A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/675504
• The latest NIDS software release (Maintenance Release 1) is being retested after a few of its components failed the last rou nd of testing. The time period for the release of MR1 is still slated for late spring or early summer. Additional upgrades and fixes are being packaged into the next operating system release (OS3) , which is projected to be released in the fall of this year . • There are a few networks that are getting close to IOC but work at all of them has uncovered technical issues. o Some of these issues are minor but a few are important enough to potentially delay IOC. One " fix " needs a r equirement to be written validatin g its functionality and others needs to be tested in the lab in Atlantic City. o The IDSR lab is presently inundated with testing because of the MR1 retest and because the transition to a new tower at TUL requires new procedures to be written and tested. • T he next large network to be visited by the program office and NATCA is SCT. This series of visits is being called " pre - IOC meetings " and is intended to uncover issues before they impact the schedule set for moving forward. Due to the size of the network, o nly SCT and five towers will be visited during this week. The rest of the towers will, if requested, be visited before IOC. SURVIELLANCE BROADCAST SERVICES (SBS): The NATCA Surveillance and Broadcas t Services (SBS) team includes: Eric Labardini (ZHU), Na tional SBS Article 48 Rep, Craig Bielek (A90), Dan Hamilton (SFO), National Airport Surface Surveillance Capability (ASSC) Rep, Andrew Stachowiak (I90), and Tom Zarick (ZDV), National Interval Management Rep . • ADS - B: o As of this update, 22,392 aircraft are equipped to broadcast with ADS - B Rule compliant avionics in the NAS. The SBS PO rough estimate of avionics installation capacity nationwid e is 50,000 aircraft per year. With the January 1, 2020 deadline to equip quickly approaching, concern is high that eq uipage levels will fall short of the estimated tota l NAS fleet (100,000 - 160,000). Users that wait too close to 2020 may find that the availability of in stallers falls short of demand. The DOD recently announced that they will fall short of the deadline to equip their fleet. o ADS - B IOCs have been completed at all En Route (ERAM and MEARTS) facilities. o 75 of 155 Terminal sites have reached their ADS - B IOC a nd 71 are operating on Fusion. The remaining Terminal sites are ARTS 2E sites awaiting an upgrad e to the ELITE (STARS) build. The Terminal ADS - B/Fusion transition proceeds in this order: Kickoff meeting, ADS - B Flight Inspection, ADS - B IOC, Fusion Operational Suitability Demonstration (OSD) , and Fusion Operations. The most recent and upcoming Terminal events: Fargo (FAR) ADS - B/Fusion Kickoff, April 14 Evansville (EVV) started Fusion Operations, April 20 • ASDE - X Tech Refresh: o Dan Hamilton attended a TIM/PMR the week o f April 11th In Oklahoma City.