Application of Ground/Air Data Link to General Aviation Operations

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently upgrading secondary surveillance radars with systems which will have an integral data link capability, the Mode Select (Mode S) beacon system. These new systems will allow two-way data communications between ground systems (e.g., weather databases and Air Traffic Control (ATC) systems) and aircraft that are equipped with data link compatible Mode S transponders and suitable display and input devices. Initial data link services include both weather information and ATC advisories. The MITRE Corporation* is developing an in-house capability to perform end-to-end operational evaluation of data link services. Initially, a low-cost, portable pilot position man-machine interface is being developed for use in general aviation operations. The objective is to explore operational issues in laboratory and limited flight test environments, and to demonstrate these services on a data link I/O device, a laptop portable personal computer (PC) with touch panel. A group of pilots will bench test the interface design, and the results will be incorporated into the design used in flight testing. This paper describes the project's objectives and results to date, including implementation details and pilot test results.