The Combination of Flight Count and Control Time as a New Metric of Air Traffic Control Activity
Abstract
The exploration of measures of airspace activity is useful in a number of significant ways, including the establishment of baseline air traffic control (ATC) measures and the development of tools and procedures for airspace management. This report introduces a new metric of ATC activity that combines two existing measures (flight count and the time aircraft are under control). The Aircraft Activity Index (AAI) is sensitive to changes in both flight count and flight length, and therefore is a superior measure for comparing aircraft activity between two epochs of time. The AAI was applied to data from 10 days of System Analysis Recordings obtained from the Seattie Air Route Control Center. The advantages of the AAI were most apparent when different aircraft types consistently had different mean flight lengths. Possible uses of the AAI and other ATC measures for the evaluation of new systems and procedures are discussed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA350504
Entities
People
- Scott H. Mills
Organizations
- Federal Aviation Administration