The FAA last month responded to the RTCA Industry NextGen Implementation Task Force’s recommendations for the transition to NextGen. The agency had earlier invited the group–300 people recruited from all segments of the aviation industry–to propose optimum solutions to the mid-term, 2010 to 2018, transition to the full implementation of NextGen. The task force published its consensus recommendations last September. (See
“RTCA report is a blueprint for NextGen,”
AIN, October 2009, page 74.)
The group’s objective was not to rewrite, or even second guess, the overall NextGen plan, but rather to recommend opportunities to accelerate the transition where existing technologies could provide a performance-based bridge to NextGen programs still under development. A key consideration was recognizing the potential capabilities of equipment many operators already carry but underutilize, while avoiding mandates or unnecessarily requiring further operator investment.
“NowGen Next,” the title of the task force’s assignment from the FAA, underscores the agency’s sense of urgency about implementing the group’s recommendations.
The task force recommendations covered several specific equipage and procedural aspects in each of the five critical flight domains: surface movement; runway access; metroplex operations; cruise flight; and access to the NAS, along with the reasons supporting each recommendation. In addition, there were two cross-cutting recommendations–data communications and integrated air traffic management– that would affect all five, again with a discussion of their importance and application.
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