A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/883404
An ongoing problem for tower controllers is similar sounding call signs. This has caused serious safety issues at busy airports. As TFDM consolidates different t echnologies like EFSTS and AEFS, there should be a way for the surface transponder interrogation to crosscheck against a list of active planes. If a plane on the "active" list does not acquire on the ASDE within a set number of minutes (5? 10?) that Electr onic Flight Strip should alert - either that plane is not squawking the right code, or the wrong call sign was identified initially and the wrong flight strip is active. The Surface Office is coordinating with airports and the TFDM program to schedule Co llaborative Site Implementation Team (CSIT) meeting to determine airport readiness to implement the technologies involved with surface metering. The sites will follow the TFDM waterfall and are expected to start in 2019. There is work being done at the s urface office to create wording for D - Zero definition by the FAA that will relieve the airlines from the current concern that any time spent at the gate absorbing a surface metering hold counts against their on time performance. This may be a heavy lift - this issue has come up before and the airlines have been reluctant to change their understanding of how D - Zero is measured. However, Eric Cole, Surface Office Staff Specialist, expressed optimism that the proper wording can accomplish this goal. The SCT and CAT have been given a joint tasking - Tasking 78/Flight Operators: Surface Data Sharing to Support TFM and TFDM Strategies - of which the core description is "The CAT and SCT are being tasked to work with AJM - 22 and AJR - 12, to evaluate considerations a ssociated with provision of EOBT and other data elements by flight operators that make up significant portions of many markets, but may not be aware of these data sharing expectations." The next meetings to work on this task are scheduled for Nov . 15 and D ec . 6. TERMINAL AUTOMATION MOD ERNIZATION REPLACEMENT (TAMR) Aaron Rose (NCT) is the TAMR Articl e 114 Representative for NATCA. His report to the membership is below. Mr. Rose traveled to PHX for a Terminal Spacing and Sequencing (TSAS) ops meeting the w eek of Sept 13th. Discussions revolved around training to include the importance of Operati onal Support Facilities (OSF). In addition, software enhancem ents for STARS were discussed. Sept . 19 - 20 was a meeting with SFO about a new adaptation drop at NCT, w hich improved fus ion tracking on the SFO final. Sept . 26th was spent at SCT to help mitigat e and discuss tracking issues. Second Level Engineering (TSLE) based out of the Atlantic City Tech Center has decided to split off SCT software. Within the next fou r months there should be new software we will test at SCT. NATCA TAMR is working closely with TSLE. Worked duty time for an ATPA Rep to work in conj unction with the TAMR ART 114. Finally acquired duty time for the TAMR NATCA OSF Rep to ensure we have prop er representation on all telcons and to attend meetings in person.