Chapter 13. Decision Support Tools

Section 1. User Request Evaluation Tool (URET) - En Route

13-1-1. DESCRIPTION

URET is an en route decision support tool that is used by the sector team in performing its strategic planning responsibilities. URET uses flight plan data, forecast winds, aircraft performance characteristics, and track data to derive expected aircraft trajectories, and to predict conflicts between aircraft and between aircraft and special use or designated airspace. It also provides trial planning and enhanced flight data management capabilities.

13-1-2. CONFLICT DETECTION AND RESOLUTION

a. Actively scan URET information for predicted aircraft-to-aircraft and aircraft-to-airspace alerts.

b. When a URET alert is displayed, evaluate the alert and take appropriate action as early as practical, in accordance with duty priorities.

c. Prioritize the evaluation and resolution of URET alerts to ensure the safe, expeditious, and efficient flow of air traffic.

NOTE-
URET alerts are based on radar separation standards. Caution should be used when situations include nonstandard formations.

d. When a URET alert is displayed and when sector priorities permit, give consideration to the following in determining a solution:

1. Solutions that involve direct routing, altitude changes, removal of a flight direction constraint (i.e., inappropriate altitude for direction of flight), and/or removal of a static restriction for one or more pertinent aircraft.

2. Impact on surrounding sector traffic and complexity levels, flight efficiencies, and user preferences.

e. When the URET Stop Probe feature is activated for an aircraft, Conflict Probe for that aircraft shall be restarted before transfer of control, unless otherwise coordinated.

NOTE-
The requirement in subpara 13-1-2e does not apply to aircraft entering airspace of a non-URET facility.

13-1-3. TRIAL PLANNING

a. When URET is operational at the sector and when sector priorities permit, use the trial plan capability to evaluate:

1. Solutions to predicted conflicts.

2. The feasibility of granting user requests.

3. The feasibility of removing a flight direction constraint (i.e., inappropriate altitude for direction of flight) for an aircraft.

4. The feasibility of removing a static restriction for an aircraft.

13-1-4. URET-BASED CLEARANCES

When the results of a trial plan based upon a user request indicate the absence of alerts, every effort should be made to grant the user request, unless the change is likely to adversely affect operations at another sector.

13-1-5. THE AIRCRAFT LIST (ACL), DEPARTURE LIST (DL) AND FLIGHT DATA MANAGEMENT

a. The ACL shall be used as the sector team's primary source of flight data.

b. Actively scan URET to identify automated notifications that require sector team action.

c. When an ACL or DL entry has a Remarks indication, the Remarks field of the flight plan shall be reviewed. Changes to the Remarks field shall also be reviewed.

d. Highlighting an entry on the ACL or DL shall be used to indicate the flight requires an action or special attention.

e. The Special Posting Area (SPA) should be used to group aircraft that have special significance (e.g., aircraft to be sequenced, air refueling missions, formations).

f. When URET is operational, sector teams shall post flight progress strips for any nonradar flights.

g. When URET is operational, a flight progress strip shall be posted for any flight plan not contained in the Host Computer System.

h. When URET is operational, sector teams shall post any flight progress strip(s) that are deemed necessary for safe or efficient operations. The sector team shall comply with all applicable facility directives to maintain posted flight progress strips.

i. The URET Drop Track Delete option shall be used in accordance with facility directives.

13-1-6. MANUAL COORDINATION AND THE URET COORDINATION MENU

a. Where automated coordination with a facility is not available (e.g., an international facility, a VFR tower), use the URET Coordination Menu or a flight progress strip to annotate manual coordination status, in accordance with facility directives.

b. When the URET Coordination Menu is used and the flight plan is subsequently changed, remove the yellow coding from the Coordination Indicator after any appropriate action has been taken.

13-1-7. HOLDING

For flights in hold, use URET Hold Annotations, a flight progress strip, or a facility-approved worksheet to annotate holding instructions, in accordance with facility directives.

13-1-8. RECORDING OF CONTROL DATA

a. All control information not otherwise recorded via automation recordings or voice recordings shall be manually recorded using approved methods.

b. When a point out has been approved, remove the yellow color coding on the ACL.

c. When the URET Free Text Area is used to enter control information, authorized abbreviations shall be used. You may use:

1. The clearance abbreviations authorized in TBL 13-1-1.

TBL 13-1-1
Clearance Abbreviations

2. The miscellaneous abbreviations authorized in TBL 13-1-2.

3. The URET equivalents for control information symbols authorized in TBL 13-1-3.

4. Plain language markings when it will aid in understanding information.

5. Locally approved abbreviations.

d. When the URET Free Text Area is used to enter control information, the Free Text Area shall remain open and visible. When no longer relevant, the information entered into the Free Text Area shall be updated or deleted.

e. Control information entered in the Free Text Area shall be used for reference purposes only.

NOTE-
Information entered into the Free Text Area does not pass on handoff and, if necessary, must be coordinated.

TBL 13-1-2
Miscellaneous Abbreviations

TBL 13-1-3
URET Equivalents for Control Information Symbols

13-1-9. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF AUTOMATED NOTIFICATION

a. The URET Inappropriate Altitude for Direction of Flight (IAFDOF) feature shall be used in the automatic mode (i.e., IAFDOF Manual shall remain deselected) unless otherwise authorized in a facility directive.

b. Completion of any required coordination for IAFDOF shall be acknowledged on the ACL by removing the IAFDOF coding.

c. Completion of appropriate coordination for an Unsuccessful Transmission Message (UTM) shall be acknowledged on the ACL by removing the UTM coding.

d. Issuance of the Expect Departure Clearance Time (EDCT) to the pilot or other control facility shall be acknowledged on the DL by removing the EDCT coding.

e. IAFDOF, UTM, or EDCT coding shall be acknowledged only after the appropriate action has been completed.

f. Send/acknowledge Host Embedded Route Text (HERT) coding only after the appropriate clearance has been issued to the pilot or otherwise coordinated. Do not send/acknowledge HERT unless the sector has track control for the flight or it has been otherwise coordinated.

g. Remove ATC Preferred Route (APR) coding only after the route has been checked and any required action has been completed. Do not remove APR coding unless the sector has track control or it has been otherwise coordinated.

NOTE-
If coding is prematurely removed and the control of the aircraft is transferred before completing the appropriate action, the next sector may not receive the necessary APR notification.

13-1-10. CURRENCY OF TRAJECTORY INFORMATION

a. The sector team shall perform automation entries in a timely manner.

NOTE-
1. Conflict probe accuracy requires timely updates of data used to model each flight's trajectory. If this data is not current, the aircraft entries and notification of probe results for surrounding sectors and facilities, as well as the subject sector, may be misleading.

2. Data used to model an individual aircraft's trajectory includes route of flight, assigned and interim altitudes, application/removal of an adapted restriction for that flight, and aircraft type.

b. An exception to the requirement to enter or update interim altitudes may be authorized for certain ARTCC sectors if explicitly defined in an appropriate facility directive.

NOTE-
URET accuracy in assigning alert notification is dependent upon entry/update of a flight's interim altitude.

13-1-11. DELAY REPORTING

a. Adhere to all applicable delay reporting directives while URET is operational.

b. Delay information shall be recorded. Delay information may be automatically recorded via use of the URET Hold Annotations Menu or manually on flight progress strips or facility-approved worksheets, in accordance with the facility-defined standard.

c. When using URET to automatically record delay information, the URET hold annotations shall be deleted when the aircraft is cleared from holding.

NOTE-
Delay information cannot be accurately recorded unless URET hold annotations are deleted when the aircraft is cleared from holding.

13-1-12. OVERDUE AIRCRAFT

Upon receipt of the URET overdue aircraft notification, take appropriate actions set forth in Chapter 10, Section 3, Overdue Aircraft.

NOTE-
URET overdue aircraft notification is based on radar track data. Updating an aircraft's route of fight will remove the overdue aircraft notification.

13-1-13. USE OF GRAPHICS PLAN DISPLAY (GPD)

a. Graphic depictions of flight trajectories may be used only to aid in situational awareness and strategic planning.

b. Do not use trajectory-based positions as a substitute for radar track position.

c. Do not use trajectory-based altitude in lieu of Mode C for altitude confirmation.

d. Do not use the GPD for radar identification, position information, transfer of radar identification, radar separation, correlation, or pointouts.

13-1-14. FORECAST WINDS

In the event that current forecast wind data are not available, continue use of URET with appropriate recognition that alert and trajectory data may be affected.

13-1-15. INTERFACILITY CONNECTIVITY

In the event of a loss of connectivity to a neighboring URET system, continue use of URET with appropriate recognition that alert data may be affected.

13-1-16. PRIMARY HOST OUTAGES

In the event of a primary HOST outage, URET data may be used to support situational awareness while the facility transitions to the backup RDP or nonradar procedures.

NOTE-
Without primary system input, URET data cannot be updated and becomes stale.

13-1-17. URET AIRSPACE CONFIGURATION ELEMENTS

a. URET Airspace Configuration Elements are:

1. Special Activity Airspace (SAA).

2. Airport Stream Filters (ASF).

3. URET adapted restrictions.

b. Where assigned as a sector responsibility by facility directive, the sector team shall update URET Airspace Configuration Elements to reflect current status.

c. For Airspace Configuration Elements designated as a sector responsibility, notify the operational supervisor when the status of an Airspace Configuration Element has been modified in URET.