A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/1006184
aviation work with the utmost professionalism and passion while making everyone feel comfortable in a casual, family - like atmosphere. As the Tech Center prepares to celebrate it s 60th anniversary next week, it strikes me how just about everything in the NAS has been developed, tested or otherwise influenced by our co - workers at the world's leading aviation research center and test bed since it was established in 1958. The ATO's 650 employees at the Tech Center and the adjacent tower in Atlantic City, N.J., come from almost every one of our service units. The biggest share, more than 360, are Program Management Organization employees who are supporting automation, communication a nd weather systems, and second level software and hardware engineering. The AJM - 24 Terminal Second Level Engineering and AJM - 25 En Route and Oceanic Engineering teams support the entire lifecycle of the many NAS systems, including contributing to require ments development, design and development, test and deployment. They work with our co - workers in Mission Support on requirements, with labor representatives who come in from the field to test software functions, with our technicians to test hardware, as we ll as with outside stakeholders. Our team also does round - the - clock field support of more than 30 NAS systems, which include En Route Automation Modernization and Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System. When a fire impacted one of our facilities in Chicago, a Tech Center team loaded equipment into a van and drove it out there to bring our facility back online as quickly as possible. We also conduct safety risk and performance analysis, other safety and technical support, and flight operations o ut of Atlantic City. And we work closely with NextGen researchers and planners. By being at the Tech Center, our employees have access to a number of top - notch laboratories where they can hold user and operational evaluations. One example of how that hel ps is that it allows us to work out kinks in software before going operational. It's not unusual to hear our Tech Center teammates say they never want to work anywhere else because they find the work and the environment unique and exciting. So be sure to wish our colleagues there a happy 60th anniversary on July 12 and thank them for the phenomenal work they are doing at the Tech Center. I hope you enjoy the summer and stay safe! July 13, 2018 ATSAP a Decade Later: Safety and Culture Change Show Resu lts Hi everyone, Ten years ago, on July 19, 2008, the ATO received a report describing how an aircraft deviated off course and over its altitude restriction after departure from Chicago Midway.