ato air traffic services (ats) ato air traffic services (ats) faa contract tower (fct) program...

ATO Air Traffic Services (ATS)

ATO Air Traffic Services (ATS)

FAA Contract Tower (FCT) Program Office Update

Presented to: USCTA Policy Board

By: Kim Curry, Manager, Contract Operations Group (AJT-21)

Date: January 29, 2015

ATO Air Traffic Services (ATS) Contract Operations Group (AJT-21)

Organization ChartCONTRACT OPERATIONS GROUP

MANAGER Kim Curry

BUSINESS AND FINANCE TEAMLisa Bush-Caudle – LEAD

George A. Davis (C)Jae Choi (C)

Legend C = Contractor

CS = Contractor/Shared Resource

CONTRACT WEATHER OBSERVATON (CWO)

TEAM Ken Cunningham –

LEAD

CWO PROGRAM OFFICE

Mark Jones (C)

John Jones (C)

Harold Thomas (CS)

Gary Suarez (CS)

FAA CONTRACT TOWER (FCT) TEAM

Priscilla Merritt – LEAD

SERVICE CENTER

CWO PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATIO

N MANAGERS (PIMs)

Bill Jackson, ESA

Robert Tomko, CSA

Kent Koran, WSA

Cecelia Motzko, Alaska POC

FCT PROGRAM OFFICE

Ricky Atkins – LEAD

Harold Thomas (CS)

Gary Suarez (CS)

SERVICE CENTER FCT

PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATIO

N MANAGERS (PIMs)

John Seliga, ESA

Abraham Oommen, CSA

Kent Koran, WSA

CONTRACT TOWER & WEATHER (CTW)

OPERATIONS TEAMPurvis Collier – LEAD

Bill Cape (C)Micah Risher (C)

CTWG SupportRon Jenkins– LEAD

Ebonni Wright (C)

1

GA

FL

NC

SC

MEVT

RI

NJ

MDDE

NH

NY MA

PA

KY VA

WV

CT

AREA 1 & 3 = 86 National Contractor Sites &

1 Air National Guard Site

Contractor: Midwest ATC

Operations Lead: Purvis CollierCOR: Ricky Atkins

AREA 2 & 4 = 97 National Contractor Sites & 2 Air National Guard Site

Contractor: Robinson Aviation (RVA)

Operations Lead: Purvis Collier COR: Ricky Atkins

WA

OR

MT

ID WY

UT CONV

CA

AZ

AREA 5, 6 & 7 = 63 National Contractor & 3 Air National Guard Sites

Contractor: Serco Management Services

Operations Lead: Purvis Collier

COR: Ricky Atkins

AK

VI & PR

ND

SD

MN

INIL

MI

OH

WI

IANE

KS MO

NMOK AR

LA

TX

TN

MS AL

FAA Contract Tower (FCT) Map

FAA Contract Tower (FCT) Map

As of January 2015Total: 252 Towers

HI

2

January 29, 2015Contract Operations Group (AJT-21)


FCT Program Vendors 252 towers currently in FCT program

• Aurora State Airport, Oregon pending • Projected tower construction completion date – March 2015

Three National Vendors (246 Facilities)• Midwest Air Traffic Control Services• Serco Management Services Inc.• Robinson Aviation (RVA) Inc.

One Interagency Agreement (6 Facilities)• Air National Guard (ANG)

Insurance Broker• Marsh

Both Insurance and ATC services contracts are under re-compete

3



FCT Program Statistics

ActivityJanuary

2015

FAA Owned 105

Sponsor Owned 147

Total FCT Facilities 252

Total Leased Facilities 23

Cost Share Facilities 16

4



FCT Operations Profile

Activity Element Total

FY13 and FY14

Air Carrier - Itinerant 287,899

Air Taxi -Itinerant 1,792,354

General Aviation - Itinerant 6,350,295

Civil - Local 5,580,516

Military – Local and itinerant 1,325,452

Vendors’ Traffic 14,992,923

ANG’s Traffic 343,593

Total FCT Traffic

Total FY14: 15,336,516

Total FY13: 15,242,860

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New and Updated Processes

FCT Application Process

Benefit Cost (B/C) Information

Tower Operating Agreement (TOA)

Minimum Equipment List (MEL) - 7210.54

Safety Risk Management

FCTASAP

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FCT Application Process

The process for participation in the FCT Program is being updated

Four phases will be clearly defined

• Interest Phase

• Applicant Phase

• Candidate Phase

• Participant Phase

The Application Package will undergo revisions

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Benefit/Cost (B/C) Information

B/C determines eligibility for program participation Establishes baseline status for inclusion into the cost-share

program for towers already in the FCT program The FAA (APO-200) is responsible for calculating benefit-to-cost

ratios The process is still under revision and slated for release in

December 2015

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FCT Applicant List – B/C Pending(Have not received a B/C rating)

Rickenbacker Int’l. Airport, OH (LCK)

Hammond Northshore Regional, LA (HDC)

Boulder City Municipal Airport, NV (BUV)

Tunica Airport, MS (UTA)

North Texas Regional Airport, TX (GYI)

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FCT Candidate List – B/C Above 1.0

Deland Municipal Airport, FL (DED)

Aurora State Airport, OR (UAO)

Greeley-Weld County Airport, CO (GXY)

Lewis University Airport, IL (LOT)

Destin/Ft. Walton Beach Airport, FL (DTS)

Albert J. Ellis Airport, NC (OAJ)

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Tower Operating Agreements (TOAs) & Leases

FCT Program Office revising TOAs

• Revised TOAs will focus on FAA and Airport Sponsor responsibilities for providing ATC services

FCT Program Office coordinating with Headquarters Real Estate to develop new process for establishing Leases and/or Occupancy Agreements

• Provide clarity regarding building, equipment, maintenance, and utilities responsibilities

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7210.54 Revision

Proposed changes will address• Equipment requirements (Minimum Equipment List)• Lease/TOA requirements

• Provide clarity regarding building, equipment, maintenance, and utilities responsibilities

Implementation• Document currently undergoing AJT review and comment

phase• Document will be provided to stakeholders for review and

comment prior to implementation

12



Safety Management System (SMS)

Air Traffic Vendors• Select attendees for annual SMS training• Coordinate with ATMs for issues that may generate an SRMD or

SRMDM• Report SMS activity to the CTW Operations Team monthly

Air Traffic Manager Training in the SMS Process• ATM serves as subject matter experts for air traffic control

operations for the SMS processes and requirements

Airport and Air Traffic Manager Coordination• Normally included in all phases of SMS process that affect ATC• SRMDs developed based upon input from ATMs

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FCTASAP Implementation FAA Contract Tower Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) is

being implemented into the FCT Program to provide controllers a means of voluntary self-reporting.

FAA Technical Training and Safety• Coordinated development of the FCTASAP web site which

made allowances for inclusion of vendor-proprietary information

• Coordinated development and signature of the MOUs required to implement the program

• Provided initial and refresher Event Review Committee (ERC) training for Vendor Analysts

• Provides a representative to participate in ERC activities

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FCTASAP Implementation

FCTASAP Oversight

The Contract Tower and Weather Operations Team will:•Provide normal oversight of the ERC activity•Direct specified training based on the nature of the incidents•Maintain data concerning FAA directed activities in response to ERC recommendations•Funded ERC Analysts for each of the vendors

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FCT Process ImprovementsComprehensive Electronic Data Analysis and Reporting System

(CEDAR)

All FCTs are currently able to input operational event reporting data using the FAA’s (CEDAR) except for:

• Double Eagle (AEG) Albuquerque, NM• Flagler (FIN) Palm Coast, FL• Ocala (OCF) Ocala, FL

Facilities use the CEDAR Daily Events Log to make Mandatory Event Reporting (MOR) entries Facilities use CEDAR to complete Covered Event Reviews and System Service Review Vendors use CEDAR to assign and record training events Dramatically reduces administrative time for event reports

16



FCT Process ImprovementsAIS-R (Aeronautical Information System, Replacement)

As of June 2014, all facilities are using AIS-R for backup weather reporting, Pilot Reports (PIREPs), and NOTAM retrieval Procedures will be included in facility SOPs

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FCT Process ImprovementsSecurity

Facility Security• FAA Security conducts security inspections at FCTs• Security compliance is based upon facility ownership (FAA vs

Sponsor)• FAA Security reports are forwarded to the CTW Operations Team

CTW Operations Team Activity

• Security reports for FAA-owned facilities are forwarded to FAA TechOps through the Service Area Program Implementation Manager

• Security reports for Sponsor-owned facilities are forwarded to the airport sponsor through the Service Area Program Implementation Manager

• The CTW Operations Team conducts follow-up to assist in resolving identified deficiencies and provides required responses to FAA Security regarding mitigation activity and notifications

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FCT Equipment Infrastructure Status Equipment Oversight

• CTW Operations Team monitors the status of tower equipment listed in the Minimum Equipment List:• FCTs input equipment status using the FAA’s automated CEDAR system• PIM Inspections identify equipment deficiencies• Service Verifications identify equipment outages• Vendors/ATMs provide the Operations Team with real-time equipment

status Infrastructure Oversight

• The CTW Operations Team monitors the infrastructure status of facilities • ATMs should notify the CTW Operations Team when there is an

infrastructure issue which is not being resolved including but not limited to:• Significant leaks• Mold• HVAC• Tower Shades

Airport Sponsors are notified of outstanding, unmitigated outages/status that may potentially affect ATC operations

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Non-FAA Certified Weather Equipment FAA’s Technical Operations Group (AJW) is revising the Advisory

Circular (AC) 150/5220-16D with approved back-up weather equipment and siting requirements

A Weather Equipment Usage Waiver was issued 10/10/12, pending the AC revision

As of December 2015, the Waiver was been extended until October 2017• Some models of backup weather equipment have been “grandfathered or

conditionally approved” by AJW • RM Young equipment is conditionally acceptable if sited properly while RM

Young is being evaluated• Columbia Weather Orion Systems are not approved for primary or backup

weather or for ATC Services

Airport Sponsors have been notified of approved back-up weather equipment and siting requirements approved by AJW

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FCT Service Verification Status

Paradise District – Scheduled Jan 26 – 30, and Feb 23 – 27, 2015

Greater Southwest District – Tentatively Scheduled Mar 23 – 27 and April 20 – 24, 2015

The Contact Tower Weather Operations Team conducts and documents follow-up activity for each finding

Follow-up activity is reported to the District Manager and ATC Vendors

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ato air traffic services (ats) ato air traffic services (ats) faa contract tower (fct) program...

Documents

total fct traffic total

midwest atc operations

contractor cs

national contractor

national vendors

air taxi itinerant1

davis c jae choi c legend

purvis collier cor