Tutorial
9. Airways
In order to keep air traffic flowing smoothly and safely, the nation's air traffic management system has for years
been using "airways" in the sky. An airway is a designated space of air through which aircraft are directed
to fly by air traffic control. Above 18,000 feet they are referred to as jetways. Picture these as large imaginary
traffic lanes or corridors in the sky. This ensures that air traffic traveling in one general direction moves smoothly
through the controlled airspace system maintaining a safe distance between each aircraft by having them fly at
certain flight speeds and flight levels or altitudes.
These airways are indicated on aeronautical charts and are used regularly by all aircraft large and small flying
through controlled airspace. When flying cross-country on a commercial jetliner, that aircraft is actually one
aircraft in a line of aircraft heading in the same general direction at the same altitude. This is much like cars
on the highway travelling at the posted speed limit while maintaining a 3-carlength distance between the car in
front and the car behind while driving along a one-lane highway.
 NASA ResearchIn the not-too-distant future, there could be a virtual "highway in the sky," as the average person could take to the sky in small, safe, affordable, easy-to-fly personal aircraft, while traveling four times the speed of today's cars. NASA has selected a team of industry partners to help develop the highway in the sky system, a key element of the government-industry effort to revitalize general aviation in the United States. Dubbed "highway in the sky," the cockpit display system includes a computer-drawn highway that the pilot follows to a preprogrammed destination. The highway is drawn on a highly intuitive, low-cost flat panel display -- the primary flight display of the future -- that will displace decades-old "steam gauge" instrumentation. The system also includes a multi-function display of position navigation, terrain map, weather and air traffic information. In addition, digital (datalink) radios will send and receive flight data, and a solid-state attitude and heading reference system will replace gyroscopes. Together, the displays and other equipment will provide intuitive situational awareness and enough information for a pilot to perform safely with reduced workload in nearly all weather conditions. In addition to transforming cockpits, the technology developed by the team will redefine the relationship between pilots and air traffic control and fundamentally change the way future general aviation pilots fly. This technology is expected to significantly increase freedom, safety and ease-of-flying by providing pilots with affordable, direct access to information needed for future "free-flight" air traffic control systems. Pilots will have the ability to safely determine their routes, speeds and proximity to dangerous weather, terrain and other airplanes. Development of the highway in the sky system has been fostered by the Advanced General Aviation Transports Experiment (AGATE) -- a consortium created by NASA in 1994 to develop affordable new technology -- as well as industry standards and certification methods -- for airframe, cockpit, flight training systems and airspace infrastructure for next-generation single pilot, four-to-six seat, near all-weather light airplanes. |
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