NASA‘s Traffic Aware Planner application is currently in use at Virgin America and Alaska Airlines as part of tests on the technology’s capability to support traffic-aware strategic aircrew requests.The space agency said Tuesday the software connects with an aircraft’s Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast receiver to provide air traffic information and uses Internet connectivity to access information on weather and airspace conditions.
TAP works to utilize the information for flight planning functions and facilitate fuel and flight efficiency.
“This should help pilots and controllers work more effectively together and reduce workload on both sides from un-approvable requests,” said David Wing, TASAR project lead at the Langley Research Center.
The tablet-based TAP has completed flight tests aboard an Advanced Aerospace Solutions-owned technology test bed, a simulation test at the University of Iowa’s Operator Performance Laboratory and analysis by Rockwell Collins.
