A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/1010678
The AIRS Working Group was slated to meet the week of July 23. The aircraft equipage timeline is still very much in question. The Group will be exploring other ways to allow controllers to know which aircraft are equipped and capable to perform AIRS. ASDE-X Tech Refresh: The agency will be upgrading RU communication lines at eight airports to ethernet. This will allow for increased bandwidth due to traffic level increases. This has been in the works for some time and should start next year. DTW, LGA, PHL, PHX, ORD, LAX, ATL, and SLC are the eight sites currently running on RF modems and/or copper comma lines that are currently near max capacity. Tech refresh training continues among ASDE-X sites and the latest build should be fully deployed by the end of this fiscal year. After completion, we will start deployment on the next set of system enhancements. ASEPS: There has been little for the NATCA SBS team to report on this subject for a while. Advanced Surveillance Enhanced Procedural Separation (yes, a mouthful) has been focused entirely on ATOP for quite some time with JT Lenhart (NATCA ATOP) as the lead. The Agency recently announced that they have failed to successfully build a business case around ingesting Space Based ADS-B in the ASEPS/ATOP model. ASEPS will continue its work on ADS-C improvements to support a reduced oceanic separation standard in ATOP. However, SBA work in ATOP is being put on hold. The Agency is now exploring a pivot to other potential areas where space-based ADS-B could be beneficial. This may include ERAM or MEARTS facilities with limited surveillance to date. For example, ZMA Caribbean airspace. This "pivot" away from ATOP means that Eric Labardini will take a more prominent role in the discussions. ASSC: CVG IOC achieved on April 5. PIT Cadre training will take place the week of July 30. MCI field familiarization will start on Aug. 16. MCI IOC is scheduled for Sept. 18. ADW, which is now back on the waterfall, is a unique situation due to DOD and Secret Service security concerns. The team is in discussion with all parties to determine the best path forward. It is still undetermined which sources will feed ASSC. A recommendation will need to go to the JRC as additional funding will be needed to complete that site. MEARTS Fusion: 3nm Fusion in MEARTS is a complex undertaking requiring multiple tower, approach, and En route sectors to come online with Fusion at the same time. The lessons learned in this undertaking will help the effort with future MEARTS and ERAM sites.