Research and Technology Development Planning and Coordination Group Visits the Technical Center

By Ginger Cairnes

The group intently follows traffic on the radar screen in the STARS lab while Yvette assumes the role of Air Traffic Controller

Recently, Nelson Miller, Program Director for the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety & Security Program and Ginger Cairnes, Visitor Program Manager and member of the Organizational Support Services Team arranged a two-day visit for Dr. Terry Kraus, Yvette Jardine, and Jon Wendelken from headquarters, Operations Planning, Research and Technology Development, Planning and Coordination Group. This was the first time that Yvette and Jon had been to the Technical Center. The group is responsible for R & D outreach and strategic planning.

Hilda DiMeo explains I²F and Enroute Automation Modernization (ERAM) in the I²F Laboratory to (l. to r.) Yvette, John, and Terry

On the first day the group visited the following laboratories, or viewed presentations in the respective R & D areas: Fire Safety, Full-Scale Aircraft Structural Test Evaluation & Research (FASTER) Facility, General Aviation Fuels, Wind Tunnel, Very Large Aircraft (VLA), the Pavement Test Facility, and the B747: Fuel Tank Inerting out on the flight line. Presenters included: Tim Marker, John Bakuckas, Dave Atwood, Harry Webster, Jim Newcomb, Nick Subbotin, John (Murphy) Flynn, Robert Morrison,and Nelson Miller.

Paula Nouragas spends time away from her busy schedule briefing Yvette, Terry and John.

On day two Terry, Yvette, and Jon were briefed and saw demos on the Air Traffic Control (ATC) ‘side of the fence.’ Their stops included the following: Human Factors Research & Development Laboratories (RDHFL), Integration & Interoperability (I²F) Laboratory, Standard Terminal Automated Replacement System (STARS), Advanced Technologies & Oceanic Procedures (ATOP) Laboratory, Enhanced Traffic Management System (ETMS), Weather Laboratories, NextGen Laboratory, and the Automated Data Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) Laboratory. Presenters included Earl Stein, Al Macias, Vicki Ahlstrom, Caroline Zingale, Ben Willems, Hilda DiMeo, Steve Bakanas, Rich Mendell, Dave Cognata, Ed Gaguski, Chris Smith, Bob Fietkiewicz, Bill Benner, Tom Carty, Tri Nguyen, Tom Weiss, Terence Moore, Jack Beilmann, and Deepak Chauhan. The group also met with Paula Nouragas, Division Manager, Engineering Development Services.

Weather & Radar Processors (WARP); (l. to right) Bill Benner, Tri Nguyen, Tom Carty, Seated AJP-62 group

Terry remarked, “The tours provided us the information we needed to conduct follow-up visits to gather information for R&D Review articles” as well as “introductions to the Tech Center staff, which will allow my team to better support AJP outreach activities.”