Precision Approach Procedures with General Aviation aircraft and Helicopter at Braunschweig Research Airport

Abstract

The European funded project "GNSS Solutions for Increased GA and Rotorcraft Airport Accessibility Demonstration - GRADE" is a Very Large Demonstration (VLD) project within the SESAR2020 program. Within this VLD several SESAR solutions are demonstrated in simulation and real flight test campaigns. This paper presents the approach of demonstrating and evaluating the capabilities of a common used General Aviation (GA) aircraft, namely Cessna 172N performing different precision approach procedures. In addition an EC135 helicopter is demonstrating in parallel the possibilities of Point In Space (PINs) approaches. The project team consists of European partners presenting different stakeholders involved in air traffic. Initially fast time simulations took place where air traffic controllers were confronted with aircraft approaching on curved approaches paths using performance based navigation (PBN) procedures. A flight test campaign has been conducted in July and September 2019 in Braunschweig. The two project partners TU Braunschweig (TUBS) and German Aerospace Center (DLR) conducted several approaches in parallel using a GA aircraft (TUBS) and a research helicopter (DLR) in order to demonstrate a SNI (Simultaneous Non Interferring) approach to the Braunschweig airport.