Air Traffic Control: Status of FAA's (Federal Aviation Administration's) Host Computer Project and Related Software Enhancements

摘要

Computers play a critical role in the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) mission of safely controlling air traffic. Computers process radar data, identification data from electronic transponders located in aircraft, and flight plan information filed by pilots. Air traffic controllers use computers to help track and monitor an aircraft's progress while it is located within the airspace of FAA's 20 en route centers--facilities controlling aircraft traveling between airports. To process the information, en route centers use one of two types of computers manufactured by the International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation--model 9020A or 9020D. FAA has stated that these computers, acquired between 1969 and 1977, will not be able to handle increased air traffic and planned software enhancements because of capacity limitations.