Linfair Engineering Aviation Flow-Management Systems

Linfair Engineering specializes in the design, installation and integration of professional audio, lighting, stage machinery and video systems. In 2002, the intelligent traffic management systems (ITMS) division was formed to offer advanced, environmental friendly systems and applications that improve safety, efficiency and throughput in operations for the airport and air traffic control (ATC) sectors.

Linfair’s product range covers vessel traffic systems (VTS), harbour logistics, CNS/ATM systems, airport systems, other terrestrial traffic systems and related simulators. The company works in the following sectors:

• Systems integration of hardware and software for CNS/ATM and VTS
• ATC and VTS control simulators
• Airport equipment and facilities integration

Plane departure and arrival and runway management systems

Linfair is a developer of airport flow management systems. These include departure manager (DMAN), arrival manager (AMAN) and advanced integrated departure and arrival (A-IDA) management systems, and an integrated runway management system (IRM) designed to optimize the use of runways whilst reducing aircraft emissions. DMAN has just completed its live trial at Stockholm-Arlanda Airport.

These systems are in-line with airport collaborated decision making (A-CDM) at all levels, and provide a mixture of strategic and tactical phases of departure and arrival. They have a highly generic data-exchange platform (DExP) with A-CDM-ready connectivity to external and internal systems, and dynamically update sequences and target times. Applying 4D trajectory-prediction results makes the sequence and target times more accurate.

Stability and flexibility are key considerations of the algorithm design for different phases of ATM process, as is optimization of sector sequences in ACC and final sequence in the TMA.

Overall, these systems advise time to gain, time to lose and holding, to help achieve the proposed sequence.

3D ATC tower simulators

Linfair has extensive experience in 3D modeling of aerodromes, aircraft and vehicles in ATC tower simulators. The company subsequently developed its own ATC 3D tower simulator (A-TSim), a state-of-the-art simulator providing outstanding visual effects.

PC-based architecture ensures compatibility, expandability and easy maintenance. 1GB Ethernet LAN, together with the best visual-display technology, enables A-TSIM to update a maximum of 512 moving objects with a frame rate of 60frames/s for a realistic display.

The system realistically simulates aircraft approach, departure and ILS interception phases; specific procedures (including VOR radial interception, ARC DME following and standard turns); instrument and manual landing on main airports and satellites, with airport altitude management; and special visual effects such as fire, smoke, crashes, bird flocks and real-time weather change.

A-TSim provides realistic simulation for the following tower equipment and their displays and associated control systems:

• A-SMGCS, SDD and METPS radar systems
• Situation data displays
• Electronic flight-progress strip systems
• Advanced surface-movement guidance and control systems
• Airport ground lights’ systems
• Electronic flight-progress strip systems
• Aerodrome meteorological observing systems
• Terminal Doppler weather radar systems
• Navigation-aid serviceability status
• Meteorological data-processing systems (METPS)
• Aerodrome forecasts (TAF) and other dynamic information

ATC tower simulator visualizations

All image-generation options for Linfair’s ATC tower simulators are based on the latest hardware and software products and systems. The field-of-view, size and type of displays are completely scalable to meet customers’ requirements.

The A-TSim provides flexible configuration of tower view up to 360°, bird’s eye view, and binocular view (PIP) and cockpit view from any aircraft or any other moving objects. Changes of viewpoint can be made during a program’s running time.

A realistic light-interaction system provides seamless day/night changes with sunrise and sunset. Realistic sky colors and interaction of all lights under different weather conditions are also offered.

Visualization options also include:

• Ground lights (runway, taxiway and apron) that can be automatically adjusted depending on brightness conditions
• Obstruction lights on buildings and up to nine types of light on aircraft
• Shadows for aircraft and vehicles
• Different type of clouds with up to six layers defined by type, base and coverage, with automatic modification of brightness/contrast caused by heavy cloud coverage
• Ten different intensity-levels of rain, snow, lighting and wind that can be pre-programmed or updated at run time
• Special effects such as fire, smoke, crashes, bird flocks and real-time weather change