A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/889675
communications. This issue has cropped up twice now during deployment and the program office should brief future affecte d facilities prior to install. NAS Voice Recorder Program (NVRP) is the replacement for existing NAS voice recorders (DALR, DALR2, DVRS, DVR2). The Program Office presented to the JRC and received approval to proceed to Final Investment Analysis, leading up to the Final Investment Decision. Key site for NVRP will be Seattle Center in the 2018 time frame. NVRP is currently in the source evaluation phase. Grand Rapids Towe r/TRACON (GRR) is reporting multiple issues with their aging voice switch. There ' s one outstanding issue where a RADAR site is causing interference in the t ower c ab. That issue continues to be worked. A Tone Mitigation National Workgroup has been formed. This was a result of a large number of tone incidences being reported at Potomac TRACON (PCT), as well as other places. National selected the following members to represent NATCA on the workgroup: Brandon Miller Don Smith CJ Jacques Jon Shedden The first meeting was in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 19th and 20th. The group discussed existing equipment in the NAS, as well as possible future changes. We are currently reviewing minutes from the meeting as well as completing action items as assigned. Not date has been set for subsequent meetings. SURVEILLANCE BROADCAST SERVICES ( SBS) OFFICE Eric Labardini (ZHU) is the Article 114 Re presentative to the SBS Office. Below is the update for SBS. ADS - B: As of Oct. 1, 2017, the number of Rule Compliant ADS - B Out aircr aft in the US reached 37,147. ADS - B In equipped aircraft reached 32,635. Current equipage levels are falling short of the projected numbers needed to reach the Jan 1, 2020 deadline to equip with ADS - B. Avionics Installation capacity NAS - wide could also be exceeded the longer users wait to equip. So far, the Agency has been cl ear that the deadline is firm. The stage is set for a potential showdown, as the date looms closer. Most, if not all, a ir c arriers have provided the Agency with a plan to meet the deadline. However, the means to achieve those plans in the short amount of time remaining is becoming a larger question. One example that stands out is Honeywell avionics, which has yet to offer an ADS - B solution for B737 aircraft; Southwest Airlines an d others, are heavily dependent on Honeywell avionics. United Airlines has made significant progress in upgrading their B737 Rockwell avionics fleet with 106 of 110 planned ADS - B installations complete. Several other airlines are also showing increased f leet equipage. The military, as previously released in the press, expects to be unable to meet this deadline for several versions of the ir fighter and older aircraft. They are working with the