A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/895825
support for Solaris 10, Solaris 11 is very different than Solaris 10 and lastly, the FAA and Department of Transportation are standardizing on RHEL. The STARS OS replacement will occur at all TRACONs/RAPCONs and ATCTs but will have no effect on a ir t raffic functionality or system features. Additionally, AT Coach will migrate to RHEL, which will bring significant changes to the operator interface. Also, new security enhancements wil l be implemented related to user identification, access control and audit logging. Proposals to improve scratchpad revert functionality, allow STARS lists to overlap one another and displaying full data blocks based on specific criteria are moving ahead. Operational Testing and Evaluation (OT&E) R4c testing is scheduled November 13 - 21. As the name implies, the build is a derivative of R4 that resolves a router hardware dependency. During the software testing event NATCA SMEs will also get a chance to evaluate a revised STARS trackball prototype based on SME input during a prior evaluation. The goal is to develop a trackball that is resilient to dirt and contaminants while satisfactorily moving the cursor. SMEs will also participate in a Scenario Proces sing Organization Tool (SPOT) demonstration and requirements meeting. Program Trouble Report Working Group (PTRWG) Mr. Ness participated in the October meeting with NATCA SMEs from PHL and RSW. NATCA elevated a PTR related to Direct Sensor Access (DSA) ba ckup availability in the event of a STARS Full Service Level failure. A recent incident at Tallahassee highlighted the need to alert controllers to the status of the backup system when accessing DSA. Als o ranked were PTRs related to: appearance of safety c ritical lists on STARS display, failed sensor notification, automatic data block offset and incorrect MSAW alerts for tracks in Military Alert Suppression Zones (MASZ). STARS Software Planning Board The SPB meeting was held Oct. 4. Build content for R4c, R7, R7a and R9 were reviewed. Two PTRs will be included in the R7 build that are of significant importance to NATCA. The first corrects an ATPA display problem when selecting the backup system. The second significantly improves the 1 - 10 speed setting for t he STARS trackball. Field Support NATCA organized a telcon on Oct . 23 to discuss a continuing automation problem at Potomac TRACON. The lateral boundaries of PCT underlie multiple centers and are adjacent to numerous TRACONs; there are times when two air craft may be squawking the same beacon code. This can cause problems with aircraft tagging up correctly. The discussion centered on a relatively straightforward software change that will correct the problem and workarounds have been developed while the sof tware solution is pursued. The next step is for TSLE and Raytheon to evaluate the issue and draft recommended changes. Mr. Ness visited Nashville ATCT Oct . 24 to conduct an R4 briefing with the local cadre team. Operational Support Facilities (OSF) Updat e Submitted by Scott Kendrick (NT - OSF) - Spent the week of Oct. 23 rd at a Raytheon play date for a first look and hands on of the STARS S6.00R8 software. In addition, reviewed the new TBFM simulator to