SATS link independent data concepts

General aviation (GA) aircrews are using a few data link-supported operational services today, and more are becoming available each year. These services are implemented through applications. One or more applications that use data link for exchanging information will be needed to provide each of the services. What communications, navigation and surveillance (CNS) related features does a developer need to incorporate into an application? This paper describes the principles and performance requirements that should be considered when creating aviation-related applications. The primary focus is to describe the CNS features (principles and performance) of applications that a small aircraft transportation system (SATS) aircraft could implement in 2010. It covers applications that use air-to-ground and air-to-air data links to exchange information. The concepts described are the principles and performance requirements that apply to an application regardless of the data link used for the exchange of information. Thus, the concepts are considered to be link independent. The operational services described are: air traffic control (ATC), surveillance, flight information services (FIS), aircraft operations center (AOC), electronic mail, Web browsing, and air-to-air chat.