The Mode S Team

Mode S Section Supervisor - Joe Pagano - Phone: (609) 485-6238- Fax: (609) 485-6488

About the Mode S

The Mode S is a secondary surveillance and communication system which supports Air Traffic Control (ATC). Each Mode S transponder equipped aircraft is assigned a unique address code. Using this unique code, interrogations can be directed to a particular aircraft and replies can be unambiguously identified. Mode S limits its interrogations to specific targets, and proper timing of interrogations permits replies from closely spaced aircraft to be received without mutual interference. Mode S also provides monopulse detection for improved azimuth accuracy and includes RMM capabilities.

The Mode S also interrogates and receives aircraft position and altitude information from Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS) transponder equipped aircraft. As a back-up, the Mode S has the capability to operate as an Air Traffic Control Beacon Interrogator (ATCBI). As of the end of 1998, there are approximately 1 Mode-S sensors commissioned in the backup mode (IBI) with 141 of those fully commissioned in Mode-S.

The Beacon Video Reconstitutor (BVR) is an independent, self-contained unit designed to operate as part of the Mode S, ASR 7/8, ARTS IIA/IIE configuration. The BVR regenerates ATCRBS beacon video for ARTS IIA/IIE reply processing and Radar Alphanumeric Display Subsystem (RADS) presentation. The reconstituted beacon video is based on input from the Mode S.

information

guidance

aaim

uas

Slot Administration

Slot Definition
Slot Allocation Process
Slot Administration/Schedule Facilitation
Compliance and Oversight
Data
Regulatory Information
Runway Construction Information

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) uses runway slots to limit scheduled air traffic at certain capacity constrained airports. In the U.S., those airports are John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LGA), and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). In addition, the FAA monitors scheduled air traffic demand at other airports and has a formal schedule review and approval process at several airports. Those airports are Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), and San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

At EWR, JFK, LAX, ORD, and SFO, the FAA generally follows the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Worldwide Slot Guides (WSG) to the extent they do not conflict with U.S. laws, rules, or procedures. WSG is a set of standards and best practices developed by IATA Member airlines along with the airport coordinator and facilitator communities. These guidelines are a comprehensive set of procedures for the allocation and management of slot administration. The principal users of these guidelines are airlines, airport coordinators and airport facilitators. The Calendar of Coordination Activities specifies the deadline dates of the facilitation process to be followed by airlines and facilitators. See the current IATA Calendar of Coordination Activities (PDF). ^[1]

Carriers may contact the Slot Administration Office in the Air Traffic Organization (ATO) at the FAA for more information about operations at slot-controlled or schedule-facilitated airports: 7-awa-slotadmin@faa.gov.

¹ The FAA publishes notice of the initial submission deadline for each scheduling season in the Federal Register. The FAA rules and orders include additional information on slot return dates and historic slot determination at U.S. Level 3 airports.

Satellite Navigation - NAS Implementation - Procedures

The Global Positioning System (GPS) and other satellite navigation systems enable greater flexibility in the design of instrument approach procedures. This increased flexibility provides benefits to pilots, airlines, air traffic controllers, aviation service providers, and others.

Satellite Navigation Instrument Approach Procedures (IAP) Overview

In the U.S., satellite navigation systems used for aviation include GPS, the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), and the Ground Based Augmentation System (GBAS). There are several types of Instrument Approach Procedures (IAPs) associated with these systems.

• RNAV (GPS)
  • LPV (and LPVPinS)
  • LNAV/VNAV
  • LP
  • LNAV
• RNAV (RNP)

Procedure Development Process

Procedure development includes meeting airport survey requirements; developing procedures; conducting flight inspections, environmental surveys, official rule-making; and designing and developing instrument flight procedure, and publishing those in databases and charts. More information is available in the documents noted below.

• FAA 8260.58A - United States Standard for Performance Based Navigation (PBN) Instrument Procedure Design - Including Change 1 and 2, 03/14/2016.
  This order provides a consolidated United States Performance Based Navigation (PBN) procedure design criteria.
• FAA Order 8260.3D - United States Standard for Terminal Instrument Procedures (TERPS) (TERPS).
  This order prescribes standardized methods for use in designing instrument flight procedures. It is to be used by all personnel charged with the responsibility for the preparation, approval, and promulgation of terminal instrument procedures.
• FAA Advisory Circular 150/5300-13A - Airport Design
  Contains the Federal Aviation Administrations (FAA) standards and recommendations for the geometric layout and engineering design of runways, taxiways, aprons, and other facilities at civil airports.
• NGS Aeronautical Survey Program

Related Links

• Airman's Information Manual
• FAA Instrument Procedures Handbook (IPH)
• FAA Orders & Notices
• FAA Advisory Circulars (ACs)

Aeronautical Information Exchange Model (AIXM)

Air Transportation Information Exchange Conference (ATIEC), Featuring AIXM, WXXM, and FIXM

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in partnership with the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL) will host the Air Transportation Information Exchange Conference in 2021.

Information on prior ATIEC conferences can also be found on the AIXM site.

General AIXM Information

The AIXM, as originally developed by EUROCONTROL in coordination with FAA, is a conceptual and an exchange model for aeronautical information. It is designed to assist with the harmonization and electronic distribution of the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP). AIXM is a model that describes the entities, and relationships for aeronautical features such as airports, runways, airspace, terminal procedures and other features. AIXM describes Extensible Markup Language (XML) messages and features used to exchange information about the aeronautical data. All coordination with EUROCONTROL and international partners on AIXM can be followed on the AIXM website.

Additional updates on the following topics can be found on the AIXM website:

• Latest version of AIXM, plus information about previous versions
• Unified Modeling Language (UML) model
• Interoperability work
• Temporality document
• AIXM viewer (product from LUCIAD; originally developed for FAA)
• Coding guidelines
• And more …

For questions or comments please contact:

• Brian Murphy — (202) 267-4389
• Tiffany Narowski — (202) 267-4413
• Katrina Wilson — (405) 954-7514

FAA Flight Planning Information

The purpose of this site is to provide FAA flight plan guidance for both domestic and international filers. Information and documentation contained within this site support existing FAA, ICAO, and Flight Service agreements and procedures.

Should you have filing questions, you can email us at flightplanquestions@faa.gov.  This email is for strategic questions or recurring issues; any tactical problems with a flight should be referred to the Flight Data unit at the relevant center.

Topics

• Flight Plan Requirements
• Flight Plan Guidance for Pilots
• Flight Plan Guidance for Service Providers
• Flight Plan Filing Service Telecons
• Contact us

Flight Plan Requirements

All IFR flights require a flight plan submitted to an FAA facility or facilities as described in the U.S. Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP), Sections ENR 1.10 and ENR 1.11 and in the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), Section 5-1-6.

The international (ICAO) flight plan format is mandatory for:

• Any flight plan filed, except for Department of Defense flight plans and civilian stereo route flight plans, which can still use the format prescribed in FAA Form 7233−1 (Domestic) to file a flight plan.
• Any flight that will depart U.S. domestic airspace. For DOD flight plan purposes, offshore Warning Areas may use FAA Form 7233−1 or military equivalent.
• Any flight requesting routing that requires Performance Based Navigation.
• Any flight requesting services that require filing of capabilities only supported in the international flight plan format.

Identical guidance is located in the U.S. AIP Appendix 2, AIM Appendix 4, and Order JO 7110.10 Appendix A. These documents are available at Air Traffic Plans and Publications.

Flight Plan Guidance for Pilots

Follow instructions and guidance from your flight plan service provider as well as the instructions in the Aeronautical Information Manual (Section 5-1-6 and Appendix 4) and Aeronautical Information Publication (Sections ENR 1.10, ENR 1.11, and Appendix 2).

To further understand advanced capabilities authorized and how to file them, consult Filing Operational Authorizations in a Flight Plan.

For reference, this flight plan quick reference brochure or flight plan guide provides a summary of key flight plan elements.

How to file your flight plan

The FAA provides flight plan filing services as part of the Flight Service organization. You can contact Flight Service or access the pilot web portal here.

Flight Plan Guidance for Service Providers

In addition to the AIM, AIP and FAA Order JO 7110.10, the ERAS Flight Plan Interface Reference Guide(PDF) provides detailed guidance and references to other applicable documents.

Flight Plan Filing Service Telecons

On the first Wednesday of each month, FAA holds a Tele-Conference for Flight Plan Filing Services to discuss flight plan filing issues and standards. All interested filers are welcome to attend.

To add your name to the email list, send your request to flightplanquestions@faa.gov.

Telecon date: First Wednesday of each month
Time: 1:00 PM Eastern

Audio Only
Phone: 1-346-235-0792
Phone conference ID: 695 342 059#

Contact us

Send an email to flightplanquestions@faa.gov.

System Operations Services

System Operations Services (or SysOps) provides a broad range of operational services as part of the Air Traffic Organization (ATO). All national air traffic flow management initiatives are provided by SysOps along with policy and concept development for our new airport surface flow management programs. We are the focal for stakeholder interaction through formal Collaborative Decision Making venues and serve as FAA's Customer Advocate. We provide all national flight service functions and operational oversight to all National Airspace System (NAS) security issues. We provide the ATO with system performance analysis, trending and forecasting and we manage the FAA's data policy and orders. Therefore, if there are planned or unplanned impacts on the NAS we can deliver the critical operational benefits to keep it functioning efficiently and safely.

Directorates supporting System Operations:

• NAS Operations
• ATO Security
• Flight Service
• Performance Analysis