A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/592965
the track, and verified it would still show CSMM (it did). The test team leaders were impressed by this and adde d it into their test scenarios. Verified the 3nm rule for ASR11 s out to 60 miles rule was still in the build. Checked ADS - B only airspace was correctly adapted and that Multimode w as also functioning correctly. Wrote a DR Type 3 against th e functionality existing whereas a Controller could turn the brightness down completely off on a Full Data Block even with an EM specialty code. · Tom Zarick (ZDV), National Interval Management Rep o SC - 186 Pre Meeting was held this week to discuss slides and agenda for next week's full meeting o Two ZDV Demo Update meetings held this week to discuss ongoing adap tation work at the Tech Center. Demo to be held the first week on November. o Worked for currency. RNAV and PERFORMANCE BASED NAVIGAT ION (PBN): Dennis Kelly (PHL) leads the NATCA team on RNAV and PBN criteria work. Mr. Kelly's report for this week is below. · Airbus FMS – Some of you may already know about this but the Airbus has issues with its FMS logic in reference to altitud es being deleted that are at or above their cruise altitude. This is actually quite a complicated problem but in a nutshell, if a pilot is at or below an altitude constraint coming up and they re - cruise the FMS when given a descent (a descend via clearance would trigger this), the box will delete that next restriction because it will think it has already met that constraint and the aircraft will start down to the next restriction too early. This can also happen in the initial clearance if cleared or filed b elow some higher constraints as the box will remove those since the aircraft won't reach them. If they are then later climbed to one of those constraint altitudes, then they won't be there. Airbus is aware of the issue and has agreed it is a problem. While they are taking steps to modify the logic of the FMS, it is not a quick process. · Atlantic Coast Rout Project (ACRP) - On October 14, 2015, AJV - 14 briefed personnel at the New York Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) in Ronkonkoma, NY on the u pcoming ACRP. The facility indicated support for the project and they already ha ve notional designs to discuss. They identified severe staffing shortages and scheduled overtime that will make getting the necessary National Air Traffic Controllers Associati on (NATCA) representatives off the schedule difficult. They discussed the possibility of holding some planning meetings in their conference facility to alleviate the need for travel days for these participants. · AJV - 14 is scheduled to meet with Wash ington ARTCC on November 4, 2015 to brief on the project. A planning meeting of key headquarters and service center personnel will take place the day after to begin initial scheduling and drafting the agenda for th e first Inter - facility meeting. They antic ipate this ACRP Northern Tier kickoff meeting will be held the first full week of December if all facilities agree and can get the necessary personnel released from their schedules. · DataComm - The DataComm Program Office has encountered a problem w ith aircraft at select locations being able to accept DataComm clearances when