Left 360s????

[bdhill1979]

Let me explain...

In ARTCC's around the nation we are using a new tool called TMA (Traffic Management Advisor). During high traffic periods select high volume airports begin using TMA. Basically every aircraft is tracked by a computer that meters it's time to a metered fix that feeds a TRACON... not to exceed that fixes acceptance rate. On the radar screen a number appears in the 4th line of our data block, a (+) number means the aircraft is early and needs to lose time or be delayed to the metred fix. A (-) number means the aircraft is late and needs to gain time to the metered fix.

Each sector has a (+) rating... say sector 1 is a +3 sector, that means that sector can only lose 3 minutes. Those numbers are based on sector complexity, flow, etc.

What you heard was most likely an aircraft that needed to lose time, the A/C was early to the metered fix. A hold won't accomplish doing this... as we vector or slow an A/C you can see the number drop towards 0, or whatever number we're shooting for. By spinning somone the controller has more control over exactly how much time is lost.

Does all this make sense ? If not let me know... I'll try and explain further. When I went to class for it it sounded complex but when we ran it in the lab and actually saw it in action it made sense. Most places it's only being done for a few hours as a test right now, I think this Fall it will be rolled out.

That makes sense.

Is this something that I am going to have to start teaching my instrument students about? Not that it is all that difficult for a pilot to turn, but more teaching them what they may expect.

 

[Fox Xray]

Interesting. Is this system in place at most airports right now, or just the ones that are more highly congested?

Just highly congested airports , pretty new equipment and technology... IMHO jury is still out.

I'm not sure how many airports are using it, it's being tested still on the east coast. EWR is the only NY metro so far and it's only used about 3-4 hours a day. I hear PHL will come online Fall 08' and JFK mid 09'. The rest of the nation I have no details...

 

[Fox Xray]

That makes sense.

Is this something that I am going to have to start teaching my instrument students about? Not that it is all that difficult for a pilot to turn, but more teaching them what they may expect.

No ... it'll only be used at the nations busiest airports during peak times. The primary idea behind the tool is to prevent no notice holding. Center controllers have been complaining about getting slammed into no notice holds forever, this tool is supposed to prevent or greatly reduce no notice holding.

 

[The Gardener]

They have 888 numbers for that?
I never knew they had tollfree numbers for that. What a service nowerdays.

I was asked to call the tower after landing once (not because of a deviation or something in this direction)...but they didn´t had free numbers

They know airlines are on the brink so they don't want to make them spend money calling long distance and risk sending them into bankruptcy.

Here in Socal it is very common to be given instruction asking you to make a turn that is the 'long way around'. For example, being on a heading of 270 and they give you a "LEFT turn the long way around heading 290."