NextGen for Airports, Volume 4: Leveraging NextGen Spatial Data to Benefit Airports: Guidebook (2016)

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viii | UNDERSTANDING THE AIRPORT’S ROLE IN PERFORMANCE-BASED NAVIGATION 35 AGIS Program and GIS Data Ownership 35 Patent Protection 35 Copyright Protection 36 Contractual Protection 36 Technical Protection 36 GIS and Disclosure under FOIA 37 Potential Liability When Sharing or Providing GIS Data 37 Theories of Liability 38 Minimizing Liability 38 Endnotes 43 Chapter 5 Conclusions and Technology Trends 43 Overview of Airport Spatial Data Relevant to NextGen 43 Facts 44 Conclusion 44 Spatial Data Requirements 44 Fact 44 Conclusions 45 The Importance of a Single Authoritative Source 45 Fact 45 Conclusions 46 AGIS’s Important Role in Fulfilling Requirements 46 Facts 46 Conclusions 47 Benefits and Costs of Spatial Data 47 Facts 47 Conclusions 48 Monetization and Liability of Spatial Data 48 Facts 48 Conclusions 48 PBN 48 Fact 48 Conclusions 49 Improved Surface Operations 49 Facts 49 Conclusions 49 Improved MRO 49 Fact 50 Conclusions 50 Relevant Information Technology Trends 52 Chapter 6 Guidance for Airport Sponsors and the Aviation Community 52 Fundamental Resources 52 Spatial Data Considerations 53 Spatial Data Related to Airspace 53 Spatial Data Related to Surface Operations 54 Spatial Data of Benefit to Airports Available from the FAA

54 Suggested Guidance Related to Monetization and Liability of Data 54 Communication and Input Are Essential 55 Suggestions for Further Study 56 References and Bibliography 65 Appendix A Acronyms & Initialisms 69 Appendix B Glossary of Terms 75 Appendix C Interviews and Case Studies 77 Interview Summaries/Case Studies 77 Washington State Department of Transportation, Aviation Division (Washington State DOT) 77 Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) 78 Portland International Airport (PDX) 79 San Francisco International Airport (SFO) 79 Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) 81 Texas Department of Transportation, Aviation Division (Texas DOT) 83 Appendix D Educational Forum Abstract Sample 84 Appendix E Presentation Outline and Template

Summary | 1 Summary Leveraging NextGen Spatial Data to Benefit Airports NextGen began in December 2003 with the Vision 100 Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act. Its goals were “to take advantage of data from emerging ground-based and space-based communications, navigation, and surveillance technologies; and to integrate data streams from multiple agencies and sources to enable situational awareness and seamless global operations for all appropriate users of the system.” Airports play a critical role in achieving these goals. This guidebook, along with the accompanying four volumes, is intended to help airports fulfill this important role and maximize the benefits they receive in return. This volume focuses on one key aspect of airports’ role in NextGen: the creation, maintenance, and use of spatial data that is critical to many NextGen programs. Spatial data can come in a variety of formats, and at various levels of accuracy, completeness, and currency. Over the past few decades, many airports have implemented one such format, geographic information systems (GIS), to meet a spectrum of needs. In recent years, the FAA has developed ad- ditional requirements for airports to collect geospatial data sufficient for meeting myriad needs such as instrument approach procedure design, construction as-built surveys, navigational aids (NAVAIDs) installation/relocation, master plans and airport layout plans (ALPs), and airfield configuration changes. As the FAA moves toward employing more advanced solutions for airspace and airfield safety, opera- tional efficiency, and situational awareness under NextGen, the need is increasing for high quality, current, and accurate spatial data depicting airports, as well as the airspace around airports. The nexus of these spatial data requirements is the focus of this guidebook. Research Goals and Objectives This guidebook is part of a larger NextGen ACRP research project series that provides general informa- tion about NextGen while also detailing specific subject areas under NextGen. Other projects in this series include: • ACRP Project 01-27, NextGen—A Primer; • ACRP Project 01-28, NextGen—Guidance for Engaging Airport Stakeholders; • ACRP Project 03-33, NextGen—Airport Planning and Development; and • ACRP Project 03-34, NextGen—Understanding the Airport’s Role in Performance-Based Navigation.

2 | LEVERAGING NEXTGEN SPATIAL DATA TO BENEFIT AIRPORTS The main project objectives for ACRP Project 09-12 are to document the benefits that can be derived from spatial data collected in support of the FAA’s NextGen effort, how NextGen programs use this data, and how airports can maximize the use of this data. Although NextGen affects the entire national airspace system (NAS), not all programs within NextGen have a need for spatial data, produce spatial data, or have a direct benefit to airports. The focus of this research examined and elaborated on how spatial data produced by an airport is utilized within certain NextGen programs and, conversely, how spatial data that a NextGen program might produce could benefit an airport. Summary of Research Conclusions • Some NextGen initiatives clearly benefit from spatial data or produce spatial data. Four priority areas are multiple runway operations (MRO), performance-based navigation (PBN), surface opera- tions, and data communications. • MRO, PBN, and surface operations all have a need for and/or produce spatial data. • Many airports have found it difficult to understand what is required of them to support the imple- mentation of NextGen, and there is a need to expand public outreach and education about these programs and data requirements. • A challenge encountered by many users of spatial data is that there have been many sources that are sometimes redundant, not broadly accessible, and of varying degrees of quality. A duplication of data resides in the FAA databases, and additional duplication occurs as data is separately devel- oped by airports, by other public-sector agencies, and through third-party sources. • The FAA’s Airports GIS (AGIS) program has long been called an “enabler” of NextGen. AGIS has provided high-quality data required for the development of PBN and other flight procedures, but many programs within NextGen do not currently utilize AGIS data to its full extent. Although flight procedures and airspace analysis clearly take advantage of AGIS-compliant data where it exists, many NextGen capabilities rely on spatial data produced by third-party vendors. • One goal of AGIS is for all airports listed in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) to have spatial data populated in the AGIS databases. As the inclusion of additional airports contin- ues, and as more airports populate AGIS, additional NextGen initiatives will be able to take advan- tage of this data. • Some reasons airports have not submitted data to AGIS include: (1) they do not perceive that the benefits exceed the cost of doing so; (2) the local FAA Airports District Office (ADO) is not enforc- ing or, in some cases, strongly encouraging it; and (3) many airports lack the resources needed to maintain this data over time. • Many airports perceive that they bear new costs for the collection of spatial data but do not reap new rewards. Airports are, in fact, gaining new capacity, reducing minimums, and increasing safety because they have collected this data. Unfortunately, the benefits have not been as apparent as the costs, an issue which the FAA, RTCA, the ACRP Project 01-28 research team, and others are trying to address.

Summary | 3 Recommendations and Suggested Research • An in-depth study of the spatial data needs for unmanned aerial systems (UAS) planning and op- erations, as well as ways in which GIS can support UAS, is suggested. • An independent review of RTCA DO-272, User Requirements for Aerodrome Mapping Information and FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 150/5300-18, General Guidance and Specifications for Submission of Aeronautical Surveys to NGS: Field Data Collection and Geographic Information System (GIS) Standards, as well as an assessment of the potential for merging these two standards into one industry standard, also is suggested. • The benefits and requirements of NextGen and AGIS are not fully understood by the aviation com- munity. A clear need exists for additional education of the aviation community about these benefits and requirements. Methods for further educating the aviation community and development of additional content to support these efforts are both needed.