The following activities represent the "Best of the Best" of our achievements for calendar year 2002, selected by former Deputy Director Bruce Singer.

Center personnel participated in ATOP Build 2 system requirements and system design reviews (Rockville, MD) that covered Build 2 requirements, functionality, architecture and hardware, proposed changes to support the radar and ADS-B, and new functionality. Center employees supported the formal ATOP Factory Acceptance Tests that were conducted in Rockville, and here at the Technical Center. They also participated in ATOP production tests, Problem Trouble Report verification and Factory Acceptance Test dry runs in both locations.

The Oceanic Integrated Product Team, AUA-600, and twenty Airway Facility reps from the Oakland, New York, and Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Centers participated in the Advanced Technologies and Oceanic Procedures (ATOP) Operational Capability Demonstrations (OCD) 2.2 that were conducted at the Center on November 6-7 2002.

The ATOP Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) Test Readiness Review (TRR) was conducted November 12, 2002. FAT occurred in two phases, and ran from November 12-16.

The Technical Center presented final data from the converging runways parameter study to the AMASS working group and recommended a set of parameters to be used for converging runway alerts in AMASS safety logic. With the implementation of the new build 5 software, the alerts could be added to the core set of AMASS safety alerts. The AMASS Integrated Product Team and the AMASS Working Group will make the determination as to the final parameter set and the implementation schedule.

The ASDE-X Surface Movement Radar (SMR) Contractor Preliminary Test (CPT) was conducted at Raytheon facilities. The Program Monthly Review (PMR) was held at Sensis, and was to be followed by a Technical Interchange Meeting on ASDE-X Adaptation and Optimization, and a PMR for the ASDE-3X enhancement.

Formal Site Acceptance Tests (SAT) for the key site in Stockton, California were initiated, with a 3-day audit preceding the start of the test. Testing was expected to span a 10-day interval. Successful completion of the Stockton SAT will transfer ownership of the ASR-11 system to the FAA and allow Technical Center Operational Tests (OT), to begin. The program will provide complete turnkey sites including new facilities, towers, primary surveillance radar, and monopulse secondary surveillance radar systems for all ASR-11 sites.

The Technical Center is finalizing an airspace redesign initiative in which the Newark area of the New York TRACON will run dual operations on parallel runways at Newark Airport. This project will run visual approaches to Runway 4R and conduct Instrument Landing System approaches to Runway 4L simultaneously for delay reduction, if validated. Controller-in-the-loop simulations to validate this procedure will be run.

Center personnel conducted a joint FAA / DOD design review of ARSR-4 / Mode 4 design changes to the ATCBI-6 radar system at Raytheon Systems Ltd. (Harlow, United Kingdom). Functionality will be added to the system to allow interfacing to existing ARSR-4 long-range radars and DOD Mode 4 equipment. Key Site testing of the changes will be performed at Vandenberg Air Force Base (California) and an FAA site, during calendar year 2003. The ATCBI-6 systems are scheduled to replace existing secondary surveillance radar systems at all ARSR-4 sites.

The ATCBI-6 Beacon Radar team successfully conducted a System Baseline Review at Raytheon’s facility (Sudbury, MA). The full field deployment of 126 systems at a rate of three systems per month was achieved. A delta Operational Test of the ATCBI-6 radar system was conducted by ACB-530 at the Technical Center’s Elwood long-range radar site and at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. An operational evaluation was conducted at the Fort Worth Air Route Traffic Control Center. All enroute ATCBI-4 and ATCBI-5 sites will be upgraded to monopulse Mode S Selective Interrogation radars. Technical interchange meetings were conducted to review design and test activities for the revised baseline under development to support Air Route Surveillance Radar (ARSR) -4 and Mode 4 interface requirements.

Dayton air traffic controllers, airport district officers and airport planners came to the Technical Center for a 3-day visit to discuss siting issues for a proposed new tower. The Center provided multiple DVD video recordings and still camera work, and burned multiple CDR's with screen image captures of out-the-window views and out-the-window image generator support.

The Technical Center conducted a site selection evaluation and simulation for a new Airport Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) in Reno, Nevada. The simulation covered proposed airfield modifications that include runways, taxiways, and buildings.

AFTIL personnel hosted the Phoenix Airport Traffic Control Tower managers to view window mullion siting issues of their proposed new tower. Airport traffic control tower managers from Atlanta, tower contractors from Southern region and airport engineers traveled to the Technical Center to view siting and shadow issues for proposed new tower locations. Airport traffic control tower managers and airport engineers from Dayton, Ohio also traveled here to view window mullion and column siting issues for their proposed new tower.

Center personnel conducted mockup evaluations of Richmond's Airport Traffic Control Tower, and the Indianapolis, Indiana, Airport Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) and Terminal Approach Control (TRACON) facilities.

Center personnel conducted a site selection validation and simulation for the new LaGuardia tower. Center personnel conducted a site selection evaluation and simulation for the new Deer Valley Airport ATC Tower in Arizona.

Center personnel conducted a mockup evaluation of the Fort Wayne, Indiana Airport Traffic Control Tower, and the Milwaukee, Wisconsin Airport Traffic Control Tower and Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON).

Center personnel traveled to Washington National Airport to install console modifications in the Airport Traffic Control Tower. Center personnel previously constructed the console modifications.

Center personnel completed site NAS Operational Test & Evaluation of the In-Service Decision (ISD) Operational And Supportability Implementation System (OASIS) at the Anderson Automated Flight Service Station (AND AFSS) in Anderson, South Carolina.

Center personnel conducted a siting simulation for the proposed Air Traffic Control Tower in Huntsville, Alabama. Center personnel conducted a site selection validation and simulation for the proposed Jefferson County (BJC), CO Airport Traffic Control Tower (ATCT). Center personnel also conducted a site selection evaluation and simulation for the new Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) in Dayton, Ohio.

Center personnel fabricated and conducted mockups for the Atlanta Air Traffic Control Tower and Access Ring Cross-Section, and the Air Traffic Control Tower at Memphis International Airport.

Center FSS group personnel completed lab testing of the Operational and Supportability Implementation System (OASIS) Alphanumeric Weather Server (OAWS) database restoral system, which is composed of one server located at Seattle's Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS), and one at the AFSS in Anderson, South Carolina. The system will provide emergency alphanumeric weather database restoration for up to sixty-one OASIS sites.

The Center also delivered replacement panels to the New York NAS Implementation Center (ANI-240), which will be used in the Northeast Philadelphia (PNE) Airport Traffic Control Tower.

Center personnel successfully completed Free Form Regression Testing on the following airspace adaptations: Oakland Center (ZOA), Minneapolis Center (ZMP), Denver Center (ZDV) and Miami Center (ZMA). CTAS TMA releases 3.1.2.5 and 3.1.2.6 were used. A test conduct report was generated for each activity and distributed to all CTAS test staff.

The Technical Center dispatched an aircraft and personnel to Miami for initial VDL testing. Representatives from Rockwell Collins provided a software update to bring the FAA's avionics into aeronautical telecommunications network (ATN) compliance, and then, a round-robin flight around Miami Center airspace was completed.

The FAA avionics established a link-layer connection through the ARINC ground station, and Center personnel were able to migrate the connection through four ground stations in total. Center personnel completed the first test of CPDLC Build 1 from an airborne aircraft to an operational ATC sector at Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC). The CPDLC system performed impressively. More than 100 operational messages were exchanged.

Center personnel led a team that detailed a proposal for the American Airlines' aircraft certification flight profile for CPDLC B1 that creates numerous operational and technical conditions for demonstrating proper functioning and operation of CPDLC B1 from the flight deck perspective.

Center personnel participated in the Air Traffic Operational Verification Test with the Air Traffic DSR Evaluation Team on July 10 using DSR operational software release BCC21, NAS A5F1.2, and EDARC RAP0204 in the DSF-2 laboratory. This effort captured Air Traffic’s request for fixes needed in the BCC21 rebuild.

Center personnel conducted the STARS / Surface Movement Advisor (SMA) Functional Integration Test (FIT) here in our Free Flight Technology Integration Lab, including external interfaces to the Precision Runway Monitor, Noise Monitoring, and AMASS. The purpose of the FIT was to verify external system data integrity in preparation for STARS / SMA System Acceptance Testing.

The Technical Center's User Request Evaluation Tool (URET) Core Capability Limited Deployment (CCLD) test team participated in formal Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) at the Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZAU).

Center employees supporting the Display System Replacement (DSR) program supported the Distribution, Cutover, and Test (DCAT) testing of the User Request Evaluation Tool (URET) 1.52I system in the DSF-2 lab. The URET 1.52I system was shipped to Cleveland Center (ZOB), Kansas City Center (ZKC), Memphis Center (ZME), Indianapolis Center (ZID), and Chicago Center (ZAU). ZKC, ZME and ZID went operational.

The Center's URET Core Capability Limited Deployment (CCLD) test team participated in successful Formal Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) at the Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZAU). The ZAU URET was commissioned, providing air traffic controllers with 20-mile "look ahead" conflict processing and automated flight progress strips. The system interfaces with the Host and DSR. ZAU is the fifth of seven sites to achieve Government Acceptance of the URET CCLD System.

Initial Daily Use (IDU) for URET CCLD at the ZID and ZME ARTCC's began. Achieving IDU required completion of all formal testing and Government Acceptance activities. The Center's URET CCLD test team participated in all SAT activities, and conducted Field Familiarization at all three sites. ZID, ZME and ZOB are the second, third, and fourth of seven sites to achieve IDU.

The Technical Center is participating in development of the En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) system.

HOCSR Phase 3 Operational Test (OT) Verification and Regression (V&R) activities were accomplished. The objective of the testing was to ensure that all issues resulting in Problem Trouble Reports (PTRs) during formal OT activities had been resolved per the established resolution plan.

Center personnel supported the HOCSR Phase 3 System Acceptance Testing activities at Chicago and Houston, provided on-site system support at the Honolulu Control Facility, and participated in site acceptance tests for HOCSR Phase 3 at Forth Worth (ZFW) and Minneapolis (ZMP).

The Technical Center's NAS Human Factors Group completed data collection for the New York Integrated Control Complex arrival flow simulations. Nine controllers from the New York TRACON and nine from New York Center participated. The simulations were run in the reconfigurable Experiment Rooms 1 and 2 of the Research Development and Human Factors Laboratory.

Center personnel traveled to ITWS test sites in Houston to perform Human Factors OT&E. Testing occurred at the ATC Towers at Houston Intercontinental (IAH) and Hobby International (HOU). It also took place at the IAH Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) and at Houston ARTCC's traffic management and weather service units.

Center test engineers participated in Site Acceptance Regression Testing in Atlanta, successfully demonstrating interface of ITWS to the Low Level Wind Shear Alert System.

Center engineers participated in the Kansas City ITWS and Houston ITWS Factory Acceptance Tests, which were completed successfully on December 10 and December 12, respectively, at Raytheon’s plant in Sudbury.

The Technical Center sent a representative to Juneau, Alaska, to help install and validate data from the Metek USA-1 3-D ultrasonic wind sensor at the Eagle Crest remote site, where the sensor was to be located for several months to establish the vertical wind characteristics there. The wind was measured using the Metek USA-1 sensor at three of four remote sites in Juneau.

A High Altitude Test - Proof Of Concept Simulation was conducted at the En Route Integration and Interoperability Facility. Ten controllers from seven En Route centers participated in the 96 data collection runs, evaluating airspace that blends new tools and technologies, enhances system efficiency, and increases predictability for users and controllers.

The NEXCOM Flight Demonstration was conducted. The Technical Center NEXCOM Team coordinated the participation of controllers and pilots from the National Air Traffic Controller Association and Airline Pilots Association. While using union-approved scripts, the controllers and pilots communicated with each other using NEXCOM for both voice and data communications. In addition to demonstrating data link capabilities, controllers were able to compare the use of NEXCOM against paper flight strips as a precursor to the official NEXCOM flight tests.

Center personnel supported two tests of the new Guam Flight Data Input Output (FDIO) capability; the first test validated communications between the Oakland Oceanic Display and Planning System and Honolulu OFDPS for Honolulu and Guam, and the second test validated communications between OFDPS and FDIO equipment in Guam.

FAA field personnel visited the Technical Center to participate in Operational and General Regression tests of the In-Service Decision (ISD) (OASIS) software baseline FOC010.

OASIS commenced Initial Operational Capability (IOC) operations at the Anderson (AND), South Carolina Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS). The AND IOC is a major program milestone, as the live operations there will be used to support the Initial In-Service Decision (ISD) to deploy OASIS to 25 AFSS sites

Center personnel participated in the first OASIS production phase Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT). Two OASIS systems, one built for the Saint Louis (STL) Missouri Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS), the other for the Riverside (RAL) California AFSS, were completed sequentially.

The Technical Center successfully completed an International Standards (ISO) 9001 one-year surveillance audit on May 15, 2002. External ISO 9001 auditors found the Real and Virtual Environment’s Quality Management System to be suitable, effective, and in compliance with the ISO 9001:1994 standard. Auditors further indicated that the Real and Virtual Environment has an exceptional quality system that is well-documented and effective, and about 80% in compliance with recent ISO requirements and in position for an easy transition to the ISO 9001:2000 standard.

The Facilities Services and Engineering Division has achieved ISO 9001:2000 registration of its Quality Management System, the first organization within the Center's new office of Operations, Technology and Acquisition (ACX) to be ISO registered.

Center personnel participated in meetings in Brussels with colleagues from Eurocontrol and the United Kingdom’s National Air Traffic Services, under the auspices of ICAO’s Separation and Airspace Safety Panel. The purpose of the meetings was to seek agreement on common principles and practices that will guide regional monitoring agencies that conduct safety oversight activities in connection with use of the Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) in worldwide airspace.

ICAO’s Separation and Airspace Safety Panel met in Canberra, Australia. Center personnel presented papers covering the use of lateral offsets from route centerline when applying the RVSM, and how to standardize the principles and practices of regional monitoring agencies that carry out safety oversight in connection with the RVSM. Center personnel presented three sessions at the First ICAO Caribbean / South American Regions RVSM Seminar in Lima, Peru. Center personnel also participated in the 16th Meeting of the ICAO Asia Pacific Region RVSM Implementation Task Force (Bangkok). Center experts provided their analysis of the safety of the proposed implementation of the RVSM in several flight information regions in the South China Sea.

Spectrum-engineering work is on or ahead of schedule, and includes Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) Resolution training courses; the RFI Van Facility, RFI Van Safety Modifications, and RFI Van Software Upgrades; Interference Monitoring and Detection (IMDS) Sensitivity Measurements and the Universal Access Transceiver (UAT) affecting Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) Ramp Testers.

The Center brought STARS to Philadelphia on schedule. STARS FS2+ training for more than 100 Philadelphia Tower (PHL) controllers was completed on November 1, and PHL Tower became the nation's first Level Five Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) to implement STARS, on November 17. Miami Tower (MIA), which will become the next major facility to implement STARS in July 2003, sent two controllers to observe the extensive training process.

Center personnel supported Operational Test activities at Fort Worth (ZFW) Air Route Traffic Control Center, where users performed software upgrades and version control on WARP.

Center personnel were key team players when WARP Stage 2 (NEXRAD weather on the Display System Replacement) achieved Initial Operational Capability on May 20, 2002 at the Fort Worth Air Route Traffic Control Center.

Center engineers participated in a WARP software specification review at the Harris Corporation (Melbourne, FL), where new ECP-17 requirements were discussed as they pertain to the Weather Information Network Server (WINS), a subsystem of the Weather and Radar Processor (WARP). Center engineers also participated in the Test Readiness Review of WARP Build 8.2 by Harris Corporation (Melbourne, FL). Our test team allowed the start of the Factory Acceptance Test, following the review.

Center personnel flew our B-727 to Brazil to collect data on the effect of the ionosphere on the GPS and WAAS signals. The tests were conducted under worst-case conditions - solar maximum, winter solstice, near the geomagnetic equator and in the evening. The Technical Center also helped Brazil's Civil Aviation Authority to develop WAAS approach procedures. The Technical Center continues advising its counterparts in Brazil on the development of their test bed. These tests will provide data on this establishment, and will contribute to the FAA goal of promoting a seamless worldwide satellite navigation system.

Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) continues with a Center team flying 40 approaches at each of three airports (Seattle, Washington; Great Falls, Montana and Green Bay, Wisconsin), in our B-727, to determine WAAS performance near the edge of the coverage volume.