NASA meets with Southwest Airlines to Discuss NextGen Technologies
Researchers from NASA Ames Research Center visited Southwest Airlines to discuss Southwest's recent experience with using NextGen avionics systems. These systems, called Area Navigation (RNAV) and Required Navigational Performance (RNP), allow aircraft to fly any desired flight path within the coverage of specific navigation aids and monitor their navigation performance. This technology is critical in support of concepts for NASA's Super Density Operations (SDO) research being conducted at NASA Ames Research Center. Southwest Airlines is an early adopter of this technology and NASA researchers gained Southwest's feedback on NASA's Super Density Operations concept of operations using RNAV and RNP. NASA researchers Harry Swenson, Paul Borchers and Keenan Roach met with Southwest's RNAV/RNP project leaders including their Chief Technical Pilot and FAA representatives from the Southwest Region. NASA presented information on the North Texas Research Station (NTX) and current research in Terminal Area Precision Scheduling Research. Southwest representatives were very interested in NASA's research since they felt that they would not be able to take full advantage of their RNAV/RNP investment until our research is implemented. SWA expressed interest in a follow-up visit with NASA to review their operations using the RNAV/RNP technologies which would be very beneficial to NASA's SDO research.