FAA Airport Facilities Terminal Integration Laboratory (AFTIL)

The Cab Simulation Suite (CSS) contains 9 six-foot by eight-foot screens providing a 360 degree out-the-window display area, a control tower wrap-around console, tower support equipment, and a tower simulation system with pseudo-pilot communications. The CSS can display any airport using panoramic photographs and/or computer generated graphics, and can include any planned airport construction such as hangars, terminals, runways, or taxiways. The AFTIL can create a 3-dimensional airport along with shadow study situations from new control tower locations. These airports and shadow study situations can be used to evaluate potential tower sites and determine if clear and unobstructed views of the airport surfaces and approach paths are visible from the various tower control positions. Additionally, this computer airport model can be used for depth perception studies and evaluations of various console heights and angles.

The CSS can also simulate aircraft movements to provide a realistic operational environment for enhanced control tower site evaluation and shadow studies. ATC procedures associated with planned future airfield changes can also be evaluated in this real-time environment. The CSS is a viable testbed to study airport capacity issues such as runway acceptance rates and alternate approach-departure sequencing. The CSS is capable of demonstrating airport procedures developed to assist in solving runway incursion issues.

The Structures Lab contains a 51’ x 60’ assembly area, which can contain a full-scale ATCT cab or TRACON room configuration. Adjacent to the assembly area is a complete carpentry shop used to fabricate the full-scale interior plywood and foamcore sections, which fully replicate the proposed ATCT cab or TRACON consoles. These lightweight sections are easily movable to arrange the cab interior. Replicas of ATCT cab equipment are available for controllers to place in desired locations. The Structures Lab routinely fabricates finished consoles for ATCTs in addition to the full-scale mock-ups.