Controller assigned airborne separation (CAAS) result of initial pairwise study

A study of the controller-assigned airborne separation (CAAS) pairwise crossing application has been completed by the MITRE Corporation's Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD). The CAAS procedure permits delegation of separation authority from the air traffic controller to the aircrew in specific situations. The application relies on advanced aircraft avionics to perform "electronic" visual separation. Seven former air traffic controllers worked various simulated air traffic scenarios both with and without CAAS. Controller performance measures and subjective responses were collected and analyzed. Overall, results indicate that the concept of CAAS is promising. Further research is planned in four areas: (1) additional controller applications for CAAS, (2) pilot evaluations, (3) integrated pilot-controller experiments, and (4) analysis of benefits and costs.