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RVSM Clears Final Hurdle
U.S., Canadian and Mexican aviation regulators late last month agreed that domestic RVSM is a 'Go' for launch at 0901 UTC on January 20, 2005. The meeting, a planned final check as to whether preparations were complete in the three adjoining countries, paves the way for appropriately equipped and trained operators and aircraft to begin using 1,000-foot vs. 2,000-foot vertical separation for cruise altitudes between Flight Levels 290 and 410 early next year.
The FAA predicts that about nine out of ten aircraft vying for RVSM airspace initially will be approved airplanes, with first year cumulative fuel savings of $393 million. The savings comes from having more aircraft at higher altitudes where jet engines are more fuel efficient. In addition to approved aircraft, Department of Defense, 'lifeguard' and aircraft undergoing certification flights will be able to use the six new flight levels via exemptions.
Those not equipped, approved or exempted may get left behind, despite a provision in the rules that allows for deviation authority for aircraft transitioning up or down through RVSM airspace. "It's not something I'd say you can take to the bank," says NBAA director of Air Traffic Services, Bob Lamond, regarding ATC approval to transition. According to the FAA, about 60% of military aircraft and between 50% and 75% of corporate aircraft that generally fly in the FL290-410 levels will be compliant on January 20. As for exempted aircraft, Lamond says it's mainly fighter jets that could be problematic, as most tankers and transports are RVSM capable.
The concern among operators and regulators is the balance between access for excluded or exempted aircraft and resulting efficiency of the overall airspace for those that have spent the money to become compliant. In simulations, the FAA found that controllers' perceptions of workload, complexity and potential for error rose in direct proportion to the number of non-RVSM-approved aircraft in a sector. Controllers must revert to 2,000-foot vertical spacing in the vicinity of a non-approved aircraft. "Based on controller feedback, cognitive workload resulting from non-RVSM-approved aircraft in domestic RVSM airspace may be the largest impact on workload," the agency declared.
Lamond says the FAA will likely be ultra conservative for the first few weeks of deployment—meaning non-compliant or exempted aircraft may find themselves flying below FL 290—and he doesn't think operators will exploit the honesty system to participate. As with flight plans in general, ATC trusts that a pilot is being honest with the information, in this case, by declaring that an aircraft is RVSM-capable when filing for cruise altitudes at or above FL 290. "ATC can't tell what equipment is onboard," says Lamond, "but if you have an aircraft designed to do 'X', why would you do 'Y' with it?"
Ultimately, one day of operational experience will be worth a thousand expert opinions and simulations when it comes to the effects of exempt and non-compliant aircraft. "We won't know until the FAA turns on the switch on January 20," says Lamond.
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