A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/905671
Tower Data Link Services (TDLS) build 12.4A was released to the field last week for install. Thanks to DFW and EWR for agreeing to be key sites for testing the release. Install disks are being ship ped next week to the remaining facilities. The Program Office briefed ZAU and ZFW on activities that will be taking place over the next few years to deploy DataComm at En Route Centers. The Program Office has br iefed the first six sites in the w aterfall a nd will be briefing the remaining sites over the next six months. The briefings are a two - day event that covers program updates, ATC functionality and CHI, testing, training, adaptations, network service volumes, and implementation. The scenario generatio n and ghost pilot delta courses for En Rout e training have been validated. The Air Traffic Training and Air Traffic Works tation courses have passed the operational tryout and are awaiting first course conduct validation. The only remaining course that need s to have an operational tryout is the refresher training, which i s scheduled to be completed in January. EN ROUTE AU TOMATION MODERNIZATION (ERAM) Julio Henriques (ZNY) le ads the ERAM efforts for NATCA. Dan Mullen (ZID) provides this update. Facility Tec h Reps (FTRs) and Computer/Human Interface (CHI) Team members evaluated several proposed Data Block changes with regard to leader line anchor points and Data C omm symbols. The revisions will resolve problems with clutter and confusion caused by all the new data being presented on the Data Blocks. The newest ERAM software release (EAE100) was Key site tested in the ZKC Test and Training Lab. This versio n will be able to simulate Data C om m functionality including multi - site scenarios and will be the foundation for upcoming Data C omm training. The Ops version of EAE100 will begin k ey site testing in February 2018 as the next step in En R oute DataComm implementation. The En Route Automation Workgroup (ERAW) reached consensus this week on the selection of new Rada r Monitors, choosing the EIZO UHD 43 - inch monitor. The plan is to install the monitors at three sites (TBD) as part of Tech Refresh k ey site between May and November 2018. Pending a successful key site process, the rest of the ARTCCs will get them beginnin g Nov 2019. Airborne and Pre - Departure Reroute (ABRR/PDRR) operations began on Oct. 23 . All ARTCCs are now displaying chevrons around route segments that are protected by a Traffic Management Initiative. Additionally, the sites that have completed trainin g and enabled ABRR now have the ability to forward reroute information from Traffic Management dire ctly to the controlling sector. Controllers will be able to accept these reroutes and update the flight plan without having to retype all the information. T he following is a sample of the issues the National User Team worked over the past few weeks: ER 167152 ATWS SIGMETS The team discussed an engineering question about the functionality of th e unacknowledged SIGMET number. ER 182211 Remove Auto On - Frequenc y Indicator The team is not pursuing this ER and it will be placed in future status in case it is needed after ope rational use of Data Com begins.