What is it about?
NASA's Traffic Aware Planner (TAP) is a trajectory optimization technology designed to reduce en-route times and/or fuel consumption. TAP's optimized trajectories incorporate known and forecast wind data while accounting for multiple constraints, such as known traffic, restricted airspace, and hazardous weather. This paper recounts the human factors flight trials conducted with the TAP system hosted in an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) environment in high density U.S. domestic airspace. Multiple evaluation pilots formally evaluated the TAP interface and functionality in this highly demanding real-world environment.
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Why is it important?
TAP has the potential to significantly increase the efficiency and safety of flight operations while reducing the crew workload. These qualities are becoming increasingly important as the FAA rolls out its ambitious NextGen program over the coming decade.
Perspectives
As the Flight Test Principal Investigator and safety pilot for every one of the TAP evaluation flights, I had the opportunity to observe the technology in action first-hand, and the pleasure of working with the highly professional teams from NASA, Engility Corporation, and AdvAero (my team). I was extremely impressed with the TAP development group, and inspired by TAP's functionality and almost unlimited growth potential.
Dr. John M. Maris
AIAA
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Traffic Aware Planner (TAP) Flight Evaluation, June 2014, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA),
DOI: 10.2514/6.2014-2166.
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