SC-241 Publishes Document on Cockpit and Cabin Cleaning
Formed to create a clear directive in accordance with ICAO and IATA’s published guidelines, SC-241, Cockpit and Cabin Cleaning, came together to create COVID cleaning guidelines for cabins, cockpits and cargo areas of aircraft. This directive provides guidance on how to disinfect these areas using both chemical and non-chemical methods. The chemical section outlines what has been approved for use, how to use different materials and cautions to be aware of, such as avoiding liquids where corrosion could result. Non-chemical guidelines provide direction on the use of UV lights and ionization.
“RTCA was chosen because an independent organization was needed to ensure an unbiased document,” said SC-241 Chairman Chloe Morosetti of United. “We gathered members who were suppliers of products as well as groups such as pilots and flight attendants’ unions, who shared their diverse knowledge base to get this mission accomplished. Everyone was very dedicated and hard-working. I cannot praise the team enough.”
What is so impressive about this effort, said Morosetti, is that 77 committee members, representing 36 organizations, came together virtually to quickly finalize the document. SC-241 worked jointly with EUROCAE WG-121 to have international member, and the document is jointly published as ED-287. While typically a committee would take a year and a half to two years to have a paper published, SC-241 had their first plenary meeting at the end of August 2020 and published this 50-page paper in December.
Committee News
RTCA’s Program Management Committee (PMC) held its final 2020 meeting approving seven guidance documents, reviewing workplans for the Special Committees (SC), and incorporating changes to the various committee Terms of Reference (TOR) that reflect leadership and work plan changes.
Featured Training
Airworthiness Security Certification Course
Covering RTCA’s security documents DO-326A, DO-355 and, DO-356A, this course describes what Airworthiness Security is and why it is important. It also explains which FAA Regulations, standards, etc. will require these documents and procedures as well as how to use these standards. Next Date: January 25, 2021.
RTCA Hosts Webinar: Stratospheric Operations
RTCA’s January 21 Webinar features speaker Nancy Graham, President of Graham Aerospace International, at 1pm ET for talk on Stratospheric Operations. DESCRIPTION: New air vehicles and High Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS) are advancing current operations in the national and international airspace everyday. In addition to traditional aviation companies, non aviation companies are bringing new approaches and new financing to the high altitude sector. The extremely advanced automation capabilities HAPS use are unlike what we have seen before in aviation. Can the aviation community use this sector to create new models of human machine teaming? What new skills, both from regulators and industry, may be needed to cooperatively manage this airspace? Register Here
Gregg A. Leone is a member of RTCA’s Board of Directors and the vice president and director of the Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD) at The MITRE Corporation. CAASD is the federally funded research and development center that MITRE manages for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In this role, Leone leads MITRE’s overall domestic and international civil aviation, aviation/aerospace, and transportation strategy and business operations. In addition, Leone is a member of the NextGen Advisory Committee, which provides independent advice and
recommendations to the FAA.
About The MITRE Corporation:
As a not-for-profit organization, MITRE works in the public interest across federal, state and local governments, as well as industry and academia. MITRE brings innovative ideas into existence in areas as varied as artificial intelligence, intuitive data science, quantum information science, health informatics, space security, policy and economic expertise, trustworthy autonomy, cyber threat sharing, and cyber resilience.
MITRE website: https://www.mitre.org/
Chaired by Dr. Chris Hegarty of The MITRE Corporation, the 19-member PMC is the RTCA oversight body charged with producing timely and robust standards and guidance documents to ensure interoperability of aviation systems and equipment. The standards encourage innovation and serve as the basis for meeting Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations. An important responsibility of the PMC is ensuring the operational application of the technical standards
The Members of the PMC approved seven standards:
DO-181F – Minimum Operational Performance Standards for Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System/Mode Select (ATCRBS/Mode S) Airborne Equipment, presented by SC-209 ATCRBS/Mode S Transponder.
This document sets forth minimum operational performance standards for Mode Select (Mode S)1 airborne equipment. Incorporated within these standards are system characteristics that will be useful to users of the system as well as designers, manufacturers, and installers.
DO-260C – Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS) for 1090 MHz Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B), presented by SC-186 Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B).
This document contains MOPS for airborne equipment for ADS-B and Traffic Information Service – Broadcast (TIS-B) utilizing 1090 MHz Mode S Extended Squitter (1090ES). The supporting hardware can be incorporated within other on-board equipment, or alternatively, the ADS-B equipment may be a separate avionics unit.
DO-361A Change 1 – Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS) for Flight-deck Interval Management (FIM) Change 1, presented by SC-186 Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B).
This change includes updates, corrections, and additional materials to support implementation of the Flight-deck Interval Management (FIM) MOPS DO-361A / ED-236A. The largest of these is the inclusion of Test Vectors in Appendix G and related supplemental material.
DO-362A – Command and Control (C2) Data Link Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS) (Terrestrial), presented by SC-228 Minimum Performance Standards for Unmanned Aircraft Systems.
This document contains MOPS for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Command and Control (C2) Data Link (Control and Non-Payload Communication (CNPC) terrestrial Link System) used to support the Command and Control functions of a UAS. The CNPC includes the Link System supporting remote pilot-to/from-ATC voice communications, also referred to as ATC relay. Payload communications specifically include communications associated with the UA mission payloads, which do not contain safety-of-flight information.
DO-384 – Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS) for GNSS Aided Inertial Systems, presented by SC-159 Navigation Equipment Using the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).
The purpose of this document is to provide MOPS for GNSS aided inertial systems including GNSS-aided attitude heading reference systems. This document provides performance standards for an expanded range of inertial sensor technologies and integrations from short-range, loosely coupled to long-range, tightly-coupled covering a wider range of operations. Additionally, this document includes GNSS-aided performance standards used for attitude, heading and velocity information which is not covered in other documents.
DO-386 Vol I and Vol II – Minimum Operational Standards for Airborne Collision Avoidance System Xu (ACAS Xu), prepared by SC-147 – Traffic Alert & Collision Avoidance System (TCAS)
This set of documents defines the minimum operational performance standards (Vol I) and Algorithm Design Descriptions (Vol II) for the Airborne Collision Avoidance System Xu (ACAS Xu) equipment, designed for platforms with a wide range of surveillance technologies and performance characteristics such as Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).
DO-388 – Guidance Document on Aircraft Cleaning and Disinfection, prepared by SC-241 – Cockpit and Cabin Cleaning
This document contains best practices and technologies for aircraft cabin and flight deck cleaning/disinfecting for use by all aircraft operators. Although the guidance is intended specifically for airline use, it could also be beneficial to large charter operators, corporate and fractional ownership operators, and general aviation operators. It is intended to be a “living” document to be updated in the future as best practices and technologies improve, and so be useful for protection against this and any future pandemics.
Seven special committees (SCs) received approval for changes to their work plans. These included SC-159 – Navigation Equipment Using the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), SC-186 Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), SC-213 – Enhanced Flight Vision Systems and Synthetic Vision Systems (EFVS/SVS), SC-216 – Aeronautical Information Systems Security, SC-223 – Internet Protocol Suite (IPS) and AeroMACS, SC-238 – Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems, and SC-239 – Low Range Radar Altimeter.
Additionally, highlights of the submission of the SC-239 Assessment of 5G Telecommunications Interference Impact on LRRA Operations to respond to an FCC R&O concerning 5G Spectrum were discussed. Further investigation was requested from the Ad Hoc for Spectrum Strategy to evaluate the possibility of creating an SC or other group to react to further spectrum matters.
For more information about RTCA Special Committees, click here.
RTCA 2021 Training
RTCA is pleased to announce our training dates for the 2021 calendar year. All courses are set to take place in a virtual setting until further notice. See below for all upcoming training. Visit our training page for more detailed information.
Airworthiness Security Course – January 25
Introduction to Formal Methods – February 9
DO-333 – February 10
DO-178C – March 15
DO-178C DAL D Systems – April 6-7
DO-160G – April 19, 2021
DO-254 – April 26, 2021
