A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/706293
SAFETY AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT AIRPORT CAP ACITY DECISION SUPPORT TOOL (ADEST): Kristen Laubach represents the membership as the Artic le 48 Representative for ADEST. Not many changes to Airport Capacity Decision Support Tool (ADES T) since the last report. The team had three scheduled telcons but d ue to staffing and vacations not everyo ne was present for all telcons. The newest base line version of ADEST was moved to staging late last week and we are still in the process of testing this version. AIRSPACE TECHNICAL DEMONSTRATION 2 (ATD - 2): Pete Slatt ery (CLT) represents the membership as the Articl e 48 Representative for ATD - 2. On July 12 through 14th, NASA ATD - 2 personnel returned to Charlotte and began the first of what will become monthly "Engineering Shadow Evaluations." The session was held in t he recently commissioned CLT ATD - 2 Lab located in the old terminal building. Shadow evaluations will be held in this location until the ATD - 2 equipment is installed in CLT tower and TRACON next year. Once the equipment is installed in the operating quarter s, the lab will still be available for engineering and other demonstration work as necessary. The objectives of this initial shadow session were: • To orient users to the lab layout and equipment, • Introduce the ATD - 2 TMC display, • Describe how the predictive modeling of the ATD - 2 concept works, • Obtain feedback on both the equipment and the shadow eval process . Present during this three - day event were NASA engineers, NASA Human Factors personnel, CLT tower controllers, TMCs, and CLT airport authority represent atives. NATCA was well represented during each of the three days. Also during this time, NASA human factors personnel visited CLT tower and TRACON and observed both the TMU unit and ground operations. The specific information they were looking for was how APREQ release times are calculated and obtained, and how this can be replicated and improved with the ATD - 2 equipment. On July 14th I participated in a meeting at FAA headquarters for ATD - 2 Stakeholders that centered on the role of TBFM in ATD - 2. NASA is seeking slight modifications to TBFM in order to make the transition t o ATD - 2 as seamless as possible. Further development of ATD - 2 equipment and procedures will occur at both the ATD - 2 lab in CLT and at NASA Ames Research Center in California. Myself an d other NATCA members involved in these events will keep controller interests at the forefront of any decisions made that affect controller/TMC working conditions. COLLABORATIVE DECISION MAKING (CDM): Ron Foley (ZOB) is NATCA's Article 48 Representative t o the CDM initiative. FET has proposed tasking as of now. FCT has proposed tasking as of now. These two groups will resume in September.