A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/797457
NATCA remains very focused on the Common Terminal Digitizer (CTD) effort necessary to incorporate numerous ASR - 8 sites into STARS Elite as well as Fusion. An issue with T DW displays has been resolved. Both the Agen cy and NATCA agreed to an adaptation parameter to resol ve the issue with target size. TSLE has been rolling out the change nationally. SCT issues continue to be a large focus. NATCA SBS is heavily involved in the Surveillance Automation Analysis Team (S AAT), which is examining long - term alternatives to help improve overall sur veillance in the SCT airs pace. Their efforts are aimed at mitigating tracking issues in the LA Basin, including the effect of the new stadium near LAX. NATCA and the Agency have agreed to move forward wi th raising the LGB radar site. This was thought to be one of the easier solutions to put in place, but the Agency cannot seem to get out of their own way to do so. Meanwhile the SAAT team has been working on a costly Wide Area Multilateration (WAM) design. Agency and s tadium proponents have completed negotiations over funding and announced that a shared cost agreement allowing WAM deployment to move forward. WAM in the LA Basin area will be in three phases: update nine existing ADS - B r adios to support WAM via Virtual Radar (CLT configuration), add eight new r adios to supplement the WAM coverage (still using VR), then update STARS to allow for WAM in Native format (1 second update rate). The first phase is moving along rapidly. The fir st phase radio updates are complete. Coordination with ZLA and SCT on contractor test fli ghts in March/April has begun. A flight inspection could occur as early as July, and o perational use by August 2017. An SCT WAM SRM Panel meeting is scheduled March 7 - 8. Las Vegas (L30) has successfully completed their OSD but has not determined when they will transition to Fusion. NATCA SBS is trying to work with the facility on any internally identified obstacles or issues. SAAT has agreed to begin analyzing Poto mac (PCT) Fusion i ssues for potential solutions. The facility has been struggling with a number of issues related to problem radar sites or a lack of coverage. The first meeting with the facility took place on 2/28/17, and discussions of potential soluti ons will be ongoing. Vehicle ADS - B: CLE is the latest a irport to deploy v ehicle transponders . Audits of the 18 airports will start soon in efforts to identify and mitigate various issues that have been identified through deployment thus far. TRAFFIC FLOW MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (TFMS) Brian Campos (DCC) represents the NATCA membership as their Article 114 Repr esentative to the TFMS project. His report is below.