Requirements for a New Universal Air Traffic Control Simulator

This paper summarizes the role of dynamic simulation to date in helping solve current and future air-traffic control and navigation problems, and in evaluating proposed system concepts, control philosophies, procedures and equipments. A brief description is given of the CAA Technical Development Center's electromechanical -optical simulator, and some of its present limitations are outlined. Some of the more important requirements for a new universal simulator are presented and discussed both in terms of their necessity and their technical feasibility in view of the present state of the art. The requirements are broken down into four areas: target generation, communications, displays, and data reduction and analysis. These areas are viewed both from the standpoints of realism and its effect on simulation and from the standpoint of objectivity vs subjectivity in establishing meaningful criteria for evaluation. The paper concludes with a summary of those items still requiring further study.