Jeppesen First and Only Vendor to Receive FAA Authorization for Flight Validation of Performance Based Navigation Procedures
Captain Robert Holleran, Jeppesen chief technical pilot
Captain Robert Holleran, Jeppesen chief technical pilot, has successfully completed the flight validation training course per FAA notice 8260.66.
ENGLEWOOD, COLO. | 20 Mar 2009 | By Jeppesen
Captain Robert Holleran, Jeppesen chief technical pilot, has successfully completed the flight validation training course per FAA notice 8260.66 [Flight Validation of Satellite-Based Performance Based Navigation (PBN) and Special Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) Instrument Flight Procedures (IFP)]. This makes Captain Holleran one of only four individuals who have received this authorization, and makes Jeppesen the first and only third-party vendor authorized to flight check PBN procedures. Required Navigation Performance (RNP) falls under the overall umbrella of PBN.
Jeppesen provides a complete Performance Based Navigation program, that includes Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) qualified AC90-101 consultants, RNP and RNAV flight procedure design, analysis of fleet missions and route structure to optimize RNP implementation strategy and simulator evaluation. Jeppesen works closely with its parent company, Boeing, on a number of PBN programs.
“We are extremely fortunate to have someone of Captain Holleran’s caliber on board the Jeppesen team,” said Thomas Wede, senior vice president and general manager, Aviation. “His real-world experience and technical knowledge of performance based navigation is a great asset to our customers as these types of procedures become more and more common in the world’s airspace systems.”
Captain Holleran is a 20-plus year veteran of the commercial aviation industry and has over 13,000 flight hours with a wide variety of flying experience, including general aviation, regional turboprops and jets. He has commanded over 20 aircraft types and holds type ratings on several Boeing and Airbus aircraft. In addition to Captain Holleran’s extensive line pilot experience, he has held management positions at United Airlines and was part of the leadership team that implemented the first set of RNAV procedures in the United States. Captain Holleran’s airline management experience also includes serving as FAA part 135 and 121 certificate chief pilot and director of operations. He has worked on many industry issues in close coordination with regulators, manufacturers and airlines, and he regularly contributes his expertise to industry groups and rule-making committees. He is currently a member of the FAA Advisory Board for PBN, ATA RNAV Task Force, and Captain Holleran participated on the task force for FAA Advisory Circular 90-101, Approval Guidance for RNP Procedures with SAAAR.
About RNP
Through the use of modern avionics and GPS, RNP flight procedures provide operators a highly effective tool for enabling safe and efficient operations in congested airspace, challenging terrain, and adverse weather conditions.
RNP allows aircraft to navigate within very accurate corridors which reduces airport noise footprints, minimizes weather diversions and enables shorter, more efficient routes in and out of airports, thus reducing fuel burn and emissions. RNP procedures are also the foundation for continuous descent arrivals, a technique for further reducing fuel burn and noise during descent into an airport terminal area by using idle, or very low power settings from cruise altitude to the airport environment.
RNP is a crucial element in the transformation of airspace toward what will eventually become a nationwide and worldwide performance-based Air Traffic Management structure. Full RNP and PBN benefits will be realized once this structure is complete; however, vast cost reductions, efficiency improvements, and regulatory cooperation are already available to RNP operators.
For additional information call 1-800-353-2108 or (303) 328-4422, or visit our RNP page. In the Eastern Hemisphere call +49-6102-50-8180.
