The first pilots used voice and hand signals to communicate with people on the ground, visual landmarks for navigation, and their own senses to keep track of what was going on around them. As planes became more common, air traffic control tried to organize and prioritize what each aircraft in an area was doing to promote safety and efficiency.

Aviation technologies continue to improve. What were once separate communication, navigation and surveillance tasks for the pilot and air crew, and air traffic management responsibilities of authorities on the ground, are becoming integrated into one information service known as CNS/ATM. ISI offers a whole spectrum of CNS/ATM services for civil aviation authorities, airport authorities, and regional aviation organizations.

Criteria Development
Before a pilot can land or take off when the weather is less than perfect, he needs a procedure that lets him use the aircraft’s instruments to tell him what’s happening. Before a procedure can be created, the rules that outline what is possible and what is good practice need to be established.

Instrument procedure design criteria are the rules that govern procedure design and development. They are based on testing and analysis of the safe limits at which specific aircraft can turn, the speeds they can use to climb or descend, and other technical capabilities. Criteria must meet objectives of safety, capacity, best use of airspace, and economic operations. Their implementation must also be compatible with operations in international airspace and other states. On our GPS & RNP contract, ISI develops criteria in support of the FAA and coordinates criteria development with ICAO and other international bodies to assure the safety and economy of international operations and harmonization between the US and international aviation communities.

Procedure Development
Instrument procedures are the standard rules that pilots follow for approaching, landing at, and taking off from airports. ISI uses our extensive expertise in air traffic control and procedure development, as well as state-of-the-art tools in geographic data handling and automation, to develop and maintain instrument procedures for a variety of clients. On our IATA contract, we have produced over 250 procedures for 17 states across Africa. On our GPSTAC contract, we have developed prototypes and procedures to demonstrate new concepts in procedure design, from the initial GPS-based procedures to new LPV procedures at 6 airports in the US.

Airport Master Planning
ISI leverages our experience with procedure development, criteria development, air traffic control, and obstacle assessment to provide consultations with airport authorities. Our input has facilitated airport master planning projects including Santorini, Greece; Tripoli, Greece; Haifa, Israel; Dubai, Qatar; Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; and Sangster International Airport, Jamaica.

Transition Planning
ISI prepares transition plans for countries to modernize and extend their aviation infrastructure into the satellite-based technologies becoming available today. Our transition planning projects include the 14-member-nation Southern African Development Community, the 6-member nation LACAC, Venezuela, Colombia, India, Morocco, and Oman