Pilots' Flight Choice Saves AA $2M

<H1> Pilots' Flight Choice Saves AA $2M</H1>By Mary Ann McNulty

<I>Chicago </I>- In a mini-test of the "free flight" concept in which pilots, rather than air traffic controllers, determine the fastest, cheapest way to fly between two points, American Airlines saved $2.2 million in fuel last year. Projecting those savings across the entire air space system, NASA says the aviation industry could have saved $1.28 billion in 1995.

Fuel savings are just one of the benefits of free flight, said Robert Baker, executive vice president of American Airlines and co-chairman of the Federal Aviation Administration's Free Flight Steering Committee. Speaking at a recent seminar sponsored by Topaz Enterprises, Baker said corporations need to determine how much time their travelers can save by fewer delays on the ground and in the air. The Air Transportation Association estimates the annual cost of ground delays at $3.5 million. Beyond that, one must factor in the savings that will accrue to the FAA. With the FAA projecting a 35 percent rise in passenger enplanements and 18 percent jump in airline operations by 2002, the government must employ new techniques to keep up with the demand, he said.

Now, pilots file flight plans and then wait for the ATC to issue orders on altitude, speed and direction. Under the free flight system, pilots will determine the best route to their destination after checking weather and other factors. Electronic signals in each aircraft will create two zones around each plane. The one closest to the plane will be a protected zone, which no other planes will be allowed to enter; the second will be an alert zone. If the alert zone of one plane crosses another, ATC and the pilots will have to take steps to avert a crash.

Computers at ATC centers will take each plane's position, speed and trajectory and project it forward, looking for conflicts with other aircraft's speed and trajectory, Baker said. "The power of this approach lies in the fact that aircraft can maneuver freely until one or more of these alert zones comes in contact with one another," he said. "In addition, the users have greater flexibility to make decisions best suited for their operational needs.