One of SOLUTE’s key contracts is the Navy's PMA 209 program. Under this project, we provide production management, engineering, and technical support services for Naval Navigation Systems for NAVAIR. As part of this work, SOLUTE managed the PMA 209 Mission Planning, Digital Transfer Device, and Data Base Team. In addition, the PMA 209 Communications, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) team designated SOLUTE to assess the quality of the Digital Aeronautical Flight Information File (DAFIF) database and to identify solutions. Patrick Benson, SOLUTE’s PMA 209 CNS/ATM DAFIF Quality Representative, explained, “A key part of Required Navigation Performance (RNP) Area Navigation (RNAV) is the aeronautical database. Aviation safety can be significantly degraded by aeronautical information errors related to the content of navigation databases.” These can be errors such as those generated by the state, errors generated by the data service provider, and errors generated by the avionics manufacturer.

Mr. Benson has developed innovative tools and processes to assess the DAFIF database’s conformance to aeronautical database processing standards. “We’ve identified critical safety deficiencies in DAFIF generation,” said Mr. Benson, “and we’ve implemented processes for data assurance.” As a result of this work, PMA 209 CNS/ATM/AIR 5.1.2 requires the SOLUTE-executed DAFIF Instrument Procedure Validation and Verification Process every 28 days, prior to release to the Fleet. In addition, SOLUTE produces tools and processes used by the Naval Flight Information Group to produce Navy instrument procedures for FAA flight check and post-publication review. Pivotal to the process is having a qualified Field Maintenance Squadron (FMS) RNAV RNP pilot who can execute lab testing of instrument procedures. SOLUTE provides a certified RNP RNAV pilot, Mark Anderson, for Combat Systems Integration Laboratory (CSIL) RNAV procedure validation and verification.

“Our processes, tools, and personnel improve flight safety margins,” Mr. Benson said. SOLUTE has done this by eliminating instrument procedures from aircraft data loads that contain hazardous and misleading information and that do not meet the intent of the procedure designer.

The following photograph shows a Google Earth output from a SOLUTE-created tool; it displays an incorrect altitude on the missed approach segment for a DAFIF Alaskan RNAV(GPS) Instrument Approach Procedure (IAP). The waypoint HUILIS is located inside a mountain in Alaska. If a flight crew used the altitude provided in the flight database, the aircraft could have undergone Control Flight into Terrain (CFIT). There were over 300 incorrect altitudes on DAFIF RNAV(GPS) IAPs and thousands of additional DAFIF RNAV instrument procedure issues discovered by SOLUTE data assurance processes and personnel over the last 5 years.

“Overall, said Mr. Benson, “SOLUTE’s work at PMA 209 leads the DoD in aeronautical data assurance and increases DoD flight safety.” Our work on this program also further solidifies our relationship with NAVAIR and highlights our capabilities in the areas of communications, navigation, surveillance, and mission planning.