Using these “third party call signs” (TPCS) to talk about (rather than talking to) other aircraft on the same frequency introduces a potential for confusion for controllers and pilots. The simulation evaluates TPCS voice communications alternatives.
Evaluation of Pilot and Air Traffic Controller Use of Third Party Call Sign in Voice Communications with Pilot Utilization of Cockpit Display of Traffic Information
Download Resources
PDF Accessibility
One or more of the PDF files on this page fall under E202.2 Legacy Exceptions and may not be completely accessible. You may request an accessible version of a PDF using the form on the Contact Us page.
To take advantage of projected benefits afforded by Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) In enabled Aircraft Surveillance Applications (ASAs), the use of call sign has been proposed as the method for pilots and controllers to refer to other (third party) aircraft on a common voice frequency. However, using these “third party call signs” (TPCS) to talk about (rather than talking to) other aircraft on the same frequency introduces a potential for confusion for controllers and pilots. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Surveillance and Broadcast Services (SBS) program office identified TPCS as a program risk and initiated an activity to examine the topic. This Human-in-the-loop (HITL) simulation is part of that effort.
The simulation was intended to evaluate TPCS voice communications alternative candidates proposed by subject matter experts participating in the SBS activity and to provide research results that establish a basis for narrowing down the alternatives. It employed pilots, en route controllers, and terminal controllers as participants and evaluated the TPCS candidates within the context of two ASAs during an arrival and approach operation. Three TPCS formats and two placements were evaluated within the context of a traffic advisory and an Interval Management clearance. The study was framed around three central research objectives.