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Volpe Center Highlights - May/June 2000

Focus

Director's Notes | Focus | Safety | Human and Natural Environment |
Mobility | Economic Growth and Trade | National Security

Official Delegation from China Visits Volpe (FAA)

On April 13, 2000, the Volpe Center hosted a delegation from China for an official visit. Members of the Center's staff along with eight repre-sentatives from the People's Republic of China, five representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and two representatives from the Department of Defense (DoD), were in attendance. Dr. Frank Tung, Deputy Director of the Volpe Center, was the official host for the Volpe Center.

The Chinese delegation was headed by Mr. Zhang Yaokuan, Deputy Director of the Office of State Air Traffic Control Commission. Mr. Mao Shunping, Deputy Director General of the Air Traffic Management Bureau (ATMB), General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC); and Sr. Col. Li Zhongli, Deputy Director of the Air Traffic Control Department, People's Liberation Army Air Force headquarters, served as Deputy Heads of the del-egation. The U.S. delegation was headed by Mr. John Hancock, Deputy Director of the FAA Office of International Aviation; and Mr. Neal Planzer, Executive Director, DoD Policy Board on Federal Aviation.

Dr. Richard R. John, Director of the Volpe Center, greets Mr. Zhang Yaokuan, Deputy Director of the Office of State Air Traffic Control Commission and head of the Chinese delegation. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Frank Tung)

The trip was one in a series of exchange visits between the United States and China as part of a Sino/U.S. Civil Military Air Traffic Control Cooperation Program. On the April 13th visit, the Chinese delegation visited the Volpe Center to discuss the Center's work in air traffic control and, in particular, to learn about the Enhanced Traffic Management System (ETMS). ETMS is the real-time, operational computer system developed by the Volpe Center that the FAA uses to predict, detect, and handle airspace congestion problems. The Chinese government has identified the need for a similar system in China.

Dr. Richard R. John, Director of the Volpe Center, greeted the delegation. Dr. Tung then presented an overview of the Volpe Center, highlighting the role of the Center as a catalyst for innovation within the transportation com-munity and describing the Center's work on the Communications Tracking and Navigation Program in the Panama Canal. Volpe staff then gave several presentations related to air traffic control.

Mr. Richard Bair, Chief of the Automation Applications Division, presented information to acquaint the delegation with the Volpe Center's role in supporting the FAA's Air Traffic Management Mission, emphasizing the partner-ship that exists between Volpe and the FAA and describing the Center's multi-dimensional role. Mr. Rick Oiesen of the Automation Applications Division next presented information on Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) and Traffic Flow Management. The CDM Program is an effort by the FAA, the airlines, the Volpe Center, and oth-ers to improve traffic flow management by increasing collaboration and information sharing between the air-lines and the FAA's Air Traffic organization.

Following Mr. Oiesen's presentation, Ms. Cynthia Lee of the Safety and Environmental Technology Division described the work of the Volpe Center's Acoustics Facility, which specializes in all aspects of transportation-related noise and emissions. She discussed the FAA's Integrated Noise Model and described the Center's work for the FAA in noise-related measurement programs within U.S. national parks, particularly the Grand Canyon and the national parks in southern Florida (i.e., Big Cypress National Preserve, Biscayne National Park, Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, and Everglades National Park).

In the afternoon session, Mr. Michael Geyer of the Surveillance and Sensors Division discussed interference mitigation for the Global Positioning System (GPS). Ms. Karen Van Dyke of the Center for Navigation presented information on the GPS Aviation Outage Prediction and Reporting Systems that were developed at the Volpe Center for the U.S. Air Force and the FAA as well as for Airservices Australia; DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung, the organization responsible for air traffic control for Germany; and Direccion General de Aeronautica Civil, the Chilean Aviation Authority.

Mr. Richard Wright of the Office of Traffic and Operations Management gave the final presentation of the day, which was a demonstration of the ETMS. Mr. Wright's talk was followed by a demonstration of CDM and a visit to the Volpe Center's ETMS computer room.

The visit by the Chinese delegation to the Volpe Center was part of a five-day trip to Boston. In addition to the Center, the delegation also visited Raytheon; Lincoln Laboratory, a federally funded research and develop-ment center affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and Mitre Corporation.

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