Wake Vortex Safety Russian Approach - WakeNet

State Research Institute of 

Aviation Systems (GosNIIAS) 

A.Belotserkovsky, E.Falkov, M. Kanevsky 

Wake Vortex Safety 

Russian Approach 

WakeNet3-Europe 2009 Wake Vortex Safety Russian 1

Wake vortex safety background (1) 

• A wake vortex problem exists that was recently 

confirmed by crash of Learjet 45 in Mexico City; 

• Appearance of very heavy and very light aircraft, steady 

traffic growth and wish to increase airspace capacity 

have sharpened the WVS problem and attracted attention 

to what inflexible way is used to solve the case; 

• The problem could be split into two phases: 

1) to found vortices (to directly measure from board or 

to calculate using verified models or comdine both); 

2) to inform all interested participants of size, position 

and evolution of vortices via appropriate data link. 


Wake vortex safety background (2) 

• Non-cooperative surveillance of vortices from board 

of light aircraft as followers (they are the most 

interested airspace users) by airborne lidars looks a 

little bit doubtful due to low efficiency, dimensions, 

power supply and cost of equipment; 

• Use of calculations for cooperative surveillance of 

vortices seems to be more acceptable; 

• It is acknowledged that ADS-B is the most 

appropriate tool for transmitting and getting of 

corresponding information. 


ADS-B in Russian (and Swedish) airspace 

1090 ES now VDL-4 

Not equipped 

Voice 

Not equipped 

1090 ES 

VDL-4 

ATC 

1090 ES &VDL-4 ADS-B Ground Station 


Scanning Long-Range Doppler Lidar 

Horizontal Range…………………………7 - 15 km; 

Vertical Range…..…………………………4 - 10 km; 

Minimal Distance……………………………...300 m; 

Distance Resolution…………………...100 - 150 m; 

Angle Resolution………………………………1 min; 

Velocity Resolution………………………0,5 m/sec; 

Bearing Scan Range………………………….±180°; 

Tilt Angle Range……………………………...0 - 90°; 

Working Wave Length………………………1,5 um; 

Refreshment Rate……………………………..1 min. 


Transmitting and receiving wake vortex data 

(measured and/or calculated) with consequent 

visualization of vortices on CDTI and ATC display 

1. Calculation of own wake vortices 

2. Weather measurement 

3. Data transmission 

1. Reception of data on generator 

wake vortices and wefromher data 

2. Prediction of own motion 

3. Evaluation of danger areas 

4. Weather measurement 

5. Calculation of own wake vortices 

6. Data transmission 

CDTI 

HUD 

ATC – Ground Facility Tower MET Centre

Wake vortex prediction models 


Wake Vortex Awareness of Aircraft Crew 

Vortex indication 

at the HUD 

Vortex indication 

at the CDTI 


Alerting Indication for Pilot by VVS 

Avoiding maneuver 

Danger vortex area 

Attantion 

Attention 

Warning 

Warning 

Alert 


Wake vortex 

generator 

Tupolev-154М 

Flight tests of the WV safety system prototype 

Wake vortex follower L-39 

ADS-B transponder 

ADS-B transponder 

+ CDTI 

Wake vortices on ATC display 


Re-Equipage of the Flying Laboratory Tu-154M 

ADS-B 

transponder 

Smoke generators 

Onboard computer for a 

wake vortex flight 

safety system + CDTI 

Smoke generator control panel 


Flight Test of Vortex Vision System 


Flight Test of Vortex Vision System 
























































XCVMC 

110B-070 

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WAKE 

WAKE TURBULENCE 

T=50 S 

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T=32 S 

XCVMC 

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MXA1692 

102B-040 

0183B763H 


WAKE 


T=10 S 

XCVMC 

106B-070 

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MXA1692 

101B-040 

0183B763H 


Where we are with WWS now? 

• Russia demonstrated HW/SW ability to 

provide WVS. It works, though efforts will be 

continued to wide validation and operatonal 

implementation; 

• We’ll try to answer the question: 

How far aviation community is from solving 

wake vortex safety issue? 

• But before that let’s analyze connection 

between WVS and data links used for ADS-B 


WVS and different data links for ADS-B 

• FAA & Boeing, Eurocontrol and Airbus 

promote 1090 ES; radar replacement instead of 

real ADS-B; situational awareness is not 

provided; situation in FAA with ADS-B – all 

are against; no satisfactory solution for WVS; 

• Russia and Sweden use both 1090 ES and 

VDL-4 with full ADS-B and other applications 

based on VDL-4; Russia created and 

successfully tested in flights sample of 

airborne WVS based on VDL-4 


THE CORE QUESTION FOR WVS: 

WHAT TO DO IF VDL-4 IS NOT 

ACCEPTED IN SOME AIRSPACE 

(FOR ADS–B AND OTHER 

APPLICATIONS) 

YET OR FOREVER? 


ALTERNATIVES 

The following alternatives could be suggested: 

1 To continue to not accept VDL-4 and wait for 

completed (after new changes 3, 4, … to DO-260A 

(than B)) and widely tested 1090 ES In or develop 

new data link. It would be interesting to discuss 

principles of this new data link. It would also be 

interesting to estimate how long does it take to get 

corresponding ICAO SARPs; or 

2 To implement VDL-4 ground and airborne parts to 

solve only wake vortex safety issue; coupling of 

existing airspace facility and VDL-4 ground unit 

could be done very easily. 


How far aviation community is from 

solving wake vortex safety issue? (1) 

First of all it is necessary to properly include a 

pilot in the loop, to give him timely information 

of vortices, using not crucial voice 

but contemporary two-way data link, 

and not in unclear future but today, 

because development, validation and getting 

ICAO SARPs for something new will take a lot 

of time and demand remarkable funding 




• You may have more or less accurate models to 

predict vortices, you can predict it in ATC 

ground facility or on-board 

• But the core issue is timely getting information 

on board with consequent visualization on 

CDTI 

• Capability to obtain data on board (“groundair” 

and “air-air”) is becoming highly essential 




• At the same time supporting 1090 ES for 

ADS-B Out and VDL-4 for full ADS-B, 

Russia has developed and demonstrated in 

flight tests the technical solution to provide 

WVS based on VDL-4. Rockwell-Collins and 

Thales (France), CNSS (Sweden) and RTX 

(Denmark) have developed the full set of 

airborne and ground equipment based on 

VDL-4. Sweden deployed fully operational 

ADS-B&VDL-4 network covering all country. 


Non-Russian Equipment for ADS-B 

VDL Mode 4 Application 

On-board units for Airlines 

VDL 4000/GSI – VDL-4 module 

by CNSS (Sweden) as a part of 

Thales ADS-B ground station 

CNS Systems 

VDL 4000/A 

CNS Systems 

VDL 4000 

Rockwell Collins 

VHF-2120 

On-board modules Business and 

General Aviation 

RTX 

RTX 6040 VHF-VDL 




• So to solve WVS issue the technical solution 

has been developed and technical capabilities 

exist; 

• In any case Russia will continue to work in 

ground and airborne segments to provide WVS; 

WakeNet community should develop WVS 

international standards. 

It is much better to discuss all disputable 

issues before than to do it during ICAO 

SARPs approval. 


Conclusions 

• In accordance with Russian Federal Program of 

Flight Safety near-term efforts will be aimed to wide 

testing, validation and operational implementation of 

integrated (airborne and ground) WVS system; 

• Russian team is ready to collaborate and share in 

creating of airborne and ground wake vortex safety 

systems; 

• The primary task is joint development of proposals 

which would serve as the basis for international 

standards; due to urgency development of standard 

drafts should be accompanied and confirmed by 

results of ground and flight tests 


Thank you for your attention

Wake Vortex Safety Russian Approach - WakeNet

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