Exploration of key operational issues for the midterm NAS

The FAA's Flight 2000 project is an innovative initiative to implement and validate selected operational improvements leading to Free Flight. It integrates new avionics, new ground systems, new procedures, avionics certification, and operational approval. This paper discusses some key operational issues that need to be resolved in developing new capabilities for the National Airspace System (NAS) to ensure that they will result in improved NAS operations. Three experiments are described that are proposed for Flight 2000 to explore the feasibility and utility of planned operational improvements. The implications for the NAS architecture and the expected impact on NAS operations are also discussed.