An Investigation of Emergency Flight Operations with Vertical Flight Aircraft in Class B Airspace

This paper investigates how vertical flight aircraft operations can more efficiently mesh with airline arrival and departure flows in both emergency and non-emergency conditions within Class B airspace. Specifically, Helicopter Air Ambulance Operations (HAAO) are merged with the results of FAA studies addressing Aircraft Arrival Management Systems. The unique flight capabilities of vertical flight aircraft must be optimized to provide rapid emergency response while permitting queued airlines to land with minimal to no delay. FAA's NextGen and specific HAAO procedural and equipment mandates offer improved aircrew situational assessment that results in improved safety. However, wide-area emergencies place high demands on multi-jurisdictional military, police, and helicopter air ambulance interoperability and integrated Command and Control. The ever-increasing threat of terrorism and natural disasters combined with escalating passenger travel increases the risk of near misses and accidents in Class B. During emergencies HAAO, which generally operate under airline take-off and landing approach paths, should be queued to still allow airlines to safely land, particularly if they are unable to reroute or have a minimum fuel issue. Class B airspace can become quickly congested and hazardous given multi-jurisdictional operators who may not be intimately familiar with the airport, hospitals, landing zones, and airspace procedures, ultimately presenting unique challenges to ATC and aircraft operators. Affordable solutions such as the Airborne Flight Reporting System (AFRS) can be integrated with Aircraft Arrival Management Systems to provide real-time Command and Control, interoperability, and situational assessment resulting in a common operating picture for multi-jurisdictional first responders, ATC and airlines.