NAVIGATION DATABASE

CODING

PART III - Section 2 – Chapter 5

Flight Procedure Programme 0

 CONTENT

• ARINC 424 standard and Avionics systems

• Path Terminator Concept Fields
• Sequence rules between Path Terminators / Waypoints
• Speed constraints for arrival or departure procedures
• Path impact for equivalent Path Terminators

Flight Procedure Programme 1

 ARINC 424

• ARINC - Aeronautical Radio, Inc. - a cooperation of a variety of stakeholders

such as airlines, aircraft manufacturers and other air transport companies.

• ARINC 424 is a standard for the preparation and transmission of data for
assembly of airborne navigation system databases

• ARINC 424 is NOT an ICAO Standard , It is a commercially created standard

Standard

Flight Procedure Programme 2

 ARINC 424
• Constant Evolution :
[Supplement 21 : issued in July 2016]

Flight Procedure Programme 3

 AERONAUTICAL DATA PROCESSING
STEPS
1. Assemble a data bank.
2. Produce electronic media meeting the operational requirements of the
next link in the data chain (avionics manufacturers, airlines, ATC).
3. Merge the data with the operational software of airborne navigation
computers.
4. Produce electronic media containing the merged data for use on
individual aircraft.
Participants in the data processing chain are public organisations, States,
avionics manufacturers, data houses and various end-users.
Any participant in the data chain may originate, transmit, assemble,
prepare or integrate aeronautical data.

Flight Procedure Programme 4

Flight Procedure Programme 5
 DIFFERENCES IN AVIONICS SYSTEMS

• Individual navigation systems require different formats for navigation reference

data.

• Airlines are cost driven and hence do not upgrade equipment unless there is a
clear benefit, be it costs or efficacy or safety.

• Over the years, different earth models, geodesic calculations and uses of
variables such as magnetic variation have been used.

Differences in avionics systems need to be considered during the processing of

aeronautical data. As a result, databases from different data houses may not
always be consistent.

Although not developed for design of flight procedures, sufficient background

knowledge about ARINC 424 will enable procedure designers to perform their
tasks so that misinterpretations and errors are significantly reduced.

Flight Procedure Programme 6

 PATH TERMINATOR
➢ ARINC 424 Attachment 5
➢ Doc 8168 : Chapter 5 (Part III Section 2)

‘Path/Terminator’ Concept permits coding of Terminal Procedures and includes a two-

character codes and data associated:

• 1. Path – logically describes how the aircraft gets through air to the Terminator (track,
course, heading);

• 2. Terminator – is the event or condition (fix, altitude, distance, manual) that causes the
system to switch to the next leg/phase;

Flight Procedure Programme 8

 23 P/T DEFINED IN ARINC 424
• Arc to a Fix - AF
• Initial Fix - IF
• Course to an Altitude - CA
• Track to a Fix - TF
• Course to a DME Distance - CD • Procedure Turn - PI
• Course to a Fix - CF • Constant Radius Arc - RF
• Course to an Intercept - CI • Heading to an Altitude - VA
• Course to a Radial Termination - CR • Heading to a DME Distance - VD
• Direct to a Fix - DF • Heading to an Intercept - VI
• Fix to an Altitude - FA • Heading to a Manual Termination - VM
• From a Fix for a Distance - FC • Heading to a Radial Termination - VR
• From a Fix to a DME Distance - FD
• From a Fix to a Manual Termination - FM
• Racetrack Course Reversal (Alt Term) - HA
• Racetrack (Single Circuit - Fix Term) - HF
• Racetrack (Manual Termination) - HM

Flight Procedure Programme 9

 14 P/T FOR RNAV PROCEDURE DESIGN

• Initial Fix - IF
• Track to a Fix - TF
• Course to a Fix - CF
• Direct to a Fix - DF
• Fix to an Altitude - FA
• Course to an Altitude - CA
• Fix to a Manual Termination - FM
• Racetrack Course Reversal (Alt Term) - HA
• Racetrack (Single Circuit - Fix Term) - HF
• Racetrack (Manual Termination) - HM
• Constant Radius Arc - RF
• Heading to an Altitude - VA
• Heading to an Intercept - VI
• Heading to a Manual Termination - VM

Flight Procedure Programme 10

 INITIAL FIX

« IF » is the starting waypoint of a route or transition

e.g : Path terminator associated with the first waypoint of STAR is coded IF

IF

 IF in coding  Intermediate Fix in

procedure designing

Flight Procedure Programme 12

TRACK TO A FIX

TF Leg
B
A

Flight Procedure Programme 13

COURSE TO FIX

A
Course is flown making adjustment for wind.

Flight Procedure Programme 14

DIRECT TO FIX

Unspecified position

Direct
DF Leg
A

Flight Procedure Programme 15

 FIX TO ALTITUDE

FA leg is flown making adjustment for wind.

0
080

Unspecified
Position
A
8000'

Flight Procedure Programme 16

 COURSE TO AN ALTITUDE
Unspecified
Position
Course is flown making adjustment for wind.

0
090

CA Leg

Flight Procedure Programme 17

FROM A FIX TO A MANUAL TERMINATION

FM leg is flown making adjustment for wind.

Radar
80
0 Vectors

A
Flight Procedure Programme 18
 HOLDING TO ALTITUDE, FIX or
MANUALLY TERMINATED

HA - Terminates at an altitude
HF - Terminates at the fix after one orbit
A
HM - Manually terminated

340 0

Flight Procedure Programme 19

 RADIUS TO FIX
C
RF Leg

B
A
Arc
Centre

Required for Advanced RNP and RNP AR.

For other application, it can be addressed in national standard and can be
used if a note is added on chart
RF may only be used for RNP procedures flown by aircraft equipped with
systems that are compatible with ARINC 424-17, or later.
Flight Procedure Programme 20
 HEADING TO AN ALTITUDE

Unspecified
Position
No correction made for wind

090 0

VA Leg

8000'

Flight Procedure Programme 21

HEADING TO AN INTERCEPT

No correction made for wind

0
070

0
090
VI Leg

Flight Procedure Programme 22

HEADING TO MANUAL TERMINATION

No correction made for wind

Flight Procedure Programme 23

 REQUIRED DATA - CA & CF

Recommended
Turn Direction

Vertical Angle
Restriction 1

Restriction 2
Path Length

Speed Limit
Terminator

Arc Centre
Waypoint

Magnetic
Identifier

Fly-over

Altitude

Altitude
Course
Navaid
Path

CA O ✓ 6 O

CF ✓ 1 O ✓ ✓ O O O O

DF ✓ 1 O O
1 - Required for CF/DF only.
O O O
✓ - Required
O – Optional 6 - Altitude 'at or above
FA ✓ O ✓ ✓ 6 O
Shaded spaces represent data that are not applicable to that path terminator
FM ✓ O ✓ ✓ O O

HA ✓ O O ✓ ✓ 6 O

HF ✓ O O ✓ ✓ O O
Flight Procedure Programme 24
REQUIRED DATA - DF, FA & FM
Path Terminator

Recommended
Turn Direction

Vertical Angle
Restriction 1

Restriction 2
Path Length

Speed Limit

Arc Centre
Waypoint

Magnetic
Identifier

Fly-over

Altitude

Altitude
Course
Navaid
DF ✓ O O O O O

FA ✓ O ✓ ✓ 6 O

FM ✓ O ✓ ✓ O O

1 - Required for DF/DF only.

✓ - Required
6 - Altitude 'at or above
O – Optional
Shaded spaces represent data that are not applicable to that path terminator

Flight Procedure Programme 25

REQUIRED DATA IF, RF & TF
Path Terminator

Recommended
Turn Direction

Vertical Angle
Restriction 1

Restriction 2
Path Length

Speed Limit

Arc Centre
Waypoint

Magnetic
Identifier

Fly-over

Altitude

Altitude
Course
Navaid
IF ✓ O O O O

RF ✓ O ✓ O 3 5 O O O O ✓

TF ✓ O O O O O O O O O

✓ - Required 2 - Inbound tangential track

3 - Outbound tangential track
O - Optional 5 - Along track distance

Shaded spaces represent data that are not applicable to that path terminator

Flight Procedure Programme 26

REQUIRED DATA VA, VI & VM
Path Terminator

Recommended
Turn Direction

Vertical Angle
Restriction 1

Restriction 2
Path Length

Speed Limit

Arc Centre
Waypoint

Magnetic
Identifier

Fly-over

Altitude

Altitude
Course
Navaid
VA O 4 6 O

VI O O O 4 O O O

VM O O 4 O O

✓ - Required 4 - Heading
O - Optional 6 - Altitude 'at or above

Shaded spaces represent data that are not applicable to that path terminator

Flight Procedure Programme 27

 INITIAL AND FINAL PATH TERMINATORS

RNAV Initial Leg Final Leg

Procedure
SID CA, CF, FA, VA, VI CF, DF, FM, HA, RF, TF,
VM
STAR IF CF, DF, FM, HM, RF, TF,
VM
Approach IF CF, TF, RF

Missed CA, CF, DF, FA, HA, HM, RF, CF, DF, FM, HM, RF, TF,
Approach VI, VM VM

Flight Procedure Programme 28

 PATH TERMINATOR sequences

• FA, CA and VA should be followed by DF or CF

• TF to Fly Over shall be followed by TF or CF
• For DF after FlyOver => previous leg shall be coded CF or DF
• DF cannot follow a Fly-By waypoint
• Waypoint at the start and end of RF leg is Fly By .

Flight Procedure Programme 30

 TABULAR DESCRIPTION
Ensure unambiguous translation of the design intention into
NavData

Flight Procedure Programme 31

 TRANSITION CONCEPT

Approach Path is divided into Transition part :

▪ Approach Transition :
From IAF to IF

▪ Final Transition :
From IF to Mapt

▪ Missed approach Transition :

From Mapt to End of missed approach

Flight Procedure Programme 32

Flight Procedure Programme 33
 TURN DIRECTION (TD)

TD must always be indicated whenever a turn of 90° or

more exists between two consecutive legs; the indication is
carried on the leg being turned to;

TD is always required when RF leg is coded

Flight Procedure Programme 34

 SPEED AND ALTITUDE RESTRICTIONS

• All SPEED and ALTITUDE restrictions in RNAV

procedures should be applied at SPECIFIC
WAYPOINTS.
• Speed and altitude restrictions that are only applied
during specific time periods are NOT CODED in
database.
• Some legacy systems can only process speed
restrictions in combination with an altitude restriction.

Flight Procedure Programme 35

 SPEED RESTRICTIONS

• SIDs :
speed limit applies to all legs UP TO and including THE
TERMINATOR of the leg on which the limit is encoded. If a
second speed limit is coded on a subsequent leg, the limit
will be applied from that leg backwards to the previous
terminator which contained a speed limit.
• STARS :
speed limit is applied FORWARD to THE END of arrival unless
a second speed limit is coded.

Flight Procedure Programme 36

 DESCRIPTION OF ALTITUDE

• At or above : + altitude
• At or below : - altitude
• At : @

Flight Procedure Programme 37

 Altitude at MAPt

• MAPt prior to the runway threshold :

altitude must be an ‘at’ altitude equal to the
computed altitude at the MAPt.

• MAPt at the runway threshold :

altitude must be an ‘at’ altitude equal to the runway
threshold plus the published TCH (default 50ft)

Flight Procedure Programme 38

 INITIAL DEPARTURE TRACKS

• As there is no WP at the DER, first leg cannot be a TF

• Experience has shown that CA better than FA on initial SID leg.

(Avoid low turn)

• VA are often used for departure with parallel runway

– As aircraft shall deviate from the track on the same direction and remain
//

Flight Procedure Programme 39

 CODING THE FIRST 500FT
• RNAV has little influence on aircraft track-keeping during take-off
phase, why?:
– Autopilots do not engage before 500ft agl.
– Manual flight may be considered the norm, at present, up to at least 500ft
agl.
• The procedure definition, in path terminator context, must always
start from the runway.

Flight Procedure Programme 40

FA vs CA vs VA

FMS Engaged

Flight Procedure Programme 41

 CONCLUSION

• Coding proposal shall be in line with the design protection

• Speed and altitude associated to a WP
• Existing rules shall be followed
• Industry can get approval to alter coding rules if shown to
be a better solution for a particular aircraft system.

Flight Procedure Programme 42

QUESTIONS?
QUESTIONS?

Flight Procedure Programme 43