Quick Reference Guide

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.Introduction

2.Accessing DDR2

2.1For ANSP users already authorised to use DDR1

2.2For new users

2.3Forgotten password

3.Installing SAAM 4.0.3

4.Creating a SAAM folder

5.Downloading a traffic forecast from DDR2

6.Downloading AIRAC cycle associated with traffic forecast

7.Loading a traffic forecast into SAAM

7.1Load ACCs or Sectors

7.2Overlay traffic forecast on airspace structure

8.Using SAAM to analyse a traffic forecast

8.1Generate counts for airport pairs

8.2Sector Load

8.3Airport Arrival / Departure Timings

DDR2_Quick Reference Guide_V0.2.doc Page 1 of 21

  1. Introduction

The objective of this quick reference guide is to enable ANSPs participating in assessing the DDR2 services to do the following:

Log onto the DDR2
Download SAAM (System for Traffic Assignment & Analysis at Macroscopic Level)
Generate a traffic forecast from the DDR2 and then download it into SAAM
Use SAAM to generate sector counts, airport demand, number of flights between airport pairs, etc. from a traffic forecast.
  1. Accessing DDR2

2.1For ANSP users already authorised to use DDR1

The DDR2 website can be accessed by clicking and then logging onto OneSky.Alternatively if you have access to the NOP Portal then click

2.2For new users

If you do not have a OneSky Online EUROCONTROL account then register by clicking
If you already have a OneSky Online account on the EUROCONTROL website but no access to DDR2 yet then use this link to logon to your OneSky account and click on link: Subscribe for online services
Beforeyou can access the DDR2 services you mustreadand agree to abide by the terms and conditions governing the use of the DDR2 forecasts.

2.3Forgotten password

If you have forgotten your password click

  1. Installing SAAM 4.0.3

SAAM 4.0.3 can be downloaded from the DDR2

Step 1: Log onto the DDR2 using your username and password.

Step 2: On the toolbarclick theTools Download tab then select the latest version of SAAM Software (V 4.0.3 BETA) and click theDownloadbutton.

Step 3: In the File Download window clicktheSave button tostore SAAM on yourcomputer. A folder SAAM_V4_0_3_Beta will be created containing the files associated with SAAM

To start SAAM open the folder SAAM_V4_0_3_Beta and click on the file SAAM.exe

Step 4: For ease of use you can create a shortcut to SAAM.exe on your desktop by right clicking on the file and dragging it onto your desktop and choosing Create Shortcuts Here.

  1. Creating a SAAM folder

Having installed SAAM the next step is to create a new folder where files processed and generated by SAAM will be stored.This new folder can be anywhere with a name of your choice, i.e. SAAM ForecastsJune 2012.

In the remainder of this document, the folder you have created will be referred to as your ‘working directory’.
  1. Downloading a traffic forecast from DDR2

Step 1: Log onto the DDR2 using your username and password.

Step 2On the DDR2 toolbarclick theForecast Traffictab.

You will now see a screen with two calendars (see figure 1). The top calendar is used to choose a date for the forecast and the bottom calendar is used to choose a historical traffic sample to be enriched with the latest flight intentions collected for the chosen forecast date and supplemented by the STATFOR growth forecast.

Step 3Select the month and the year for the forecast by clicking theTarget datebutton(see 1 in figure 1). The top calendar will now display the chosen month. Now choose the day of the forecast by clicking on the cell in row SO6 which corresponds with the date.

For SAAM to be able to read a traffic forecast it needs to be in SO6 format.
Rectangles coloured green in the rows SO6, EXP2 and ALL_FT+ on the forecast calendar indicate at least one forecast has already been generated in one of these formats.

Step 4If a forecast has already been generated and you would like to use it then go to Step 12to download itotherwise continue to Step 5 to generate a forecast.

When requesting a forecast during the pre-tactical phase you will be limited to downloading a reference traffic forecast generated by EUROCONTROL Network Management Operations and named PREDICT (see figure 2).

Figure 1: Screen shot of DDR2 Forecast Page

Step 5The historical traffic sample to be enriched with flight intentions is now selected by using the bottom calendar to first select the month and the year for the historical traffic sample by clicking theReference date button(see 2 in figure 1) and then clicking on the cell correspondingto the date required.

To help choose a representative historical traffic sample, click on the Events tab in the bottom calendar to display any special events that occurred on that day, (see  9 in figure 1).

Step 6The STATFOR forecast is selected by clicking the dropdown menu next to the STATFOR Dataset button(see 3 in figure 1) and selecting the latest MTF (Medium Term Forecast)

Step 7Now choose the STATFOR forecast trend by selecting either Low, Base or High(see 4 in figure 1)

Low relates to low growth rate, base represents likely growth rate and high represents high growth rate.

Step 8Now choose whether the traffic forecast will be calculated with or without airport constraints (see  5 in figure 1)

If you choose with airport constraints the DDR2 will limit the traffic into and out of an airport based on its pre-calculated capacity for handling flights.

Step 9The SAAM airspace environmentis selected by clicking the dropdown menu next to the button SAAM env(see 6 in figure 1) and selecting the latest VST (Very Short term) AIRAC cycle.

Step 10Choose the route type by clicking one of the following buttons: CheapestorShortest(see 7 in figure 1)

Step 11Click the Generate button (see 8in figure 1) to generatea forecast

The selected forecast cell will turn green once processing is complete.

Step 12To download a forecast place the mouse over the cellcorresponding to the forecast date in the forecast calendar. A window will appear (see figure 2) displaying a list of forecasts for that day with the latest forecast appearing at the top of the list. Now click the Download button adjacent to the forecast you want to download.

Figure 2: Window displaying list of forecasts available to be downloaded

Step 13Save the traffic forecast inyour working directory. When the download is complete click the Close button.

Step 14Open your working directory which now contains the traffic forecast as a zipped file. Now unzip it by clicking on the compressed file and selecting Extract

An SO6 file representing the downloaded traffic forecast will now be in your working directory.
  1. Downloading AIRAC cycle associated with traffic forecast

To be able to use SAAM to analyse the traffic forecast you have generated you will need to download its associated airspace structure into your working directory.

Step 1: Log onto the DDR2 using your username and password.

Step 2: On the toolbar select theDataset Filestab and then click on the SAAM Datasets tab see 1 in figure 3)

Figure 3; Datasets

The latest VST AIRAC will normally be found at the top of the list, this should be confirmed by checking the dates, see figure 4.

Figure 4: SAAM Datasets

Step 3: Now click the Download button and when prompted savethe file VST AIRAC XXXX (XXXX is the AIRAC Cycle number) in your working directory.

Step 4: Open your working directory and unzip the VST AIRAC fileby clicking on the compressed file and selecting Extract.

  1. Loading a traffic forecast into SAAM
  2. Load ACCs or Sectors

Step 1: Open SAAM by clicking on file SAAM.exe

Step 2: On the SAAM toolbar select Fileandthen click New

Step 3: In the New Scenario window click Directory. A new window Save as will appear. In this window do the following:

select your working directory.
In the field File name change the file name blank.tdv to a name of your choice (e.g. Test_SAAM_June.tdv) and then click the Savebutton.
Now click t the OK button in the New Scenario window
Note that TDV stands for Three Dimensional Viewer

Step 4: On the toolbar select: ImportGet Basic Airspace Data ACC. The following should be seen ACC Files were successfully copied in your working directory. Now click theOK button

Step 5: On the toolbar select Addand then click Airspace.

Step 6: In the Add Airspacewindow click theFilebutton and open your working directoryand select either the ACC.are file or the Sectors_xxxx.are file depending on what you are interested in (xxxx is the number of the AIRAC cycle).

Now click theOKbutton in the Add Airspace window.

The ACC or Sectors are now loaded.
/ By clicking this button on the toolbar you can switch between viewing the Sectors / ACC in either two or three dimensions.

7.2Overlay traffic forecast on airspace structure

Step 1: On the toolbar click ProcessingAirspace/Traffic Intersection

Step 2: In the Airspace/Traffic Intersection window in the Traffic SO6 field click Browse and in the working directory and select the associated SO6 file (the DDR2 traffic forecast you downloaded that you want to analyse).

Step 3: Under Airspace Specificationclick the Browse button next to Sectors (are or gar) and then select either Sectors_xxxx.are or ACC.are or any other option you are interested in.

The field next to Sectors (sls or gsl) will be automatically filled when this selection is made.

Step 4: Under Other Parameters the time spent in a sector can be changed. The default is 30 seconds.

Step 5: Under Output enter a scenario name for the forecast to be analysed.

Step 6: Click the Run button. When the file has been loaded you will see the message Airspace/Traffic Intersection has finished withSuccess . Now click the OKbutton. The Airspace/Traffic Intersectionwindow can now be closed by clicking the Close button.


  1. Using SAAM to analyse a traffic forecast

8.1Generate counts for airport pairs

Step 1: Onthe SAAM toolbar click AnalysisQueries

Step 2: In the Query window click the Traffic button and select the working directory and select the SO6 file (the DDR2 traffic forecast you downloaded).

If the following window appears click yes.

Step 3: In the Query window click the T5button and from the emerging window select the T5 file created in section 7.2: overlay traffic forecast on airspace structure.

Step 4: In the Querywindow click the Graphicbutton.

This may take a minute or two to complete and will show all the forecast flights graphically in SAAM.

Step 5: Click the Browse button next to the Searchfield. A new window displays radio buttons. When a button isselected the options available will be displayed. For example when you select the City Pair button, the window will display a list of airport pairs together with the number of forecast flights from the first airport in the city pair to the second airport in the city pair. This list of airport pairs will be ordered according to number of flights.

Step 6: Now click the To Txtbutton. This will generate an MS Excel spreadsheet containing a list of airport pairs together with the number of forecast flights from the first airport in the city pair to the second airport in the city pair. This list of airport pairs will be ordered according to number of flights.

Step 7: If you want to view the flights between a single city pair, select a city pair and click the OK button. For example, LEMD_LEBL.

The Query window will be displayed

Step 8: In the Query window click the Graphicbutton.

SAAM now displays all flights from LEMD to LEBL

Step 9: In the Query window click the Flightcheckbox.

SAAM will show you every flight for the criteria selected

Step 10: To view these flights, click on the main screen in SAAM and press either Page Up or Page Downkey on the keyboard of your computer.

Similarly to view every route then click the checkbox Flow

Step 11: If you would like to save a traffic sample (SO6 file) restricted tojust a particular city or country pair, click SO6 Filebutton; the criteria used in filtering the main SO6 file will be automatically used in the naming of the new SO6 file produced as a result of this filtering. To analyse this subset of your original traffic forecast you will need to generate a new T5 file as described in section 7.2.

8.2Sector Load

Step 1: Onthe SAAM toolbar click AnalysisAirspace Load

Step 2: In the Airspace Load window, click Browseto choose your T5 input file from yourworking directory.

Step 3: Click Run to produce a set of graphs showing each sector loading at various intervals throughout the day together with a text file listing each sector and for each sector the following information: number of flights, average distance and average time.

Step 4: The parameters of the graphs can be changed by selecting Advanced Parameters(in the Airspace Load window) and manually editing the settings.

8.3
Airport Arrival / Departure Timings

Step 1: Onthe SAAM toolbar click Analysis > Airport Arr/Dep Time

Step 2: In the Airport Arrival/Departure Time window, click theBrowsebutton next to the Traffic SO6 field and go to yourworking directory and open the traffic forecast file you downloaded from DDR2 in SO6 format that you want to analyse.

Step 3: Two options are available:

Process all airports within the input traffic file

This option generates an MS Excel spreadsheet for all the airports at the desired times (see step 5) throughout the day.

Select airport with the ICAO code.

This option allows you to choose a specific airport.

Step 4: In the field Arrival/Departure click on the drop down menu to choose Departures, Arrivals or Departure + Arrivals

Step 5: The Duration and the Shift can be manually edited. The default value for both parameters is 60 minutes.

Duration field specifies the time-frame used for the calculation of the data. For instance, when duration is set to 90 minutes, the result for 08:00:00 will add up all the departures for the next 90 minutes, to 09:30:00.
Shift field indicates the ‘step’ used for calculation, so a shift of 20 means that results are calculated every 20 minutes.

Step 6: In the Output field click the Browse button and choose your working directory

Step 7: Click Run.

The spreadsheet shows the number of departures / arrivals for airports selected

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