Determining the feasibility of a flight profile in a Free Flight environment

Abstract

This paper examines the subject of conflict detection for multiple aircraft in a Free Flight environment. Determining the feasibility of an aircraft's flight profile will be a vital part of Free Flight (both pre-departure and enroute). Ensuring that a proposed flight profile will not cause potential conflicts with other aircraft in the airspace during the given time period is and will continue to be a critical part of Air Traffic Control. The focus of this paper is determining feasibility in Free Flight. A simple procedure for checking the feasibility of an aircraft's flight profile using distances between profile segments is discussed. An algorithm and pseudo-code are given for testing the feasibility of a proposed flight profile through airspace occupied by aircraft whose flight profiles have been previously approved.