NATCA Bookshelf

National Office Week in Review: June 14, 2017

A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association

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for Aug. 8 - 9, 2017. This plan will spell out specific system states with specific workarounds for controllers and technicians during this IOC to ISD period . As part of the agreement, no other CTD system can achieve IOC until all listed issues are resolved and a regression test is satisfactorily completed. This approach will allow the PMO to move forward with software and hardware from a known configuration, TAMR will be able to meet waterfall and APB milestones, Tech Ops training can be completed while holding the vendor and PMO accountable to bring the system to a truly operational and fully functional state within a defined period of time. Until the agreeme nt is fulfilled and all listed issues are resolved, no other ASR8 will be digitized with the CTD and no sites other than RFD or ROA will ha ve access to the sensor feed. A Common Terminal Digitizer (CTD) User Evaluation as part of Operational Test and Eval uation (OT&E) took place duri ng the week of June 5 - 9, 2017. NATCA deployed a team of 4: 3 controllers who had previously seen the CTD and one engineer. Performance continues to improve but the system is still not ready for prime time. The first IOCs of the CTD are scheduled f or January 2018 at RFD and ROA. This is ALREADY 14 months behind schedule. These delays have forced the NATCA team to work with the PMO and all stakeholders to adjust the TAMR waterfall to keep moving through ARTS IIE facilities. This is required to ensure that the current pace of deployment continues so that NextGen transition is completed on schedule. TAMR deployment: STARS G4 and STARS G4 ELITE deployment continues to progress throughout the NAS at an unpreceden ted rate. Squarely in the cross hairs of TAMR are all G1 and G2 legacy STARS systems and the remaining ARTS IIEs. As of today, only 42 of the original 91 remain as NON - STARS facilities. Of the 42 remaining, K90 GRR, MKG, FNT, LAN MBS, CAK, MFD , and ERI (9) will transition via re alignment. This leaves only 33 more transitions, and the NAS will be NextGen compliant. Major a chievements at facilities that have occurred over the last month: DLH Duluth, Minn. achieved IOC on STARS G4 ELITE on 5/15/17. BGR Bangor, Maine achieved IOC o n STARS G4 ELITE on 5/22/17. SUX Sioux City, Iowa achieved IOC on STARS G4 ELITE on 5/24/17. ABI Abilene, T exas achieved IOC on STARS G4 ELITE on 5/31/17. MWH Moses Lake, W ash. achieved IOC on STARS G4 ELITE on 6/11/17. High - level facility deployment acti vity that has occurred over the last month: JAX: Initial Site Survey (ISS) has been accomplished. YNG: Contractor Acceptance Inspection (CAI) The G4 STARS ELITE equipment has been installed and accepted by the FAA for YNG. ICT: Contractor Acceptance Ins pection (CAI) The G4 STARS ELITE equipment has been installed and accepted by the FAA for ICT. MCI: Site Implantation Review (SIR): The SIR is the activity where the PO reviews all site prep work to ensure the site is ready for equipment delivery and ins tall of STARS. IND: TRACON R4 Briefing has been accomplished to bring IND up onto the most recent STARS software. This software build is required to upgrade the hardware to G4 STARS. NATCA was on site to assist the site in MDM Optimization. The aging Sony 2K monitor

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