RVSM

AIRWORTHINESS

PRESENTED BY COSCAP-SA
•RVSM Airworthiness

In the late 1950s it was recognized
that as a result of the reduction of
accuracy of pressure sensing of
barometric Altimeters with
increasing altitude,there was a need
above a certain flight level to
increase the prescribed vertical
separation minimum of 300 m. In
1960 an increased separation of 600
m was established.
•RVSM Airworthiness

In the mid 1970s following the

world fuel shortages and the
escalation of fuel costs, allied to
the growing demand for a more
efficient utilization of the available
airspace, ICAO encouraged
states to conduct a detailed
appraisal of the proposal to
reduce the VSM above FL290.
• RVSM Airworthiness
 In late 1988 the ICAO panel
provided guidance to a
specialist group tasked with
translating the total vertical error
distribution requirement into
detailed specifications and
procedures for controlling the
height keeping standards of
aircraft operating in RVSM
airspace.
•RVSM Airworthiness
 The detailed specification and
procedures must be developed for use
by Designers, Manufacturers,
Operators and Approval Authorities
and must be applicable for
airworthiness approval to a Group of
Aircraft as well as Individual Aircraft.

 When taken together this formed the

Minimum Aircraft System Performance
Specification ( MASPS )
•RVSM Airworthiness
The following characteristics were developed by
the ICAO team to satisfy the distribution limit on
T V E of the proportion of Height keeping errors

beyond 90 m in magnitude is less than 2.0X10-
 beyond 150 m in magnitude is less than 3.5X

10 -6

beyond 200m in magnitude is less than 1.6X10
-7
,and

between 290 & 320 m in magnitude is less than
1.7 X 10 -9
•RVSM Airworthiness


These were intended to be
the basis for development of
the Minimum Aircraft
System Performance
Specification against which
the Aircraft will be
Approved.
 •RVSM Airworthiness

The Mean Altimetry System Error of the Group of
Aircraft shall not exceed ± 25 m( 80 ft)

The sum of the absolute value of the mean ASE
for the group and three standard Dev. Of ASE
within the group shall not exceed 75 m

The errors in altitude keeping shall be
symmetrical about a mean of 0 and shall have a
standard dev. Not more than 13 m and be such
that the Error Frequency decreases with
increasing Error magnitude at a rate which is at
least exponential.
•RVSM Airworthiness

These characteristics were mainly to derive
Type Approval standards for design
capability ,but they primarily address the
central part of the T V E distribution i.e the
requirement of height keeping errors beyond
90 m magnitude is less than 2.0X 10 -3.

In order to qualify the aircraft for other
requirements it was felt necessary to
develop detailed procedure and
specification to cover production release and
continued Airworthiness.
•RVSM Airworthiness

The Minimum Aircraft System
Performance Specification ( MASPS )
was required to control three issues,
Type Approval, Production Release,
and Continued Airworthiness.

Though it was necessary to meet all the
requirements of MASPS for approval of
operation in RVSM airspace it was also
essential to change the structure of
MASPS for existing aircraft,some of
which may no longer be in production
•RVSM Airworthiness
On the basis of the ICAO studies, a recommendation
was made that the margin between operational
Performance and Design capability should be
achieved as under:
 The mean uncorrected Residual position Error

(Static Source Error ) of the group shall not exceed

±25 m

The sum of the absolute value of the mean ASE
within the group shall not exceed 60 m (This
requirement has a narrower tolerance to allow for
some degradation with increasing age)
•RVSM Airworthiness
 Each individual aircraft in the group
shall be built to have an ASE
contained within ±60 m

An automatic altitude-keeping device
shall be required and will be capable
of controlling altitude within a
tolerance band of ±15m about
commanded altitude when operated
in the altitude hold mode in straight
and level flight under non- turbulent,
non-gust condition
•RVSM Airworthiness

Equipment and Functional
requirements.

Essential features for
operation in RVSM airspace

At least Two altitude
measurement system

Static source error correction
/position error correction must
be applied automatically
•RVSM Airworthiness
 An SSR altitude reporting
Transponder with the capability
for switching to operate from
either altitude measurement
system.
 An altitude alert system that
alerts the crew aurally and
visually if displayed altitude
deviates from the selected
altitude by more than ± 60 m
•RVSM Airworthiness
 An automatic Altitude keeping
device to control altitude within a
tolerance band of ± 15 m and
designed such that the occurrence
of any single failure in the device
will not cause a displacement of
the aircraft from its flight path
greater than ± 90 m based on a 3
second delay in pilot intervention
± 90 M
 •RVSM Airworthiness

An out-of-trim condition which can not easily be
controlled by the Pilot.

Any action of the flight control system that is not
readily apparent to the pilot by movement of the
flight controls,a flight instrument display ,or by
display of an advisory
 note 1: Aircraft operating as on 1/1/90 with altitude keeping
capability of ± 40 m need not be retrofitted future aircraft
req. ± 15 m
 note 2: After 1/1/94 all RVSM airspace operating aircraft
should meet the performance requirement of less than 45
m altitude overshoot
•RVSM Airworthiness
Continued Airworthiness:

The Maintenance requirements and
procedures should include periodic flight test
demonstration of height-keeping accuracy.
 Independent TVE monitoring facility is
acceptable provided errors can be
measured consistent to the requirements
and provided separate contributor to TVE
I.e Airframe, Avionics or flight Technical
Error can be assessed
•RVSM Airworthiness

IT is unlikely that many existing aircraft can
be shown to have undergone the production
release controls envisaged in the MASPS
but Continued Airworthiness requirement
should be developed so that the limits are
met. Each such aircraft should undergo the
appropriate check as well as meeting the
type approval requirements.

For young in-service aircraft there should
be a requirement to reveal evidence of
variation to normal production repeatability.
•RVSM Airworthiness
 All Aircraft operating above FL 290 must be
approved for such operation by the state of registry
of the aircraft or of the aircraft operator. For
Airworthiness,
 The Aircraft should be approved as meeting the
requirements of the appropriate state airworthiness
document derived from the height keeping capability
requirements for operations in RVSM airspace.
 The aircraft altimetry and height keeping equipment
must be maintained in accordance with approved
procedures and servicing schedules END