NATCA Bookshelf

First article test hardware is being delivered to the Technical Center this month and the goal is to start early user evaluations in August as both systems will finally be talking to each other and providing a lot of the data that will be collected and shared across platforms. One of the challenging parts of this program is having two vendors providing different parts of the overall system and developing the systems with test data and not live interfaces. A number of the products require one system to run algorithms and the other system does the displaying of the data into a usable format. The technical centers systems will allow for the first-time integration of the systems with most interfaces being connected, this will give a chance to actually see and interact with the output of the systems so that validation of the weather products can actually commence. Key site surveys start in July, the facilities are: ZTL, A80, ATL ATCT, PDK ATCT, ZLC, SLC ATCT, S56, and ZOA. Offshore Precipitation Capability (OPC) The program office is still moving forward. There have been a couple of issues that have come and they are being worked out. The need to bring engineering services and Tech Ops was realized when the need arose install large monitors at a couple of sites. ZNY and ZSU may have a delay waiting for these issues to be resolved. MIT/LL has received its hardware and has the new website up and running with an improved OPC running on it now. A global lightning contract was entered into allowing for a much-improved accuracy of the heavier weather returns. The goal is still to try turning ZHU, ZMA, and ATCSCC around June 29th. The briefing item for OPC will be coming out this week and it includes OPC being incorporated into position pre-brief requirements and allows for generalized use of OPC information to be provided to aircrews.

• Cover