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THE DELEGATE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016 13 SPOTLIGHT: WESTERN PACIFIC REGION The Western Pacific Region (NWP) welcomes you to NATCA's 16th Biennial Convention in San Diego! Local facilities San Diego/Lindbergh ATCT (SAN), Carlsbad Palomar ATCT (CRQ), Southern California TRACON (SCT), San Diego Montgomery ATCT (MYF), Gillespie/San Diego ATCT (SEE), Los Angeles Center (ZLA), and Guam CERAP (ZUA) are thrilled to have you join them. "On behalf of the 61 facilities that make up the diverse and far-reaching Western Pacific Region, we would like to welcome you to San Diego, site of NATCA's 16th Biennial Convention," says Western Pacific Regional Vice President Ham Ghaffari. "Our Western Pacific Region spans from the Grand Canyon across the Pacific Ocean to Guam CERAP. Guam CERAP is actually the first FAA facility to see the sun rise and the last to see the sun set. We are all very proud of our region and the many engaged activists who are doing terrific work in support of our beloved NATCA. Our Western Pacific family wishes you a most memorable experience at the 2016 NATCA Convention." NWP controllers and aviation safety professionals work around the clock to make the National Airspace System (NAS) the safest in the world. With time zones spanning 17 hours from San Diego to Guam, controllers here are often the last to bed, and first to rise. SCT is located in sunny, beautiful, San Diego and is the busiest approach control facility in the country. The level 12 TRACON consists of seven operation areas and provides radar services to 53 airports spanning all across Southern California. Unique to this TRACON is that each operational area experiences some restricted visibility due to the marine layer off the Pacific Ocean, a common challenge for other facilities in this region as well. SCT airspace spans 9,000 square miles, from Palm Springs to the U.S.-Mexico border, to Catalina Island to north of Hollywood. SCT works closely with ZLA, located in Palmdale, Calif. The level 12 facility is responsible for approximately 177,000 square miles of airspace. Over 45 percent of ZLA's total airspace is Special Use Airspace, used by the military, which makes it challenging to service the busy airports nearby. ZLA works closely with many other facilities, including four other en route Centers, five approach control facilities, one international area control facility, one international approach control facility, and three military approach control facilities. The facility's location brings it 300 days of sunshine a year, which means year-round general aviation and military operations. ZLA serves airports that host many special events including fly-ins, aviation conventions, VIP visits, Super Bowls, and college football national championship games. LAST T BED... FIRST T RISE ZLA continued on next page SCT SAN MYF CRQ

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