AeroMACS evolution - analysis during landing, takeoff, and approach phases

The Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communications System (AeroMACS) has been developed for future high-rate, secure, and safety enhancing airport communications in the C-band. Although initially designed for ground applications, the relatively large radio coverage area of AeroMACS suggests its potential extension to new operative scenarios wherein a data link is established between the control tower and the aircraft even when the latter is not in contact with the airport surface. An examination is needed for these new applications concerning channel properties, synchronization aspects, and general performance behaviors. In this paper, the possibility of using AeroMACS during the approach, landing, and takeoff phases of an aircraft flight is investigated. After deriving the channel parameters for the new application scenarios, the synchronization and channel estimation algorithms are presented and the overall error rate performance is assessed by means of computer simulations. Our results indicate that AeroMACS is able to cope with the new operational phases and its use can be extended beyond airport surface applications.