NATCA Bookshelf

Daily Dispatch I: March 20, 2017

A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association

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M O N D AY, M A R C H 2 0 , 2 0 1 7 N AT C A D A I LY D I S PAT C H 3 The panelists will discuss collaborative safety successes and challenges. Topics will include Partnership for Safety initiatives, local safety councils, and how facilities can use collaboration to deal with common issues like staffing. Hughes says Miller offers a great collaboration lesson because his challenge as a new FacRep at PCT was "walking into a great relationship and keeping the bar at that level," due to the efforts made by his predecessor, Matt Sullivan. "It's about relationship building," Hughes added. "Just because you're at a good facility, you still have to work at it. It's not a light switch." "How do you instill that [collaboration] at your facility?" Burroughs said. "How do you push it down to everyone at the facility and make it sustainable? That's what we will explore." Hughes said the FAA and NATCA are approaching what he called the "sweet spot" in collaboration. "It takes five to seven years for a cultural change in any organization to occur," he said. "It's now starting to be accepted and embraced." Added Burroughs: "We're starting to see facilities where it is just what they do. We're starting to see that it's less like a program and more of how they do business." By relaying best practices, personal experiences, and concrete examples of success, Hughes said his hope for the panel is that CFS attendees come away inspired. "We want to challenge the audience to say, 'you too can be up here next year.'" NextGen initiatives already are modernizing the National Airspace System (NAS) with new, safe, and effective equipment and procedures. The program seeks to apply all available data and research to develop new technologies to modernize the NAS while maintaining the highest standard of safety. Today, a panel of distinguished experts will give their perspectives on the challenges of implementing multiple new technologies and procedures in the NAS, the impact on facilities, and how – through collaboration on NextGen initiatives – we can all advance the NAS. NATCA Director of Safety and Technology Jim Ullmann and FAA Vice President of the Program Management Office Kristen Burnham will moderate the panel. "Kristen and I are excited for this panel," said Ullmann. "The vast experience and collaborative working relationships of the panel members should make for interesting conversation. This panel will explore the current state of NextGen implementation and the importance of solid working relationships. We will discuss lessons learned from some recent successes, and take an in-depth look into some of the challenges that lie ahead." In collaboration with NATCA and industry stakeholders, the FAA has delivered $2.7 billion in benefits to date, completing 103 commitments of the NextGen and NextGen Advisory Committee Prioritization Plan. The Agency is on or ahead of schedule with some of the most critical programs. NextGen progress across the NAS includes advancements in communications programs, surveillance, automation, integration and information management, and airspace efficiency optimization efforts in several key locations as part of the Metroplex program. Raytheon Company is proud to be Communicating For Safety (CFS) 2017's Grand Benefactor Sponsor. Raytheon returns to Vegas with an expanded and exciting exhibit that showcases two of its newest and most notable air traffic control products – Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS) ELITE and the NextGen Weather Processor. They are also at CFS to listen. "We appreciate the chance to have unfettered access to the operational controllers," said Dan Hanlon, Raytheon's Director of Federal, Civil & Homeland Security, U.S. Business Development. "It allows us to sit down and talk to them and listen. Our engineers and leadership have a chance to hear their thoughts. We write down what's said and take it back with us. CFS gives us a chance to hear what's important to controllers and it's about the only place where that's available. It's really important." With more than 63,000 employees worldwide, Raytheon has over 60 years of experience in developing, deploying, and supporting air traffic management solutions for global, civil, and military agencies. It has collaborated with NATCA and the Federal Aviation Administration to successfully deploy new consoles as part of the Terminal Automation Modernization and Replacement (TAMR) program. At CFS, Raytheon invites controllers to visit their exhibit booths (101 and 103) and test run scenarios on their full STARS ELITE (Enhanced Local Integrated Tower Equipment) console. For controllers at the more than 50 sites remaining on the deployment waterfall, it's a great chance to see what is coming to their facility. "We see CFS as a key part of our partnership. It gives us a lot of very good, instant collaboration in exchange with the user," said Bob Meyer, Director, Business Development, Raytheon Air Traffic Systems. "It keeps us ensuring that for the end user, the equipment is truly what they want and what they need to do their mission. That's one of the things that keeps us coming back." CFS marks the first time Raytheon is showcasing the NextGen Weather Processor. It identifies terminal and en route safety hazards, and provides translated weather information needed to predict route blockage and airspace capacity constraints. "We want feedback on the look and feel of it," Meyer said. In addition, during the award luncheon on Tuesday, Raytheon will present its Controller of the Year Award for the fifth straight year at CFS. "We recognize the huge strides that NATCA has made toward promoting and enhancing safety," Hanlon said. "We recognize that and want to be a part of it. We want to encourage it." PANEL PREVIEW: Improving Safety Through Collaboration PANEL PREVIEW: NextGen Implementation Challenges and Successes GRAND BENEFACTOR S P O T L I G H T : Monday, March 20 • 1:00 p.m. MODERATORS: Phil Hughes, National Lead for Collaboration, NATCA Tammy Burroughs, Manager, ATO Collaboration, FAA PANELISTS: • Chrissy Padgett, NATCA Safety Committee, Partnership for Safety Rep • Ernesto Lasen, Safety Programs Manager, ATO • Fred Naujoks, SFO Facility Rep, NATCA • Dawn Cawrse, SFO Support Manager, ATO • Jay Barrett, NATCA Safety Committee, Human Performance Rep • Jason Demagalski, Human Performance Manager, ATO • Brandon Miller, PCT Facility Rep, NATCA • Stephen Smith, PCT Manager, ATO • Al Arcese, ATSAP X ERC Member, NATCA • Cliff Rustad, ATSAP X ERC Member, ATO Monday, March 20 • 3:00 p.m. MODERATORS: Jim Ullmann, Director of Safety and Technology, NATCA Kris Burnham, Vice President, Program Management Organization, FAA PANELISTS: • Mark McKelligan, Deputy Director, Safety and Technology, NATCA • Donna Creasap, PhD, PBN Programs and Policy Group Manager, ATO • Tom Adcock, Training Rep, NATCA • Abi Smith, Director, Technical Training, ATO • Jeff Woods, Program Management Organization Rep, NATCA • Steve Reynolds, En Route and Oceanic Second Level Engineering Group Manager, ATO • Steve Hansen, Chairman, National Safety Committee, NATCA • Terry Biggio, Vice President, Safety and Technical Training, FAA • Mike MacDonald, Region X Vice President, NATCA • Vaughn Turner, Vice President, Technical Operations, FAA

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