Retirees Experience Changes at the Technical Center

By Ginger Cairnes

Lee Whilden watches as retirees try their hand at controlling traffic in the STARS Lab.

In spite of the excitement that was generated at the 50th Anniversary Retirees’ Banquet, some former employees of the old National Aviation Facilities Experimental Center (NAFEC) expressed a desire to tour and see not only the progress made to the Air Traffic Control systems, but also to learn about the role the Technical Center now plays in the development of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). Most of the group retired in the late 70s or the early 80s. One left in 1966 for other employment in Washington.

Although approximately 15 had hoped to join the tour some last minute illnesses prevented that from happening. However, those able to attend included: “JB” and Carol McCollough, Charles and Bernice Richardson, Bill Brown, William Craft, Richard Kirkwood, and Ben Sooy.

The agenda was quite challenging. Their day started with a visit to the National Airport Pavement Test Machine. The size of this building and the engineering of the machine itself totally amazed them.

A fun time was had by all in the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS) Lab. Here the group got the chance to sit at the displays and perform hand-offs as well as listen to discussions of the evolution of the system. Time permitted only a walk-through of other ATC labs on the third floor. Included were the Automated Terminal Radar System (ARTS), Enhanced Traffic Management System (ETMS), and Advanced Technologies and Oceanic Procedures (ATOP) Lab.

Ed Gaguski and John Lawson bring retirees up to date on the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS) and how handoffs are performed between two controllers at a TRACON.

Attention was at a peak in the weather labs. While visiting Integrated Terminal Weather System (ITWS) they were able to not only learn about the terminal end of the weather system, but also learn the history of the role the weather systems have played in Air Traffic safety.

Weather plays an important role in aviation as Bill Benner points out to the group visiting the Integrated Terminal Weather System (ITWS) Laboratory.

The group was familiar with the old radars used for surveillance, but most had not heard of the Automated Dependant Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) System. This system will not rely on radar technology, but will be a system that uses precise location of traffic data from a global satellite network and updates in real time. This is expected to be fully implemented over the next 20 years and will be a huge part of the NextGen vision. After a few minutes of coaching several of them attempted to try using the avionics display located in the ADS-B laboratory.

The Target Generation Facility (TGF) really brought back old memories from the NAFEC days when the Model A and the Model B systems were installed in Building 19 on the Air National Guard side of the base. These systems together generated about 200 targets. Today’s TGF, a dynamic real-time simulation facility is capable of generating up to 400 piloted targets in one or more “concurrent simulation environments.” Some attendees were simulated pilot operators (sim-ops) and others were maintenance technicians working in that building. For most of them simulation is where it all started.

Lee Wong discusses themonitor and control display system that shows the system’s stability and how well the system is functioning.

Although most went home to rest up for the evening’s festivities several stayed to enjoy lunch with employees with whom they used to work.

Thanks go to the following for providing a very enlightening tour for these pioneers: Murphy Flynn, Ed Gaguski, Lee Wong, John Lawson, Russ Atwood, Bill Benner, Mike McNeil, Jack Beilmann, Deepak Chauhan, Scott Doucett, Lee Whilden, Gayle Martin-Taylor, and Carolyn McKinney-Bobo.

Bill Cole and retiree Richard Kirkwood reminisce.