A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/816138
Upcoming System Engineering events: S6R7 Risk Mitigation OT&E, April 24 – May 12 PTRWG, May 11 STARS and Common Terminal Digitizer (CTD) Deployment Update Submitted by Scott Robillard (K90) Over the past several weeks, due to Activi ty 5 travel restrictions, many TAMR and CTD activities were canceled. Initially, even transition activities (IOC) were canceled, meaning no site could transition from ARTS IIE to STARS or from G1 to G4 STARS. The Program Office (PMO) worked through channel s to explain that the TAMR waterfall is not accomplishable and the NAS cannot transition to NextGen if transition activity is not continued. The 2017 TAMR waterfall is extremely aggressive in order to meet the congressional ADSB requirement of 2020. No STA RS, no ADSB or any NextGen project. With the newfound ability to travel for TRANSITION ACTIVITY ONLY during the travel restrictions, NATCA was able to work with the PMO to save 3 out of the 4 IOCs that had been canceled during the month of April. Moving f orward in the next two weeks are MLI, R90 and BTR. The only lost IOC was MWH. MWH has been rescheduled for June 11th. This date was selected between other IOCs in the waterfall. TAMR did not believe a cascading of the waterfall was in the best interest of the NAS. The program balanced the need to transition MWH as soon as possible without causing 3 or 4 equally important sites to be negatively affected. Stable government funding for April 28th and beyond is a topic that cannot be ignored. If another Conti nuing Resolution (CR) is the means of funding the government, travel restrictions will continue for TAMR, many planned activities to prepare sites may be canceled and this will affect sites transitioning in late 2017 and all of 2018. If there is a governme nt shutdown, all activity and transitions in 2017 are in jeopardy and 2018 may be affected. This would threaten the completion of the TAMR waterfall in December 2019. Even with these challenges, the TAMR team succeeded at the following s ites with these act ivities: SAT IOC on STARS G4 3/26/17. C ongratulations to San Antonio. IND Early MDM delivery: Tech Ops MDM Training. Four Sony 2Ks picked up on 3/29/17. Remaining MDMs (11) to replace the Sony 2K were ordered on 3/9/17 for delive ry between 4/21/17 and 4/ 26/17. ELP STAMP approval letter submitted. The STAMP is finalized equipment order for a facility. DLH ASR - 8/Mode S/TDX Site: Radar Coverage Assessment 2 (RCA - 2) was completed. GSP ASR - 8/BI - 5 Site: Radar Coverage Assessment - 1 (RCA - 1) was completed. TUL Contractor Acceptance Inspection (CAI) The G4 STARS ELITE equipment has been installed and accepted by the FAA for TUL. ACT Contractor Acceptance Inspection (CAI) The G4 STARS ELITE equipment has been installed and accepted by the FAA for ACT. BGR STAMP h as been approved. The STAMP is the official equipment order for a facility. ILM ASR - 8/Mode S Site: pre - System Performance Verification (SPV) was initiated. ASE Site Implementation Review (SIR) was completed. ASE is a challenging site for Low Altitude Ale rt (LA). Software changes to the STARS baseline may be required and