Section 6. En Route Decision Support Tool (EDST)

1. GENERAL

EDST is used by the sector team in performing its strategic planning responsibilities. EDST uses flight plan data, forecast winds, aircraft performance characteristics, and track data to derive expected aircraft trajectories, and to predict conflicts between aircraft and between aircraft and special use or designated airspace. It also provides trial planning and enhanced flight data management capabilities.

1. OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR-IN-CHARGE RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Where authorized, perform EDST data entries to keep the activation status of designated Airspace Configuration Elements current.
2. Ensure that the EDST Airspace Status Display information accurately reflects current Special Activity Airspace (SAA) status.
3. Perform coordination and designated actions in the event of an EDST outage or degradation, in accordance with the requirements of this order and as designated by facility directive.
4. Assist in sector preparations needed to transition to and from EDST operations.
5. Ensure changes to restrictions based on the Restrictions Inventory and Evaluation are implemented in a timely manner.

1. OPERATIONS MANAGER-IN-CHARGE RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Ensure that the EDST Airspace Status Display information accurately reflects current SAA status.
2. Perform coordination and designated actions in the event of an EDST outage or degradation, in accordance with the requirements of this order and as designated by facility directive.
3. Ensure changes to restrictions based on the Restrictions Inventory and Evaluation are implemented in a timely manner.

1. FACILITY MANAGER RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Ensure LOAs, SOPs, and Sector Position Binders are current to support EDST.

1. .Facility managers must consider EDST functions and limitations in reviewing all current LOAs and/or negotiating all future LOAs.
2. The following items should be considered when reviewing LOAs:

1. Interfacility coordination procedures.
2. Special Activity Airspace (SAA) use and status.
3. Restriction relaxation/removal.
4. Outage notification.
5. Degradation of functions notification.
6. Automated Information Transfer (AIT) procedures.

1. Ensure all facility directives are current to support EDST. Directives must include, but are not limited to:

1. Outages.
2. Airspace Configuration Elements Data Entry.
3. Standard Use of Automated Flight Data Management.
4. Sectors authorized to use Inappropriate Altitude for Direction of Flight (IAFDOF) Manual Mode..
5. Sectors authorized to use the Drop Track Delete function and the conditions under which it may be used.
6. Conditions under which a controller can deactivate an adapted EDST restriction.
7. Local requirements for posting flight progress strips that exceed national requirements.
8. Facility standard for annotating status of manual coordination at sectors where automated coordination with an external facility is not available (e.g., international facility, VFR tower). Facility directives may require either the use of the Coordination Menu or flight progress strips, and must define a standard for each sector.
9. Facility standard for annotating hold instructions and reporting delay information at sectors. Facility directives may require either the use of the ERAM Hold Data Menu, ERAM Hold view, flight progress strips, or a facility-approved worksheet, and must define a standard for each sector.

1. Ensure the Restrictions Inventory and Evaluation is conducted and maintained in accordance with this order.
2. Ensure changes to restrictions based on the Restrictions Inventory and Evaluation are implemented in a timely manner.

1. EDST AIRSPACE CONFIGURATION ELEMENTS

1. Airspace Configuration Elements are:

1. Special Activity Airspace (SAA).
2. Airport Stream Filters (ASF).
3. Adapted restrictions.

1. For each EDST adapted airspace configuration element, facility directives must designate at least one primary position and one secondary position to be responsible to update the status (e.g., active/inactive) and/or the activation schedule for that element.

1. ATC positions and personnel authorized by facility directive must perform automation entries in a timely manner to update the status of SAAs, restrictions, and ASF.
2. For an EDST airspace configuration element that is associated with a particular sector or sectors and whose status is highly dynamic in nature:

1. The designated sector(s) should be assigned the primary responsibility to keep the EDST status current.
2. The TMU or the appropriate operations supervisor should be assigned the secondary responsibility to keep EDST status current.

1. STANDARD USE OF AUTOMATED FLIGHT DATA MANAGEMENT

Use of the checkbox flight data management feature of EDST must be standardized in accordance with individual facility directives.

1. EDST OUTAGES

1. In accordance with Chapter 8, NAS En Route Automation, and the requirements in this chapter, facilities must develop and maintain procedures for transition to and from EDST operations.

1. Planned EDST Outages.

1. Schedule preventive or periodic maintenance of EDST to coincide with periods of low air traffic volume.
2. Notification of planned local EDST outages must be coordinated with the Operations Manager no less than 2 hours in advance.
3. The Operations Manager must notify the adjacent EDST facilities of a planned outage no less than 1 hour in advance.
4. The Operations Manager must notify Operations Supervisors of a planned EDST outage as soon as known.
5. Each Operations Supervisor must notify the sector teams in their area of a planned EDST outage as soon as known.
6. At least 20 minutes prior to a local EDST outage, Operations Supervisors must ensure that sectors resume posting and maintenance of flight progress strips, in accordance with FAA Order JO 7110.65, Air Traffic Control, requirements for a non-EDST environment, except as otherwise permitted by facility directive.

1. Unplanned EDST Outages.

1. A facility directive must include a checklist detailing actions to be taken and roles and responsibilities during an unplanned EDST outage.
2. When an unplanned EDST outage occurs, sectors must post and maintain flight progress strips in accordance with FAA Order JO 7110.65, Air Traffic Control, requirements for a non-EDST environment, except as otherwise permitted by facility directive.

1. Any failure recovery action that will result in the automatic clearing of the EDST data on a position's display must be approved by the Operations Manager.

1. Degraded Conditions.

1. In the event that EDST is operational, but alert data may be affected due to an associated equipment malfunction, the National Operations Manager (NOM) must notify the Operations Manager who must in turn notify Operations Supervisors. Each Operations Supervisor must ensure that each sector team in their area of specialization is cognizant of the potential for degradation.
2. When the associated equipment malfunction is corrected, the NOM must notify the Operations Manager who must in turn notify Operations Supervisors. Each Operations Supervisor must ensure that each sector team in their area of specialization is cognizant that the source of possible degradation has been corrected.

1. RESTRICTIONS INVENTORY AND EVALUATION

1. Facilities must identify responsibilities and establish procedures for the creation and maintenance of a facility restriction inventory. Facility plans should include identification and cataloging each air traffic restriction, by type, purpose, and frequency/ duration in effect.
2. Facilities must create a plan and conduct ongoing evaluations on the need to relax or remove restrictions not warranted during EDST operations. This must include EDST impact on ability to relax/remove restrictions and identification of dependencies between ability to remove restrictions and automation capabilities/ limitations.
3. Submit annually to the Vice President of En Route and Oceanic Services, an Evaluation Report on facility restriction relaxation/removal related to EDST.
4. Prior to implementation of restriction changes each ARTCC must:

1. Coordinate with any affected ATC facility.
2. Coordinate with the ATCSCC, as appropriate.
3. Inform individual air carriers, as appropriate.

1. TRAFFIC COUNTS AND DELAY REPORTING

1. Automated counts of traffic activities are the preferred methods.
2. Adherence to all applicable delay reporting directives shall continue while EDST is operational.
3. Delay information, must be recorded on available flight progress strips, on facility approved forms, or via the automated delay reporting features for aircraft in hold. Facility directives must detail the procedures for collecting and reporting this information to the ATCSCC.

1. COMPUTER DATA RETENTION

Follow the guidelines detailed in this order to retain EDST recorded data.

1. WAIVER TO INTERIM ALTITUDE REQUIREMENTS

1. If a facility directive has been issued to waive the mandatory computer entry of interim altitudes, controllers and supervisors in any affected area and adjacent areas or facilities must be informed of the resulting potential for misleading conflict probe alert data.
2. Each facility should strongly consider the benefits of conflict probe in evaluating any current or future waiver for data entry of interim altitudes. Conflict probe accuracy in assigning alert priorities for surrounding sectors, including those in adjacent ERAM facilities, are dependent upon the subject sector's entry/update of interim altitudes.

1. TRANSFER OF POSITION RESPONSIBILITY

Each facility must ensure that pertinent EDST information is integrated into any Position Relief briefing list, whether manual or electronic.