costs down for
implementing new software and new technologies.Many travelers use the form of
aviation as a primary source of transportation. There are a few reasons for this
and the main reason is because they are able to cover great distances in a short
amount of time. Now what would be better than to have a more expedited trip
than what is currently in place? Unbeknownst to many air-travelers, aviation has
gone through many changes to become more and more efficient in terms of cost
and time. Currently, the FAA is using a program called Traffic Management
Advisor which is quickly being outdated and creating a limit to how productive it
can be. This is where NextGen and Time Based Flow Management (TBFM)
come into play.
During a typical commercial flight, the aircraft is passed from one
controller to another. This can cause quite a bit of confusion for both the pilots
and for the controllers if directions are not understood clearly or if there is any
doubt as to what the assignment is. When it comes time for the aircraft to land or
taking off, the pilots are usually in contract with what is called a Terminal Radar
Approach Control or TRACON. The TRACON is used to separate departures
from arrivals and from handing off flights to other controlling facilities. While most
of this is handled electronically there is still a great amount of work involved with
NEXTGEN AIRSPACE SYSTEM
12
controllers which are prone to becoming flustered and making mistakes. Another
form of communication that pilots have with controllers are the Air Route Traffic
Control Center (ARTCC).
An Air Route Traffic Control Center is used for when the commercial
aircraft has left the TRACON area and will require communication during the
flight between airports. With the use of NextGen and Time Management Advisor,
air traffic will be able to provide a better flow and be more efficient with airspaces.
To help eliminate some of this uncertainty between human error the FAA has
enacted the Traffic Management Advisor.
The current system that FAA has implemented is the Traffic Management
Advisor (TMA). It is used for support and is at 20 ARTCC’s, 30 TRACON’s and
29 ATCT’s. It is used for planning flights and flight data which includes cruising
altitude and sequencing aircraft over fixes all without creating congestion of traffic
and without compromising safety. The use of this system has been beneficial in
many ways as it delivers the aircraft to the selected airport while keeping the
frequency of planes at a manageable rate. It takes into account the airport
configuration, weather and the type of aircraft and determines the best and most
efficient method to land. It is used as a linking tool to provide the aircraft in
contact with the departing airport to have the same communication detail with the
en-route flight center and finally with the arriving airport. This has been proven
beneficial in many ways and tests show that Time Based Metering to be more
efficient in congested airspaces by smoothing out traffic flows, eliminating
NEXTGEN AIRSPACE SYSTEM
13
congestion of aircraft and deliver a more efficient and constant flow of traffic
down the runway. (Tyo 2) To provide the most efficient methods of travel the FAA
has partnered with Lockheed Martin to implement and retrofit the old system with
Time Based Flow Management (TBFM)
With the new TBFM, Lockheed will be retrofitting the TMA to help enhance
aircraft arrival and departure sequence by utilizing a time based metering. This
will be dramatically different in which it will take into account the use of
acceleration and the speed of travel rather than based upon the flow of traffic.
Lockheed Martin states “That it will be a key component of NextGen because it
will help optimize the flow of aircraft into capacity-constrained areas, decrease
delays through better predictability of airspace use, and improve fuel efficiency.”
(Gottfredsen 2010)
With the use of TBFM in conjunction with the current system that is in
place now, the FAA will have a more efficient means of travel while reducing
travel time and reducing the over consumption of fuel. This will provide additional
revenue for all participating entities of air travel as well as providing satisfied
travelers.
References
Nakamura, D., & Royce, W. (2008). Operational Benefits of performance-based
navigation: Retrieved
fromhttp://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/articles/
qtr_2_08/AERO_Q208_article3.pdf
Federal Aviation Administration (2013, June). Performance Based Navigation.
Retrieved
from http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/library/media/getSmart_PBN.pdf
Chen, H. & Solak, S. (2013). Lower Cost Arrivals for Airlines: Optimal Policies for
Managing Runway Operations under Optimized Profile Descent. Retrieved
From http://www.agifors.org/award/submissions2013/HengChen.pdf
U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Flight Standards
Service
(2007) Instrument Flying Handbook. Washington, D.C.
Reyno, M., Appareo Systems (2003-2013). ADS-B - NextGen Avionics.
Retrieved from
http://www.appareo.com/primarymenu/markets/aviation/adsb-automaticdependent-surveillance-broadcast/
http://www.appareo.com/primarymenu/markets/aviation/adsb-automaticdependent-surveillance-broadcast/
ADS-B Technologies, LLC (2011). Next Generation Air Traffic Management
Specialists.
Retrieved from http://www.ads-b.com/
Feliz, Emily. "Avionics Today." Avionics Magazine. Avionics Today Network , 1
Sept.
2009. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. <http://www.aviationtoday.com/av/issue/feature/
34479.html#.UoBoxiS3KhM>.
Sheridan, John. "Swim–a look inside NextGen's own future private Intranet."
Aviation
International News. AIN Online, 8 Aug. 2012. Web. 11 Nov. 2013. <http://
www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aviation-international-news/2010-10-01/swimlookinside-nextgens-own-future-private-intranet>.
"System Wide Information Management (SWIM)." System Wide Information
Management
(SWIM). Federal Aviation Administration , 25 May 2010. Web. 10 Nov.
2013.
<http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ato/service_uni
ts/
techops/atc_comms_services/swim/#>.
Tyo, B. (2012 November). Time Based Flow Management Program . FAA
Industry
Forum: FAA. Retrieved from http://faaindustryforum.org/1%20%20BOB%20TYO--Industry%20Forum%20Presentation%20TBFM-PM.pdf
Gottfredsen, J. (2010 May). Lockheed Martin Selected to Prime
FAA’s Time
Based Flow Management Program. Lockheed Martin. Retrieved from
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/press-releases/
2010/may/LockheedMartinSelectedPri.html
FAA Air Traffic Organization (2009 October). Traffic Flow Management in the
National
Airspace System. FAA. Retrieved from
http://www.fly.faa.gov/Products/Training/ Traffic_Management_for_Pilots/
TFM_in_the_NAS_Booklet_ca10.pdf
Instructional Presentation
Link to Instructional Presentation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzOXbFP-K8A&feature=youtu.be
Blog
Link to Blog
http://acgosset.wordpress.com
Final Presentation
Link to Final Presentation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S9Uu5oxEp8&feature=youtu.be