Capstone Program - History

History

Understanding the significance of Capstone requires some background on Alaska. Among the fifty (50) states Alaska is the largest in area, but with just over six hundred thousand (600,000) people it is one of the smallest in population. In the late 1990s, one out of every fifty-eight (58) people in the state was a pilot and there were six (6) airplanes for every ten (10) pilots. With a very limited highway and railroad infrastructure, aviation emerged as the essential and in most locations the only transportation system. However, in Alaska the vital infrastructure supporting this essential system fell short of the standards commonly expected or encountered elsewhere in the US.

The harsh operating environment of Alaska contributed to an average of one aircraft accident every other day. On average there was an accident-related fatality every nine days. More than one third of the annual air commuter accidents in the United States (US) occurred in Alaska, and more than ten (10) per cent of the professional pilots working there would not survive a thirty-year (30) career. Moreover, they seldom died alone.

In early 1997, the Federal Aviation Administration began developing a proposal entitled "Flight 2000." That initiative envisioned rapid deployment and field demonstration of advanced avionics capabilities leading toward implementation of Free Flight. The proposal was not well received by all segments of the aviation industry primarily due to differences in priorities. Industry's RTCA Select Committee on Free Flight has now endorsed a revised approach, documented in the "Joint Government/Industry Roadmap for Free Flight Operational Enhancements." Most Flight 2000 Program activities originally planned to occur in Alaska were included in the new roadmap. Within the Alaskan Region, Flight 2000 served as the "capstone" for many additional initiatives, providing a common umbrella for planning, coordination, focus, and direction with regard to development of the future NAS. A few additional "technology-driven" initiatives supportive of Flight 2000 are recommended in a March, 1995 NTSB Alaska Safety Study, however, the success of each is inextricably linked to success for the other. As an example, the additional aviation weather observing systems the NTSB called for in Alaska relies on the Flight 2000 Flight Information System (FIS) element to provide the information developed via data link to the pilot. A key objective of Flight 2000 had been to accelerate implementation and use of modern technology; however, uncertainties surrounding that program have actually slowed the transition. Several Alaskan avionics installers have reported customers seeking to acquire GPS equipment defer investing as they wait for Flight 2000 to take further shape. Within Alaska, the Flight 2000 "Capstone" has provided a framework to link several initiatives and/or programs and ensure coordination between the FAA, community and industry. This "Capstone" has outlined the process and scope for upgrading the operating infrastructure with airports, weather products, communications, and GPS driven systems. A major "Capstone" objective was/is to improve safety in Alaska while offering efficiencies to operators. Improvements realized under this program will yield immediate safety benefits. Many accidents could be eliminated through improved situational awareness for both pilots and controllers. For this reason, the Alaskan Region staunchly supported efforts to enhance the NAS and stepped forward to continue to be a test bed for new technology. A study of 112 Air Carrier Accidents occurring during a three-year period in Alaska indicated a likely 38% safety improvement from modern technology. The Free Flight Operational Enhancements Program (FFOEP) identified nine enhancements. Although field deployment of these enhancements was not scheduled to begin in Alaska until FY2000, a limited early deployment was within reach and highly desirable. It was thought that early deployment would have a positive effect on safety, create an infrastructure to permit initial procedures development, familiarize flight crews, controllers, and avionics installers with modern equipment and concepts, and address certification issues and procedures prior to the actual start of the FFOEP evaluation. Early deployment would also serve to validate the overall concept identified in the joint Government/Industry Roadmap.

During FY1999, the Alaskan Region's "Capstone" Program tied together three of the nine principal elements identified in the "Joint Government/Industry Roadmap for Free Flight Operational Enhancements" with two safety initiatives from the March 1995 NTSB Alaska Safety Study. Operational enhancements included in Project Capstone are: (a) Flight Information System for Special Use Airspace, Weather, Windshear, NOTAMS, and Pilot Reports, (b) Cost Effective Controlled Flight into Terrain Avoidance through Graphical Position Display, and (c) Enhanced See and Avoid. The concept of conducting a real world demonstration of these and other capabilities in Alaska was originally proposed for inclusion in FAA's "Flight 2000 Program." The Alaskan Region identified the following FFOEP elements and related NTSB safety improvements for limited deployment in FY 1999: The Alaskan Region's Capstone Program brought together several initiatives, some ongoing, some proposed, in order to make the flying community safer and more efficient while validating the deployment and operation of technology in the Bethel hub and surrounding area. It supports planning efforts of the FFOEP developed by the RTCA Select Committee by providing a cost effective and efficient method to demonstrate the program’s implementation processes. A Capstone Field Office was established in Anchorage, reporting to the Alaskan Regional Administrator to plan, coordinate and implement the project. Infrastructure and interim procedures and certification processes would be developed in conjunction with the respective Alaskan Region Divisions responsible for them. Equipage of evaluation aircraft would be voluntary with the Capstone program absorbing the cost of equipping and certifying. Capstone built an infrastructure consistent with the FFOEP, thereby enabling further procedure development and evaluation leading toward overall modernization. The Capstone program consisted of two phases in different geographical areas of Alaska. Phase I, which was conceived in 1998 and began implementation in 1999, was centered in the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) Delta area of southwestern Alaska. Phase II, which began in 2001, encompassed the panhandle area better known as Southeast Alaska. Phase III, would be a statewide implementation of the technologies developed and proven in Phase I and II.