Letter From The Editor: WELCOME, WILSON FELDER!

**FAA Administrator Marion C. Blakey**, and the FAA Air Traffic
Organization's Chief Operating Officer, **Dr. Russell G. Chew**,
recently named **Dr. Wilson N. Felder** the 15th director of the FAA
William J. Hughes Technical Center. He succeeds **Dr. Anne Harlan**, who
served as director from 1997 until 2006.

Dr. Felder comes to the Tech Center from FAA Headquarters. Most recently
he served as the transition executive and Director of Technology
Development in the Air Traffic Organization. He was the executive
sponsor for the FAA's National Center of Excellence in Operations
Research, a post in which he will continue as Technical Center director.
You can read more details about Dr. Felder's distinguished career in the
private sector, the public sector, the aviation community and his local
community in an accompanying story, written by Holly Baker, in this
issue of *Inside the Fence.*

The new director held his first all hands meeting on April 12, 2006. It
immediately was obvious that he knows the Center very well, having been
coming here, from time to time, for about 20 years. He stated, "The
Technical Center is a great national resource. The testing function at
the Technical Center is the foundation of this institution. The quality
of the people who work here, and the work that is done here, is
unsurpassed." He added, "There simply is no place else where all the
operational elements of the National Airspace System come together. That
means we have some golden opportunities before us."

The FAA recently released its annual aviation forecast. More passengers,
smaller planes, more flights and a heavier workload for our existing
aviation system are predicted, including one billion passengers by the
year 2015. With our parent organization, ATO Operations Planning
(ATO-P), developing architecture and a roadmap to ensure the success of
the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NGATS), and with a new
director in place, the Center is in a great position to provide key
products for NGATS.

Welcome to the Tech Center!

Stan Ciurczak

Editor

<Stan.Ciurczak@faa.gov>

**[Captions to go with the photos:]{.underline}**

The new Center Director, Dr. Wilson N. Felder, has been busy getting to
know the many people and organizations at the FAA William J. Hughes
Technical Center.

At the April 20 all hands meeting, Dr. Felder presented the United Way
of Atlantic County's 2005 Leadership Award to Pat Mabis on behalf of
everyone who contributed to the 2005 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) at
the Tech Center. This award recognizes generous contributions that
exceeded \$146,000.00. The new director thanked chairperson Pat Mabis;
Mary Granese, who is Pat's secretary and handled the day-to-day duties
of coordinating the CFC campaign; and all of the key workers, event
coordinators and employees who supported CFC in any way.

Dr. Felder bought a membership in the NAFEC Association from Debbie
Capasso, president of the NAFEC Association.

The NBCFAE Scholarship Fund recently held a bake sale to raise funds for
student scholarships, and Dr. Felder stopped by to show his support.
Shown in this photo are the members of the committee (left to right):
Bobby Nichols, Gayle Martin-Taylor; Bessie Johnson; Stacie Graves; the
committee chairperson, Wanda Harris; Dr. Wilson Felder; and Louise Ross.

Dr. Felder is shown greeting one of the adults who accompanied a large
group of students who participated in the Student Inventors through
Education (SITE) competition on April 28 at the Technical Center. That
afternoon, he presented the awards to the winning inventors, in the
center auditorium, accompanied by FAA's Air Bear.

Felder Named Director at William J. Hughes Technical Center

By Holly Baker

The Administrator of the Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), **Marion C. Blakey**, and FAA Air Traffic
Organization Chief Operating Officer **Russ Chew** have announced the
appointment of **Wilson N. Felder**, Ph.D., as the new director of the
FAA's William J. Hughes Technical Center.

Felder succeeds **Ronald Esposito**, who retired after serving as acting
director of the Center, since January 3.

Felder will lead one of the nation's premier aviation, research,
development, test and evaluation facilities. The Center's world-class
laboratories and top-notch engineering expertise place it at the
forefront of the FAA's efforts to modernize the U.S. air transportation
system.

"The Technical Center is the headquarters for the science of aviation,"
said Blakey. "Wilson Felder is both a technical expert and a business
executive. He's exceptionally well qualified to lead the research that
will bring aviation into this century."

Felder also is the executive sponsor for the FAA's National Center of
Excellence in Operations Research, a post in which he will continue as
Technical Center director.

Felder most recently served as the transition executive and director for
technology development in the FAA's Air Traffic Organization, since
2003. He was responsible for the field assessment of new technologies
with potential application in the National Airspace System. He led
several key research programs, including: the Alaska Capstone
initiative; Safe Flight 21; the Ohio River Valley Program; Automatic
Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B); advanced air traffic control
satellite exploration; and many safety technology initiatives aimed at
reducing runway incursions.

His previous FAA position was special assistant to the director of the
Terminal Business Service. He was a key participant in a comprehensive
program to restructure the agency, introducing business-like management
practices to its air traffic operations.

Before joining the FAA, Felder was vice president of aviation services
at TRW, Inc., where he retired after 23 years of service, in 2001. At
TRW, he led the company's engineering services business with the FAA and
the aviation community. His unit generated \$90 million in revenue
annually, which he was largely responsible for developing.

Felder has been active in the aviation community through leadership
roles in: the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA),
the Air Traffic Control Association and the Government Electronics
Industries Association. He was named an associate fellow of the AIAA, in
2004. He has authored more than 20 technical publications.

Felder served for 24 years as an active and reserve Naval officer,
retiring from the active reserve as a commander (special duty,
intelligence). He served as the intelligence officer for the Carrier
Group 4 reserve unit, and as executive officer of Naval Air Station
Keflavik RU 0166.

He has been active in the community, complementing his many technical
and professional accomplishments. He served as Potomac district
commissioner of the Boy Scouts of America, and a board member of the
West Point Parents Club.

Felder holds master's and doctorate degrees in environmental science,
and a bachelor's degree in geology, all from the University of Virginia.

Technical Center Director Dr. Anne Harlan Retires

By Holly Baker

On February 22, a retirement celebration was held at the Marriott
Seaview Resort in honor of **Dr. Anne Harlan's** retirement as Center
Director. The event was well attended and was extremely enjoyable for
all. Many dignitaries and colleagues paid tribute to Anne (as well as a
little roasting here and there). Acting Center Director Ron Esposito
served as Master of Ceremonies.

Dr. Harlan served as director of the Center since 1997. She joined the
FAA in 1982 in the New England Region, where she held numerous
managerial positions, and moved to southern New Jersey in 1995 to accept
the position as Technical Center deputy director.

Before joining the FAA, Harlan was a faculty member at Harvard Business
School where she taught in the MBA and doctoral programs. She also was a
management consultant to many Fortune 500 companies, focusing on
strategies for increasing corporate performance.

Harlan holds a Ph.D. in applied research psychology from Ohio State
University and is a pilot with commercial and multi-engine ratings. She
is the chairman of the Publications Committee for the Air Traffic
Control Association, and is a member of the American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers, and the Ninety Nines international organization
for women pilots.

Locally, she serves on the Board of Directors for Historic Gardner's
Basin, the United Way of Atlantic County and the Atlantic City/Mainland
Chamber of Commerce. Also, she is on the advisory boards for the
Department of Aerospace Engineering at Pennsylvania State University and
the College of Engineering at Rowan University. She is an accomplished
musician, playing trumpet in the South Jersey Area Wind Ensemble, and is
an active nature lover and a life member of the New Jersey Audubon
Society.

In Her Own Words: Reflections on a Decade as the Center Director

By Pete Castellano

Upon **Dr. Anne Harlan's** retirement as Technical Center Director, the
Editorial Staff here at Inside the Fence wanted to pay tribute to Anne
for her service, as well as to reflect back on the past decade. We
decided the best way to do that was to speak with Anne directly, and
pose a few questions for her contemplation. The following reflects our
discussions.

Inside the Fence: *What do you consider to be your proudest moments as
Center Director?*

Anne Harlan: The things I am proudest of are the accomplishments of the
employees. We are seen universally as the premier aviation research,
development, test, evaluation, and integration facility in the world,
and that is because of the incredible skill and motivation of the people
here. The facility was outstanding when I arrived, and continues to be
outstanding. To me, that says it's the people who are part of the Tech
Center family who really make the Center such a terrific place. That's a
pretty humbling thought, actually. However, when I think about my
proudest moments over the last decade or so, I think of things like
actually starting the shuttle operation. When I arrived, I couldn't
believe how long it took to get to and from Washington. The team who
worked on the shuttle never gave up, even when others said it was
impossible. They identified the things that caused problems in the past
and they figured out ways to work around them -- even if it meant going
to OMB or OST to get us freed up from regulations that would have killed
the shuttle's reliability. We have saved between one and one and a half
million dollars for the agency every year the shuttle has run. We are
truly the envy of every region and Center in the FAA.

Also on my list would probably be actually getting a new aircraft! After
almost 20 years of different people working hard on this, we finally got
our new Bombardier Global 5000 last September, which was the first new
aircraft this facility has ever had. That wouldn't have happened without
huge support over almost two decades from the folks in the Flight
Program, Office of the Center Counsel, and the Logistics Division.

We have played such a key role on technical programs, from STARS to DSR
to RVSM, to Capstone, and many, many more. Our technical expertise is
superb and widely recognized as such. What we have done with safety is
nothing short of monumental. When you stop to think that the Toronto
accident would have resulted in many, many fatalities if it hadn't been
for the work of our Fire Safety group, you begin to understand the
impact we have had on the world. Of course, that situation would have
been even better if they had also read about the work from Satish
Agrawal's group on Engineered Material Arresting Systems, which were
used successfully at other airports to avert many other runway overruns.

I am also very proud of the work our former AOS colleagues have done and
continue to do in dealing quickly and professionally with field software
problems. There's no one better in the world than they are and the field
knows that.

Do you all remember Y2K? We were all wondering if we were going to make
it, and out looking for software engineers who could remember Jovial and
other obscure codes? We all worked together as a single entity on that
one. No one cared about organizational boundaries or who got credit, but
we realized we were all in this together and had to work as a team to
achieve the result we wanted. That meant everyone pitched in from the
pilots to the engineers to the computer scientists, those working to
keep the facilities operational -- everyone. We didn't care about blue
badges vs. green badges...we all had a job to do and did it. And when
the magic time and date rolled around and nothing crashed, we all heaved
a collective sigh of relief (but truly, we knew going in that we would
make it).

I was also very proud of the tremendous Technical Center support
following September 11, 2001. There were so many people involved that
it's hard to pick out individuals. Certainly, Greg McLaughlin who was
heading the Federal Air Marshal program and worked to grow that program
almost overnight was critical, as were the folks at the Transportation
Security Lab who were working to get detection systems evaluated and out
to the airports quickly. The Air National Guard and Coast Guard who were
patrolling the skies over the entire East Coast were unbelievable in
their dedication. But there were lots of other heroes as well. We
managed to get ETMS into the FAM operations center, so that they could
schedule and maintain knowledge of where their agents were. HR worked
night and day getting new FAMS hired quickly. The shared services
organization worked together as a total team putting up buildings with
all the attendant services needed in record time. It was another example
of how the entire Technical Center community comes together when there
is a need. No infighting -- no walls -- no boundaries of any kind. Just
working together to get the job done as quickly and professionally as
possible.

So, I guess, my proudest moments come when I think back on what each and
every one of you have contributed to make this organization, the William
J. Hughes Technical Center, one that is known and respected throughout
the world.

Inside the Fence: *Where do you see the Center going in the future, or,
where would you like to see it go - what are your hopes?*

Anne Harlan: My hope is that we will continue to grow and become known
nationally and internationally as the hallmark for aviation research,
development and integration. Sometimes, we aren't recognized for all the
excellent work that goes on here, so my dream would be that the world
would see the Center in the same way I do -- as an organization making a
very real difference in meeting the challenges of today and tomorrow. We
know we are facing huge challenges as aviation rebounds and continues to
grow, such as capacity constraints, safety, and security issues. These
are areas where the Center can and should make a real difference. I
think it is critical that the Joint Planning and Development Office
succeed, and I would like for that organization to see the Center as
their primary facility to accomplish the technical work and meet the
challenges ahead.

Inside the Fence: *Is there anything else you would like to comment on?*

Anne Harlan: Only a "thank you" to everyone who has helped make the
Center the best place I have ever had the privilege to work. I am deeply
honored to have been part of the family and will carry these memories
with me for the rest of my life.

*We want to take this opportunity to thank Anne for her years of hard
work and dedication to the Center, and wish her all the best for a
wonderful retirement!*

177^th^ Fighter Wing Welcomes New Commander

By Pete Castellano

On February 5, **Colonel Randall S. King** assumed command of the 177th
Fighter Wing. Colonel King replaced **Colonel Brian Webster**. Colonel
King previously served as the Vice Wing Commander of the 177^th.^ He is
the recipient of the Aerial Achievement Medal, the Meritorious Service
Medal and the Air Force Commendation Medal.

Colonel King was born in Schenectady, HY, and graduated from high school
in Newtown Square, PA. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the
Air Force after graduating from the Air Force Officer Training School in
1979. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1978
and a Master's Degree in Aeronautical Science in 1999 from Embry-Riddle
Aeronautical University. He has completed Squadron Officer School, Air
Command and Staff College, and Air War College.

After graduating from undergraduate pilot training at the 71^st^ Flying
Training Wing (Vance Air Force Base, OK) in 1981, Colonel King embarked
on a series of assignments in the Air Force. In 1987, he left active
duty and joined the Air National Guard (Tucson, AZ) as Chief Instructor
and Pilot. He also flew as the Chief Test Pilot for Raytheon Flight
Test, Holloman Air Force Base.

Colonel King was the National Guard Bureau's liaison at Ramstein Air
Base for operations Provide Comfort and Deny Flight. He was a design
performance engineer for the Lockheed Martin USAF EELV Launch Vehicle
contract and flew commercial 727s for Pan American World Airlines. In
1997 he was assigned to the National Guard Bureau integrated staff
(Langley Air Force Base, VA) as Chief of Power Projection, and he
maintained combat flying status with the 127^th^ FW Michigan Air
National Guard (Selfridge, MI), participating in Operation Northern
Watch over Iraq.

Colonel King was assigned to the 177^th^ Fighter Wing in 1999. He became
Chief of Wing Plans and Programs in 2001, and flew and directed Wing
assets in direct support of Operation Noble Eagle on September 11, 2001.
He was appointed Vice Air Commander for the 177^th^ Fighter Wing in
2003, and was appointed Vice Wing Commander of the 177^th^ in 2004.

Our best to Colonel Webster, and congratulations to Colonel King!

**[Photo Caption:]{.underline}**

**Colonel Randall S. King** has assumed command of the 177th Fighter
Wing.

# Technical Center Pandemic Influenza Preparations

By Walt Vernon

***The recent [Focus FAA]{.underline} article, dated April 28, 2006,
titled, "On the Wing: Preparing for Crisis," and the release of the
White House Implementation Plan on May 5 articulated how the federal
government, including the FAA, will respond to an outbreak of a pandemic
influenza and continue the agency's essential services if and when
operational capabilities are reduced.***

**With the continued spread of avian influenza "Bird Flu" westward from
Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, there is a sense of heightened
concern throughout the world. However, to date, there have been no human
cases of bird flu reported in the United States. Nevertheless, federal,
state and local governments are taking steps to prepare for a pandemic
and are providing the public with information about avian flu and
measures to take to prevent the risk of becoming infected with Avian
Flu. (Note: A pandemic generally is an epidemic over a wide geographic
area and affecting a large proportion of the population.)**

To prepare for the possibility of a pandemic, the Tech Center convened a
Crisis Response Working Group (CRWG) this past January. The CRWG is
coordinating the development of a pandemic influenza action plan in the
event we are directly impacted by an influenza outbreak, or indirectly
affected by an outbreak near us. Since it is not certain that the
current avian flu strain will cause a pandemic, the CRWG is focusing its
efforts on developing an action plan for any event that limits staff
availability at the Center. If a pandemic influenza outbreak does occur,
this plan will be activated.

The CRWG is in the process of establishing sub-groups to develop
specific plans on a wide range of topics. Examples include: promoting
health and safety in the work force, maintaining essential services,
developing contingency plans, utilizing telecommuting, tracking
personnel (home sick or home caring for sick family members) and
temporarily backfilling personnel. In this regard, a myriad of planning
actions are still being worked on. Once the plan is finalized and
coordinated with key organizational managers, information about the plan
will be provided to the Technical Center work force.

-   The following initial tasks have been accomplished by the CRWG:

-   Identified and prioritized essential functions that must be
    sustained at the WHJTC during a pandemic event.

-   Briefed Technical Center Leadership Council (TLC) on current
    planning activities.

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-   Established liaison with FAA Eastern Region Aerospace Medicine
    Office, the Atlantic County Public Health Department, and the
    Atlantic County Office of Emergency Management.

-   Posted "Health Awareness Hygiene Practices" placard and general
    hygiene awareness information on the WJHTC Safety web site, in
    public areas, and in our restrooms.

-   Ordered and stocked Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE) for
    essential / emergency personnel.

-   Deployed an all hazards "Center Operating Status" policy and
    procedures on the WHJTC web site.

-   Prepared an initial action plan.

**Not to downplay the importance of this planning, but to date the avian
flu virus is mainly a threat to birds. The virus can infect and kill
other animals only if they have close contact with infected birds. The
major concern is that the virus will gain the ability to pass easily
from person to person. That has not happened yet; until it does, there
can be no pandemic. Recent reports tend to emphasize the virulence and
lethality of the avian virus. However, new findings suggest that health
officials may not have recognized mild and asymptomatic infections in
humans caused by the virus. Thus, the current virus may turn out to be
far less deadly than we have been led to believe.**

Even if the virus did mutate into a more transmissible form, its
virulence would probably diminish over time. This is the general pattern
of all influenza pandemics, including the 1918 Spanish Flu. In addition,
our federal, state and local public health infrastructure may be able to
stop the spread of a mutated avian-flu virus by containing it at its
point of origin. A few mining towns in Colorado were able to avoid the
1918 flu by barring outsiders for a few months during the epidemic.
Australia mostly escaped the 1918 flu because of a strict quarantine of
incoming ships.

Keep in mind that in 1918 scientists did not know what viruses were and
did not understand how they caused disease. Today, our public health
organizations know a lot about them and can make effective vaccines
against them. Also, our public health organizations have better methods
of monitoring disease outbreaks and quickly communicating information
about them that were unavailable in the past.

For information on the avian flu and Flu/Influenza, website links are
listed below:

**Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)**

**Influenza homepage <http://www.cdc.gov/flu>**

**Avian Flu homepage <http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/>**

**Flu Activity Reports-U.S.
<http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/fluactivity.htm>**

**World Health Organization (WHO)**

**Avian influenza homepage
<http://www.who.int/topics/avian_influenza/en/>**

**Influenza homepage <http://www.who.int/topics/influenza/en/>**

**New Jersey Department of Health and Human Services (NJDHSS)**

**Influenza Pandemic Preparedness
<http://www.state.nj.us/health/flu/pandemic.shtml>**

**Influenza homepage <http://nj.gov/health/flu/pandemic.shtml>**

**Flu Activity Reports-New Jersey
<http://nj.gov/health/fluinfo/index.html>**

**Atlantic County Government -- Department of Human Services -- Division
of Public Health**

**Flu/Influenza home page
<http://www.aclink.org/PublicHealth/mainpages/flu.asp>**

**Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) home page
<http://www.aclink.org/PublicHealth/mainpages/avian.asp>**

**William J. Hughes Technical Center**

**General awareness of flu/hygiene --
<http://environmental.act.faa.gov/safety_web/safeupdate.htm>**

**Questions regarding WJHTC Pandemic influenza preparations can be
directed to Walt Vernon at 56319 or email: <walter.vernon@faa.gov>.**

Students Solve Self-Identified Problems at SITE Competition

By Mary Lou Dordan

Ten Technical Center employees participated once again this year in an
exciting Student Invention Through Education (SITE) competition as
judges. The competition was held at the Ocean Life Center in Atlantic
City. This regional competition was coordinated through the FAA Aviation
& Space Education Program.

The National Talent Network at the Educational Information and Resource
Center (EIRC) sponsors this annual event for students in grades K-12 to
encourage their problem solving skills by challenging them to invent
solutions to self-identified problems. Founded in 1968, EIRC is a public
agency specializing in education--related programs and services for
schools, parents, communities, and non-profit organizations in more than
36 states and eight foreign countries.

There were quite a few innovative products that won awards at this
year\'s event. Some of the best included a shoe safe, in which the heel
of a shoe was hollowed out and used to keep valuables; a Foodle Fork,
which used two forks attached together with a spring mechanism that
allowed a young or disabled person to pick up food without having to
worry about it falling off; a boot / hat / glove dryer that was designed
to fit against a home heating vent for its power source to quickly dry
wet clothing items; and a Helping Hand that transformed a regular
kitchen scrubbing rubber glove into a scouring tool with an abrasive
cleaning pad sewn onto the palm and each finger of the glove.

The SITE program stresses development of a wide variety of
problem-solving skills, and encourages students to apply these skills to
life situations. Students develop and enter their inventions in a local
competition. The winning inventions are then invited to compete at this
competition. Media attention to the Foodle Fork during the local
competition phase has resulted in the seven-year-old inventor being
invited to appear on the Ellen DeGeneres television program.

Many thanks to the following FAA judges at this year\'s event: **Dr.
Todd Truitt, Adam Greco, Veronica Pacilio, Mary Lou Dordan, Cathy
Jaggard, Deborah Germak, Janet Kinsell, Holly Cyrus, Al Schwartz** and
**Al Jefferson**. The judges declared this to be one of the most
exciting Aviation & Space Education Program activities of the year, due
to the high level of ingenuity displayed by each contestant.
Participation in this event is a positive experience that exemplifies
unadulterated innocence, unfiltered communication and academic promise
by these youngsters.

South Korean Professor Visits the Technical Center

By Ginger Cairnes

Recently, **Professor Young Woo Sohn**, a Human Factors Research
Psychologist from Yonsei University, and two of his graduate students,
**Yongseok Kim** and **Su Wong Chang**, both Korean Airline Pilots,
arranged to visit the Technical Center. Although they have studied
aviation, they had not researched Air Traffic Control (ATC) as it
relates to aviation. Their goal is to learn as much as possible about
human factors research in ATC.

The group visited: Display System Replacement (DSR), Standard Terminal
Automation Replacement System (STARS), the Tower Cab, Advanced
Technologies Oceanic Procedures (ATOP), Tower/TRACON Modeling &
Simulation, Research & Development Human Factors Laboratory (RDHFL),
Technology Integration Laboratory (TIL), Simulators in the hangar,
Enhanced Traffic Management System (ETMS), and the Weather and Radar
(WARP) and Integrated Terminal Weather Systems (ITWS). Information they
gathered here at the Technical Center will give them a big jump on the
air traffic research they plan to continue.

**[Photo Captions:]{.underline}**

**Tri Nguyen** discusses one of the live radar weather data screens in
the Weather and Radar Processors (WARP) laboratory.

Korean pilot **Kyeongtae Kim** joins **Caleb Bonilla** as they explore
some of the equipment under one of the newer simulators being
constructed in the hangar.

**Terence Moore** demonstrates the Traffic Management Advisory (TMA) to
the visitors as Ginger Cairnes listens.

**Fran DiRocco** answers some questions from the visitors about the
ETMS.

Center Researchers Develop New Taxiway Screen

By Pete Castellano

Technical Center airport safety researchers have created a prototype
taxiway screen that can help prevent runway incursions at airports with
taxiways that pass well beyond the ends of runways. These screens can be
placed at the end of a runway to block the view between that runway and
an end-around taxiway. End-around taxiways are built beyond the
1,000-foot runway safety area.

Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson and Detroit's Metro airports have such
taxiways, and one will be installed at Dallas-Fort Worth International
Airport to facilitate aircraft movement between the runways and terminal
gates without having to cross active runways. In addition to safer
operations, the taxiways have the potential to increase capacity. The
two screens that will go up at Dallas-Fort Worth will be 700 feet long.
Each will be 13 feet high.

The screens "hide" aircraft on end-around taxiways from the view of
pilots preparing to take off on active runways. The screens give the
pilots a point of reference, enabling them to focus on aircraft that are
taxiing on the runways in front of the screens, and to distinguish them
from those moving on the taxiways behind the screens.

"This project helps address two of the FAA's key challenges: increasing
airport capacity and reducing runway incursions," said **Joan
Bauerlein**, FAA Director of Aviation Research and Development. "Our
researchers are working on engineered solutions to improve safety at
airports, especially those that are limited in their ability to expand."

The prototype system, built and tested by FAA researchers, is a 112-foot
long, 13-foot high plastic cardboard screen set up on two mobile
trailers, allowing for easy movement on and off the runway. The screens
are being tested in different configurations.

The screens were set up recently at Atlantic City International Airport,
at the end of the 10,000-foot runway 13-31. Researchers used an airport
vehicle to simulate an airplane taking off, and videotaped its movement
along the runway to see how well the screens blocked a pilot's view of
the taxiway areas beyond the end of the runway.

Upcoming tests will determine if the screen is more effective with
chevron stripes or a checkerboard pattern. Testers also will study the
effectiveness of reflective screening materials and the best lighting
configuration to make the screens most visible at night. Also, the new
screen will be double the size -- increased to 224 feet in length -- for
the next set of tests. Testing is expected to continue through April.

This research is intended to support a national agency standard for
end-around taxiway screens. Dallas-Fort Worth plans to install the first
FAA-approved screens later this year.

**[Photo caption:]{.underline}**

Technical Center airport safety researchers have created a prototype
taxiway screen that can be placed at the end of a runway to block the
view between the runway and an end-around taxiway. This is designed to
help prevent runway incursions at airports with taxiways that pass well
beyond the ends of runways. The screens were set up recently at Atlantic
City International Airport, at the end of the 10,000-foot runway 13-31.
The researchers used an airport vehicle to simulate an airplane taking
off, and videotaped its movement along the runway to see how well the
screens blocked a pilot's view of the taxiway areas beyond the end of
the runway.

**Maudie M. Powell**, Acting Program Director, Office of Organizational
Excellence (right), is shown presenting a 5-Year Service Award to
**Barbara Harris-Para**, Office of Organizational Excellence.
Congratulations, Barbara!

Center Wins DOT Environmental Award for Second Straight Year

By Pete Castellano

For the second year in a row, the Technical Center's Environmental Team
has won the DOT Environmental Achievement Award. The latest award is for
2005. This award is presented annually to groups or individuals who are
responsible for the best and most innovative programs that further DOT
environmental objectives.

The Environmental Team first won this award for 2004. In addition, the
team also received the Technical Center Award for Achievement and
Excellence (Non-Technical Team Award) and the FAA Administrator's Award
for Environmental Excellence in 2005.

As part of ongoing efforts to manage the Technical Center's environment
and physical plant, the Environmental Team designed and implemented a
state-of-the-art Environmental Management System (EMS) using the
International Organization for Standardization's ISO1400 standard as its
model. The EMS is the cornerstone of the Center's environmental
policies.

The EMS enables the Center to be both proactive and systematic in
managing a host of environmental issues. Several of the most significant
issues include management of atmospheric emissions, waste management,
energy conservation, recycling, protection of threatened, endangered,
and rare plant and animal species, and preservation of wetlands. The EMS
also gives management a tool with which it can continually improve by
setting goals and evaluating progress toward achieving those goals. The
team not only designed and implemented an EMS here at the Center, but
also helped several other FAA organizations to design and implement
systems.

Technical Center Management recognized the team on February 8. Team
members who were honored were **Kaye Jackson, Tom Flatley, Jay Fox, Ken
Dobis, Greg Falzetta, Keith Buch, Carleen Houston, Jay Repko, Tom Hupf,
Nancy Davenport-Masi, I.K. Patel, Gary Poulsen, Shelley Yak** and
**Howard Kimpton**.

**Black History Month**![](media/image1.wmf){width="2.020138888888889in"
height="2.613888888888889in"}

**"The Color of Patriotism 'To Form a More Perfect Union' "**

What is the color of patriotism?

It is the color of you and me.

The color of patriotism is red, black, and green.

Red for the blood shed for righteousness and

Equality sought for, fought for, at home and on distant shores

Still not received.

Black for the rich soil and beseeching souls, spirits, bodies and minds
of

Men, women and babies aching to be free

Green for the fertile land of promise, once sacred and free.

Green for the profits gained from selling the American dream in the

Land of the free.

What is the color of patriotism? It is the color of you and me.

> By **Jo Ann Jones**
>
> Administrative Support Personnel, ATO Terminal Support

The FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center celebrated Back History Month
with a series of programs

The highlight of the month-long series of programs was the **"Say It
Loud
[365!]{.underline}"**![](media/image2.wmf){width="2.279861111111111in"
height="1.832638888888889in"}

**Quiz Challenge**. This high-powered, fact-based game on world and
American history tested the intellectual abilities of students from two
area high schools: the Atlantic City High School and the Egg Harbor
Township High School. The quiz challenge, which parodies the television
game, Jeopardy, proved to be an exhilarating experience for the
contestants and the audience alike. Both teams of student were very
impressive in their knowledge of past and current history. In the end,
the Atlantic City High School team with a final score of 635 surpassed
Egg Harbor High School team, who scored 570. Everyone on the 4-membered
teams is a winner, and we congratulate and applaud them, along with
their advisors for doing a great job.

![](media/image3.jpeg){width="2.625in" height="1.8833333333333333in"}

**Atlantic City Public High School**

**[The Blue Team]{.underline}**

# Natasha Bethea

# Christopher Bros

# Emily Wilson

# William Graves

**Ms. Diane McGlashon**, counselor/advisor for the Atlantic City Public
High School

![](media/image4.jpeg){width="2.6458333333333335in"
height="1.7486111111111111in"}

**Egg Harbor Township Public High School**

**[The Grey Team]{.underline}**

> **Chantal Irwin**
>
> **Tierra Hegamin**
>
> **Chris Fayne**
>
> **Tiffany McPherson**

**Ms. Wendy Arthur**, counselor/advisor for the Egg Harbor Township
Public High School

We express our sincere thanks to everyone who played a pivotal role in
making the 2006 Black History Month noteworthy. The WJHTC Strategic
Leadership Team; Office of Civil Rights; the Committee: **Kenneth W.
Hitchens, Jo Ann Jones, Bessie Johnson, Patricia King, Maudie Powell,
Stacie Graves, Alphonso Jefferson, Jamaal Lipscomb;** and **Program
support: Vienna Drago, Verna Artis, La Bernice Johnson, Betty Lou Ford,
La Tasha Reddick, Ray Singleton, Samuel Wilson, Holly Baker,** and
**Kenneth Beisel.**

Technical Center Gets New Aircraft Rescue & Firefighting Research
Vehicle

By Pete Castellano

The Technical Center has acquired a new Striker aircraft rescue and
firefighting vehicle, from Oshkosh Truck Corp. (Oshkosh, WI). The
\$650,000 state-of-the-art test bed will open a whole new realm of
aircraft rescue and firefighting testing capabilities for FAA
researchers.

The new vehicle will allow research and testing on a much larger and
more complex scale than before on aircraft like the Airbus A380 as they
come on the market.

The Striker has a large storage capacity for firefighting agents, and
many specialized features. It holds 2,500 gallons of water, compared
with the 800-gallon water capacity of the Center's current research
vehicle. The Striker features an electronic foam proportioning system
that takes foam concentrate from one tank and mixes it into the water
stream at the proper ratio. The system continually monitors itself,
providing better control of foam injection and better measurement of the
amount of agent used. The vehicle also carries two complimentary
extinguishing agents -- Halotron and dry chemicals.

The Striker is 39.7 feet long, about 10.2 feet wide and 12.5 feet high.
It weighs 76,810 pounds, and has six wheels, each 4.4 feet high. The
Striker has a Caterpillar C-16, 680-horsepower engine, with an Allison
transmission, and is configured for a three-man crew. It will be
equipped with standard communications capabilities, air-to-ground radio
for communicating with aircraft crews or towers, and ground-to-ground
radio for communicating with other fire departments and outside
agencies.

The new vehicle is the most technologically advanced model available,
and provides the foundation for adding new technologies. For example,
there is room for up to 6,000 pounds of additional installed equipment,
including the next-generation elevated boom. Also, it has rear-wheel
steering capabilities for optimum vehicle handling and reduced tire
wear.

The Striker joins another High Performance Research Vehicle, an
Emergency One Titan 4x4 that has been used by FAA researchers at the
Technical Center since 1992 to achieve significant safety advances. For
example, under an Interagency Agreement between the FAA and the U. S.
Air Force Research Laboratory, researchers developed many fire and
rescues innovations. They include the Driver's Enhanced Vision System,
elevated boom technology, elevated boom with aircraft skin penetrating
devices, the Rhino multi-position high performance bumper turret,
vehicle suspension enhancements and the lateral G-force indicator for
vehicle stability.

The Striker meets and exceeds the requirements of both the FAA and
National Fire Protection Association for airport rescue and firefighting
vehicle design. Between research projects, the vehicle will be kept
ready for use at all times. Along with its FAA research focus, it will
be capable of supporting emergency responses by area airport fire
departments. FAA researchers have completed the necessary training to
operate the vehicle for test purposes.

For more information about the FAA's aircraft rescue and firefighting
projects conducted by researchers in the Airport Technology Research and
Development Branch, visit the website at:
<http://www.airporttech.tc.faa.gov/Safety/resfire.asp>

Happy 50^th^ Wedding Anniversary

By Ellis Peopples

Retired Center employee, **Larry Stroud, and his wife, Elizabeth**,
recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and had a public
renewal of their vows. **Rodger Mingo** was the proxy best man.

This photo shows (left to right) **Luther McClellan, Ellis Peopples,
Larry Stroud, Rodger Mingo and William Greene**.

*Editor's Note: Thank you to Ellis Peopples, who was kind enough to
share this photo with our readers.*

**Bill Jerdan** recently retired from the FAA Technical Center's System
Analysis Division. Bill was honored for his many years of service at a
retirement luncheon that was held at the Mays Landing Country Club,
where **Division Manager Stan Pszczolkowski** presented Bill with a
Certificate of Retirement.

Best good wishes for a happy and healthy retirement from all your
friends at the Tech Center, Bill!

**Mary Ann Reynolds** recently retired from the FAA Technical Center's
Budget Office. Mary Ann was honored for her many years of service at a
retirement luncheon that was held at the Crab Trap Restaurant in Somers
Point, where **Acting Center Director Ronald J. Esposito** presented
Mary Ann with a Certificate of Retirement.

Best good wishes for a happy and healthy retirement from all your
friends at the Tech Center, Mary Ann!

Rowan Faculty, Students Honored for their Work

By Mike Paglione

In 1996, the FAA established the Conflict Probe Assessment Team (CPAT)
at the Technical Center to evaluate the accuracy of the conflict probes
in Decision Support Tools (DSTs). Since its creation CPAT has: (1)
measured the conflict prediction accuracy of the User Request Evaluation
Tool (URET), (2) measured the trajectory modeling accuracy of both URET
and CTAS, (3) conducted a study that measured the sensitivity of the
URET conflict probe to weather forecast errors and (4) assisted in the
formal accuracy testing of URET Current Capability Limited Deployment
(CCLD), which was the initial operational implementation of URET. More
recently, CPAT has a leadership role in a special crosscutting team
developing testing metrics for the En Route Automation Modernization
(ERAM) Program.

As a part of these analyses, CPAT has always valued tools that
supplement their data analysis with visual representations of the data.
For example, in 2001, CPAT developed a Java application called the Proof
Encounter Preparation Program (PREPS) that provides input files for an
off-the-shelf product called Proof Animation, which animates conflict
encounter data. In 2003, CPAT had a summer intern supported through the
National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education to
develop a prototype graphical user interface of trajectory prediction
data, called TrajectoryGUI. This initial prototype was documented in the
48th Air Traffic Control Association Annual Conference Proceedings in
October 2003 (see
<http://acy.tc.faa.gov/cpat/docs/acta_2003_acb330_01t.pdf>).

In 2004, Rowan Associate Professor, **Dr. Adrian Rusu**, and **Dr. Fred
Snyder** of the FAA, discussed the collaboration between the FAA and
Rowan. As a result, CPAT teamed with the Software Engineering, Graphics,
and Visualization (SEGV) Research Group that was established by the
Department of Computer Science at Rowan University. Since SEGV's
research is focused on Software Engineering Education, Web Browsing and
Visualization, Sound Visualization, and Graphical Software and
Applications, CPAT saw that collaboration with them would provide an
excellent opportunity for the continuing development and enhancement of
the TrajectoryGUI application. This relationship also enriches the
academic opportunities of the participating Rowan University students
and staff.

In Spring 2005, a new version of the TrajectoryGUI application began
initially as part of a senior class project and continued during the
summer through a student internship that was completed by August 2005.
CPAT has utilized the application in several studies supporting ERAM
URET Programs. In October 2005, the tool was presented at the 50th Air
Traffic Control Association Annual Conference and documented in its
proceedings (see <http://acy.tc.faa.gov/cpat/docs/atca2005_finalt.pdf>).

In Fall 2005, two student teams were formed. The first team revisited
the TrajectoryGUI application and redesigned the entire application,
enhancing its capabilities and adding many features lacking from the
previous version. The second team developed a new application called the
FlightGUI to evaluate the encounters between aircraft pairs and their
predictions.

**[Caption to go with the photo:]{.underline}**

Photos show **Dr. Adrian Rusu** accepting a Letter of Appreciation from
FAA project lead **Mike Paglione**. They also show Rowan students in
class sessions and receiving FAA Certificates of Appreciation for their
impressive software development work.

**Technical Center Speaker Series: Aeronautical Chart Seminar**

By Barbara Harris-Para

**Richard Neher** from the FAA National Aeronautical Charting Office
recently gave a very informative seminar on visual flight charts in
which he gave the audience a broad overview of charts, publications and
little-known facts. He also enlightened many of the pilots about symbols
on Visual Flight Rules (VFR) charts.

Hosted by **Fred Snyder**, as part of the Technical Center Speakers
Series, the seminar was attended by Center employees and members of the
flying community. **Eileen Iandola** from the Philadelphia Flight
Standards Office worked with Snyder in producing this event. She works
with Aviation Safety Counselors to sponsor and present many seminars
concerning general aviation throughout the year.

The program took about two hours including questions. About 50 pilots
from South Jersey attended. **Phil Fittante, Rich Astillero**.
**Charlene Montalvo, Sue Spincic** and **Mary Lou Dordan** helped by
getting everyone into the auditorium. **Colleen Burger (**Security
Operations Center) helped make sure that the visitor badges were ready
when they arrived. Many thanks go to all for being so cooperative in
making our visitors feel welcome and the seminar a success.

Aviation Research Park Planned at the Technical Center

By Jay Fox

Next time you fill your coffee mug at Wawa on the circle, note the
wooded FAA Technical Center property in the rear. If current plans come
to fruition, you are looking at the future home of the Aviation Research
& Technology Park.

Comprising 55 acres and bound by Amelia Earhart Boulevard and Delilah
Road, the proposed site is the result of almost 2 years of planning by
many parties, including Atlantic County, the South Jersey Economic
Development District, the NJ Economic Development Authority, the
Atlantic County Improvement Authority (ACIA), Richard Stockton College
of NJ, a group of contract employers doing business with the Technical
Center, and, of course, the FAA.

On October 28, 2005, a memorandum of understanding was signed between
these parties to work cooperatively to create a research park. At the
same time, a second memorandum of understanding was concluded to acquire
a feasibility study for the property. The ACIA will administer the
contract for the study without any funding necessary from the FAA.

The goal for all parties is to create a premier state-of-the-art
facility operated by a non-profit entity with guidance from the FAA,
providing national and international leadership for the future of
aviation while delivering aviation technologies necessary for the Next
Generation Air Transportation System (NGATS). At the same time, the same
group is seeking to establish a world-class campus offering a national
aviation technology resource through a dynamic and innovative
partnership between government, industry, academia and the southern New
Jersey community.

Over the next 10 years it is estimated that the Technical Center will
contribute over three billion dollars to the economy of the region. For
each job created at the Center, an additional three jobs are created in
the area. In addition, Tech Center employees donate a total of almost
four million dollars in non-work related time annually for a variety of
community activities. The creation of a Research Park not only
contributes to the national and international economy, but also will
significantly add to the huge economic hub generated by the Technical
Center.

Over the last few months, the proposed park has gained noteworthy
momentum. Recent visitors to the Technical Center for the purpose of
discussing the park include the NJ Commerce Commission, the Casino
Reinvestment Development Authority, Rowan University and the ACIN Camden
Center for Entrepreneurship in Technology. Add in the interest of an old
friend, **Ambassador William J. Hughes**, and a new friend, former
Center Director **Anne Harlan**, and what is now a vision may become the
reality of an Aviation Research & Technology Park in the near future.

# ![](media/image5.png){width="1.0409722222222222in" height="0.8125in"}

# 

# CALL FOR PAPERS AND PRESENTATIONS

**Aviation Technologies -- "Looking Toward Tomorrow"**

**July 17, 2006 - F.A.A Technical Center, Pomona, NJ**

# SCOPE

The New Jersey Technology Council\'s Aviation Technologies -- "Looking
Toward Tomorrow" will feature companies exhibiting products and services
in the areas of Aviation Technology, IT and Advanced Materials. In
addition to the Showcase, the Council has issued a Call for Papers on
new products and services developed since April 2004 relating to
aviation and aeronautical technology. Topics of papers should focus on
the following areas:

***Advanced Materials (focusing on Aviation) Aviation Technology***

Structural Safety Simulation & Modeling

Catastrophic Failure Prevention Human Factors

Nanotechnology Rotary Vehicles

Fire Research Safety Commercial Space

Pavement Design & Testing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

> Weather & Atmospheric
>
> Hazards

***Information Technology (focused on Aviation)***

Information Security ***Economic Development***

Real and Virtual Environment

RFID The future of Aviation

Software Engineering Research Park - Linkages

Airborne Internet of new technology & human

Capital.

# SUBMISSION DETAILS

Accepted papers will be housed on the Council's website for six months
and will be made available to members and the technology community.
Authors are not required to transfer copyright. Authors of accepted
papers must sign and return a Permission and Release form. Two of the
accepted papers in each area of the major topics shown above will be
selected for verbal presentation by the authors at the Forum. This
presentation may be accompanied by a Power Point presentation no longer
than 12 minutes in length. The Power Point presentation will also be
housed on the Council's website. We encourage authors to submit concise
papers of 8 pages. Over-length submissions may be rejected without
review or notice to the author. Final copies of accepted papers will be
required in either word, PDF and HTML formats. Authors must also include
a short 30-word statement with their submission that summarizes the
content of their paper. The Selection Committee will review the
statement, along with the paper. The final statement will appear in the
agenda of the event and may be edited for clarity and accuracy by the
Conference Committee.

Submissions and inquiries should be sent to
[mailto:pfrank@njtc.org](mailto:pfrank@njtc.org)

**CONFERENCE COMMITTEE:**

Representatives from the ACIN - Camden Center, FAA -- William J. Hughes
Technical Center, Princeton Plasma Physics Lab, Princeton University,
Rowan University, and Stockton College. Additional committee members
will be announced shortly.

# 

# IMPORTANT DATES

Last Date for Submission of Paper & Statement - Monday, June 12

Notification of Acceptance of Manuscripts - Friday, June 23

"Aviation Technologies -- Looking toward Tomorrow" - Monday, July 17

**ABOUT THE AVIATION TECHNOLOGIES -- LOOKING TOWARD TOMORROW EXPO:**

This event is scheduled on July 17th from 1 to 5:30 PM. at the William
J. Hughes Technical Center in Pomona, NJ. Companies who have employees
who have papers accepted will be provided the tabletop exhibits at no
charge. Attendance will be comprised of approximately 150 - 200
technology executives, technology support executives, education
professionals and others. The NJTC is a not-for-profit organization
dedicated to promoting and recognizing technology companies throughout
the region. The Council's web site is
[[www.njtc.org]{.underline}](../www.njtc.org). For information about
exhibiting you should contact jstorck@njtc.org. Amper Politziner &
Mattia, P.C. and Woodcock Washburn LLP sponsor the event.

Please note: Papers submitted in previous Call for Papers requests that
were granted presentation or finalist status will not be considered.

New Cooperative Research and Development Agreement in 'Aviation English'

By Deborah Germak

The FAA recently entered into a Cooperative Research and Development
Agreement (CRDA) with Ordinate Corporation. The collaborative research
is in Aviation English.

By March 2008, all International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
States must conform to new English language proficiency standards to
improve aviation safety in the world's airlines and civil aviation
authorities. These ICAO provisions are designed to improve aviation
radiotelephony communications in English.

Ordinate Corporation has developed a completely automated method for
testing the spoken English language. The FAA Academy provides leadership
in training and developing the FAA workforce and the aviation community.
The objectives of this research and development are for the FAA and
Ordinate to develop an Aviation English Test (AET).

The Government's Principal Investigator is **Graham Elliott**, located
at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center's FAA Academy. The Principal
Investigator for the Collaborating Research Organization is **Jared
Bernstein**.

This CRDA was awarded on January 17. This is a very creative type of
arrangement in which the collaborating party has agreed not only to
reimburse the Academy for their direct expenses for this effort, but
also to pay a percentage of the gross sales of every AET sold. The CRDA
is effective for 5 years and creates a revenue stream for those 5 years.

Government Newsletter Highlights Hi-Tec Systems

*Company Was Built "From the Garage Up"*

By Donald Leffler

A recent issue of *Transportation Link*, a DOT newsletter, singled out
Hi-Tec Systems, Inc. In March, Hi-Tec began a yearlong celebration of
its tenth anniversary.

Hi-Tec\'s \"incredible\" growth was recognized in the column, which was
written by Director **Sean M. Moss** of DOT\'s Office of Small and
Disadvantaged Business Utilization. Revenues for Hi-Tec increased to
almost \$20 million in 2004, or 322% since 2001. Moss cited Hi-Tec as a
great example of the department\'s commitment to aiding firms in
becoming successful industry competitors. Two years ago, Transportation
Secretary, Norman Y. Mineta presented Hi-Tec Systems President and CEO
Trib Singh with a small business award.

The newsletter article recounts the humble beginning of Hi-Tec, 10 years
ago. It quotes its CEO, **Trib Singh,** as saying, \"We respect our
customer relations and work hard to make sure our clients are happy.
That\'s always been the linchpin of our success.\" He went on to say,
\"Our people are our greatest asset.\" Singh spent most of his
engineering career working for major aviation-related corporations,
including MITRE and Lockheed Martin, and decided to venture out on his
own a decade ago. \"I had no office, no employees, so I set up in my
garage,\" he recalls. His sole business at the time was an FAA contract
working on its Wide Area Augmentation System program.

Besides DOT, Hi-Tec provides technical support to agencies in the
Departments of Homeland Security and Defense. Hi-Tec also supplies
expertise to government and corporate clients that include aviation
authorities, airports and airlines in Afghanistan, Australia, India and
Japan. In addition to corporate headquarters near Atlantic City, Hi-Tec
maintains a DC office (Arlington, VA) and an Asian-Pacific regional
office in New Delhi, India.

Lab Division Passes ISO 9001:2000 Surveillance Audits

By Mike Greco

Once again we passed our ISO 9001:2000 surveillance audit, which means
we will continue to be registered to the ISO 9001:2000 standard.

**Wayne Blazek**, our external auditor conducted our 30-month
surveillance audit from January 3-5. He found our Quality Management
System to be suitable, effective, and in compliance with the ISO
9001:2000 standard. There were no areas of nonconformance, or weaknesses
identified in any of the areas audited. Wayne again indicated that we
have an exceptional quality system that is well documented and
effective.

Wayne pointed out several positive aspects of the management system. One
in particular I would like to mention, which is directly attributed to
all of you, is that our personnel had an excellent understanding of the
Quality Policy and Objectives. Other aspects were that we have an
excellent and well-documented system in place for performing software
inspections and test, excellent documentation of activities in logbooks
and on forms throughout the Laboratory Maintenance Group, and excellent
control of calibrated equipment.

An additional highlight was that the internal audit program was
identified as being conducted on time, and the depth and independence
was sufficient to assure the effectiveness of the system. He also
identified one opportunity for improvement in the quality system.

I would like to thank everyone for their support and commitment to
maintain and improve our quality management system. Wayne has noted on
several occasions that our procedures are thorough, our records are
complete, and our auditees are well prepared and knowledgeable in the
quality management system. All of your efforts, hard work, and
professionalism were quite evident during this 3-day audit.

I would like to thank the following employees who were audited in their
respective functional areas: **Shirley Rogers, Wanda Harris, John
Wilkes, Mike Wiley, Tim Schurig, Greg Esterlund, Joe Delesantro, Clayton
Carr, Walter Peter Murphy, Donald Marple, Terence Moore, Robin
Peterson-Brown, Mike Pomykacz,**

**Albert Macias, and Jim Valleley**. I would also like to thank **Beth
Burkett** for all her diligence and hard work as our management
representative and Wanda Harris as the internal audit coordinator.
Because of Beth and Wanda's tireless efforts, these audits were well
organized and complete, and always generate impressive results.

I would also like to thank your Division Management team of **Russ
Atwood, Dan Haubrich, Beverly Hite, Mike Pomykacz, Don Marple, Al
Rehmann, and Armando Gaetano, Sharon Campanella** and **Hilda DiMeo**
for their enthusiasm, commitment, and willingness to operate as a true
team. Without their strong leadership, not only this effort, the overall
task of carrying out the mission of the Laboratory Division could not
have been a success.

**International Ninety-Nines Conference in New Zealand**

By Barbara Harris-Para

For the past 75 years the International Ninety-Nines, Inc. has held a
conference somewhere in the world. Every fifth year it has to be outside
of the U.S., so this past August the 76^th^ Conference was held in
Christchurch, New Zealand. I have attended 15 of these conferences, and
this was my first overseas conference. **Dot Buckanin** and her husband,
**Steve Buckanin**, teamed up with my husband, **Fred Para**, and me to
take three weeks away from the hustle and bustle of NJ.

We left Newark for Maui, and enjoyed a week of needed rest and
relaxation there. The trip to New Zealand from Hawaii took about 12
hours. Leaving on Friday evening at midnight and crossing the
International Date Line meant that we lost a day going west. When we
arrived, the custom agents were using small dogs to detect fruits,
vegetables and other forbidden items. We had golf shoes that needed to
be inspected, and to our surprise they cleaned them before allowing us
into the country. When we returned to the 'states' we arrived in Los
Angeles "before" we departed New Zealand, try figuring that one out!

Christchurch is an absolutely beautiful area. The South Island was at
the end of its winter season, but only one day did we see rain and
chilly weather. We attended the conference for 4 days, and rented an SUV
(that held all of our luggage) to tour the South Island. They drive on
the opposite side of the road, so driving was a challenge.

We traveled 8 hours the first day stopping to enjoy some great photo
opportunities. Staying in a bed and breakfast for the first time was an
experience. Steve wanted to visit the "wineries of New Zealand," so we
spent an afternoon at a great winery.

The next surprise was we had to take a 3-hour ferry to the North Island
and leave the vehicle. We had to pick up another SUV in Wellington. The
ferry was late getting started but the televised rugby game onboard was
so interesting that we lost track of time. The hotel we stayed in that
night catered to backpackers, another experience to add to our list. The
city of Wellington was clean and neat with friendly people.

Driving to Rotoroa in the North Island was very beautiful. Dot mentioned
a few times, that the movie "Lord of the Rings" was filmed in this area.
Of course, the winter weather was allowing for skiing in the mountains,
which lined our travels. In Rotorua we had a timeshare provided by the
Buckanin's and the week spent there was very interesting; the scenery,
the food, the non-existent traffic and the peace and quiet were
wonderful. Steve and Fred played golf at a course that had geysers of
bobbling mud throughout the course - there is no looking for your ball
in one of those. Flying a private plane there requires a lot of
patience, as Dot found out! There are very few places to rent general
aviation aircraft.

The people in New Zealand were the best; outsiders can visit and live
but seldom become a citizen. Since the country is in the southern
hemisphere their weather is opposite ours. New Zealand also is the
jumping off site for the Antarctic. The U.S. Air Force has a base near
Christchurch so it can support its Antarctica base. Being with a flying
group gave us a lot of exposure in the country. Some of our seminars
were on the U.S. supply aircraft operations, and why dogs are used in
customs.

Seeing the different aircraft flown in the general aviation community
was amazing. In fact, many of their planes are never seen in the U.S.
Owning your own airstrip is common, but user fees and fuel are very
expensive, which stifles flying activity there. One of the items that
struck us funny was that fuel costs went up by five cents, but we
realized there are no pennies in their system, so five cents was the
only means of changing the price. Fuel was also sold in liters at about
\$2.60 the first week, and for about \$2.85 by the time we left. That is
over six dollars per gallon.

I would love to return for a longer stay, but my only trepidation would
be the long hauls from the U.S. Eighteen hour flights are not uncommon
each way, along with the many other delays, making for a 2-day ordeal.
Hopefully, in the future, there will be supersonic travel between the
continents to reduce the flying time.

Technical Center Overview Video Available

By Bob Marks

The modules containing the Technical Center's overview video have been
placed on the public Internet. The direct links are:

[http://www.tc.faa.gov/TC_overview.html]{.underline}

[http://www.tc.faa.gov/TC_videos.html]{.underline}

You also can access the modules from the left hand navigation bar on the
main page at <http://www.tc.faa.gov/>[.]{.underline}

Technology Transfer Office Hosts First SMART Aviation Subgroup Meeting

By Deborah Germak

The FAA's Technology Transfer Program office recently hosted the first
Aviation Subgroup meeting of the Strengthening the Mid-Atlantic Region
for Tomorrow (SMART) consortium at the Technical Center**. U.S.
Representatives Frank A. LoBiondo (**R-NJ) and **Curt Weldon (**R-PA)
kicked off the initial session, which provided a forum for its
participants to share and exchange information of mutual interest in the
area of aviation.

The SMART consortium promotes active partnerships between industry,
academia, and technical and government institutions in NJ, PA, DE, and
MD. It is dedicated solely to the economic growth and development of
technical enterprise and intellectual vitality in the mid-Atlantic
region. The aviation subgroup is a key component of SMART's
transportation cluster group, which also includes transit and rail
subgroups.

Rep.. LoBiondo and Rep. Weldon are strong supporters of the SMART
program and the Technical Center's involvement with it. "The Technical
Center is doing premier work in the nation when it comes to aviation,"
LoBiondo said as he welcomed the group. "We're after the best and the
brightest," Weldon said, as he emphasized his commitment to making the
region a prime center of high technology.

"SMART provides a unique, exciting mechanism that will market the
high-tech capability of the four-state area, not in a way that forces us
to compete with each other, but in a way that links all our resources
together as a single entity," said former Center Director **Anne
Harlan**. "We are particularly excited about the opportunity to conduct
collaborative research, form partnerships and leverage resources where
academia, industry, and government work together to provide a better
future."

The framework of SMART has been established, and the group has taken key
initial steps. **Bob Carullo**, SMART executive director, advised that
the governors of the four states have signed a memorandum of agreement
to support, endorse, and advocate the actions taken by SMART in order to
facilitate an interstate, cross-disciplinary collaboration through the
four states. Legislation will be introduced during this session of
Congress to authorize the four-state pact.

**Deborah Germak**, FAA Technology Transfer Program manager, noted the
success of the first aviation subgroup meeting. "We are delighted with
the attendance, participation, interest and enthusiasm of the
attendees," she said.

**Mark Allen**, of Engineered Arresting Systems Corporation (ESCO) and
chairman of the SMART transportation cluster group, discussed the goals
and objectives of the cluster and subgroup, during the meeting. Several
interesting presentations then were given by leading SMART members. They
included **Al Schwartz** of the Technical Center's Office of Integrated
Engineering Services, on SMART's simulation and modeling technology
cluster; **Peter Mahal** of ESCO, on the Engineered Material Arresting
System (EMAS), also known as the softground arresting system; **Richard
Healing**, National Transportation Safety Board member, on unmanned
aerial vehicles; **David Sparenberg** of Titan, on the new contractors'
consortium; **Tom Carver**, New Jersey Department of Labor commissioner;
**Phil Holmer** of IEEE-USA, and Bob Carullo.

Weather Message Switching Center Replacement System Deployed

By Henrietta Shelton

Flight Service and Weather Engineering Group Manager, **Frannette
Bourne**, and Flight Service and Weather Engineering Team Manager,
**Kevin Harrington**, are proud to announce and congratulate the
successful deployment of the Weather Message Switching Center
Replacement (WMSCR) system.

The Communications, Flight Service and Weather Engineering Group
(formerly AOS-500), and the Flight Service and Weather Engineering Team,
successfully deployed the sustainment effort for the WMSCR system in
September 2005. The release of the new hardware and software marks a
significant milestone and represents the culmination of the weather
automation system's modernization. It is a notable step towards lowering
FAA overall operating costs by substantially reducing annual hardware
and software maintenance costs.

The WMSCR sites located at the National Network Control Centers (NNCC)
in Atlanta and Salt Lake City have been transitioned from aging
equipment, which was deployed 10 years ago, to new state-of-the-art
computers and telecommunications equipment. This modernization provides
the FAA with a significant increase in processing speed and capacity for
handling aviation weather and NOTAM information. It also improves
decision-making, which will result in fewer air traffic delays. The
WMSCR deployment will support Federal Telecommunications Infrastructure
(FTI) communications for airlines, other agencies and users.

In order to comply with new FTI requirements, the WMSCR sustainment
effort is Internet Protocol (IP) capable, which enables the system's
customers to convert from outdated analog protocols to a more efficient
means of communications. IP allows users to connect to a server if they
know the address. That way they do not require a direct telephone
connection. Operator functions at the NNCCs are initiated using
web-browser displays, an improvement in the distribution of changes and
updates via a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) site rather than through a
typical distribution cycle and process. An FTP site allows users to
choose the files that they wish to download.

The deployment of the new WMSCR system completed one of the core
business functions for Safety and Operations Support, Office of
Technical Operations, to enhance NAS system performance through
engineering and program support, and maps directly to the Flight Plan
goal to increase capacity. The new system is compliant with the
Department of Homeland Security's requirements.

The WMSCR system was a collaborative effort of the Flight Service and
Weather Engineering Team, NNCC facility managers, system management and
system operations personnel.

**[Photo caption:]{.underline}**

The Communications, Flight Service and Weather Engineering Group and the
Flight Service and Weather Engineering Team at the Technical Center
recently successfully deployed the sustainment effort for the Weather
Message Switching Center Replacement (WMSCR) system. The release of the
new hardware and software marks a significant milestone and represents
the culmination of the weather automation system's modernization. It is
a notable step towards lowering FAA overall operating costs by
substantially reducing annual hardware and software maintenance costs.