A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/724722
Huntsville, Ala. (HSV) Congratulations to a ll four! Up coming major events: Vero Beach , Fla. (VRB) and Fort Pierce , Fla. (FPR) will be joining an expanded Palm Beach (PBI) on Oct 12th. The expansion of PBI, to incorporate VRB and FPR , will bring terminal approach control service from Miami ARTCC to PBI. With the move of these two facilities it is expected PBI will become the largest STARS G4 ELITE site in the National Airspace System. Major events are scheduled for the Common Terminal Digitizer (CTD). The CTD program is required by TAMR to complete the transition to NextGen nationwide. Without the CTD, the FAA will be unable to complete the transition of analog ASR8s to digital and therefore cannot transition from ARTS IIE. NATCA has worked with the TAMR Program Office on mitigations to the delay of the CTD. These include a reshuffling of sites without a digitizer to the end of the waterfall. However, we are quickly approaching the end of the ability to mitigate. If the FAA is unable to bring the CTD online, nine ARTS IIE systems will remain in the N AS until the FAA finds a m ethod to digitize those radars. NATCA is committed to a successful system and will no t accept a substandard product. Upcoming activity with the CTD: Common Terminal Digitizer (CTD) OT&E at the Tech Center Common Terminal Digitize r (CTD) OT&E user evaluation at RFD, IL ARTS IIE replacement continues to power through the NAS. 32 ARTS IIEs have been modernized to STARS G4 ELITE. Quickly approaching transitions will occur at the following sites: Portland, ME (PWM), Cedar Rapids, IA (C ID), Eugene, OR (EUG), and Charleston, WV (CRW) Report from TAMR Training lead Bill Spence (BTV) Planning is underway for the September training review with Raytheon in El Segundo, Calif . NATCA, OSF, Tech Ops, AJI, and the TAMR PO will be involved. The re view is comprised of the training development that has taken place over the last three months. In addition to completing the remaining ARTS IIE sites to STARS ELITE, there are STARS facilities across the NAS on different software versions that have to be m erged. All software will be merged into one baseline during 2017. This has been a majority of the training work that has ta ken place over the last month. The subtle differences need to be captured and reviewed so proper training in the field can be complet ed. Training briefs were conducted at Charleston, SC and Montgomery, AL in preparation for their IOC in early 2017. In October , NATCA facility TAMR reps from 16 different ARTS IIE sites will converge in Dallas. The purpose is to train each facility on what to expect before, during, and after the transition to STARS. Report from TAMR Systems Engineering lead Kyle Ness (M98) August was a big month for STARS software development. As the ELITE, Legacy G1/G2 and G4 STARS platforms approach the "merged" version, the new and improved functionality that comes with it has to be tested while ensuring existing utilities operate as expected. NATCA SMEs from SYR, D10, D01, A90, MKE, PHL, BTV, IND ,