Metron Aviation
has been a major contributor to the Collaborative
Decision Making (CDM) effort since the program’s
inception in early 1990. Collaborative Decision
Making is a joint government-industry initiative
aimed at improving the Traffic Flow Management (TFM)
system by increasing the exchange of information
and enhancing decision support tools. CDM provides
a near-term benefit for the users of the National
Airspace System (NAS) by providing greater flexibility,
predictability, and equity while maximizing the
use of strained resources. Metron Aviation's participation
in the CDM Program includes research, development,
evaluation, testing, deployment, training, maintenance,
and operational support for deployed and prototyped
CDM tools. Products and Services provided to the
CDM community include:
• Decision Support
Tools
• Research and Development
• Air Traffic Analysis
• Training and Support
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is a decision support tool
that provides the FAA, NavCanada, and CDM participating
airlines with the capability to monitor airport
capacity/demand balance, model traffic flow management
initiatives, and evaluate alternative approaches.
FSM is also used by the Air Traffic Control System
Command Center to implement Ground Stop (GS) and
Ground Delay Program strategies. Airline Operations
Centers use FSM to assess the proposed GS/GDP, develop
strategies to cope with the restrictions, and monitor
GS/GDP initiatives that are in effect. Currently
FSM is used by more than 90 FAA facilities, 7 NavCanada
facilities, and 40 airlines in the United States
and Canada. FSM provides common situational awareness
to users by presenting airport demand and capacity
information both graphically and through text.
is a web-based analysis
tool developed by Metron Aviation to assess the
performance of Ground Delay Programs. Server-side
Java script dynamically generates HTML reports that
are updated every five minutes as new flight information
is received. FSA provides GDP performance metrics
and trend analysis features, which benchmark the
current GDP against past GDPs, allowing the user
to identify patterns or anomalies that are indicative
of underlying problems. GDP analysis using FSA allows
the CDM community to eliminate unnecessary delay
by identifying and eliminating the causes of poor
GDP performance.
is an analysis system
used by the FAA and aviation community to analyze
National Airspace System performance. Metron Aviation,
Cognitive Systems Engineering, and AMT Systems Engineering
developed POET for the FAA under the CDM program.
POET was designed with a focus on supporting analysis
of collaborative routing problems, including identifying
areas of NAS congestion or inefficiency. Using a
variety of performance metrics, POET allows users
to explore how the NAS functions, including departure,
en route, arrival delays, and filed versus actually
flown flight tracks. The POET server, located at
the Air Traffic Control System Command Center, connects
to the live ETMS data feed to provide near real-time
data access, and maintains a “rolling”
95-day dataset across two databases spanning the
entire NAS for ready analysis using POET.
is a database
query tool that allows users to search a centralized
database containing various types of routing data.
RMT provides common situational awareness to users
by providing access to pre-coordinated routes for
use during severe weather and congestion events.
Coded Departure Routes (CDRs) and National Playbook
Routes are defined and modified by FAA administrators
through RMT. Several reference tables from the NFDC
are also included: Preferred Routes, Location Identifiers
and Airway Intersections. Users are able view all
routes and overlays on the RMT Map. Metron Aviation
developed RMT in conjunction with the CDM Collaborative
Routing Workgroup to facilitate information exchange
between ATCSCC Severe Weather Specialists, ARTCCs,
and the user community.
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• Analytic
Tool R&D
• Integrated
Concepts for the Evolution of Flow Management (ICE-FM)
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Metron Aviation utilizes its large database repository
including Aggregate Demand Lists (ADLs), historical
routes and weather events to quantify, measure and
evaluate the results of actions planned or taken
to improve NAS performance. Prime analytical work
has focused on system impact assessment, looking
at the NAS in real-time to gauge the impact of initiatives
as they occur and are considered, and performance
assessment, reviewing the efficiency of an event
after it has taken place for post-operational research.
Recent studies have been in the area of ETMS Data
Quality, NAS Inefficiencies, Probabilistic Demand,
TFM Benefits, Airport Operation, Collaborative Convective
Forecasts, Delay Predictability, ETE Fluctuations,
ETA Accuracy, Filed vs. Actual Routes, Arrival Fix
Loads, and Slot Utilization. Analytical service
enhancements include automated processes and web
accessibility.
• CDM
Analysis Overview
• Collaborative
Convective Forecast Product (CCFP) Study
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-Metron Aviation provides operational
support for TFM decision support, analysis, and
database management tools. Staff currently hold
a position on the operational floor of the ATCSCC
and provide year round technical and analytical
support to troubleshoot problems. Deployment and
operations procedures require staff to learn, test,
and maintain tools in an operating environment,
promote coordination among users, and analyze and
archive data. These services play a critical role
in ensuring the day-to-day success of operations
at the ATCSCC, remote FAA sites and airline facilities.
Metron Aviation also provides an
excellent support system to manage and organize
work group activity. Experience in web site and
multi-media design provide a platform for disseminating
meeting schedules, minutes and presentations, product
downloads and documentation, training information,
reports and summaries, and computer-based instruction.
Distribution lists keep participants informed of
activities and serve as a forum for discussions.
Metron Aviation is adept at writing support literature,
providing equipment services, funneling information
requests, hosting meetings and telcons, and promoting
work group principles at seminars and conferences.
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