TCAS Alerts from Simulated Urban Air Mobility Flights Along FAA Helicopter Routes in Dallas-Fort Worth

Abstract

This is a presentation of the current state of a TCAS study being conducted by the ATM-X project. This study examines the rate at which an urban air mobility vehicle flying along existing helicopter routes near DFW will trigger alerts on the TCAS II systems equipped on commercial airliners flying in the D10 TRACON of DFW airspace. The presentation will cover initial results, as well as next steps on the path towards producing a full paper. These initial results show that some aircraft could fly along published helicopter routes, while obeying published restrictions, and fly into and out of DFW airport without triggering any TCAS RAs, so long as the airport is operating in South Flow and the UAM vehicles approach and depart; the airport in the same direction as commercial traffic. Attempting to take off opposite the direction of commercial traffic produces a large number of TCAS RAs. Future work will examine North Flow, check sensitivity to aircraft performance, and examine alternative routes.

Authors

• Cone, Andrew NASA Ames Research Center
• Thipphavong, David NASA Ames Research Center
• Sridhar, Banavar Universities Space Research Association (USRA)

Keywords

• helicopter routes
• TCAS
• urban air mobility