5.2.8 Technical enablers for increased situational awareness

The visual presentation may include tools and functionalities aiming at increasing the ATCO/AFISO situational awareness and enabling the ATCO/AFISO to increase the time spent on ‘looking out the windows’, i.e. scanning the area of responsibility. Such tools/functionalities could typically consist of two different types/categories: Additional sensors at the aerodrome (and presented to the ATCO/AFISO), that may improve the visual range: Additional visual ‘hot spot/gap filler’ cameras, enabling the ATCO/AFISO to get a closer view of specific areas of interest as well as improving visual range in low-visibility conditions – covering distant or obscured parts of the aerodrome or particularly operational critical areas such as holding points for determination of runway clearance. Optical cameras of the non-visible spectrum, such as thermal or infrared, improving visibility primarily during hours of darkness. Digitally overlaid information in the visual presentation, such as: Overlaid symbols and/or labels associated with and highlighting objects capable of movement and relevant for the service provision, such as aircraft, vehicles, personnel, obstructions or animals/birds on the manoeuvring area and in the vicinity of the aerodrome. Objects not relevant for the service provision would include e.g. vehicles outside the aerodrome premises. Such symbols and labels can be based on: information from optical sensors, i.e. system detection of moving objects by image processing techniques (including also non-cooperative targets) in the visual field of view (commonly referred to as ‘visual tracking’); Note: Technical standards/recommendations related to ‘visual tracking’ are contained in EUROCAE ED-240A Change 1 [19]. information from ATS surveillance systems/sensors e.g. ADS-B, PSR, SSR, A-SMGCS, targeting primarily cooperative targets (commonly referred to as ‘radar tracking’); AMC1 ATS.TR.155(a) to Regulation (EU) 2017/373 [4] applies; or a combination of the two above. Overlaid framings/symbols to indicate/highlight specific parts of the aerodrome, such as framing of runways, taxiways etc. in order to enhance the ATCO/AFISO situational awareness, especially in darkness and during low-visibility conditions. Overlaid added information relevant to the service provision. Instances of element classes may include: geographic: cardinal/compass directions; meteorological: e.g. wind direction and speed (e.g. instant, 2 min average, 10 min average), QNH, temperature, visibility (e.g. RVR values), object markings to support distance judgement, MET REPORT, METAR, TAF; operational/AIP- and service-related: runway/taxiway/apron designators, visual reminders such as ‘RWY blocked’ markings to aid with runway incursion prevention, aerodrome assets/systems status such as lighting, clock, checklists, aeronautical information (NOTAM, SNOWTAM, etc.), other operational information (e.g. RCR, RWYCC etc.). System support using a video data processing system to help the ATCO/AFISO detect smaller FOD, highlighting the existence of such small objects in the visual presentation to attract attention (objects which else would be difficult to detect).