Message Dialog

Extended Centerline Setup

The Conflict Alert Settings Dialog

In this dialog you can define the settings for the conflict alert systems, the STCA (Short Term Conflict Alert) and the MTCA (Medium Term Conflict Alert). As their names suggest, the STCA system warns about conflicts in the short term (a couple of minutes) whereas the MTCA looks further ahead.

The Short Term Conflict Alert detector divides the world into three sectors vertically:

  • The first sector is from the ground until the bottom of the lower altitude area. In this are there is no conflict alert detection at all.
  • Between the bottom of the lower altitude area and the bottom of the higher level area. Conflicts in this area are detected using the values from the STCA Lower altitude box.
  • From the bottom of the higher level area and up. Conflicts in this area are detected using the values from the STCA Higher level box.

STCA Lower altitude and STCA Higher level

  • Bottom of the … area – The lower level/altitude of the area. The settings are used above this value.
  • Show … STCA – Indicates to detect conflicts at all or not. Switching them off no conflict alerts are ever fired.
  • If vertical separation is less than – The minimum vertical separation for the alert.
  • If horizontal separation is less than – The minimum horizontal separation for the alert.
  • Pre warning time – if two aircraft are predicted to have less than the above specified lateral and vertical separation in less than this time from now, a pre-warning is given. It is a red dot above the callsign.
  • Warning time – if two aircraft are predicted to have less than the above specified lateral and vertical separation in less than this time from now, a warning is given. It is a red box drawn around the tag as well as the predicted minimum distance as a red number above the callsign.

STCA options

  • Show warning even if CFL avoids conflict – This setting controls whether the cleared flightlevels should be taken into account in the predictions. When checked, the cleared flightlevels of the aircraft are not taken into account. When unchecked, the aircraft are expected to level off at their CFL when climbing/descending, and if that avoids a conflict, a warning is not issued.
  • Play sound even if CFL avoids conflict – This setting allows to silence the warning sound for those conflicts where the cleared flight levels are such that if the aircraft follow them, there will not be a conflict. When the option is checked, the CFL’s are not taken into account.
  • Play sound only on tracked AC conflict – This setting allows to silence the warning sound for those conflicts where none of the involved aircraft are tracked by you. When checked, the sound will only be played for conflicts where at least one aircraft is tracked by you.

To see how the warnings are displayed in the TAG check the Collision alert indicator TAG item in [[TAG Editor]] page.

MTCA options

  • MTCA floor – The lower level/altitude of the area. The settings are used above this value.
  • Warn if vertical separation is less – The minimum vertical separation for the alert.
  • Warn if horizontal separation is less – The minimum horizontal separation for the alert.