2010 gathering of eagles: the power of believingthe communicator awards are judged and overseen by...

> A Journal of the FAA Managers Association September/October 2010: Vol. 8 No. 5

www.faama.org

»2010GatheringofEagles:ThePowerofBelieving

www.faama.org managingtheskies Sept/Oct 2010 3

faa managers association, inc. #3154410 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016Tel 202.741.9415 | www.faama.org

Communicate.Educate.Advocate. Promoting excellence in public service, the FAA Managers Association is recognized by the FAA to represent all levels of management through all lines of business. We are committed to increasing the accountability to our owners, improving service to our customers, and fostering a professional workplace for our employees in which they can excel and take pride. FAA Managers Association is a forum for managers, supervisors, administrative, and non-bargaining unit staff to effect change.

officersPresident, David ConleyVice President, Stephen SmithSecretary, Julie FidlerTreasurer, Tom Dury

directorsDirector of Administration, Jack AllenDirector of Communications, Laurie ZugayDirector of Legislative Affairs, Tony TisdallDirector of Membership, Jay RaymondParliamentarian, Andy TaylorCorporate Relations, Arthur BlankMembership Education Committee Chair, Hal AlbertPolitical Action Committee Chair, Dan CunninghamAlaskan Region,Darla GerlachCentral Region, Mark KahlEastern Region, Rich BakerGreat Lakes Region, Heather Mullett New England Region, Mark Guiod Northwest Mountain Region, Lori ScharfSouthern Region, Bob HildebidleSouthwest Region, Bob JeffersonWestern Pacific Region, David Chappuies

publisherKathleen Cummins Mifsud

managing editorLaurie Zugay

contributorsDavid Conley, Kathleen Cummins Mifsud, Robert W. Poole, Jr., Mark Graham, Anthony “Tony” C. Tisdall, Darrin Luedke, Isa Campbell, Doug Nierle, Anne Marrelli, Glenn Livingston, Michael Livingston, Darla Gerlach, and Paul Nickel.

illustration and photographyCover and page 3 photo supplied by Istockphoto; illustrations pages 8 to 10 supplied by Harris Corporation; photos pages 12 and 14 by FAA photographer Steve Welles; illustration page 21 supplied by Systems Atlanta; illustration page 25 supplied by ATO Organizational Effectiveness, FAA; photo page 30 supplied by Darla Gerlach; and photo page 31 supplied by Paul Nickel.

designSagetopia, 703.726.6400, www.sagetopia.com

productionColorcraft of Virginia, 703.709.2270, www.colorcraft-va.com

advertising, editorial & subscription inquiriesManaging the Skies1775 East Riviera DriveMerritt Island, FL 32952Telephone: 321.453.5970Email: [email protected]

ManagingtheSkies is a benefit of membership in the FAA Managers Association, Inc. To become a member, go to www.faama.org. For all others, the annual subscription rate is $49. Please address your inquiries to [email protected] and [email protected].

ManagingtheSkies is published bi-monthly by the FAA Managers Association, Inc.

The views expressed herein are solely those of the authors and should not be construed to be the opinion of the FAA Managers Association. Suggestions and opinions expressed in Managing the Skies are not necessarily endorsed by the FAA Managers Association. Nothing in these pages is intended to supersede operators’ or manufacturers’ policies, practices, or requirements, or to supersede government regulations.

©2010 FAA Managers Association, Inc. All rights reserved.

AbouttheCover: As FAAMA celebrates the 30th Anniversary Gathering of Eagles in Las Vegas, the cover for this Convention issue commemorates this memorable occasion for the Association by portraying an airplane lifting off into a brilliant and golden future – a symbol of FAAMA’s leadership.

02 GEICO www.geico.com

11 Flight Safety Foundation www.flightsafety.org

29 Livingston Financial Group www.livingstonfinancialgroup.com

32 Long Term Care Partners, LLC www.LTCFEDS.com

Contents

Index to Advertisers

A JOURNAL OF THE FAA MANAGERS ASSOCIATION

September/October 2010: Vol. 8 No. 5

04 05 06 07perspective: We All Need a Family

Managing the Skies Wins Two Awards

opinion: FAA’s Chronic Funding Problem

FTI: The Network Backbone of NextGen

12An FAAMA Interview: Richard “Rick” J. Ducharme, Vice President, En Route and Oceanic Services, Air Traffic Organization, FAA

1630 YEARS: The Power of Believing – 2010 Convention Schedule and Exhibit Floor Plan

1730 YEARS: The Power of Believing – 2010 Corporate Sponsors

1830 YEARS: The Power of Believing – 2010 Exhibitors

21 22profile: Senator James “Jim” DeMint

The IDS5 Connection – Sharing Critical Information between the FAA and US Military

24 27Engagement Matters Generating the Power

of Federal Employee Engagement

28money talks: CSRS Survivor Benefits and Pension

30FAAMA Member Fred Payne and Team Recognized for Successful Implementation of ADS-B

31FAAMA New Member Profile: Paul Nickel

Join FAAMA Today/ New Member Registration Form

perspective

In the days since her passing, I have become even more

interested in knowing more about her and about our

family heritage that contributed to who she was. You

see, she didn’t like to talk about herself and would sel-

dom answer my questions about our past – so like many

are doing today – I resorted to a search of our family’s

ancestry.

DiggingUpThePastDigging in the family closet can be very interesting.

Intrigued at each step backward in time, I found the names

and brief legacies of each generation. Like tracing a winding

path into a hidden forest, I slowly uncovered clues to the past

in the dates and places of their births, marriages, and deaths,

which sadly seems to be the all too pithy remnants of their

earthy existence.

There is no question that there were stories to discover, if

only I could. Old tree branches don’t tend to yield the juicy

stuff. That was in the fruit that is now long past gone. By now

about all that is left are dates, but I know that hidden within

the dashes between their life boundaries were lives composed

of love, pain, adventure, and experience.

In a very real way, their connections with other people

produced for them an opportunity to leave something

important behind... a legacy, which from my perspective,

converged upon me and influenced who I am today.

“IHoldToMyValuesBecauseIBelieveThem;IPassThemOnBecauseICare”More than anything else, I remember the impact these

people had on me. How ever their values made their way to

them, it was through the direct contact they had with me

that they most profoundly affected my core beliefs.

Just as my parents passed them to me and I passed them

to my children, I fully expect and hope that my children will

pass them on to their children. I hold to my values because I

believe them; I pass them on because I care.

FamiliesPassonValuesJust as a family passes on values to their descendants, FAA

managers likewise are passing on workplace values that

not only affect today’s culture, but also affect succeeding

generations. In my mind right now are the names and faces

attached to their respective places and situations that have

influenced who I have chosen to become as a manager. The

values that were lived before me influence me now and are

my baseline of expectations for myself and other leaders.

GoodManagersAreConsciousofTheirImpactLike it or not, it is impossible NOT to influence. Whether for

good or bad, we are always influencing those we work with,

those we manage, and those who will follow in our steps.

Good managers are conscious of their impact. It is encourag-

ing that every day more and more of our members are embrac-

ing respect for others, valuing excellence, and promoting

WeAllNeedaFamilyA message from the President

After the passing of my grandmother in early August, I pondered her significant impact on my life. It wasn’t just the things she said and did that came to mind so much as it was the way she did them. Her attention to detail and her insistence that things be done the right way produced a desire in me to be the same. She was not a prominent woman, but indeed, she was well-known within her circles and had many friends and acquaintances.

“ Just as a family passes on values to their descendants, FAA managers likewise are passing on workplace values that not only affect today’s culture, but also affect succeeding generations.”

4 managingtheskies Sept/Oct 2010 www.faama.org

the highest ideals of public service with the intent of influencing

others for good.

One of the reasons that I appreciate the family we have built

within this Association is that it gives us an opportunity to

influence beyond our time in a way not possible by ourselves.

Individually, it is easy to fall under the plague of predicaments and

circumstances that will obscure your shining light.

Since I recounted our Association’s history in my last

President’s Perspective, I have pondered our years of existence

and considered how we really have become somewhat of a family

within the FAA’s management team. Within this family are warm

relationships and fruitful interactions, as well as conflict and

drama, but it all works together to influence others to follow the

values that we embrace and embody.

YearsAgo,IWasInspiredToServeYears ago, I was inspired to serve because of what I saw in a few

good men and women in this Association. Likewise, I predict that

one of you reading this article will one day lead this family of

managers, not because of what I write, but because of what you

have come to believe is important about us.

TheCauseIsBiggerThanUsIt always has been bigger than our personalities or our programs,

and it certainly is not about garnering more benefits for the self-

seeking. It is about telling and teaching and taking this effort to

the next level of service to our members.

The torch was passed to us years ago when it was still a

flickering candle. We fed the flame and now it beams brighter

and brighter. What say ye? Shall we raise it just a little higher

and carry it forth?

Yes! I believe we can! ❙

communicate. educate. advocate.

David Conley, President

FAA Managers Association, Inc.

managing the skies wins two awards


“ Whether for good or bad, we are always influencing those we work with, those we manage, and those who will follow in our steps.”

PlatinumHermesCreativeAwardfor the first time, managing the skies is a 2010 platinum award winner in an international com-petition for creative professionals involved in the concept, writing, and design of traditional and emerging media.

Hermes Creative Awards are judged by the Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals (AMCP). Entries receiving scores between 90-100 points are Platinum winners. Managing the Skies won Gold Hermes Awards in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

The Platinum Award presented to Managing the Skies recognizes entries judged to exceed the high standards of the industry in terms of quality, creativity, and resource-fulness. There were over 5,000 entries from throughout the US and several other countries in the 2010 Hermes Creative Awards competition.

SilverCommunicatorAwardfor the second time, managing the skies is a 2010 silver communicator award of distinction winner in the communicator awards competi-tion, a leading annual international creative awards program honoring creative excellence for communication professionals.

The Communicator Awards are judged and overseen by the International Academy of the Visual Arts (IAVA), a 550+ member organization of leading professionals from various visual arts disciplines. With over 7,000 entries received in 2010, the Communicator Awards is the largest and most competitive awards program honoring the cre-ative excellence for communications professionals.

This process began in early 2007, when the FAA pre-sented a bold plan to reform the agency’s funding, under which the ticket tax and segment fee would

have been replaced with ATC user fees for commercial users to fund the Air Traffic Organization, other aviation excise taxes would have funded the airport grants program (AIP), and general federal revenues would have supported the FAA’s aviation safety regulation and miscellaneous (e.g. commercial space flight) operations.

Congress largely ignored those proposals, but was nowhere close to agreeing on a bill when that fiscal year ended on Sept. 30, 2007. Twelve extensions later, we are again on hold through Sept. 30, 2010 – a full three years since the old law expired.

During the 2007 battles over FAA funding reform, sup-porters of the status quo argued forcefully that the established system provided a “stable funding source” for key aviation programs. I took the other side of that debate, pointing to several previous cases of much-delayed reauthorization and even to a couple of instances when Congress failed to act at all, leaving the FAA to pay its salaries and other operating costs by drawing down what was then (fortunately) a large unobligated balance in the Trust Fund.

Our general aviation friends also repeatedly said that the status quo was far better than some kind of commercialization (such as Nav Canada) with a board of directors representing key aviation stakeholders, and that Congress was the best imagin-able board of directors for the ATC system. We haven’t heard that one recently!

FAA funding came up last month in another context, when the GAO released a report analyzing the implications of the recent trend of airlines charging ancillary fees for all sorts of services – fees which are not part of the ticket price against which the 7.5 percent passenger ticket tax is levied. (GAO-10-785, “Aviation: Consumers Could Benefit from Better Information about Airline-Imposed Fees and Refundability of Government-Imposed Fees”)

As part of its analysis, GAO researchers calculated that had the ticket tax been applied just to baggage fees, it would have generated an additional $186 million in revenues for the Trust Fund (about 2%). Neither DOT nor GAO know the total

amount of ancillary fee revenues being collected by airlines, since most are not required to be reported to DOT.

Apart from the issue of disclosure, the proliferation of these fees, especially by low-cost carriers such as Allegiant and Spirit, raises two key issues. First, most of these fees are a substitute for a portion of the ticket price, so the more this trend continues, the more that aviation infrastructure funding will be short-changed. Second, this phenomenon also creates further disparities among airlines in paying their fair share for air traffic control.

During the 2007 battles over FAA’s proposed ATC user fees, both GAO and the DOT Inspector General’s Office did studies highlighting the fact that an ATC charge based on passenger numbers and fares creates large disparities among commercial aircraft that end up paying significantly different amounts for the same ATC services.

The most obvious case is a 50-seat regional jet vs. a 300-seat 767. But even for the exact same plane – a standard 737, say – a low-fare carrier flying 900 miles could pay perhaps half as much as a legacy carrier making the same trip (due to the difference in fares).

EverySignificantDevelopedCountryChargesATCFeesNobody else of any consequence pays for ATC in this crazy-quilt way. As Vaughn Cordle (Aviation Forecasts) and I pointed out in a 2005 Reason Foundation study, only 20 tiny countries out of 180 listed by ICAO do not charge directly for ATC services (examples are Bahamas, Gambia, Namibia, Somalia, and Togo)plus the United States.

Every significant developed country – all of Europe, Canada, Latin America, nearly all of Asia, Australia, and New Zealand – charge ATC fees, usually weight-distance fees for overflight and en-route services and weight-based fees for terminal ATC services.

I will not waste any time joining those calling for patching up the ticket tax by extending it to ancillary airline fees. What we need instead, in the next reauthorization, is to replace the ticket tax with ATC charges, ideally paid directly to a revamped Air Traffic Organization, governed by a board representing all key aviation stakeholders. ❙

FAA’sChronicFundingProblemBy Robert W. Poole, Jr., Director of Transportation Studies, Reason Foundation, July/Aug. 2010, ATC Reform News

As I write this, Congress has just enacted its 12th extension of the FAA’s expired authorization, which includes the aviation excise taxes that feed the Aviation Trust Fund, on which both air traffic control and federal airport grants depend.


opinion


FTI:TheNetworkBackboneofNextGen By Mark Graham, Chief Systems Engineer and Architect, Mission Critical Networks (MCN), Harris Corporation

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI) is the network backbone for the Next Generation Air Transportation System known as NextGen. The FTI program is an industry and FAA partnership integrating modern telecommunications technologies and innovative business practices to consolidate the FAA’s legacy telecommunications networks, improve security, increase reliability, and reduce overall cost.

FTI replaced multiple separate FAA owned and leased networks with one consolidated com-

munications service managed from a centralized Network Operations Control Center (NOCC). The network for tomorrow’s air transportation system is designed and developed with the capacity, security, and reliability needed to continue today’s operations and serve as the telecommunications solution for the future.

FTIisaSecurePrivateNetworkinOver4,000FAAFacilitiesFTI is a high availability, high perfor-mance, secure private network deployed and operational in over 4,000 FAA facilities. As part of a technology infu-sion initiative made possible through the unique constructs of the FTI performance-based services contract, the FAA upgraded the network to utilize an even higher performing nationwide Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexed (DWDM) optical backbone with mul-tiple metropolitan optical rings for local access. The low latency optical back-bone will increase bandwidth capacity creating the foundation for network-centric NextGen operations.

NextGen is the FAA’s overarching plan to modernize the National Airspace System (NAS). This modernization effort will move the FAA from control-ling aircraft to managing aircraft. The

FAA has designed several NextGen “transformational programs” to provide the infrastructure to support mid-term operational capabilities, including:

• ADS-B – Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast

• Datacomm – Data Communications

• NNEW – NextGen Network Enabled Weather

• NVS – NAS Voice System

• SWIM – System Wide Information Management

Each of these programs modern-izes major components of the NAS including communication, navigation, surveillance, and air traffic manage-ment. The NextGen concept is defined by the Joint Program Development Office (JPDO) and the FAA’s plan to implement NextGen is described in the NextGen implementation plan.1 All of the NextGen transformational programs rely on a comprehensive private, secure, and highly reliable network service.

FTIisDesignedtoSupportNextGenFTI provides multiple network services for the FAA:

• FTI Operational Internet Protocol (IP) Network Service

• FTI Operational time-division multiplexing (TDM) Network Service

• FTI-Sat Network Service

• FTI Microwave Network Service

• FTI Mission Support Network Service

FTI provides ubiquitous network coverage for the NAS and touches all systems including automation, naviga-tion, voice communications, weather, and remote sensor systems. The tiered and hierarchical Operational Support System (OSS) architecture provides con-solidated and continuous monitoring of most NAS facilities and systems.

UbiquitousNetworkCoverageAs technology evolves, new para-digms for the development of NextGen systems rely more and more on ubiq-uitous network coverage. This reliance is most evident in Service Oriented Architectures (SOAs) which assume that an underlying network infrastruc-ture is in place.

SOA implementations often describe the public Internet as the underlying ubiq-uitous network, but private Intranets are often used as an alternative when driven by security requirements. Such is the case with the FAA’s telecommunications enterprise as FTI is a private Intranet built specifically for the NAS and designed with NextGen initiatives in mind.

The extensible FTI architecture is easily expanded to provide the four basic SWIM core services:


• Messaging

• Enterprise Service Management

• Security Service Management

• Interface Management

Messaging is supported by FTI through the ubiquitous and perva-sive coverage that is already in place. Capabilities such as Content-Based Routing (CBR) are an enhancement to FTI’s already extensive set of network routing capabilities.

The FTI OSS Subsystem, and specifi-cally the Primary Network Operations Center (PNOCC) and Backup NOCC (BNOCC) resources, has the facilities, sub-networks, tools, processes, and trained personnel needed to provide the Enterprise Service Management services required by NextGen. The operational FTI Security Operations Control Center (SOCC) provides equivalent resources for providing Security Service Management.

And last but not least, FTI has an extensive library of NAS System inter-

faces, both proprietary legacy interfaces and more modern standard interfaces required by every NAS system because FTI provides communications connectiv-ity for the entire NAS.

FTIisBeingUpgradedtoaState-of-the-ArtOpticalBackboneWith the upgrade of FTI to a state-of-the-art optical backbone using DWDM tech-nology, FTI will provide the best network throughput performance available.

Additionally, other features of the optical backbone such as dual managed Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) ring access designs, physical diversity between at least three wavelengths providing service to each ARTCC and airspace, and geographically separate access node facilities will yield network survivability that is arguably the best in the world.

Combined with FTI’s already proven Enterprise, Security, and Interface management capabilities, the FTI optical backbone is the foundational building

block and technology enabling capability needed to achieve the NextGen vision.

TheFTIBackboneandDualMetroRingArchitectureThe FAA, through the innovative FTI program, upgraded the FTI backbone to an optical backbone implementation. The reasons for the upgrade are numer-ous, but they all manifest themselves into a higher performing network with increased benefits for the NAS.

One of the catalysts to initiating the upgrade to the optical backbone is the unique FTI performance based contract that encourages the prime contractor to continuously look for opportunities to improve service and benefits to the FAA through technology infusion and innovation.

This contractual incentive led to the formulation of the concept, but it had to be vetted through rigorous analyses including the business and financial considerations, evaluation of operational impacts, and considerable study on overall

Figure1–TheFTIOpticalBackbone


impact to the network performance from a survivability and availability perspective.

After several months of study, it was determined that the optical backbone would provide significant benefit to the FAA and the operational impacts were manageable. The survivability and avail-ability analyses indicated that the optical backbone would provide improvements over and above the existing network performance and became another benefit advocating the move to optical technology.

Dense Wavelength Division Multi-plexing (DWDM) combines several wavelengths, or light colors, onto a single fiber increasing capacity by a factor of 32. Today, systems are in operation with over 160 wavelengths on a single fiber. Similar to Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), DWDM is another way of maxi-mizing the amount of traffic carried over a specific medium.

DWDM differs from TDM in that it increases the capacity of the fiber by assigning completely different wavelengths of light to each channel. Therefore the input signals are carried independently and each channel has its own dedicated bandwidth arriving at the destination at the same time.

DWDM is implemented at the physi-cal layer so it can transport TDM and other data formats like ATM, Gigabit Ethernet, and Fiber Channel transpar-ently. In addition, DWDM network

designs are scalable, helping to protect the physical fiber investment.2

The FTI optical backbone will provide improvements in the overall surviv-ability and availability of the network. Survivability refers to how the network will behave when certain events includ-ing possible catastrophic events occur and damage the network.

Availability is closely related to survivability in that it provides a predic-tion of the survivability based upon the Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) and Mean Time To Repair (MTTR) data. As part of network design and architec-ture, Harris used a predicted availability model calculation based on the following assumptions:

• Each airspace is designed with access to at least two physically diverse and geographically separate collocation facilities.

• The backbone connections from every collocation facility will consist of physically diverse fiber routes.

The Harris analysis concluded that a minimum of three physically diverse fiber routes for each collocation facil-ity pair would be required to meet the FAA’s availability and diversity require-ments for critical services. Independent analyses confirmed this conclusion and made other recommendations for improving the overall survivability of the network.

Another survivability feature of the FTI optical backbone is the addition of dual Metropolitan SONET ring access to the backbone. SONET ring architec-tures are state-of-the art technology and known for their self-healing capabilities.

FTISuppliesRedundantSONETRingConnectionsBut, as good as the technology is, there are still certain failure modes that can go undetected and cause service fail-ures. Although the predicted availability of a SONET ring is high, FTI improves upon it by providing redundant SONET ring access connections from each Air Route Traffic Control Center to the geographically separate collocation backbone facilities. The redundant implementation improves upon the already high availability service pro-vided by SONET ring architectures.

In addition, the ring is implemented as a “managed SONET service” which means the entire ring is dedicated to FAA use. This provides the FAA with a significant increase in access bandwidth which helps in times of bad weather and other scenar-ios that cause network congestion. It also means the circuits cannot be groomed by carriers which have been known to com-promise physical diversity between routes and lower network availability.

All FTI SONET Metro rings are being deployed using Unidirectional Path Switched Ring (UPSR) technology which provides greater reliability by sending traffic in both directions on the ring. The receiving end selects the best signal of the two paths during nominal operations.

When a fiber cut occurs, the ring “self-heals” by switching to the other path in milliseconds (typically 50 ms or less). This is in contrast to Bi-directional Line Switched Ring (BLSR) ring architectures that allow the direction of the traffic to be config-ured in either direction and can lead to unprotected failure modes if primary and back-up circuits are routed in the same direction.

Figure2–DenseWavelengthDivisionMultiplexing


ImprovedPerformanceforInternetProtocolServices(IP)Another way NextGen will benefit from the FTI optical backbone is the improve-ment in throughput performance for Internet Protocol (IP) services. This improvement will enable the NVS program to implement Voice over IP (VoIP) technology in the NAS, both for Ground-to-Ground and Air-to-Ground services.

The flat topology of the optical backbone plus the removal of inherent delays in carrier Frame Relay/ATM/MPLS networks reduce throughput delay to a level where it is essentially propagation delay. Put another way, you simply cannot do any better because the physics of optical wave propagation are the constraining factor.

This means that IP packets can be transmitted in less than 50 ms which meets the FAA’s rigorous requirement for operational voice in the NAS. The benefit of using IP for operational voice communications is that many NextGen initiatives, such as Business Continuity Planning (BCP) and facility consolidation, are not easily achieved without the flexibility of dynamic rout-ing supported by IP networking. Other

NextGen initiatives requiring real-time or near-real-time performance such as ADS-B, Datacomm, NNEW, and SWIM also will benefit from the increased throughput performance.

BenefitsofIncreasedBandwidthCapacityClosely tied to improved throughput performance is increased bandwidth capacity. Like computer processing and Moore’s Law for constantly increasing performance, technology capable of increasing bandwidth changes every day. And similar to computer processors with increased processing capacity, users find ways to use increased bandwidth.

The FTI Optical backbone provides a minimum of three wavelengths of capacity for each airspace. Each wave-length in the eastern part of the United States provides 10 Gbps for a total of 30 Gbps for each airspace (3 x 10 Gbps). (Gbps stands for billions of bits per second and is a measure of bandwidth on a digital data transmission medium such as optical fiber.) In the west and central part of the country, 2.5 Gbps wavelengths are provided for a total of 7.5 Gbps of bandwidth capacity for each airspace.

The network is designed to provide more bandwidth in the east because data flow analyses indicate that strategic Air Traffic Control (flow control) and other support functions provided to the NAS are concentrated in the eastern part of the country, creating a large traffic “sink” in that area.

AirspaceHubsGainIncreasedAccessCapacityDual dedicated SONET Metro Rings provide increased access capacity into the airspace hubs, i.e., ARTCC facili-ties. Metro Rings providing access for each ARTCC are implemented with either OC-12 or OC-48 capacity. With dual rings, the access capacity for each ARTCC is essentially double the OC-12 or OC-48 ring capacity.

Bandwidth capacity is critical to ser-vice performance as insufficient band-width capacity erodes the throughput performance of the network when traffic congestion creates a bottleneck. Insufficient capacity can also lead to delays in filling service orders and cause schedule delays to moderniza-tion programs intended to improve Air Traffic Management. With the optical backbone, the network capacity will support both the needed throughput and service order requirements for years to come.

FTICapitalizesontheInfrastructureInvestmentsMadebytheFAAThere are many other benefits that the FTI Program Office will realize and, indi-rectly, they are also beneficial to NextGen, the NAS, and the FAA in general. Examples are improvements in transit traffic performance Business Continuity Planning (BCP) support without the need of carrier involvement and mitigation of technology obsolescence risk.

FTI benefits the NAS by providing a safe, secure and reliable network infra-structure for today’s communication needs. With the increased capacity found in the optical backbone, FTI will be a key enabler for NextGen by capitalizing on the infra-structure investments made by the FAA.

Figure3–DualMetroRingArchitecture

For the intermediate term opera-tional capabilities of NextGen to become a reality, a significant net-work infrastructure must be in place. FTI is the FAA’s initial investment in NextGen, providing the foundation for the transformational programs such as SWIM, DataComm, ADS-B, NVS and NNEW to reach their full potential.

All of these transformational pro-grams will rely heavily on having the network infrastructure in place. Since the NextGen transition approach is to install new systems while existing legacy systems are still in operation, a significant amount of network capacity will be required to support the period of parallel operations. Consolidation of FAA’s network-centric operations, both legacy and NextGen systems on the same network, the FAA will be able to realize additional benefits such as the business continuity plans and facility consolidation.

ASaferandMoreEfficientNationalAirspaceisCriticalA safer and more efficient national air-space is critical to our nation’s economy. The evolution of our nation’s airspace system to NextGen will provide the benefits in an incremental approach over the next decade. This evolution can build upon the existing infrastructure invest-ments that the FAA has already made in order to accelerate the accrual of benefits promised by NextGen.

NextGen initiatives require a secure network that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with the flexibility and throughput performance to support con-cepts such as dynamic re-sectorization, facility consolidation, Business Continuity Planning (BCP) and NextGen future facilities.

FTI is the Intranet of the NAS. The evolution of FTI, specifically the upgrade to the optical backbone and the addition of SOA core services, is the foundational building block and technology enabler needed for NextGen. ❙

ABOUTMARkGRAHAM

Mark Graham is Chief Systems

Engineer and Architect for Harris

Corporation Mission Critical

Networks (MCN). Responsibilities

include system design and

architecture for FAA Next Generation

Air Traffic Management systems.

Mark Graham also served as

Chief Systems Engineer and Network Architect for

Harris Corporation on the FAA Telecommunications

Infrastructure (FTI) program. Prior to his work with

Harris Corporation, Mr. Graham worked with the Air

Traffic Control division of Martin Marietta Corporation

supporting the National Airspace System (NAS)

modernization program. Mr. Graham has over 25 years of

FAA NAS experience on programs such as Flight Service

Automation System, Voice Switching Control System,

National Data Interchange Network, and the Alaskan

NAS Interfacility Communications System. He received

his Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics from West Georgia

College with concentration in Computer Science and

Electronics Technology.

REFERENCES1 Federal Aviation Administration. FAA’s NextGen

Implementation Plan Overview. 2008. www.faa.gov/nextgen

2 Cisco Systems Inc. Introducing DWDM. 2000. www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/mels/ dwdm/dwdm_fns.htm


An FAAMA Interview:

Richard“Rick”J.DucharmeVice President, En Route and Oceanic Services, Air Traffic Organization, FAA

In late June 2009, Rick Ducharme was named Vice President of En Route and Oceanic Services, after serving as acting Vice President for three months. At that time, Ducharme said, “I am excited about being part of this very talented En Route team. The NAS will see dramatic changes in the very near future; I’m thrilled to be part of it!”

A bit more than one year later, Ducharme accepted our invi-tation to describe the cur-

rent activities and responsibilities of En Route and Oceanic Services. Anthony (“Tony”) C. Tisdall, System Operations, Air Traffic Control System Command Center, FAA, and Director of Legislative Affairs, FAA Managers Association, conducted the interview.

Air traffic controllers in En Route and Oceanic Services manage aircraft at the highest levels over the U.S. and far out into the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Controllers at 23 Air Route Traffic Control Centers coordinate with Terminal, Technical Operations, and System Operations Services to provide seamless, safe, secure, and efficient air traffic services to ATO custom-ers operating in the National Airspace System (NAS), as well as in international airspace assigned to U.S. control.

A part of En Route and Oceanic Services, the FAA’s Surveillance and Broadcast Services program office was formed in 2005 to transform the nation’s air traffic control system from one that relies on ground-based radar technology to a system that uses precise location data from the global satellite network.

Enabling this evolution is a proven technology called Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), a crucial component of the FAA’s Next Generation

Air Transportation System (NextGen) and its implementation over the next 20 years. The gains in safety, capacity, and efficiency as a result of moving to a sat-ellite-based system, in conjunction with deployment of En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM), will enable the FAA to meet the tremendous growth in air traffic predicted in coming decades.

Q: What is the status of ERAM?

Ducharme: ERAM is out in the field – a great accomplishment considering that ERAM represents the biggest automation switchover in aviation history – it’s a very complex and complicated scenario. We’re still doing a lot of testing at the Tech Center, and we have some opera-

tional analysis underway in Salt Lake City and Seattle.

Now, we’re in the process of evaluat-ing the critical issues that were identi-fied in the field, and we’re ensuring that the fixes we identified are being made. Accomplishing all of these fixes will occur in a three-step process.

I think there are big lessons to be learned about ERAM, particularly as we move into NextGen and our new technologies. I describe ERAM as the convergence between software engi-neers, developers, and operators. I think a major strength of the ERAM program is that we have all of our organizations involved. The processes that we’ve devel-oped are enabling us to deploy ERAM

Left to Right: ATO Vice President En Route and Oceanic Services Rick Ducharme and FAAMA Director of Legislative Affairs Tony Tisdall, share a handshake.


more quickly and efficiently than we’ve done in the past.

Q: In addition to ERAM, are you aware of any new technologies that will reduce separation standards to less than five miles in the En Route option?

D: I think that we need to be mind-ful of the expectations we impart to the flying public regarding our ability to reduce separation standards in En Route from five to three nautical miles. There is a possibility – in certain condi-tions, at certain locations – that with the right technologies we will reduce the minimum radar separation required to three miles.

However, it depends on the scenario. I think that it is sometimes misleading when we start talking about reducing separation from five nautical miles to three. What we are really talking about is reducing the minimum required radar separation, on an as needed basis, to three nautical miles.

That said, I think some of the greater gains may be achieved over the ocean, and ADS-B is certainly one of the tools we can use to reduce separation. Similarly, I think Data Communication allows for faster clearances, but short term, under certain specific scenarios, I can see where we will go to three nauti-cal mile separation.

Q: There is a lot of discussion about consolidation. Is there a long term plan to combine En Route traffic control centers?

D: As a matter of sound business practice, I think we must reduce and consolidate the number of centers that we have currently. How many we end up with and where they will be located has yet to be determined.

However, I think that looking at the state of NextGen facilities and how they’ll help to move us forward is a big piece of it. The transformation to NextGen is a collaborative effort involving En Route and other lines of business. Until we

figure out where we are going to be with NextGen facilities, any discussion of consolidating facilities is premature.

Q: How many Air Traffic Controllers are expected to be hired for the En Route option in 2011 and 2012?

D:We will continue hiring based on our review and analysis of air traffic and the number of positions we need for staffing. I think it would be advan-tageous to slow things down a bit at some of our facilities.

We need to ease up on our facilities to allow them to train and work with all of the developmental controllers they have. I think we are doing a tremendous job of training. Currently, we are looking at hir-ing 300 controllers per year in 2011 and 2012, but we will see how that turns out.

Q: How many new Front Line Managers are expected to be hired for the En Route option in 2011 and 2012?

D:We are reviewing and updating our approach to hiring Front Line Managers to better align with the needs of the facilities and the air traffic system. For example, we might have a facility or area with seven supervisors when it could safely and effectively provide coverage with five, based on volume and complex-ity. Conversely, we may have other areas that have seven supervisors who may have little relief on a daily basis.

Additionally, I want to put supervisors where I need them, based on the expected level of service. If an area in Atlanta, Cleveland, or Los Angeles needs nine supervisors because of volume and com-plexity, then I want nine there so the right number of supervisors per area matches expected volume and complexity.

Using this model, I’ve asked the Directors of Operations and Human Resources to take a look at how we may be able to work smarter and more effi-ciently from a management perspective, and I expect we’ll have their recommen-dations prior to Fiscal Year 2011. Then, we will assess all of our options with the

goal of balancing the numbers of control-lers and Front Line Managers based on volume and complexity.

Q: Front Line Managers are very interested in the MSS pay structure currently being worked. How do you think MSS2 and above pay will compare to the bargaining unit pay as established in the 2009 Collective Bargaining Agreement?

D:The Operations Council and opera-tional vice presidents certainly have an interest in it, but I think there’s more than just the pay that comes out of that agree-ment. I think our existing workforce will be well compensated in this structure.

There are provisions in our rules cur-rently which inhibit succession planning and those types of things, and that’s what I am most concerned about. It’s about getting future leadership to take on those responsibilities because I think we may have a gap.

Q. Field management is very interested in “Save Pay” when moving from one field position to another for career progression. For example, if an MSS2 moves from a Level 11 to an MSS4 at a Level 8, this results in a pay decrease. What is the status of having “Save Pay” in the field for career progression?

D:Under the old rules, Air Traffic Managers were GS-15s, and it did not matter whether you were at a Level 3 or Level 5 facility. That is an impedi-ment to succession planning. To support “Save Pay,” ATO worked with Human Resources last Fall on the release of Policy Bulletin #58, Air Traffic Organization Career Progression Plan for MSS-2/3/4 Movement to Service Area/Headquarters 2152 Positions.

We realize that this addressed just one area where career progression negatively impacted pay. Currently, we are working with HR on an additional “Save Pay” scenario to address the movement of MSS-2/3s to lower ATC level MSS-4 positions. We are working

to establish an ATO Career Progression Plan to address the whole career pro-gression picture, including pay.

Q: There also is talk about a career progression work group that will integrate how an employee might move from Tech Ops to an air traffic management position and vice versa. What is the Agency’s plan to assist employees with career progression?

D:I think there are some cross-domain things going on, but the concept that a manager is a manager – I think that needs a bit more refining. In a safety-related occupation, you have to blend leadership skills as well as some technical knowledge. There is still much work to be done. As long as it is the right person with the right skills, we can get it done.

We talk about individual develop-ment as a “program,” which is the way bureaucracies work. Individuals entering the Academy in Oklahoma City could be motivated to find their own career paths, mentors, and job coaches. Not everyone can get into these separate programs, and that is a concern.

Some of the people being hired today have managed very large programs and have led large organizations. There are a lot more military officers coming into our workforce than ever before with leadership training from the Department of Defense and the Armed Forces. I don’t think you can do “one size fits all.” You have to look at the individuals. If they have the skill set and the background, you can give them the opportunity.

Q: Let’s switch over to labor relations. The Executive Order that President Obama signed mandated a partnership-type approach. What is the agency’s response? What are we doing to follow through?

D:From my perspective, the agency’s training and explanation of the intent of the Executive Order has been accurate, inclusive, and timely. I think that this Executive Order carries high expec-tations, and as the National Council unveils some of its strategies for the future, we will share them.

It’s still early in the process, but I came away very optimistic following my participation in a recent National Council meeting. I think both management and labor will see a significant difference; there is definitely a different intent. I think it is a good thing.

Q: The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is looking at professionalism in aviation. What recommendations do you think the NTSB will supply?

D:We have implemented the Air Traffic Safety Action Program (ATSAP), a pro-gram that has resulted in a higher level of reporting, accountability, and safety. Additionally, we have the Traffic Analysis Review Program (TARP), a state-of-the-art traffic analysis and playback system that will improve operational error identification and quality assurance, so I hope that the NTSB says that these ini-tiatives are steps in the right direction.

Because of the spotlight on avia-tion, I think there’s been a greater focus

on the five percent of people who do something wrong versus the 95 percent who do an incredible job every day to keep air travel efficient and safe. I hope the NTSB recommendations reflect and acknowledge that professionalism.

Q: A recent issue of Managing the Skies focused on definitions of professionalism. Do you have a definition of professionalism that you would like to share?

D:I think professionalism is a com-mitment to the flying public and to the position that you hold, no matter what that position is or at what level. From a controller perspective, using the right phraseology, not cutting any corners – that’s the level of service that we are expected to deliver. If you make the right decision for the right reasons, then I think that’s professionalism, and that’s the standard that must be met.

Q: Is Administrator Babbitt beginning to put his stamp on the agency?

D:Yes, he is. Administrator Babbitt brings a blend of leadership and collaboration to the agency. I’ve been very pleased with my interactions with him, and in manag-ing the FAA, we’re all accountable, we’re all responsible, and people at all levels of the organization do have a voice in the decisions that are made.

At the end of the day, we are making the decisions, and I think that is a reflec-tion of and a testament to his leadership style. People are noticing it and feeling more involved and empowered through-out the organization. You also can see that with the labor organizations. So, yes, I think we are definitely heading in the right direction.

Q: June 1 marked Administrator Babbitt’s first year anniversary. What changes have you seen since he came onboard?

D:One of the things that Administrator Babbitt has done extremely well is communicate his expectations about how we are going to operate in the


ATO Vice President En Route and Oceanic Services Rick Ducharme.


labor environment and how he expects labor to operate and function with us. I think that has been extremely effective, and I’m very excited about where we are going. I think we are beginning to experience the benefits of collaborative processes.

Q: When we formed the ATO, we had 10 vice presidents in a very flat line structure. How is the current structure of having all ATO line operations organized under one Senior VP improved our quality of service versus the original design?

D:I’ll speak for the Operations Council and the operating lines under the Vice President of Operations, Rick Day. At no time in my career have I seen more evi-dence of situational awareness in every service unit than we have today. The vice presidents of each service area share resources, concepts, ideas, and ensure that we are on the same page.

I think the new structure provides consistency. We are not there yet, but we are working together toward a com-mon goal. The relationships between En Route, Terminal, and System Operations have never been stronger, and we’re working together as a team.

Q: Last October, Phase One of an ATO reorganization realigned several groups. At the time, we were advised that there would be two additional phases. Where exactly are we with that transition?

D:By October, there should be some information about Phase Two realign-ment available. We are looking at some models and alignments. It’s about putting the right resources together at the cor-rect level of service for all service units – that’s what Phase Two is about. We are finalizing the plan, and I think the end product is going to be a more nimble, quicker responding organization.

Q. With the ratification of the controller and staff support contracts in air traffic, what do you see on the horizon for Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) and the multi-unit negotiations ahead, and the labor relations environment in general?

D:I don’t know PASS that well, but it’s heartening to see the level of profession-alism being demonstrated by labor lead-ership today. I would expect nothing less of PASS leadership, and I think the times have evolved towards a more respon-sible, less antagonistic relationship.

I think it is time to move forward, and our labor organizations are demonstrat-ing a willingness to do that. Under this administration’s leadership, we are will-ing to do that as well.

Q. On a lighter note, I understand that you have a Facebook fan page?

D:Yes, and the staff refers to me as the “Facebook dude.” As you know, today’s workforce has changed dramatically. A lot of people we hire communicate routinely through Facebook and other social media. We’re using the latest technologies to stay current and viable with prospective employees and the public. (Editor’s Note: Rick Ducharme’s Facebook page can be found at www.facebook.com/pages/Rick-Ducharme/.)

Q. Do you have any closing thoughts for FAAMA membership? I know you’re going to join the 30th Anniversary Gathering of Eagles in September, talking about ATO leadership.

D:Just recently, I joined FAAMA again. It is my observation that FAAMA lead-ership is going in the right direction. In terms of NextGen, I think FAAMA needs to stay closely involved.

At the FAA, we have a tendency to develop the technology, write the proce-

dures and policies to define the technol-ogy, and then finally, we get around to getting people to accept the procedures, policies, and technology. The time spent engaging our employees at all levels of the organization to embrace and understand what NextGen is all about is absolutely critical.

If we continue to impose technology, policies, and procedures before fully engaging our employees, these initia-tives are likely to be met with resistance. I think that the earlier we can get our employees educated and involved in part of the change, the better it will be. And that’s a place where FAAMA can be truly

helpful. ❙

ABOUTRICkDUCHARME

In June 2009, Rick Ducharme was named Vice President

of En Route and Oceanic Services, after serving as acting

Vice President for three months. Prior to En Route,

Ducharme was Director of Mission Support for Terminal

Services for two years.

Ducharme joined the FAA in 1982 as an Air Traffic Control

Specialist at Boston Air Traffic Control Tower after more

than two years as a controller in the U.S. Air Force. He

followed a career path that included positions as a

Traffic Management Coordinator, Training Specialist, and

Operations Supervisor at Boston Tower.

He later moved to the Eastern Region where he

was selected as Section Supervisor and then to the

Washington area where he served as the Assistant

Air Traffic Manager at Washington Dulles Tower. After

that, he worked at Philadelphia Tower as the Air Traffic

Manager before serving as Deputy Director of the Air

Traffic Systems Requirements Service and Air Traffic

Division Manager. When the ATO was created in 2004,

Ducharme was named Director of Operations for the

Eastern Terminal Service Area.

Originally from Auburn, Maine, Ducharme majored in

psychology and sociology at the University of Maine.

He has been the recipient of several prestigious

awards including the FAA Administrator’s “Superior

Achievement Award” for excellence in equal employment

opportunity, the National Black Coalition of Federal

Employees “Professional Award” for commitment to

diversity hiring, and the Air Traffic Control Association’s

“General E. R. Quesada Memorial Award” for

outstanding achievements and contributions which

advanced the science of air traffic control and enhanced

the professions of the air traffic control system.

“ Because of the spotlight on aviation, I think there’s been a greater focus on the five percent of people who do something wrong versus the 95 percent who do an incredible job every day to keep air travel efficient and safe.”

Sunday,September12,2010• Early Registration

• 30th Annual FAAMA President’s Reception Celebrating Our Heritage Sponsored by Raytheon

Monday,September13,2010BelievingIntheMission

• Registration

• Opening Ceremonies

• Address: Congressman Michael E. “Mike” McMahon

• Association Business: Nominations (secretary and president)

• Address: Teamwork in Crisis: The Story of Flight 232 by Captain Alfred C. “Al” Haynes (Ret.)

• Association Business: State of the Association

• Pre-Luncheon Speaker: Simon Evans, SRA International

• Luncheon: Sponsored by SRA International

• Training: Performance Intelligence by Dr. Julie Bell

• Monday Night Football & Halftime Party (IPad will be given away – must be present to win)

Tuesday,September14,2010BelievingIntheMethods

• Training: Walk the Walk: The Most Important Rule for Real Leaders by Alan Deutschman

• Pre-Luncheon Speaker: Jim Wright, Harris Corporation

• Training: No More Excuses: Create an Organizational Culture Based In Accountability by Sam Silverstein

Wednesday,September15BelievingintheMessage

• Address: You are the Message: Communicating with Congress by Judy Schneider

• Address: Partnership for Safety by Bob Tarter

• Address: Reasonable Accommodations by Mandy Haltrecht

• Address: ATO Workforce Engagement by Dr. Isa Campbell

• Address: Human Resources Update by Ventris Gibson

• Address: ATO Leadership Update by Rick Ducharme

• Association Business: Nominating speeches, treasurer’s and committee reports

• 30th Annual FAAMA Awards Banquet Sponsored by Barco Business or Evening Attire

Thursday,September16,2010BelievingintheMembership

• Training; Mock Mediation with Carmen Quiles, Moderator

• Training; The Game’s Changed: The Audacious New Rules of Innovation by Dennis Stauffer

• Association Business: Seconding speeches; candidate speeches; elections; oaths of office

30 YEARS:THEPOWEROFBELIEVING

2010FAAMAConventionCorporateExhibitors&SponsorsSeptember12-16,2010|SouthPointHotelCasino&Spa|LasVegas


30tH AnnUAL FAA MAnAGers AssociAtion: GAtHerinG oF eAGLes convention & trAininG conFerence



2010 FAAMAConventionCorporateSponsors

Barco,Inc.Sponsor:WednesdayAwardsBanquet

Barco, a global technology company, designs and develops visualization solu-tions for a variety of selected professional markets including air traffic manage-ment. Barco shares the concerns about managing airspace safety as no other visualization company. That is why Barco is committed to providing visual-ization solutions that support controllers, operators, and aircrews in making air traffic safer and more efficient. From gate to gate, Barco’s visualization solutions support the air traffic management com-munity in all phases of operations.

Barco,Inc.3059PremiereParkway,Duluth,GA30097678-475-8000|www.barco.com

EmcorEnclosures/Crenlo,LLCSponsor:FAAMALanyards

With over 55 years of experience, Emcor has a long tradition of leadership in providing consoles and enclosures for the air traffic control (ATC) market. They are used in Towers, TRACONs, En Route Centers, and Flight Service Stations. Emcor’s products are designed and manufactured to withstand the most demanding mission-critical environ-ments while ensuring maximum opera-tor effectiveness. Emcor enclosures are designed and manufactured by Crenlo. For more information, contact Jerry Krause at 507-287-3419.

Crenlo,LLC16004thAvenueN.W.,Rochester,MN55901507-287-3535|www.emcorenclosures.com/atc

HarrisCorporationSponsor:PlatinumPackage

Harris is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has approximately $5 billion of annual revenue and more than 15,000 employees – including nearly 7,000 engi-

neers and scientists. Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured commu-nications® products, systems, and services.

HarrisCorporation1025WestNASABoulevard,Melbourne,Florida32919800-442-7747|www.harris.com

NewBedfordPanoramexCorporation(NBP)Sponsor:CoffeeMugs

Since 1966, NPB has established an undisputed reputation for innovation, quality, performance, and integrity in the engineering, design, and manufac-turing of Landing Visual Aids includ-ing Approach Lighting Systems and Monitoring and Control Systems for the aviation, utility, and defense industries. NBP also offers training and field sup-port services.

NBPCorporation1037WestNinthStreet,Upland,CA909-982-9806|www.nbpcorp.com

OptimalSolutions&Technologies(OST,Inc.)Sponsor:RaffleTVSets

OST was founded by a team of highly qualified and experienced managers, engineers and information technology executives to do one thing – deliver value services. Our mission is to deliver cost-effective and mission-critical manage-ment and technology-based services and solutions that help our clients improve their businesses.

OptimalSolutions&Technologies,Inc.2001MStreetNW,Suite3000,Washington,DC20036202-466-8099|www.ostglobal.com

RaytheonCompanySponsorSundayPresident’sReception;Booth30

Raytheon Company, with 2009 sales of $25 billion, is a technology and inno-vation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 88 years,

Raytheon provides state-of-the-art elec-tronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, com-munications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services.

RaytheonTechnicalServicesCompanyLLC.22265PacificBlvd.,Dulles,VA20166

SkyOneFederalCreditUnionSponsor:ShuttleBus

You work hard transporting America safely through the skies. We work hard to provide you financial peace of mind. We have almost 60 years of serving the air transportation industry, and we understand the specific financial needs of our members. That’s why we exist. We embrace the latest technological innovations to offer the highest level of secure, 24/7 account access services available today.

SkyOneFederalCreditUnion,14600AviationBlvd.,Hawthorne,CA90250800-421-7111|www.skyone.org

SRAInternationalSponsor:MondayLuncheon

Founded in 1978, SRA provides the expert knowledge, technical tools and solutions that governments, agencies, and companies need to improve perfor-mance, reduce costs and risks, introduce enterprise efficiencies, and enhance human health. Era Systems Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of SRA, pro-vides next-generation air traffic manage-ment tools that address core challenges like safety, efficiency, profitability and functionality. Our innovative use of proven next-generation technologies like multilateration and ADS-B help air navigation service providers (ANSPs) and airport operators ease capacity con-straints, improve airspace and ground space efficiencies and reduce costs.

SRAInternational|ERASystemsCorporation,1881CampusCommonsDr.,Suite101,Reston,VA20191|703-637-7283|www.sra.com/era



AdvancedATC,Inc.Booth36

Characterized by integrity, experience, and passion, Advanced ATC, Inc. is the creation of a common vision of its three founding partners, Daniel (Dan) Cunningham, John Fisher, and Mickey Mahaffey. Their vision is driven by a passion to provide an expedient and efficient solution to the FAA’s current and projected Air Traffic Controller shortage, and their commitment is to provide a supportive and conducive environment to ensure every student’s greatest chance of success. The firm’s training program is designed not only to meet, but also to exceed the mini-mum requirements issued by the FAA.

AdvancedATC,Inc.4089ValTechRoad,Bldg100Valdosta,GA31602866-938-0398|www.advancedatc.com

AirTrafficControlAssociation(ATCA)Booth32

As an independent, non-profit organi-zation, ATCA is dedicated to promot-ing, maintaining, and enhancing the stature and well being of the Air Traffic Control profession and the aviation community. The Association develops and disseminates knowledge of the control of air traffic in all its phases and applications. ATCA also encourages intelligent and honorable cooperation between all persons, parties, and agen-cies interested in and concerned with the promotion and advancement of aviation and, in particular, the field of air traffic control.

AirTrafficControlAssociation1101kingSt,Suite300,Alexandria,VA22314703-299-2430|www.atca.org

AydinDisplays,Inc.Booth42

Aydin Displays, Inc. is a world leader in manufacturing and supplying high quality, high reliability displays in ATC, military, and industrial environments. With over 40 years experience, the firm is commit-ted to providing mission critical display systems to facilitate maximum safety in flight. Aydin’s display line includes the 20" x 20" 30281 display – the only 2K x 2K display manufactured in North America and specifically designed for ATC. Aydin Displays is an AS9100B certified designer and manufacturer of display equipment.

AydinDisplays,Inc.1RigaLane.Birdsboro,PA19508866-367-2934|www.aydindisplays.com

EvansConsolesCorporationBooth26

Founded in 1980 and privately owned, Evans Consoles is the world leader in the design and manufacturing of custom control room solutions for mission critical and other technology-intensive environments. Our resources, combined with an experienced sales force and sup-port network spanning the globe, give us the tools to meet all of your control room console furniture needs.

www.evansonline.com

FederalEmployeeEducation&AssistanceFund(FEEA)Booth27

Since 1986, FEEA has been the only non-profit organization devoted solely to helping civilian federal and postal employees. FEEA was formed because of the needs of federal employees, but has grown through their generosity. FEEA’s goal is that every federal employee knows of FEEA in his or her time of need.

FEEA3333S.WadsworthBlvd.,Suite300,Lakewood,CO80227800-323-4140|www.feea.org

FederalEmployeeDefenseServices(FEDS)Booth38

Federal Employee Defense Services, Inc. (FEDS) was founded by a former federal attorney with the express purpose to protect and educate federal employees about their professional exposure; and to offer coverage, claims administra-tion, and legal representation specifically tailored to meet those needs.

FEDSP.O.Box65282,Washington,DC20035866-955-FEDS|www.fedsprotection.com

GEICOBooth23

GEICO was created over 60 years ago to insure federal employees. Over the years GEICO has continuously strengthened its affiliation with the federal workforce. Today GEICO has many benefits and programs for federal workers. Trained professional associates are available to provide federal employees with the exceptional service they deserve and answer any questions about GEICO’s benefits to federal workers.

www.geico.com/information/federal/

LivingstonFinancialGroupBooth13

The Livingston Financial Group (LFG) will walk you through the process of making major financial decisions during the transitions in your life. For over 20 years LFG has been a family firm that specializes in integrating our investment knowledge with your specific needs and concerns, offering a broad range of finan-cial and insurance services.

LivingstonFinancialGroup2LocustLane,Suite306,Westminster,MD21157|800-752-8992www.livingstonfinancialgroup.com

2010FAAMAConventionCorporateExhibitors



LongTermCarePartners,LLCBooth10

The Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program was designed specifically for members of the Federal Family. It is sponsored by the Federal Government and backed by two of the country’s top insurance companies. The Federal Program is designed to help protect enrollees against the high costs of long term care.

LongTermCarePartners,LLCPOBox797,Greenland,NH03840800-582-3337|www.ltcfeds.com/FAAMA

TheMITRECorporationBooth20

The MITRE Corporation is a not-for-profit organization chartered to work in the public interest. As a national resource, we apply our expertise in systems engineering, information technology, operational concepts, and enterprise modernization. MITRE man-ages a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) for the FAA called the Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD).

TheMITRECorporation-Washington7515ColshireDrive,McLean,VA22102703-983-6000|www.mitre.org

MassachusettsInstituteofTechnology(MIT)LincolnLaboratoryBooth19

MIT Lincoln Laboratory conducts research and development aimed at solutions to problems critical to national security. The areas that constitute the core of the work performed at Lincoln Laboratory are sensors, information extraction (signal processing and embed-ded computing), communications, and integrated sensing and decision support, all supported by a broad research base in advanced electronics.

LincolnLaboratory,MIT244WoodStreet,Lexington,MA02420781-981-5500|www.ll.mit.edu

NationalActiveandRetiredFederalEmployeesAssociation(NARFE)Booth14

Founded in the United States in 1921, the mission of the NARFE is to protect the benefits of Civil Service employees and retirees, their spouses, and survi-vors, concentrating on legislation and the day to day political activity that preserves and enhances their benefits. As of 2010 it represents the interests of approximately five million people.

NARFE606N.WashingtonSt.,Alexandria,VA22314703-838-7760|www.narfe.org

NationalHispanicCoalitionofFederalAviationEmployees(NHCFAE)Booth7

The NHCFAE is a professional, diverse organization that focuses on advocat-ing career placement and advance¬ment through representation, education, and alliances. Established in 1978 in an effort to provide a network for Hispanic employees of the FAA and the aviation industry, it became a national organiza-tion in 1983. Today, the Coalition is the chief advocate for issues affecting Hispanics in the FAA.

www.nhcfae.org

NorthropGrummanCorporationBooth9

Northrop Grumman is a premier devel-oper, integrator, producer and supporter of manned and unmanned aircraft, spacecraft, high-energy laser systems, microelectronics and other systems and subsystems critical to maintaining the nation’s security and leadership in science and technology. These systems are used, primarily by government customers, in many different mission areas including intelligence, surveillance and reconnais-sance; communications; battle manage-ment; strike operations; electronic warfare; missile defense; earth observation; space science; and space exploration.

NorthropGrummanCorporation1840CenturyParkEast,LosAngeles,CA90067310-553-6262|www.northropgrumman.com

Plantronics,Inc.Booth16

Plantronics, Inc. introduced the first lightweight communications headset in 1962 and is today the world’s leading designer, manufacturer, and marketer of lightweight communications headset products. From unified communica-tion solutions to Bluetooth headsets, Plantronics delivers unparalleled audio experiences and quality that reflect our nearly 50 years of innovation and cus-tomer commitment. Plantronics is used by every company in the Fortune 100 and is the headset of choice for air traffic control.

Plantronics,Inc.345EncinalStreet,SantaCruz,CA95060800-544-4660|www.plantronics.com

RaytheonCompanyBooth30

SponsorSundayPresident’sReception

See pg. 17 for more information.

SnowFederalSeminars,Inc.Booth18

Get clear direction on your Federal Employee Benefits from the premiere educational organization providing in-depth knowledge on the complex maze of federal employee benefits. If you are struggling to understand your benefits, or are wondering how you can plan for a secure retirement, we can help you! We specialize in providing informa-tion on benefits for: CSRS, CSRS Offset, FERS, FERS Transferees, and Air Traffic Controllers.

FederalSeminars&ChFEBC,Inc.399PerryStreet,Suite320,CastleRock,CO80104800-696-3511|www.snowseminars.com

STR-SpeechTechLtd.Booth43

STR-SpeechTech Ltd. is an advanced research and development company dedicated to the design and delivery of practical speech technology software products. The company develops soft-ware systems for digital processing of audio signals, with emphasis on speech signals. Two of STR’s most popular prod-ucts are StarCaster and StarReporter. StarCaster technology currently is in use by the FAA in Islip, NY and in three regions in Alaska.

STR-SpeechTechLtd.212-1001CloverdaleAve.Victoria,BCV8X4C9250-477-0544|www.speechtech.com

SunhilloCorporationBooth39

Sunhillo provides surveillance distribu-tion and format conversion solutions for both the FAA and the military. Our family of gateway products facilitates the sharing of surveillance data between dis-parate systems by providing data format conversions and serial-to-LAN/LAN-to-serial connectivity. Our equipment currently is being used nationwide at Towers, TRACONs, and En Route facili-ties. Some of the programs we support with our hardware and solutions include ADS-B, STARS, ERAM, and ATOP.

SunhilloCorporation444kelleyDrive,WestBerlin,NJ08091856-767-7676|www.sunhillo.com

SystemsAtlanta,Inc.Booth28

Systems Atlanta, Inc. (SAI) is the lead-ing supplier of Integrated Information Display & Dissemination Systems (IDS). Our primary markets are air traffic control, airport/airline operations, and emergency management facilities, both civilian and military.

Our IDS solutions provide rapid access to a wide array of information originat-ing from multiple sources, all integrated for a real-time access, consolidated

display, and distribution over local and wide area networks. Thus, an SAI IDS solution serves as a combined data dis-play, data integration, and data distribu-tion platform to promote efficiency of operations anywhere.

SystemsAtlanta,Inc.P.O.Box99,Lebanon,GA30146770-928-0240|www.sysatl.com

WIDECorporationBooth1

WIDE stands for “World Innovative Display Engineering.” Founded in 1999, since then WIDE has been totally com-mitted to designing, developing, manu-facturing, distributing, and providing services of special high tech visualiza-tion products needed by the customers but difficult to outsource in the market. WIDE also has been investigating a lot of efforts in developing new products and new management renovation based on the attitude of growing with our custom-ers by supplying the best solution to them. The display industry which WIDE is involved in is a niche market special-ized in Medical and ATC (Air Traffic Control) LCD displays.

WIDEUSA8HammondSt.,Suite#114,Irvine,CA92618949-305-9933|www.widecorp.com

WrightUSABooth11

For nearly 50 years, Wright USA has set the standard for insurance programs for Federal Government Employees and is the largest Third Party Administrator (TPA) serving this market. Wright USA continues to be a pioneer in development, design, implementation, and administra-tion of insurance programs to meet the needs of Federal Employees and their families. Wright USA has built strong relationships with leading insurance companies to provide comprehensive benefits at low, affordable group rates.

WrightUSA706PhiladelphiaPike,Suite1,Wilmington,DE19809800-424-9801|www.wrightandco.com

CharterSubscriptionOffer

❏ YES! Sign me up for an annual subscription to Managing the Skies, a bi-monthly publica-tion of the FAA Managers Association.*

Subscription rates for non-members are $49.00 per year within the US and US pos-sessions; $65.00 per year in Canada; and $85.00 per year elsewhere, including special air delivery; digital edition is $39.00 per year.

name (print)

title

company

address

city state zip

telephone

fax

email address

❏ Payment Enclosed. Make check payable to FAAMA and return this form with payment to: FAA Managers Association, #315, 4410 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20016

Bulk Subscription RatesTo inquire about bulk rates, please send an email to [email protected].

* Managing the Skies is a benefit of member-ship in the FAA Managers Association, Inc. To become a member, go to www.faama.org.

proFiLe

DeMint has earned national acclaim for his work to end the system of earmarks. Following the November elections in 2006, the senator stood up

against big spenders in Congress and stopped over 10,000 wasteful pork projects.

The late famed Washington journalist Robert Novak called him a “hero.” Wall Street Journal editor Steve Moore said the senator’s actions saved Americans about $17 billion and called him the “taxpayers’ greatest ally.” He was recently ranked as the Senate’s most conservative member by National Journal and as the number one senator voting for responsible tax and spending policies by the National Taxpayers Union.

CommitteeAssignmentsSenator DeMint is a Ranking Member of the Subcommitte on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; a Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Economic Policy of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; and is a Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on European Affairs of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

He also serves on an additional ten subcommittees of the Senate Committees on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Foreign Relations; and the Joint Economic Committee.

AboutJamesWarren“Jim”DeMintBorn September 2, 1951 in Greenville, SC, Jim DeMint was one of four children. DeMint’s parents, Betty W. (née Rawlings) and Thomas Eugene DeMint, divorced when he was five. His mother operated a dance studio.

DeMint was educated at the Christ Church Episcopal School and Wade Hampton High School, both in Greenville. DeMint played drums for a cover band called Salt & Pepper. He received a B.A. from the University of Tennessee and an M.B.A. from Clemson University.

Prior to entering politics, DeMint worked in the field of market research, founding his own research firm, the DeMint Group, in 1983. He was president of this corporation until 1998.

In 1998, De Mint was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing South Carolina’s Fourth District from 1999 to 2004.

In the 2004 South Carolina Senate election, he won by 53.7 percent, which meant that South Carolina was represented by two Republican Senators for the first time since Reconstruction. He won re-nomination in 2010.

In the Senate, DeMint’s main work has been opposing the increase of Federal government spending, both under the Bush and Obama Administrations. He was opposed to federal bail-outs for banks and other corporations.

Senator DeMint is a member of the C Street Family, a Christian prayer group which includes many prominent Republican and Democratic members of Congress.

In 2009, DeMint authored a book entitled Saving Freedom: We Can Stop America’s Slide into Socialism (Fidelis, Nashville, 2009).

DeMint married his high school sweetheart, Debbie Henderson, on September 1, 1973; the couple have four children.

DeMintPraisesU.S.HouseforMovingtoPassFAAExtensionwithEssentialSafetyProvisionsOn July 28, 2010, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina), Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee on the Senate Commerce Committee, praised the leaders in the House of Representatives for working to send the Senate an extension of the FAA that includes essential and non-contro-versial safety provisions.

Specifically, Senator DeMint is pleased with House lead-ers decision to include provisions to increase the experience requirements for co-pilots, establish a pilot records database to weed out bad pilots, enhance mentoring for pilots, increase utilization of safety management programs, improve crew man-agement initiatives, and require clearer responses to National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendations. Senator DeMint made a similar effort nearly a month ago to get these provisions passed but was blocked by Democrats.

“We’ve waited months for these essential safety improvements to pass, but they’ve been held up in conference by unnecessary union provisions and tax increases,” said Senator DeMint. ❙

SenatorJimDeMint(R-SC)Elected as South Carolina’s 55th senator in 2004, Jim DeMint quickly established himself as one of the most effective conservative leaders in Washington, seeking to enact innovative solutions to improve America for future generations. He has been a tireless advocate for smaller government, individual liberty, a strong national defense, and traditional values.



TheIDS5Connection–SharingCriticalInformationbetweentheFAAandUSMilitaryBy: Darrin Luedke, VP of Bus. Dev./Marketing, Systems Atlanta, Inc.

Systems Atlanta’s IDS5 bridges the gap between 3 of our most critical organizations – the FAA, the US Air Force, and the US Army.

For 27 years, Systems Atlanta, Inc. (SAI) has provided Information Display System

(IDS) products and services for the FAA in over 300 ATC facilities. From the first IDS that served control-lers in a single facility, systems have now evolved to provide data sharing among a large number of facilities, including those of the FAA, the US Military and many other users. The resulting relationships are integral to realizing our common goal: to pro-vide the ATC industry with the tools that strengthen safety in the NAS.

Prior to the use of SAI’s first IDS, air traffic controllers used anything available to obtain and distribute information. Hand written weather observations on small pieces of paper were passed around the room with one controller memorizing the information before passing it on to the next. As more electronic displays became available for systems providing specific information, such as runway visibility, wind speed and direction, the limited physical space in which to install additional equipment became a serious problem.

SAI responded to the challenge: The first IDS system provided to the FAA practically eliminated the time and awkwardness spent transitioning paper around the control room by collecting information as near to the data source as possible and displaying it instanta-neously to each controller. Integration of all kinds of data from many diverse sources on a single display became an IDS standard requirement.

SAI continually integrates modern technology with current and future operational needs to supply the most effi-cient, feature-rich products and services in the industry. Our latest IDS5 software product suite is the result of more than two decades of product improvement.

IDS5AutomationIDS5 consolidates information from real-time status sensors, static reference data, and manual inputs on a single dis-play. With the most current information available automatically and immediately from IDS5, controllers are able to make critical decisions in an instant.

Once data enters the system, it is immediately and automatically distrib-uted system-wide for instant management and display at every user position. An update in the tower is immediately visible in other Terminal and, in some cases, En Route facilities. Updates from the FAA are immediately distributed to other SAI IDS facilities, such as the US Air Force, US Army, airports, and airlines. Within the FAA, US Air Force, and US Army, SAI’s IDS product line is operational on over 4,500 workstations worldwide.

Manual coordination, in the form of paper documents, phone calls, multiple dedicated phone lines, and individual displays for each data source, is now a thing of the past. All of SAI’s IDS sys-tems provide automation.

IDS5andATCReferred to as one of the most important tools in air traffic, IDS5 is widely used throughout the military and civilian air

“ Referred to as one of the most important tools in air traffic, IDS5 is widely used throughout the military and civilian air traffic community. Its list of features and capabilities has become the standard requirements for IDS programs worldwide.”


traffic community. Its list of features and capabilities has become the standard requirements for IDS programs worldwide.

SAI tailors and enhances our IDS product line through close personal interaction with the air traffic control-lers that use our systems. SAI also draws upon the knowledge of former air traffic controllers on staff with over 100 combined years of ATC experience. This feedback keeps us “in tune” with the most critical needs of our customers and allows us to broaden our spectrum of IDS solutions. Historically, each SAI IDS product not only meets all stated user requirements, but also provides a rich set of additional features and capabili-ties. Current and future versions of our IDS software continue that tradition.

IDS5andtheFAASince 1983, when SAI installed IDS1 in the first FAA facility, the FAA has relied on SAI’s IDS products and services.

In 1988, utilizing the latest commercial microcomputer technology, SAI’s IDS2 became the standard IDS in FAA Terminal facilities under a lead region contract.

In 1993, IDS4 became operational in the Southern California TRACON (SCT), followed by many other FAA facilities. IDS4 has been operational in the FAA for over 17 years.

In 1999, the FAA implemented the ACE-IDS (ASOS Controller Equipment Information Display System) Program, which supplied IDS5 throughout the FAA’s hub facilities nationwide.

The latest installation of IDS5 in the FAA was at the Port Columbus TRACON (CMH). Using IDS5, CMH now shares information with four satellite facilities, and one of these facilities, Dayton Tower (DAY), shares its information with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB).

IDS5andtheAirForceIn 1990, SAI supplied IDS3 to the US Air Force (USAF). Today, IDS5 resides in nearly all USAF ATC and Base Operations facilities.

In 2005, the USAF implemented the Air Force Automation System (AFAS) Program. Under AFAS, SAI provided IDS5 to over 100 USAF ATC facilities, including Towers, Radar Approach Control (RAPCONs), and Base Operations facilities.

In 2009, the USAF deployed SAI’s IDS5 into approximately 70 additional ATC and Base Operations facilities.

SAI’s IDS5 is now listed as a “mis-sion-critical” system for the USAF.

IDS5andtheArmyThis year, the US Army selected SAI’s IDS5 under the Army Airfield Automation System (AAAS) Program. AAAS supplies IDS5 for Army ATC and Base Operations facilities worldwide.

IDS5 provides Army ATC with an information management system that includes weather information from the USAF and US Army Joint Environmental Toolkit ( JET). As with all IDS5 information, JET data is avail-able throughout the IDS5 network, allowing multiple facilities to instan-taneously access the same real-time weather information.

IDS5–TheLinkIDS5 provides a communications link between many facilities whether co-located or geographically separated. Data entered at any facility, whether manually or automatically, is immedi-ately distributed to and available to all authorized users.

Because the FAA, USAF, and US Army all use SAI’s IDS5 prod-

ucts, information is easily distributed and shared between these critical organizations.

Instant communication through IDS5 shortens decision cycles by reducing verbal coordination and ensuring imme-diate access to essential and accurate information.

IDS5andNextGenUse of automation for NextGen coor-dination requires the automatic com-munication and sharing of information between FAA Terminal and En Route facilities. Information sharing with non-FAA facilities is also essential. IDS5’s ability to connect to any other IDS5 or older SAI IDS system already meets these NextGen requirements.

The FAA currently has many IDS4 and IDS5 connections with the USAF and US Army IDS5 systems in termi-nal facilities nationwide. Using these systems, controllers at any location have real-time, critical information for surrounding airports.

SAI’s IDS5 systems can play an impor-tant role in moving the FAA forward to meet future NextGen goals today. ❙

ABOUTDARRINLUEDkE

Darrin Luedke is the Vice President of Business

Development and Marketing at Systems Atlanta, Inc.

(SAI), a global leader in Information Display System

products and services. For more information about SAI,

go to: www.sysatl.com.

SAI’s IDS product lines are ideal for sharing and distributing data between our 3 most critical organizations: the FAA, the US Air Force, and the US Army.


EngagementMattersBy Isa Campbell, PhD, ATO Organizational Effectiveness, FAA

When was the last time you were told that you did a nice job or were thanked for your efforts? When was the last time you voiced a concern in the work setting and felt like you were heard? When was the last time someone at work had a conversation with you about your professional development? If it’s been too long for any of these things, the FAA wants to change that.

FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt has stated that one of his top goals is to make the FAA one of

the best places to work: “One of the things I have at the top of my 2010 priority list is a continued focus on employee engagement.”

So, what exactly is employee engage-ment, why does it matter, and how will it help you as a manager in the FAA create a better place to work?

DefiningEngagementYou may have heard about employee engagement if you’ve completed the recent leadership, empowerment and employee engagement training course by DOT. Employee engagement is defined in a variety of ways – everything from a heightened connection employees feel to their organization and coworkers to the degree to which employees are willing to go beyond the minimum expectations to make a difference.

In the FAA, an engaged manager might look something like this:

• Communicates openly and honestly

• Raises concerns and looks for solutions

• Takes ownership

• Contributes new ideas

• Adapts to change

• Looks out for coworkers

• Seeks training (e.g., Ops Supervisor Workshops, FAAMA leadership training, etc.) and new opportunities for growth and development

• Provides and accepts constructive feedback

• Recognizes people for a job well done

• Holds himself/herself and others responsible for their actions

• Invests himself/herself in the organization’s future

• Builds relationships

• Demonstrates pride and passion for the work

WhyEngagementMattersEngagement levels matter because stud-ies show that high levels of engagement are linked to:

• Higher job satisfaction

• Higher retention

• Fewer safety incidents in the workplace

• Higher personal and team performance

• Increased ability to achieve short- and long-term objectives

Improving employee engagement can bolster the reputation and competitiveness of an agency as an employer and make it easier to attract and retain talent long-term – all essential to our continued mission to maintain the safest airspace in the world.

Organizations can influence engage-ment levels by creating a climate where employees feel valued and have the opportunity to apply their unique talents in creating a better workplace.

“ Employee engagement is defined in a variety of ways – everything from a heightened connection employees feel to their organiza-tion and coworkers to the degree to which employees are willing to go beyond the minimum expecta-tions to make a difference.”


TheATO’sApproachtoEngagementEvery year the Government surveys

Federal employees to measure their

level of job satisfaction. Just last year,

the U.S. Department of Transportation,

including the FAA, ranked among the

departments with the lowest employee

satisfaction. The FAA also ranked

among the lowest agencies on key indi-

cators of engagement, such as trust and

confidence in leadership, performance

management, and communication.

From the ATO’s inception, we have

partnered with change agents, ATO

leadership, and SUPCOM on efforts like

Leading Edge to change our organiza-

tional culture to one of high engage-

ment. While we have made headway,

much work remains. In order to change

our culture in a way that prepares us

for NextGen and other future demands,

every ATO employee must be engaged

in actively shaping the ATO’s future.

We started thinking globally. How

can the entire workforce be engaged in

influencing change? The end result was

a concept for Workforce Engagement

(WE) – a three-year effort to create a

better place to work by involving all

ATO employees.

ATO Organizational Effectiveness

is responsible for overall management

of the program, which includes coor-

dinating communications with related

initiatives under a unified Workforce

Engagement strategy that includes the

Collaborative Process, Safety Culture,

Partnership for Safety, and other pro-

grams that emphasize working together

at local and organizational levels to

improve the work environment.

ATO Organizational Effectiveness

met with leadership from each ATO

service unit, business unit and office, as

well as labor union leadership, to secure

support for an ATO-wide program to

engage all employees. The WE program

aligns with FAA and ATO strategy

and meets a critical need for increased

employee engagement in the Agency.

bringing gallup onboard We then brought in Gallup Consulting,

a world-renowned leader in employee

engagement, to assist in looking at ways

to increase engagement across the ATO.

gathering input from the field We knew that if an effort to involve all

employees in creating a better work-

place was going to be successful, we

needed to include employees at all lev-

els of the organization from the start.

Our first step was meeting with

employees – both labor and manage-

ment from all different service units

and facilities – to discuss possible ideas

for a Workforce Engagement effort that

would empower employees to bring

about positive changes in their every-

day workplaces by working together.

These “design teams” not only

helped refine elements of the engage-

ment program to make it relevant to

their needs, they even came up with

the name! Since engagement is not

just about employees (all managers are

employees too), Workforce Engagement

is used rather then Employee

Engagement.

The teams felt that Workforce

Engagement (WE) best captures

the idea that engagement takes all

employees – both labor and manage-

ment – working together at all levels

to improve the workplace. And it’s

empowering – WE have the ability to

change our workplace

finalizing the we approach. The result of the design process was a

plan for Workforce Engagement that

includes three critical elements:

1. Gallup Baseline Survey

2. Impact Planning and

Implementation

3. Follow Through

GallupBaselineSurveySoon, every ATO employee will be

asked to take a short 15-question sur-

vey to help us establish an engagement

baseline.

We know you must be thinking,

“Really, another survey,” but Gallup’s

survey is different in some important

ways.

In studying over 3 million work-

groups in over 1,500 organizations,

Gallup has boiled down the drivers of

organizational success to just 12 key

engagement items. These items form


the basis of the engagement survey.

What’s more, these items are action-

able. If one area is low, there are actions

you can take to change that.

The survey gives every employee a

voice in suggesting ways to help improve

everything from the local work envi-

ronment to the entire organization. This is not a random sampling – every ATO employee is encouraged to participate.

Being able to see results for the entire ATO, for a specific service or business unit, by facility, or even for a workgroup within a facility, is a key differentiator of the Gallup survey. Because of this, we need a high level of participation in order to best identify engagement challenges.

We are targeting late 2010 for the ini-tial survey. About six weeks after the sur-vey closes, the results will be available. All responses are strictly confidential – FAA never sees the raw data responses.

The survey will give us a measure of where we are with engagement now and help us track progress over time as the same survey is administered again in years two and three.

ImpactPlanningandImplementationProbably more important than having the survey results is what we do with them. One of WE’s most important aspects is how easy it will be for manag-ers to really use the feedback received through the survey.

During the first year, the focus is on helping managers and leaders understand the results and design and implement action plans with their teams, based on their individual team results. Every man-ager who has four or more direct reports that take the survey will receive a copy of the results for his or her work group.

WE aims to increase engagement one work group at a time by bringing employees and managers together to

address what is frustrating employees and preventing them from being fully engaged.

Not everything that impacts engage-ment is controllable by the work group. Some things are beyond the control of an individual manager. These systemic barriers will also be addressed by larger facility or regional work groups.

TrainingandToolsforSuccessATO Strategy & Performance will ensure that you have the support needed to carry out the impact plans you create as a team.

Managers will have access to training and web-based resources from Gallup on how to interpret the survey results and how to implement local changes.

FollowThroughWE is a long-term commitment to creat-ing a better workplace. While the effort’s initial phase is three years, the ultimate goal is to transition from a program to a way of working together in a construc-tive manner to continually improve.

Workforce engagement will be fully integrated into existing and developing leadership and manager training and development programs.

New employees will be introduced to workforce engagement concepts during the new hire on-boarding process.

An important component of engage-ment is employee recognition; the program will celebrate shared successes and create a framework for sharing best practices and lessons learned through-out the ATO.

WhatWillWEdoforMEasaManager?Workforce Engagement provides tools and opportunities for you as a manager to grow with your team. Some of these include:

• Direct feedback from your team about how they view their work

environment and areas where you can help them grow.

• A place to start the conversation by using the Gallup survey results and associated training to discuss workplace successes and challenges.

• An opportunity to create local solutions to local challenges and a greater sense of teamwork by working together to implement these solutions.

• A chance to partner with ATO leadership in making progress on systemic issues,

• Higher personal and team performance.

• Increased job satisfaction over time.

• A safer, more enjoyable place to work.

YourRoleasaManagerinWEThere’s no question that you as a

manager have a tremendous influence over how successful we are in creating a better place to work through Workforce Engagement.

• Model engagement in the workplace.

• Ensure that your team has time to complete the Gallup survey.

• Educate your team on Workforce Engagement and encourage their full participation.

• Share your ideas on Workforce Engagement with the Organizational Effectiveness team ([email protected]).

• Champion other FAA ATO engagement-related efforts.

WE isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” program. What’s right for one facility or office might not be right for another. WE is about local solutions to local challenges. Together WE will succeed in creating a better place to work. ❙

“ WE aims to increase engagement one work group at a time by bringing employees and managers together to address what is frustrating employees and preventing them from being fully engaged.”


In addition to these pressures, Federal managers also face an increasing number of retirement-

eligible employees and intensifying competition for talented employees with other agencies and economic sectors.

How can Federal organizations sur-vive, or even thrive, in this environment? In a recent report, the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) provided an answer that Federal managers should heed: take steps to engage your workforce.

The report, The Power of Federal Employee Engagement, defines employee engagement as a heightened connec-tion between employees and their work, their organization, or the people they work for or with. Employees who are fully engaged gladly put more effort into their work which results in better organizational performance.

Studies in the private sector have shown a relationship between engaged employees and improved business perfor-mance and retention of employees, and the same relationship holds true in the Federal Government – we found a significant relationship between Federal employee engagement and better agency outcomes.

WhatAre“BetterAgencyOutcomes?”The importance of employee engagement lies in its relationship to programmatic results. Federal agencies have different ways that they track program success. However, there are few measures that

track program results consistently across all Federal agencies.

One consistent measure that has been used for this purpose is the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) admin-istered by the Office of Management and Budget. The PART is an effort to have agencies consistently report their goals and results and to improve performance measurement across the government. The PART process computes ratings for each program based on program manager responses to a series of questions...

When we compared the five agencies with the highest percentages of engaged employees with the five agencies with the lowest percentages of engaged employees, we found that agencies with the most engaged employees achieved an average rating of 65 (out of 100) on the results/accountability portion of the PART, while the least engaged agencies only achieved an average rating of 37.

In other words, according to this assessment tool, results produced by more highly engaged agency workforces were almost twice as effective as those agencies where the workforces were less engaged. A listing of the engagement level of the 24 agencies which participated in the MPS 2005 can be found in our report, The Power of Federal Employee Engagement.

We also found a relationship between the engagement level of Federal employ-ees and their sick leave use. In agencies

with the highest percentages of engaged employees, employees used an average of nine sick days in 2005, while in less engaged agencies employees used 12 sick days.

On the surface, a difference of three days may not seem substantial, but these days add up quickly. For example, if an agency has 10,000 employees and their level of engagement is low, the agency lost 30,000 more days of work in 2005 due to employee sickness than did a comparably sized highly-engaged agency.

Equal employment opportunity (EEO) complaint activity within agencies also appears to be related to an agency’s level of employee engagement... Finally, there were fewer cases of work-related injury or illness in agencies with more engaged employees....

The fact that we established a cor-relation between employee engagement and the outcomes described above should not be mistaken for causa-tion. The correlation alone does not tell us, for example, that higher levels of employee engagement cause better results... However, since the correla-tions do exist, if the level of employee engagement were to increase in an agency, we would expect the outcomes discussed above to improve as well. ❙

*Excerpt only. The full version of this article originally

appeared in The Federal Manager, Vol. XXIX, Issue III, 2009.

GeneratingthePowerofFederalEmployeeEngagement*By Doug Nierle and Anne Marrelli, PhD

Federal managers are well-acquainted with the admonition to “Do more with less.” They face an ever-increasing focus on improving program results with ever-shrinking resources – smaller budgets and fewer people. In the recent past this focus came from the National Performance Review and the President’s Management Agenda (and it will certainly continue under President Obama’s Administration).


Money tALks

CSRSSurvivorBenefitsandPensionBy Glenn and Michael Livingston, Livingston Federal Employee Retirement Planning

In our years of retirement planning for federal employees, one of the most common questions we receive is, “What is the best option for survivor benefits for me and my family?” The answer that we usually give is the generic, “It depends.”1

This may seem irritat-ing at first, but it is a true statement. In the

next couple of articles we will describe your options with a little

more clarity and give a couple of examples. For this article, we will look

only at the CSRS Survivor Benefits. We will discuss the FERS Survivor Benefits in the next issue.

SurvivorBenefit–CSRSOptionsThe best way to begin this discussion is to quickly define the survivor benefit and the CSRS options available. The survivor benefit applies only to your government pension, and the purpose is to leave your spouse (could be minor or disabled chil-dren, and insurable interest) a portion of your pension income.

A CSRS employee may choose a sur-vivor benefit up to 55 percent (called a full survivor benefit) of their full pension. Specifically, they may choose anywhere between 0 percent and 55 percent. The higher the survivor benefit the higher the cost of the survivor benefit and subsequent reduction in pay.

The cost can be quite substantial and should be calculated prior to retirement to understand its effect on retirement income. On a very important side note, choosing a survivor benefit of any value is necessary for the survivor to continue to have federal health benefits.

So let’s take a look at a couple hypo-thetical cases to show how some people have chosen to protect their family. Please remember, this is only a hypothet-ical situation and is provided only to give

a better understanding of how survivor benefits can work.

This is not a definitive answer as to what is best for you and your family. We highly encourage you to discuss your personal situation with a financial pro-fessional, preferably one that is fluent in federal benefits.

HypotheticalCaseJoe Smith is an Air Traffic Controller whose date of birth is May 18, 1962 and has a Service Computation Date of September 13, 1981. His current salary is $150,000, and he estimates his salary will grow 3 percent annually until he retires yielding a high-three annual average salary of $175,910. His planned retirement date is May 18, 2017 at which he will be age 55, and have 35 years and eight months of creditable service and eight months of sick leave to use toward his pension.

He will meet all of his service and age requirements for retirement. Additionally, he is married with two older independent children ages 25 and 23. Joe also carries the health benefits through the Federal Government and has since he began working.

In planning for retirement, he discloses his desire to provide his wife with the best income possible if he were to pass away, but he wants to know what is the most effi-cient way to financially protect her. Lastly, we are going to assume that Joe is able to retire comfortably (pay his bills and have a little extra for special things and travel).

Therefore, Joe wants to know, what is the most efficient way to provide income protection for his wife? Here are a few options for Joe to review:

take the maximum survivor benefit. This is the baseline scenario. Joe could choose the maximum survivor benefit. It will cost him $968 a month ($11,616 annu-ally) for the first year, and the cost will con-tinue to rise as his pension increases with the annual COLA. The maximum benefit will provide his wife with a monthly income of $5,449 a month ($65,388 annu-ally) in the first year.

With the 3 percent COLA, by age 65, John will have spent $148,775 for this benefit. By age 75, he will have spent $333,106. While he is providing the maxi-mum income from the government, is he doing the best financially for his wife and family? A few questions to think about:

What if Joe’s wife dies first? If she dies first, then Joe’s pension will be adjusted up to his maximum pension with no survivor benefits. However, he does not get refunded any of the money he paid for the benefit up to this point. There is nothing that can then be passed on to his children.

What if Joe dies, and then his wife dies shortly thereafter, or suppose they pass away together in an accident? While Joe’s wife would receive her survivor benefit after Joe’s death, when she passes away, the pension will stop. Nothing will go to the children.

So, Joe is betting that he will die first, and that his wife will live long enough to recoup all the money he paid for the survi-vor benefit. This may not be the best choice for Joe because of his desire to provide for his family beyond just his wife.

This information is general in nature and should not be construed as tax or legal advice. INVEST Financial Corporation does not provide tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax and/or legal

adviser for guidance on your particular situation. The information in this article has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable but we do not guarantee that the forgoing material

is accurate or complete. This article is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security, and may not be reproduced or made available to other persons without the express

consent of INVEST Financial Corporation. Securities, advisory services, and insurance products offered through INVEST Financial Corporation, member FINARA, SIPC, a Registered Broker

Dealer and Federally Registered Investment Adviser, and affiliated insurance agencies.

Glenn and Michael Livingston are Registered Representatives of INVEST Financial Corporation. INVEST Financial

Corporation is not affiliated with Livingston Federal Employee Retirement Planning.

NOT FDIC OR NCUA INSURED | NO BANK OR CREDIT UNION GUARANTEE | MAY LOSE VALUE

Takenosurvivorbenefitandpurchasealargelifeinsurancepolicy.If Joe is in good health, he might want to look at purchasing a life insurance policy with a death benefit large enough to provide for his wife and eventually his family. There are many options, and again, we encourage you to meet with a financial advisor to determine what is best for you.

For this case, we are going to look at Joe purchasing a universal life insurance policy for $1,300,000. The death benefit is chosen assuming his wife will take 5 percent income from this policy, which will provide her with $65,000 a year or $5,417 a month.1

The idea is to fully replace the survivor benefit from the government. The cost for this policy would be $767 a month or $9,204 per year.2 This option is interest-ing because the cost is significantly less than the full survivor benefit, and if his wife predeceases Joe, then he will have the death benefit to pass onto his children. Here is a question to consider:

What about health benefits? One of the big caveats of federal health benefits is for the federal employee’s surviving spouse to con-tinue health benefits providing at least some minimal survivor benefit is selected. For Joe in this case, if he dies with this option, his wife’s health benefits will stop.

This option is not usually selected by most federal employees unless they are sure that the spouse has secure health benefits.

Selectasmallersurvivorbenefitandcombineitwithalifeinsurancepolicy.To make sure that his wife will be able to continue her health benefits, Joe wants to keep some survivor benefit. He decides to go with a 10 percent survivor benefit that will give his wife $545 a month or $6,539 a year and cost him $76 a month or $912 a year.

He chose 10 percent so when the government deducts the cost of the health benefits from the survivor benefit, there is a good chance that the survivor benefit

will fully cover health benefit costs. This way, if she is incapacitated or does not remember to pay the bill, her coverage will not lapse.

He decides to purchase a universal life insurance policy with a death ben-efit of $1,200,000. Again, assuming a 5 percent withdrawal rate, this will give Joe’s wife $5,000 a month or $60,000 a year (first year).3

This policy would cost John $708 per month or $8,496 per year. Combining this with the survivor benefit, Joe’s wife’s income will be the same as that of a full survivor benefit, and her federal health benefits remain in effect.1

By age 65, John will have spent a total of $15,834 more for option 3 then option 1. By 75, John has saved $69,065 by using option 3 over option 1. The reason for the change in savings is that the survivor benefit cost continues to increase as the annual COLA increases Joe’s pension each year. If Joe is concerned with inflation, for an additional cost he can purchase a life insurance policy with an increasing death benefit.

YouHaveChoicesThese three options are given to let you know that you have choices. Again, we highly encourage you to talk to a financial advisor about what is best for you and your family. Hopefully, this will give you some more knowledge to help you prepare for retirement. ❙

REFERENCES

1 This is assuming a 5 percent rate of return of Joe’s wife

investing the death benefit from the life insurance. This is

only a hypothetical return in that we cannot guarantee a

5 percent rate of return.

2 This is assuming Joe is from the state of Virginia and

that he received a rating from the insurance company of

preferred non-tobacco. We have not included the name

of the insurance company as to not have this article

looked upon as an advertisement for that company.

However, the quote is from an AM Best Rated A company.

3 All government information as per Joe’s pension and

survivor benefits, were calculated and reported based

on retirement information received from the Office of

Personnel Management website (www.OPM.gov).


Join me in acknowledging and con-

gratulating FAAMA Chapter 358

member Fred Payne, Automation

SSC Manager, ZAN. His team at

Anchorage ARTCC was recognized by

ATO-1, Hank Krakowski at Anchorage

Center during the ADS-B/WAAM

awards ceremony.

FAA employees at Anchorage

Center Tech Ops recognized during

Krakowski’s visit include: Fred Payne,

Tim Adams, Chance Nygard, John B.

Farley, Ed Doherty, Tom Elledge, Joel

Gaines, and Craig Withee. Excellent job

Fred and team!

Several teams were acknowledged for

their collective efforts that enabled the

successful implementation of ADS-B

in Alaska along with its expansion to

southeast Alaska.

Alaska’sADS-BEffortisthe“TipoftheSpearforFirstPhasesofNextGen”Mr. Krakowski remarked that the ADS-B

effort in Alaska is the tip of the spear for

the first phases of NextGen deliveries.

He thanked the recipients for their hard

work, and noted their important roles in

implementing ADS-B within Alaska to

enhance safety.

ADS-B is a core technology in the

ongoing transformation of the national

airspace system by the Next Generation

Air Transportation System. Krakowski

and other officials were in Anchorage to

formally mark the operation in Alaska of

the satellite-based tracking system.

ADS-B is used for separation by con-

trollers at Anchorage Center and as an

advisory tool at Bethel and Juneau Alaska

Towers, where mountainous terrain makes

traditional radar coverage impossible.

TechOpsContributionstoADS-BandNextGenThe original NextGen program was

called CAPSTONE. It was a proof of

concept for GPS navigation started in the

late 1990s in Alaska as an aid to general

aviation aircraft and extended to 2006

when it was replaced by the Surveillance

and Broadcast Services (SBS) program

based in Washington D.C.

The CAPSTONE program progressed

beyond the original scope as the capa-

bilities of the technology were better

understood and improved expertise

was brought to bear. Tech Ops and

Professional Aviation Safety Specialists

(PASS) representatives had a significant

presence from the beginning.

In 2010 national ADS-B was brought

to operation under time and under

budget in Alaska. ADS-B data has been

used to separate aircraft for over five

years in Alaska. The CAPSTONE legacy

ADS-B system has been commissioned,

certified and separating aircraft since

2006, and it meets existing FAA stan-

dards and is fully Remote Maintenance

Monitoring (RMM) functional.

CAPSTONE’s success led to the FAA’s

decision to implement ADS-B nationwide

by 2013.

Air traffic controllers use ADS-B to

safely separate aircraft in the sky and

on the runways. Pilots flying aircraft

equipped with ADS-B know precisely

where they are and are able to see other

aircraft.

Krakowski also met with represen-

tatives of Alaska’s aviation industry

and discussed how the state fits into

NextGen. He said although many

people seek a “cookie-cutter” solution

to every aviation situation, “I am very

aware how unique Alaska is compared

to rest of the United States.”

ADS-BisBeingTestedinAlaska,Louisville,Philadelphia,andtheGulfofMexicoAlaska is one of four key sites where

ADS-B is being tested operationally before

being commissioned in September for air

traffic separation services. The other sites

include the Gulf of Mexico; Louisville,

Ky., and Philadelphia.

During testing at these sites, ADS-B is

being used in a variety of environments,

including high-density airspace, across

rugged terrain or vast stretches of water,

as well as on each of the FAA’s air traffic

control automation platforms. ❙

FAAMAMemberFredPayneandTeamRecognizedforSuccessfulImplementationofADS-BBy Darla Gerlach, Assistant Air Traffic Manager, ZAN, and FAAMA Alaskan Regional Director

The efforts of those who contributed to the FAA’s successful introduction of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) in Alaska were recognized by ATO Chief Operating Officer Hank Krakowski June 24, 2010 during a visit to Anchorage, AK.

Left to Right: ATO Chief Operating Officer Hank Krakowski presents an ADS-B Award to FAAMA Chapter 358 member Fred Payne.


n e w M e M b e r p r o F i L e

PaulNickelPaulNickelbeganhisFAAcareerinFebruary1983.Paul’sfirstfacilitywasOmahaTRACON.AfterservingseveralyearsasaControllerandStaffSpecialist,hewasselectedasaFrontLineMangerin1990.

In2010PaulwasaskedbySUPCOMtoserveasthenationalsafetyfocal.His27yearsofoperationalexperi-

encehasprovidedadeepunderstandingofthechallengesassociatedwithriskmanagement.PaultrainedwithCul-tureChangeConsultants,Inc.andassistedwiththeCentralTerminalSafetyCultureInitiative.

Thisinitiativeincludedthecreationofa“Champion”corpsthatdisseminatedthelearningtotheirdistrictmanage-mentteams.Mostrecently,PaulhasbeeninvolvedwithJustCulturetrainingandFrontLineLeadershipSupport,seekingtocreateatrueLearningCulturebytappingtheexperiencesofFrontLineManagers.

In2010,hejoinedtheFAAManagersAssociation.HealsoisamemberoftheAirTrafficControlAssociationandtheAssociationforAviationPsychology.Paulandhiswifeliveinanewly‘emptynest’inruralOmaha,Nebraska.

“In the 27 years of my career, I

have never seen a better window

of opportunity for fundamental

change in the way we think about

safety. We have an excellent

statistical record, but this process

of deep cultural change can take us

to the next level – we just need to

make the commitment.”

JoinFAAMAToday!Whoiseligibletojoin?Membership is open to: (1) individuals who occupy federal supervisory, managerial or non-bargaining unit staff positions, and (2) federal non-supervisory, non-managerial, or bargaining unit eligible personnel who profess interest in the purpose and goals of the Association.

Whatarethedues?Association dues are assessed at 0.45 percent of the member’s base pay rate per pay period. Twenty-five percent of these dues are returned to members’ individual chapters as quarterly rebates.

Tojoin,completeboththe(1)FAAMAMemberRegistrationFormbelowandthe(2)StandardForm1187(downloadaPDFatwww.faama.org/join)–thenfax,scanormailto:FAA Managers Association, Inc.2957 Heirloom LaneGreenwood, IN 46143-6668Secure Fax: (720) 920-1552Email: [email protected]

FAAMAMemberRegistrationForm (please complete):

first name

last name

company

address line 1

address line 2

city, state/province, zip

country

home phone

business phone

cell phone

persoanl email address (please do not use @.GOV)

business email address

faama chapter number (if known)

faa facility

faa position

Why the Federal Program is a Smart Choice for Members of the FAA Managers Association: The Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program was designed specifically for members of the Federal Family. It is sponsored by the Federal Government and backed by two of the country’s top insurance companies. The Federal Program is designed to help protect enrollees against the high costs of long term care. Personal access to registered nurse care coordinators, and home care provisions are just a few of the

reasons why the Federal Program may be the smart choice for you.

Call for a FREE rate quote and more information.

Your friends at

The Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program

Note: Certain medical conditions, or combination of conditions, will prevent some people from being approved for coverage. You need to apply to find out if you qualify for coverage under this Program.

1-800-LTC-FEDS (1-800-582-3337) • TTY: 1-800-843-3557 • www.LTCFEDS.com/FAAMA

2010 gathering of eagles: the power of believingthe communicator awards are judged and overseen by...

Documents