NATCA Bookshelf

Three facilities are scheduled to conduct Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in 2020: PHX, CLE, and IWA are the first of 89 facilities. A very demanding deployment schedule has been created, which NATCA supports, that will enable the National Airspace System to move into the current century. Below are the steps which the Agency and our Union have been collaborating on and will continue to collaborate on, which will enable IOC at the facilities receiving TFDM: • Deployment Planning • Software and Hardware Testing • Training Development • Pre-Site Survey (PSS) • Site Survey (SS) • Site Preparation/Design review • Hardware installation • Software installation • Site Optimization/Customization • System Acceptance Test (SAT) • Contractor Acceptance Inspection (CAI) • Field Familiarization • Air Traffic Training/Tech Ops Training • Initial Operating Capability (IOC) This is a two-year period of constant work at each site to ensure TFDM deploys on time. You would think this is the end, but until the site declares Operational Readiness Demonstration (ORD), the old equipment cannot be removed. The period between IOC and ORD is completely up to facility management and the local union. FacReps and journeymen controllers will be a big part of this program. Please welcome the TFDM NATCA SMEs into your facility; they are there to help ensure the equipment is installed in the correct locations, adaptation works the way it was intended, and to teach you how the system works. Issues being dealt with over the last two weeks include getting core SMEs involved with the Human Factors portion of the TFDM system, TFDM Training System (TTS) equipment failures, and bring the team up on changes in personnel assignments. Human Factors is a large part of any new air traffic control system. Color blindness is still an issue within the NAS, and how controllers on waivers deal with differentiating between hues of color displayed. A meeting was set for Aug. 1 with the Program Office to discuss this issue further. The TTS, which will be deployed to all TFDM sites, has an issue with memory. Each and every scenario is recorded, which occupies most of the storage on the system. This slows down the system or just prevents its use. The TFDM NATCA team is coordinating with NATCA Training lead Tom Adcock to see if recordings of training sessions are needed. Another hot topic at this time is the personnel movement within the NATCA team and conveying that to the Agency and vendor. Ensuring the right SMEs and sub-leads are invited to telcons and meetings will be an on-going project for at least another month. Louis Caggiano is the longest active member of the TFDM NATCA team and will take on a larger role within the team . The rest of the team has less than three active months on the project combined. This is a steep learning curve for 99% of us, but we are ready for the challenge. NATCA National S&T team has provided TFDM NATCA with smart, outgoing, and union-dedicated SMEs. Each of the SMEs are eager to start collaborating and coordinating with the Agency and individual facilities. Aaron Rose, Louis Caggiano, and Bridget Brazelton are coordinating with AJM (FAA Program Office), AJT (FAA Air Traffic), AJV (FAA Requirements), and AJI (FAA Training) about a

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• SAFETY AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT
• RUNWAY SAFETY
• Bridget Singratanakul (Gee) (DFW) is NATCA's Runway Safety Action Team (RSAT) Rep. She also serves as the Article 114 Rep to the Runway Status Lights (RWSL) program. Her report is below:
• Runway Status Lights (RWSL)
• BOS:
• Phase 2: Lighting computer was replaced. JAI is scheduled for August, and ORD for September.
• Phase 4: Planned IOC date was June 19. Presently, all testing is checking out well, however there is still more construction work being completed on the airfield. The system is online, but the additional arrays were not available until June.