**30 Years of Service**

 

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30 Years of Service: Technical Center Director **Wilson Felder**
recently presented Certificates of Service (30 years) to **John Wiley**
and **Stan Ciurczak**.

**Congratulations!**

**Employee Profile: Jerry Smith**

Interviewed by Stan Ciurczak

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Jerry Smith: Ever heard of the CAA Technical Development Center in
Indianapolis? That organization preceded the National Aviation
Facilities Experimental Center (NAFEC), which in turn preceded the FAA
Technical Center. Jerry Smith worked at the CAA Technical Development
Center until he transferred to NAFEC in April 1959. He has worked here
for 48 of the past 50 years, first as a Federal employee and then as a
contractor. Currently he works at Battelle Memorial Institute, a Tech
Center contractor.

 

**Stan:** Thanks, Jerry, for talking with me.

**Jerry:** The Atrium down there where they have the plaques with the
likeness of all the Center Directors, I have worked with every one of
them. I worked for every NAFEC Director and Tech Center Director
beginning with Col. Cowart, through Dr. Anne Harlan.

**Stan:** Are you the only person you know who has worked for every
Director?

**Jerry:** I actually retired from the government in January 1999. I
took about 1½ years off, actually close to 2 years I was off. I started
with my current job, which is Battelle Memorial Institute. We do
primarily support work for aviation security, which is in building 315.
Starting in the very beginning, back in April 1959, I was 19 years old
coming out to the East for the first time, growing up in Indiana . The
government project planes at that time were old DC3's and a twin
Beachcraft. They had a seat opening on the DC3, so I came out over a
weekend and I did my first exploring in South Jersey. We flew from the
Indianapolis Municipal Airport , which is now the Indiana International
Airport . We had the TDC, Technical Development Center . It was CAA at
the time, Civil Aeronautics Administration and I believe when Eisenhower
took over, they started the FAA, which was the Federal Aviation Agency,
and they brought all of the technical tests and R&D related to aviation
-- there was a toss up between the Tech Center here in Atlantic City or
Pine Castle Air Force Base down in Florida. I think possibly senators or
whoever bid for this won by getting all the groups to move to one
location and it was here at the Tech Center . Because they had the
10,000 foot runway which was left over from the Navy -- so that was one
main thing they wanted and also to be in proximity of high density area,
such as New York and Philadelphia so they could do their testing with
the research aircraft and then again had the open space over the ocean
where they could do various testing with navigation aides and anything
associated with aviation. The old base was all wooden buildings; there
was the hospital, mess hall, and old bowling alley. A matter of fact, I
think I was still a GS-2 making \$3,255 a year. So I needed to make a
little extra money and the bowling alley, I guess it was an officer's
bowling alley when the Navy was here and it had mechanical pinsetters
and I had a job there a couple nights a week. It was all NAFEC people
that had a bowling league and I use to set pins at the bowling alley --
I think it was a 6-lane bowling alley.

**Stan:** Was it a nighttime league?

**Jerry:** Right -- in the evening. I used to make big bucks. I think on
a good night I would make like \$10 for just a couple hours of work
which is probably 2 times more than I made at my regular job. The first
building I was in we had the TDC simulator, which was a system that had
some -- I believe it was 32 target generators and these were actually
little projectors that projected a round spot of light and we had a
slide projector, so to speak, that projected the air routes, runways and
so forth up on the wall. The simulator operators, which were the pilots,
would slide this target of light and then we had a TV camera take a
picture of the wall with the map projected and the spots of light, which
represented the aircraft. I remember one of the airports we did
simulation for; one of them was Dulles, when Dulles was made to
determine the headings of the runways to meld with the feeder fixes and
National airport. They did all this and they would change the map that
they projected on the wall and could tell the different headings of the
runways, which ones were most harmonious to the approaching aircraft and
not to interfere with aircraft from National and other airports.
Simulation was where I worked for the first 20 years as a maintenance
technician. Started out as an engineering aide and then an electronic
technician. Then after about 20 years, over on the old base -- about the
time when the current T&A building was built, you'll have to check the
dates on that but I think it was right around 1980. For 2 years, 1978
and 1979, I was a technician in the hangar working with the MLS,
Microwave Landing System. I was assigned to a group represented by Texas
Instruments. They had a contract for a prototype of a small community
microwave landing system. That was the old runway, which was 826 and no
longer here. I believe they ripped that out some time maybe in the mid
or late 80's. We used to fly a lot of project aircraft here on the base.
The pilots would test out the receivers and so forth of the microwave
landing system.

**Stan:** Take me back to the very beginning -- the day you arrived to
work here.

**Jerry:** I flew in on a DC-3. It was April and it was supposed to be
nice weather, they had told me. I was used to the winters in Indiana and
the Midwest where it would snow and many times the ground would be
covered for 6 weeks or 2 months; kind of continuous, it would melt and
so forth.

**Stan:** How did you find a place to live?

**Jerry:** Actually I got married right out of high school and bought a
house trailer out in Indiana , which was fairly common back in the
1950's. With what the government paid with my per diem and mileage for
the car and all, it just about covered to move that trailer from here to
the Pomona Trailer Park , which was just on the outskirts of the base
over in Pomona . Yes -- it is still there. Going up Tilton Road North to
the light, turn right and just down a ways it is on your right. It still
is there -- a campground or something -- now called Pomona Campground.
That is where I stayed the first couple of years.

**Stan:** Is Indiana where you were born and raised?

**Jerry:** Born in New Castle , Indiana , which is known for its high
school basketball. Not too far from where the Hoosier movie was made.
That was actually Milan , Indiana -- a small school. I moved to the big
city, Indianapolis , when I was 3 years old. Lived in the City until I
was 12 and then moved out to the country. My parents bought a small
farm, 35-acre farm. I think my parents thought it was a good place- I
had two older brothers -- to grow up out in the country, rather than the
city. I started right out of high school where there were applications
to local high schools and colleges for jobs as air traffic control
simulator operators. I applied for one of those jobs and my buddy and I
went and took the civil service test and he and I were within a couple
tenths of a point on our test, so the two of us got hired and we worked
there for a year and something. They closed that Center and moved
everyone to Atlantic City and that is how I got here.

**Stan:** That was the Technical Proving Ground?

**Jerry:** That was CAA at the time, Civil Aeronautics Administration.
There is a guy I met here; his name is Art Holmes. He was here at the
Tech Center for 30 some years and he currently lives in Absecon and has
lived there for a number of years. He would be a good guy for you to
talk to. He came from NAFEC out to Indianapolis with another guy; I
believe his name was Stan Ware. The two of them, Art Holmes and Stan
Ware, were technicians or engineers that came out to coordinate the
moving of test equipment and probably office equipment. I believe it was
everything that they coordinated and set up in the hanger at TDC in
Indianapolis . They were the first two guys that I met from New Jersey .
Art worked here for years and I stayed in touch with him over the years
and when he retired, he handed off the torch to me as being the old
timer on the base. So I went from one of the youngest guys on the base,
at like 19, to 40 years of service: April 1959 to January 1999. The old
base, being the old buildings, was primarily on Tilton Road , which is
now where the Air Guard entrance is. That was the main gate coming into
NAFEC and some of the highlights that I remember back in the old days,
back in the Cuban Missile Crisis, President Kennedy was in office and
this was one of the places that they brought several B47's loaded with
whatever, state-of-the-art bombs or rockets. They were parked over on
the apron near the Air Guard, the old hangars. Security, I have never
seen security so tight. Of course I was a young guy and hadn't seen a
whole lot of anything.

**Stan:** Where did they come from?

**Jerry:** I'm not sure but they brought them in with the bombs and so
forth and fueled them up. They were so heavy that they had jet, it's
called jado assist, pods on some, seems like maybe 6 rockets on each
side that they would get on the runway, get up to speed and kick those
rockets in so that there would be 6 rockets on each side -- a total of
12 rockets or whatever the number was, to give them the power to get off
of our 10,000 ft. runway. Needless to say, they were never used but they
were ready. I'm sure there were other bases where there were B52's and
whatever that were ready to go.

**Stan:** I've heard people say through the years that there were
nuclear bombs here. Do you have any thoughts on that?

**Jerry:** I heard over the years, they are still over there: the
bunkers are still over in the vicinity of the cemetery, going north on
Tilton Road , that those bunkers over there had missiles. Of course we
never heard exactly what it was, but the scuttlebutt was that. At least,
I think it was.

I believe the old planes were the National Guard planes and probably the
Air Force was here then. I don't know if it was the 177th Fighter Wing
then. We have gone through a lot of different planes like F106's. I
remember the 106's in my later career in aviation security. We use to do
some testing at Mt. Davis Air Force Base and I saw some of these old
106's with Jersey Devils on the tail and they were converting those into
drones for fly-by-wire that they would go up and shoot them down with
missiles for training purposes.

**Stan:** What did the Pomona area look like in 1959? Was it farm land?

**Jerry:** No most of the area was all woods here and they brought in a
big machine that had huge rollers on it. I think the company was from
Texas and I think the name of the company was Laturno or something like
that. This big machine went through the woods and actually knocked all
these pine trees down to the ground and broke them and they laid there
and over the period of the years rotted but that was the easiest way of
clearing a lot of the woods.

**Stan:** Was this actually on the base or are you talking about the
outside area?

**Jerry:** On the base. Naturally over in the old barracks area, the big
pine trees and so forth, that was cleared some time before and I don't
know what the history was before the Naval Air Station, but I did work
with some of the guys that were stationed here at the Naval Air Station.
One thing that I thought was kind of ironic was that back after WWII
they had a lot of old surplus military equipment. One way to get rid of
it, I understand that out near the runway there, they brought in heavy
equipment and dug huge trenches out there and a lot of these old
vehicles and equipment, etc., they bulldozed into those trenches and
covered them up with dirt out there.

**Stan:** When you say that they had these big machines to clear the
pine trees -- I'm thinking the Navy had already been here and NAFEC is
opening for business. Are you saying, beyond what the Navy had already
cleared, NAFEC had to start clearing more areas?

**Jerry:** Right. Out near the runways, where we had a lot of
experimental navigation aide antennas fly-by-wire where they could track
aircraft coming in I think there was maybe five or six towers that kind
of looked like a dome for astronomy or whatever, but there would be a
couple guys that would set in this thing and this camera with telescopic
lens would track air craft as they would be coming in, probably with
experimental receivers for the ILS. They would pick them up and maybe it
was even autopilot or something like that they were working -- I don't
know for sure what they were tracking.

**Stan:** Was this all NAFEC?

**Jerry:** Yes, all NAFEC.

**Stan:** Are you aware or do you happen to have any photos of what it
was like here in 1959.

**Jerry:** No, but I bet one of my friends, Annette Harrell in Advanced
Imaging does. Annette and I worked together over in simulation back all
those years and as I came back here as a contractor and came into the
cafeteria, I used to recognize everybody's face. Now that we are sitting
here now, maybe there is 30 people in here -- I see 2 guys down at the
far end down there that I recognize.

**Stan:** To your knowledge, are you the longest serving of anybody
working here?

**Jerry:** My service ended in 1999. I didn't hand the torch off --
there was a new longest serving person but I'm not sure who that was. I
know for sure that the lady in the print shop, **Betty Lafferty**, came
here about the time I did or maybe a few months before as a contractor.
I think she may have worked for Lockheed or somebody in the office. I'm
not sure if she is still here.

**Stan:** She is, the last time I checked.

**Jerry:** She was actually here and if she is still here, she is
definitely the longest continuous employee: not government, but with
contractors and so forth. She would know and I think she was associated
with the print shop for all of these years.

**Stan:** Right. In fact the last time I was in Betty's office she had a
group photo of almost every year -- about 10-12 years; a group photo of
the Print Shop that was taken on awards day or something. She has them
taped up on the side of her cubicle and it is really neat since you go
from black and white to color, and of course at one point you had
printing presses and now you have Xerox machines or you send it out. It
is really neat; right on her desk she kind of has this tutorial history.

**Jerry:** Going back to the old entrance coming into NAFEC, 1 st
building on the left was Bldg. 12 -- that was where the Base Commander,
not called the Center Director then, had their offices in that building.
on the left and I believe that is all gone.

**Stan:** Base Commander was the name of the NAFEC Director?

**Jerry:** Right and that was Col. Cowart. The old base, I think they
started the NAFEC Association shortly after I came here. There were two
swimming pools on the old base. One was the officers' and the other was
the enlisted men's swimming pool and the NAFEC Association in the summer
time ran those pools and it was open to employees and families. I
remember going over there and swimming in these in-ground swimming
pools, which were right near the old mess hall, which was Bldg. 19. I
spent close to 15 years in Bldg. 19. That is where simulation was done.

**Stan:** Was that the target generator facility that you mentioned
earlier?

**Jerry:** Well the first one was from TDC. We were across the street in
Bldg. 7, which was an old barracks that was probably 50 feet wide and a
couple hundred feet long that was modified for our testing. Then the
main simulation facility was Bldg. 19 right across the street.

**Stan:** Did you say TDC?

**Jerry:** Yes, the Technical Development Center .

**Stan:** So the entire TDC came to NAFEC from Indianapolis , that name
was hung on Bldg. 7 and that's where you worked?

**Jerry:** Yes. Another simulator, an earlier version of the simulator;
it was WATSEE and I'm not sure what it stands for but it was from
Dayton, Ohio Air Force base. There were several families that moved with
that equipment also, and the equipment was installed in Bldg. 19. Then
there was the state-of-the-art system: back then it was the Model A,
which was a 48-target generator system. That was one of the systems that
I was a maintenance technician on and maintaining the target generators,
radars, communications and the beacons that were all hard wired, no RF
or anything, but they were simulated. That was in Bldg. 19.

**Stan:** Was the target generator facility in Bldg. 19?

**Jerry:** Right. Then a few years later the second generation or the
Model B simulator, which I believe was 60 targets. Now all these at one
time, both A & B simulators were operating and there was probably about
120, mostly a majority of them were women of all ages, from young gals
up to older women and some young guys and even some old guys that were
veterans from WWII and so forth. So a lot of the first people that I met
and that I got friendly with were either SIMOPS so to speak, simulator
operators, or the maintenance people. We probably had roughly 20
engineer technicians that maintained the different systems.

**\[Editor's Note:** At this point, Jerry Smith had to leave for a
meeting, so the interview concluded.**\]**

**Stan:** Thanks very much, Jerry. I hope we get to talk again about the
"good old' days" again someday soon.

**Jennifer Morris Kicks Off 'Professional Societies' 2007 Season -
Airspace and Airport Modeling and Simulation Highlighted**

 

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The Capacity Modeling & Analysis Group. Front row (left to right): Emily
Guerrios, Janice Kay Cobb and Helen Monk. Center: Cassandra Miller and
Ji'on Brown. Rear: Andrew Lamb, Douglas Frye, Jennifer Morris, Gary
Renauro and Joseph Richie. Not in photo: John Zinna, Daniel Penrith,
Megan James and Anthony Chiari.

**Jennifer Morris,** Capacity Modeling and Analysis Group manager,
addressed the Southern Jersey Professional Societies' first 2007 dinner
meeting, on January 24, at Mays Landing Country Club. "Airspace &
Airport Modeling & Simulation: Answering 'What if' Questions for the
Next Generation Air Transportation System" was the topic of Morris's
talk, presented to the group, which includes members of the American
Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Capacity Modeling and Analysis Group analysts have been answering "What
If" questions about new technologies and physical improvements for more
than 30 years. The team provides technical expertise in fast-time
computer simulation modeling and analysis to enable stakeholders to make
decisions about changing airports and airspace to best meet the needs of
future demand. The group has studied almost every major and medium-size
airport in the United States. The team also has provided consulting to
airports in Germany, Israel, Chile and South Korea.

The Capacity Group has a suite of fast-time simulation models,
including: The Airfield Delay Simulation Model (ADSIM), the Runway Delay
Simulation Model (RDSIM) and the FAA's Airport and Airspace Simulation
Model (commonly known as SIMMOD). The team is constantly enhancing the
capabilities of its arsenal of models. **Janice Kay Cobb** developed the
animation for ADSIM. **John Zinna** continues to improve the Airport and
Airspace Simulation Model while **Anthony Chiari** expands the
capabilities of ADSIM and RDSIM.

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The specialized group developed a technique to measure the Annual
Service Volume (ASV) of various airports throughout the country. Since
1999, the group has performed more than 120 ASV studies. Initially, the
goal was to look at airports that were considering new runways. Other
operational improvements also had been analyzed. Recently, the ASV
studies have focused on the effects of incorporating NextGen
technologies that would allow reducing in-trail arrival/arrival
separations.

FAA Administrator Marion Blakey uses the information generated by the
ASV studies in her annual report to Congress. In October, **Vicki Cox,**
Air Traffic Organization Vice President of Operations Planning (ATO-P),
recognized the completion of these important studies as one of ATO-P's
"significant accomplishments for FY06," during her All Hands Meeting at
the Technical Center. Analysts **Doug Frye**, **Helen Monk** and **Gary
Renauro** were the project leads for two ASVs at Philadelphia, and one
each at Memphis, LaGuardia and Oakland International Airports.

Just last year, the team studied three projects at Denver International
Airport: de-icing scenarios, runway closure analysis and the addition of
a seventh runway. **Cassandra Miller** served as the project manager for
these efforts while senior analysts **Gary Renauro** and **Doug Frye**
played an integral role in ensuring a quick response to the runway
closure analysis study.

Recently, the Capacity Group worked closely with the Joint Planning
Development Office by providing technical support to the Evaluation and
Analysis Division. They were tasked to simulate the impact of reduced
in-trail separations and the constraint of runway occupancy times. The
Runway Delay Simulation Model (RDSIM) was used to model operations at
San Francisco International Airport for this effort. The analysis of the
fast-time simulation results indicated that although runway occupancy
times did not seem to be a constraint with the current separations,
decreased in-trail separations in combination with reduced runway
occupancy times showed a greater benefit than simulations run with just
the reduced separations alone.

The Capacity Modeling and Analysis Group was featured in magazine
articles *International Airport Review* (September 2006) and the
American Association of Airport Executive's (AAAE) *Airport* magazine
*(*October/November 2006*)*, and in *The Press of Atlantic City* (April
26, 2006) for the impact of new large aircraft (i.e. A380) work being
conducted at the Technical Center by **Joe Richie** and **Dan Penrith.**

A good crowd of both industry and FAA members, including Technical
Center Director Wilson Felder, attended the South Jersey Professional
Societies meeting. After the presentation, **John Zinna** gave a
demonstration of the FAA's Airport and Airspace Simulation Model
(SIMMOD), showing the animation of Denver International Airport. Also,
**Andy Lamb** demonstrated the animation in the Airfield Delay
Simulation Model (ADSIM) that was used for **Joseph Richie's** New Large
Aircraft (i.e. A380) Impact Study at John F. Kennedy International
Airport.

The presentation was followed by a question-and-answer session. **Mike
Greco** asked what would be the single contribution of the Capacity
Group to looking at the future with NextGen technologies. The key to
meeting the demand of the future is maximizing the efficiency of today's
traffic at our nation's airports. The Capacity Modeling and Analysis
Group can assist by applying fast-time computer simulation and analysis
techniques to model new technologies, physical improvements and
operational procedures.

**FAA Employee Wins ATCA Award for Innovation**

By Holly Baker

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An FAA electronics technician has been named the Air Traffic Control
Association (ATCA) Airway Transportation Systems Specialist of the Year.
He was honored for his innovative work to enhance the safety and
efficiency of airport instrument landing systems.

**Steven Edwards**, a member of the FAA's Navigational Aids unit at the
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, was cited by ATCA for creating
the localizer cable fault analyzer. This unique electronic device can
quickly troubleshoot problems in an instrument landing system's (ILS)
antenna array.

The ILS provides precise course and height guidance to an aircraft
approaching a runway. The system is made up of a localizer antenna
array, with several pairs of directional antennas beyond the end of the
runway. All antennas must be functioning properly for the transmitted
signal to be correct in the aircraft and for the system to work
properly. Any antenna problem can result in an unsafe condition during
the final approach.

The analyzer will catch an antenna cable fault and memorize which
antenna had the fault. The device is connected to the ILS equipment,
enabling technicians to quickly identify and repair the malfunctioning
antenna, greatly reducing the amount of time the ILS is out of service.
The analyzer immediately pinpoints the faulty antenna, saving hours of
troubleshooting and repair time.

The FAA has filed a provisional patent application for this device with
the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

"This is a perfect example of Technology Transfer at its best," said
**Deborah Germak**, FAA Technology Transfer program manager, who
nominated Edwards for the award. "Steve's technology will improve the
margin of safety for aircraft landings at airports all over the
country."

The localizer was featured at the World's Best Technologies Exposition
in Dallas in March, and displayed at the ATCA Technical Symposium in
Atlantic City in April 2006. Edwards won the Southwest Region's 2004
"Wings of Success" award in the technical support category for his
efforts. The FAA Logistics Center in Oklahoma City built a prototype of
Edwards' device and plans to deploy copies of it nationwide.

Edwards has worked with the FAA for more than five years. Before that,
he worked for 13 years with Nav Aids Inc. The company supplies the FAA
with the widely used 89GR portable ILS receiver. Edwards was actively
involved in all aspects of prototyping, manufacturing and warranty
repair of this device.

**Black History Month Celebration**

By Maudie Powell, NBCFAE Public Affairs Officer

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The FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center celebrated "Black History
Month-2007" under the theme "From Slavery to Freedom: Africans in the
Americas" on February 22. The celebration focused on Black History
through music and featured students of chARTer Tech School of the
Performing Arts (Somers Point, NJ).

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National Black Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees (NBCFAE) Vice
President **Jamaal Lipscomb** welcomed the Center employees and students
and introduced Center Director **Dr. Wilson Felder**. In his comments,
Dr. Felder acknowledged the accomplishments and impact of Blacks in
America and recognized **Dr. Condoleeza Rice,** who serves as Secretary
of State. He also stated the need to continue to expand opportunities
for Black Americans, so that their accomplishments and impact will
continue to expand. He declared that there is a need for more engineers,
scientists and pilots in the Technical Center's workforce.

Passenger safety depends on the capability and reliability of the
National Airspace System (NAS) and the people who operate it. The
characteristics of air travel are changing and the Technical Center has
a critical responsibility for the next generation NAS that will
accommodate technology evolution and increased air traffic volume. Dr.
Felder encouraged the students and audience to recommend (or consider)
the Technical Center as a future employer for those who possess the
skills needed to build the air transportation system of the future. He
connected the need to individual lives by asking the audience to imagine
how it feels to be traveling in a plane. He also thanked the students in
advance for sharing their talents as a means of educating the audience
about the history of Blacks in America, acknowledging the vast range of
their impact on American history.

Mr. Lipscomb commented that Black history has been an important part of
American history since the initial arrival of Blacks in America. It has
been the backbone of the Black culture that is both Black and American
history. It is a history permeated with the struggles of overcoming
hatred, bigotry and racism to instill justice, peace, righteousness, and
non-racist attitudes and behavior in our home society.

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When the chARTer Tech students took to the stage, they provided a
history storyline complemented by a musical repertoire reflecting the
impact of music in Black history. Blacks were physically separated from
the native African land, but the homeland traditions and ties are
retained in Black music, be it songs of spirit (spirituals), blues,
jazz, or modern-day hip-hop. Black music was used to send messages as
enslaved Blacks made escapes through the Underground Railroad; to
express separation from loved ones and home (Sometimes I Feel Like a
Motherless Child); to plea for spiritual comfort and strength (I Need
You Now); and to assert unyielding faith and determination as displayed
by **Mrs. Rosa Parks** and **Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr**. (We
Shall Overcome).

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Technical Center NBCFAE President, **Kenneth Hitchens,** presented the
chARTer Tech School a letter of thanks and complimented the students and
school for its talents and accomplishments.

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##### **Award Presentation: Boy Scouts** 

 

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Technical Center Director **Dr. Wilson Felde**r recently recognized
**Ken Stringari** of the Flight Program Sub-Team for receiving the
Arthur Tate McKenzie Boy Scout award. The award was presented at the
Jersey Shore Council, Boy Scouts of America's Volunteer Recognition
Dinner and Annual Meeting at the Seaview Marriott. Ken serves as the
Advancement Chair, a role in which he provides procedures for getting
eagle scouts ranked.

##### **FAA Patents Technology to Improve Aircraft Cabin Safety** 

By Holly Baker

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A team of FAA scientists has patented and licensed a product that will
enable private industry to more quickly create new ultra fire-resistant
materials that could dramatically increase aircraft cabin safety.

**Richard E. Lyon, Ph.D**., manager of the FAA's Fire Research Program,
based at the Technical Center, developed the microscale combustion
calorimeter with **Richard N. Walters**, an FAA research chemist, and
**Dr. Stanislav I. Stoliarov** of SRA International.

The Technical Center was presented the Federal Laboratory Consortium,
Northeast Region, 2006 Excellence in Technology Transfer Award for this
group's impressive achievement, in the fall. The specific technology
transfer cited in the award is the "Microscale Combustion Calorimetric
Analysis of Polymers and for Milligram Samples."

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"This technology has tremendous potential to save lives in many
different environments by measuring the heat released by burning
materials in a fire," said **Deborah Germak**, FAA Technology Transfer
program manager.

The microscale combustion calorimeter was the first laboratory
(milligram) scale test created to assess fire properties of various
materials. It determines how the materials are expected to burn by using
minute samples and conditions that simulate burning. The calorimeter
provides quantitative results in minutes instead of the hours it takes
for other testing methods.

![](media/image17.jpeg){width="4.6875in" height="3.2291666666666665in"}

The FAA has already signed three licensing agreements for the
calorimeter, marking the first time an FAA technology developed in a
federal laboratory was transferred to the commercial market under the
agency's Technology Transfer Program.

The agency can now start to receive its first-ever royalty stream.
Technology transfer legislation provides for inventors to receive up to
\$150,000 per year from these royalties, above their salaries. The
federal laboratory, in this case the Technical Center, gets the rest of
the royalty money.

![](media/image18.jpeg){width="4.6875in" height="3.4270833333333335in"}

Other patents obtained by Dr. Lyon, a polymer engineer, include a
microscale combustion calorimeter, in 1991; a heat release rate
calorimeter for milligram samples, in 2002; and a flammability tester,
application submitted in 2005 (a patent award is in process).

Dr. Lyon, a polymer engineer, focuses his current FAA research on
developing new polymers, material models for fire response, and improved
test methods and analyses for fire hazard assessments. Before joining
the FAA in 1993, he was a materials research engineer at the University
of California's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He has published
more than 50 journal articles and book chapters on the physics,
chemistry, mechanics and flammability of polymers and their composites.
He holds masters and doctoral degrees in polymer science and
engineering, and a bachelor's degree in chemical oceanography, all from
the University of Massachusetts, in Amherst, MA.

![](media/image19.jpeg){width="4.6875in" height="2.6354166666666665in"}

**21st Annual National Black Engineer of the Year Awards Conference**

By Jamaal Lipscomb

![](media/image20.jpeg){width="3.3513888888888888in" height="4.4in"}

**Jamaal Lipscomb** and **Stacie Hamilton** are recent recipients of the
Modern Day Technology Leaders Award from the Black Engineer of the Year
Awards Conference. Lipscomb is a Computer Scientist at the Tech Center
and Hamilton is a Branch Manager, Flight Service & Weather Engineering
Division.

The Black Engineer of the Year Awards Conference attracts top
professionals and students from every part of the nation and every field
of science, engineering and technology. Held at the end of a three-day
event, the Black Engineer of the Year Awards Ceremony recognizes the
achievement of African-American leaders. Since 1986, the conference has
served as an invaluable tool to recognize outstanding achievements of
African-Americans in Government agencies and private companies across
America.

![](media/image21.jpeg){width="3.4590277777777776in"
height="4.3277777777777775in"}

Twenty-three different awards are given out at the conference, of which
one is the Modern Day Technology Leaders Award. This award was awarded
to more than 100 individuals this year, including Jamaal Lipscomb and
Stacey Hamilton.

Modern Day Technology Leaders are men and women of color who are
demonstrating outstanding performance and will shape the course of
engineering, science and technology in the future. The success of these
individuals merits national recognition.

For more information about the Black Engineering of the Year Award
Program you can click on: [www.beya.org](http://www.beya.org/)

**Russ Chew and Vicki Cox Host ADS-B Celebration**

 

![](media/image22.jpeg){width="4.6875in" height="3.3645833333333335in"}

**Dr. Russ Chew** , FAA Chief Operating Officer, and **Victoria Cox**,
FAA ATO Vice President for Operations Planning, recently hosted a
reception in Washington DC to celebrate the successful transition of the
Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) program to
acquisition status. The Joint Program Development Office (JPDO) has
determined that ADS-B technology will support future Air Traffic Control
(ATC) surveillance and increased efficiencies in ATC procedures.

![](media/image23.jpeg){width="4.6875in" height="2.5625in"}

Several managers and engineers from the Technical Center were invited.
**Michael McNeil**, **Dot Buckanin** and **Jeffrey Boldridge** attended.
**Mike Prata** was invited but was unable to attend.

![](media/image24.jpeg){width="4.6875in" height="3.8020833333333335in"}

Russ Chew spoke of the importance of the ADS-B to the Next Generation of
air traffic management. Vicki Cox praised those who contributed to
success in both the Capstone and Safe Flight 21 programs, emphasizing
how these efforts demonstrated the viability of ADS-B and led to the
transition to acquisition.

![](media/image25.jpeg){width="4.6875in" height="1.6666666666666667in"}

**Center Researchers Receive 'Better Way' Award from Air Transport
Association**

By Holly Baker

![](media/image26.jpeg){width="4.6875in" height="2.875in"}

The Air Transport Association of America (ATA) and the FAA recently
recognized two FAA researchers as the 2006 winners of the FAA-ATA
Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) Forum "Better Way" award. **Dr. John
Bakuckas** and **Doug Koriakin**, who research issues relating to aging
aircraft at the Technical Center, were among those honored by the
industry trade organization representing leading U.S. airlines and the
FAA.

The "Better Way" award recognizes a team of government and airline
industry individuals collaborating to advance inspection or testing of
aircraft structure, components or systems.

The winning team was recognized for its efforts to summarize 20 diverse
non-destructive techniques used to assess damage on longitudinal lap
joints. The results are documented in a database that will provide
airlines and repair stations with the information needed to make
informed decisions about which NDT techniques to use.

![](media/image27.jpeg){width="4.6875in" height="5.864583333333333in"}

Dr. John Bakuckas

Bakuckas, of Hammonton, manages structural integrity research for the
FAA's National Aging Aircraft Research Program, including the full-scale
aircraft structural test evaluation and research facility. The Technical
Center tests full-scale fuselage panels under conditions that might be
experienced by an aircraft in service.

He has worked at the Technical Center since 1993 on a variety of
projects, including developing methodologies to assess the structural
integrity, damage tolerance, and repair of aircraft. Before that,
Bakuckas worked at NASA Langley Research Center, under a fellowship
awarded by the National Research Council of the National Academy of
Sciences. At NASA, he was part of a team that developed life prediction
methodologies for advanced aerospace materials for next generation
hypersonic space flight vehicles. He holds a Ph.D. in mechanical
engineering from Drexel University.

![](media/image28.jpeg){width="4.6875in" height="5.864583333333333in"}

Doug Koriakin

Koriakin of Gibbstown is an aviation research technician and a certified
airframe and power plant mechanic. He works on the FAA's composite panel
test program and the 727 teardown and extended fatigue test programs.
Before coming to the Technical Center in 1991, he worked at Piasecki
Aircraft (Essington, PA) and attended the New Jersey Academy of Aviation
Science (Millville, NJ).

**10th Annual IEEE Awards Banquet A Smashing Success**

 

![](media/image29.jpeg){width="4.6875in" height="2.7395833333333335in"}

The 10 th Annual IEEE Awards Banquet recently was held at the Mays
Landing Country Club. Congratulations to all the nominees and award
winners!

**Jean Shipos**, a motivational speaker and trainer, kicked off the
evening with an insightful story titled, "You Did Good." Jean taught us
that appreciation is a strong motivator and we all long to hear those
three magical words, "You Did Good." Since the banquet was devoted to
showing appreciation and expressing thanks to outstanding achievers, her
story set the stage for the rest of the evening of honoring engineers,
researchers, and testers who we told "You Did Good".

**Mr. David Sparenberg** followed Jean Shipos. He was recognized for his
hard work in getting this effort off the ground. He talked about his
dream of an Aviation Research Park being located next door to the
Technical Center someday, and spoke about community and congressional
support for this new venture and the benefits that it would bring. **Joe
Burns**, Banquet Nomination Chair and **Cathy Jaggard**, Chair, IEEE
presented Sparenberg with an award.

The Gold Award, a new award for engineers with 2-6 years experience, was
presented to **Tim Martin,** of Titan Corporation. He supports the FAA
R&D of satellite based navigation systems for civil aviation.

Martin develops software, assesses algorithms, and provides engineering
support for the Global Positioning Satellite. He received specialized
training at Ohio University on the GPS Anomalous Event Monitor, (GAEM)
which was developed to characterize anomalous events in the GPS signal.
Subsequently, he led the GAEM activity at the Technical Center.

Martin has installed and configured the GAEM at various locations to
establish a spatial correlation between data sets. He also has assisted
in the development of Terminal Area Path procedures that used
differential GPS for guidance at Atlantic City (NJ), Memphis (TN), and
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).

Other nominees for the Gold Awardincluded **Ms. Ekta Singhal** (left)
who supports the NAS Information Management System (NIMS) deployment.
Also nominated was **Ms. Parul Singhal** who designs, develops and
implements software for the Weather and Radar Processor (WARP) system.

PACE Chair **Rodney Guishard** presented an Outstanding Test Award to
Renee Nicole Frierson, who has conducted research that will reduce
runway incursions. She conducted a research project to identify visual
aid enhancement solutions that would reduce or eliminate inadvertent
landings on taxiways. Renee also conducted an Automated Land and Hold
Short Operation study evaluating 25 pilots' reactions to a visual
stimulus presented using a Boeing 737-800 simulator.

Others nominees included **Jeffrey Livings,** the Manager of Test and
Evaluation for Surface Surveillance systems. Also nominated for test was
**Jill Miller,** whoworks as a Trace Chemist / Test Engineer at the
Transportation Security Lab.

**Philip Holmer** presented the Leadership Award to **Dr.Robert
Pappas.** Pappas is the Program Manager of the FAA National Aging
Aircraft Research Program at the Technical Center. He provides technical
oversight on research programs encompassing a wide variety of technical
disciplines related to aging aircraft. These disciplines include
structural integrity, inspection systems, flight loads, rotorcraft
safety, electrical and mechanical systems, and airworthiness of aircraft
engines. As part of the overall program, The FAA Aging Aircraft
Electrical Systems Research Program has yielded an understanding of how
electrical systems age, and how aging affects the safe transmission of
power and signals in an aircraft. This research has helped the FAA
develop regulatory measures to improve the safety of aging electrical
wiring. He was an organizer and Conference Chair for the ninth Joint
FAA-NASA-DOD Aging Aircraft Conference.

Other nominees for the award included **Holly Cyrus** and **John R.
Frederick.** Holly Cyrus has conducted research on Polyester and
Polyurea marking materials and written two formal Technical Reports this
year. The third nominee, John R. Frederick, has served as the Test
Program Manager for the Enroute Air Traffic Control (ATC) Modernization
Program, the multi-billion dollar program that will upgrade the
hardware, software and software architecture for FAA ATC automation
system.

**Dr. Cathy Bigelow** accepted an award for **Stanislav Stoliarov** from
Philip Holmer, Program Chair. Stoliarov conducts research for the Fire
Safety Research Branch. His research addresses knowledge gaps in the
understanding of flammability of various materials. He seeks to bridge
the gap between materials science and fire science by relating the
chemical composition of condensed matter to its flammability. This
knowledge guides the FAA's search for lightweight, ultra fire resistant
materials for a fireproof cabin. His research provides the scientific
support for performance-based fire safety standards for aircraft cabin
materials.

Also nominated for the Aviation Research award was **Anatoliy Ivanov,**
the Senior Engineer on the FAA's Unleaded Fuel Research Program.
**Vasudeva Kolli,** whosework supports the Safer Skies Initiative in the
Systems Approach for Safety Oversight (SASO) program, also was
nominated.

![](media/image30.jpeg){width="2.310416666666667in"
height="2.7784722222222222in"}

Keynote Speaker **Mike Greco** reminded banquet attendees of the large
job ahead of us in building the National Aerospace System for the
future. He addressed the importance of our young engineers as the future
of the Air Traffic System.

![](media/image31.jpeg){width="2.6104166666666666in"
height="2.2395833333333335in"}

The Engineer of the Year 2006 award went to **Dr. John G. Bakuckas,**
the Manager of Transport Airplane Structural Integrity Research for the
FAA National Aging Aircraft Research Program. He has concluded
structural evaluations and assessments for continued airworthiness of
high-time operational aircraft in support of the issuance of a Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). The objective of his research is to provide
the data and procedures to verify aircraft fatigue damage assessments. A
major FAA and NAARP goal is to understand the fatigue and fracture
behavior of aging aircraft being operated beyond their design service
goal. Dr. Bakuckas has established a Fellowship Program with Drexel
University to provide an opportunity for Drexel graduate students to
gain valuable real world experience at the FAA.

Also nominated for the award was **Dr. Izydor Kawa,** whoworked on the
FAA Rigid and Flexible Iterative Elastic Layered Design computer
program, which incorporates the most advanced techniques in pavement
design. **Michael A. Konyak,** who has provided innovative capabilities
for airspace simulations at the Tech Center, also was a nominee. As
Senior Aeronautical Engineer for the FAA's Target Generation Facility
(TGF), he has provided numerous advancements to the ability of the FAA
to simulate realistic aircraft interactive traffic in support of
Human-in-the-Loop simulations for both R&D and T&E.

**Bowl-A-Thon Raises Over \$4,500**

 

![](media/image32.jpeg){width="4.6875in" height="3.1875in"}

Individuals, families and groups of friends were excited to raise money
for the Atlantic City Rescue Mission.

Balls were rolling and pins were flying recently during the credit
union\'s Bowl-A-Thon to benefit the Atlantic City Rescue Mission.
Employees, members and friends of our credit union volunteered their
time on "Make A Difference Day" by participating in this event. Nearly
40 bowlers participated at King Pin Recreation in Egg Harbor Township
and raised over \$4,500 for the nonprofit social service ministry.

The majority of the money was raised through pledges collected by
bowlers. The top three pledge collectors were Michelle Hruska, Al
Cavileer, and Rachael Rodriquez.

![](media/image33.jpeg){width="4.6875in" height="3.5208333333333335in"}

A Chinese Auction was also held at the event, with many of the items
donated by friends of the credit union. Candy bars were also sold at the
event for \$1, with a chance to win \$5 in the wrapper.

"\'Make A Difference Day\' gives us a great opportunity to join the rest
of the nation in serving and improving the community," explained
Virginia Williams, Chief Executive Officer of Jersey Shore Federal
Credit Union. "Not only did our employees and members have a wonderful
time bowling, but they also helped the Rescue Mission provide
life-saving care for the poor and homeless in Southern New Jersey."

![](media/image34.jpeg){width="4.6875in" height="6.25in"}

Children were happy to bowl and lend a hand to help make a difference in
the lives of those less fortunate. It was the first time several of the
children bowled!

![](media/image35.jpeg){width="3.0in" height="3.53125in"}

When the last pin fell, it was discovered our top pledge collector was
Michelle Hruska, Credit Union Member Service Representative, beating out
2nd place by just \$5.

![](media/image36.jpeg){width="3.71875in" height="4.916666666666667in"}

Our 2nd place pledge collector, Al Cavileer, cheered for throwing a
strike and raising hundreds to help the homeless in our community.

**In-flight Icing Research Update: The Current Icing Product (CIP)**

By Susanne Spincic

![](media/image37.jpeg){width="3.8625in" height="2.68125in"}

Crashworthiness / Last Drop Test

In-flight icing is considered a hazardous aviation weather phenomenon.
Icing is a factor in fatal aircraft accidents and creates significant
disruption to flight operations. When commercial carriers, especially
regional carriers and commuter airlines, are rerouted to avoid icing,
there is ripple effect throughout the National Airspace System (NAS).
Diversions en route burn additional fuel and result in other costs for
all classes of aircraft.

Small aircraft routinely operate at altitudes where temperatures and
clouds are most favorable for ice formation, making these aircraft
vulnerable to icing for long periods of time. Additionally, smaller
aircraft do not typically have the anti-icing devices found on larger
aircraft. Larger aircraft are at risk primarily during ascent from and
descent into terminal areas. Icing can pose a danger to aircraft via
structural icing leading to impaired flight dynamics.

![](media/image38.jpeg){width="3.6979166666666665in"
height="2.7847222222222223in"}

Crashworthiness - Test before one listed

The FAA Aviation Weather Research Program (AWRP), ATO, Operations
Planning, under the auspices of the In-flight Icing Product Development
Team (PDT), has sponsored research into an in-flight icing diagnostic
algorithm, known as the Current Icing Product (CIP). Scientists from the
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) developed the CIP. The
CIP diagnoses both probability and severity. The CIP Probability and
Severity Products are graphical and provide a three dimensional (3-D)
gridded icing product, produced hourly. Currently, the CIP Probability
and Severity products are available through the Internet at the
experimental Aviation Digital Data Service (ADDS) website.

![](media/image39.jpeg){width="3.5527777777777776in"
height="2.7944444444444443in"}

Free Flight Lab

The Aviation Weather Policy and Research Working Group (AWPRWG)
scheduled the CIP Severity product for a D4 (NWS operational) decision
in the fall. The goal of the AWPRWG Board, which consists of
representatives from the FAA and the NWS, is to facilitate the transfer
of weather products to operational suitability to implement in the NAS.
To that end, the Flight Standards Flight Technologies and Procedures
Division, Flight Operations Branch was interested in assessing the
operational suitability of the CIP Probability and Severity product as
both supplemental and primary weather products. A primary weather
product is one that meets all the regulatory requirements and safety
needs for use in making flight-related, aviation weather decisions,
while a supplementary weather product may be used for enhanced
situational awareness as long as it is used in conjunction with a
primary product. The CIP Severity and Probability products were granted
conditional operational status, based upon the results of this
evaluation.

The Technical Center Weather Sensors Group conducted the evaluation,
which analyzed the aeronautical decisions of pilot volunteers
considering preflight and in-flight weather briefing scenarios and the
pilots' ratings of their perceived situational awareness and confidence
level in the product data. Center observers interviewed the pilots to
determine the readability, interpretability, and utility of the CIP
products. A flight instructor observer assessed the pilots' situational
awareness and safety of flight.

![](media/image40.jpeg){width="3.76875in" height="2.8090277777777777in"}

ADS-B

The evaluation presented the pilot volunteers with one preflight and one
in-flight weather-briefing scenario. Each scenario was presented twice,
with and without the CIP products, and pilots were asked to make route,
altitude, and go/no-go decisions focusing on the icing hazards. Center
observers recorded the pilots' route and altitude adjustments, flight
decisions, and perceived situational awareness through interview
questions posed during the scenarios. A flight instructor observer
evaluated the pilots' aeronautical decisions. The pilots completed a
questionnaire to rate the readability, interpretability and utility of
the CIP products and reported their confidence level in the product
data.

![](media/image41.jpeg){width="4.6875in" height="4.0625in"}

Group tests the lastest ADS-B equipment that goes in the aircraft

The evaluation team was led by **Starr McGettigan**, Weather Sensors
Group, and included **Karen Peio** (Raytheon) and **Sue Spincic**,
Weather Processors Group. Many thanks go to the pilots from the
Technical Center, as well as the general aviation and airline pilots,
who volunteered their time and expertise. Recently, some of the
volunteer pilots visited the Technical Center in order to see firsthand
some of the Center's aviation research and development programs.

**Facilities Visited:**

-   Tower/TRACON (Bill Vaughan, John Wilks, Rodger Bawgus)

-   Crashworthiness/Drop Test ( Allan Abramowitz)

-   Free Flight Integration/Traffic Management Advisor - (Terence Moore)

-   ADS-B (Mike McNeil, Mike Prata, Jack Beilmann)

-   R & D Safety Overview (Jim Patterson, Nick Subbotin)

-   Pavement Test Machine (Murphy Flynn)

**The Exciting World of Commercial Space Transportation**

By Pete Castellano

![](media/image42.jpeg){width="2.2916666666666665in" height="3.5in"}

Commercial Space: A Zenit-3SL lifts off from its ocean-based platform in
an FAA-licensed launch by an international consortium. Commercial space
payloads provide services that include communications, remote sensing
and scientific research.

On October 19, FAA Administrator **Marion C. Blakey** delivered an
address on the topic of Commercial Space Transportation, entitled, \"All
Systems Go.\"

Have you ever wondered how are we able to enjoy live television and
radio broadcasts from anywhere in the world? Make international
telephone calls? Use your cell phone, internet, or Direct TV? Satellite
technology is the short answer. But how do satellites get to space? This
is the function of commercial space transportation. Space transportation
is the movement of people or objects to, from, or in space. You are
probably familiar with at least one form of space transportation: the
Space Shuttle. NASA owns the Space Shuttle and uses it to take
astronauts and equipment into space. But the Space Shuttle does not
carry the satellites that help us everyday. Commercial space
transportation meets these needs, as well as the emerging business of
'space tourism,' where private citizens can purchase a trip into space.

Commercial rockets, also known as launch vehicles, are built and owned
by private companies, not government agencies. However, the FAA plays a
key role through its responsibility to regulate the commercial space
transportation industry; encourage, facilitate, and promote commercial
space launches and re-entries; recommend appropriate changes in federal
statutes, treaties, regulations, policies, and procedures; and
facilitate the strengthening and expansion of the United States space
transportation infrastructure. The Office of the Associate Administrator
for Commercial Space Transportation (AST) carries out this function.

In fulfilling its responsibilities, AST issues launch licenses for
commercial launches of orbital rockets and suborbital sounding rockets.
The first U.S. licensed launch was a suborbital launch of a Starfire
vehicle on March 29, 1989. Since then, AST has licensed more than 100
launches. AST also licenses the operations of non-federal launch sites,
or 'spaceports.' The first launch from a licensed, non-federal facility
was that of NASA\'s Lunar Prospector aboard a Lockheed Martin Athena 2
on January 6, 1998, from Spaceport Florida.

In her October 19 address to the Commercial Space industry,
Administrator Blakey remarked: "Commercial space is the next big thing.
If you're wondering, "Is it going to last?" Or "will the public buy into
it?" Or maybe, "Has it progressed enough to make it?" Well, if you're
asking those questions, you're late to the party. Commercial space is
all systems go at this point. And, might I add, liftoff has already
occurred," ... "Now from the government's perspective, our official
policy is this: to embrace the private sector's daring spirit and clever
ingenuity. And yes, you better believe that includes space tourism. We
are in the business of encouraging and enabling the private sector. We
develop regulations to make this high-risk business as safe as possible.
And we make sure potential passengers are properly informed and are
willing to accept the risks that remain. And then? Well then, we'll step
aside, get out of your way, and let you do what you do best: innovate."

You can read Administrator Blakey's entire address here:
<http://www.faa.gov/news/speeches/news_story.cfm?newsId=7441>

**FAA Enters Cooperative Research and Development Agreement**

By Deborah Germak

![](media/image43.jpeg){width="4.6875in" height="3.6458333333333335in"}

FAA CRDA Award Announcement Signing Ceremony: Seated (left to right) are
Dr. Wilson Felder, Technical Center Director; and Tom Payne, Vice
President, UFA Inc. Standing (left to right) are Deborah Germak, FAA
Technology Transfer Program Manager; Al Rehmann, FAA Principal
Investigator; and Marie Denan, FAA Technology Transfer Program Analyst.

The FAA has recently entered into a Cooperative Research and Development
Agreement (CRDA) with UFA Incorporated. The collaborative research is in
simulation.

UFA has developed a unique capability with application to air traffic
control (ATC) in the areas of personnel training and airspace
simulation. This capability uses proprietary voice recognition and
generation processes to interpret and respond to clearances issued by
air traffic controllers in real time. UFA incorporates this product in
an ATC operations training system and believes that the product can be
incorporated in the simulation environment of all airspace regimes.

The objective of this collaborative partnership is designed to assemble
a team that will possess the necessary skill and expertise to adapt the
current voice recognition and response system into the FAA's laboratory
structure. The FAA envisions voice recognition and response as one
method to supplement the existing pseudo pilot cadre to control cost and
retain flexibility inherent in the current method of airspace simulation
management. The expected outputs are a scalable simulation capability in
all airspace regimes.

The Government's Principal Investigator is **Al Rehmann** at the
Technical Center. The Principal Investigator for UFA, the collaborating
research organization is **Tommy Payne**. This CRDA was awarded in
December 2006, and is effective for two (2) years.

If you have any questions regarding this CRDA, please contact **Deborah
Germak** , FAA Technology Transfer Program Manager, 609-485-9862.

**International Fire Safety Meeting Held in Atlantic City**

By Pete Castellano

![](media/image44.jpeg){width="4.6875in" height="3.8229166666666665in"}

Dick Hill from the Technical Center is shown giving a briefing at the
recent International Aircraft Systems Fire Protection Working Group
meeting at the Tropicana in Atlantic City.

The FAA Fire Safety R&D program hosted the International Aircraft
Systems Fire Protection Working Group meeting in Atlantic City in
October 2006. Approximately 60 members of the international aviation
community attended the meeting. Attendees included representatives from
the Air Traffic Organization's Operations Planning Research and
Development (ATO-P, R&D) Fire Safety Research Program, Transport Canada,
the Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency, Kidde Aerospace, Boeing
Commercial Airplane Group, Airbus Industries, Embraer, Bombardier, the
U.S. Navy\'s Naval Air Systems Command, the Halon Alternatives Research
Corporation, Air Liquide MEDAL, and other international representatives
from industry and academia.

Seven ATO-P R&D fire safety engineers gave presentations on their
current research projects. These briefings included activities to:
design and install a nitrogen enriched air distribution system for fire
protection testing in the overhead area (known as an inaccessible area)
of ATO-P\'s Boeing 747SP and 737 test aircraft; develop an Onboard Inert
Gas Generating System (OBIGGS) cargo bay fire protection test program;
finalize a draft Advisory Circular for Handheld Extinguishers for use in
aircraft to replace Halon 1211 (banned from production in 1994); work on
a new test program to test wing tank (fuel tank) flammability using a
section of a 727 wing containing a surge tank); and wrap up of the
engine nacelle halon replacement test program.

**Tom Cortina** of the Halon Options Research Corporation provided an
international environmental update highlighting concerns regarding green
house gas emissions and the difficulty of obtaining Halon 1211. They
also provided updates on the Kyoto Protocol, Montreal Protocol, and the
Environmental Protection Agency\'s Significant New Alternatives Policy
(SNAP). An ATO-P R&D fellowship student from Rutgers University provided
a summary of his work on the development of a cargo compartment
multi-sensor detector. Several working group members also highlighted
their recent research projects.

ATO-P R&D\'s **Richard Hill** chairs the working group, originally
established in 1993 as the International Halon Replacement Working
Group. Since its inception, the group has increased its focus to include
all fire protection research and development for aircraft, including
hidden fire fighting, hazardous materials transport, fuel tank
flammability, fuel tank inerting, cargo compartments, engine nacelles,
handheld extinguishers, and lavatory trash receptacles. The group meets
twice a year.

**Pay Raises, New Benefits for '07**

By Pete Castellano

 

During her Town Hall Meeting of November 8, **FAA AdministratorMarion C.
Blakey** announced that FAA Core Compensation ("core comp") employees
would be receiving 100% of the Organizational Success Increase (OSI)
based on last fiscal year's performance, when the FAA hit 27 of 30
Flight Plan Targets.

Eligible Core Plan employees (i.e., those meeting the minimum service,
performance, and conduct requirements), including employees in most
bargaining units under the Core Plan, will receive an Organizational
Success Increase (OSI) of 2.7 percent. The OSI funding pool consists of
the amount of the general increase for General Schedule (GS) employees
in other Federal agencies plus an additional 1 percent, which reflects a
portion of the funds previously spent on within-grade increases. For
this year, GS employees will receive a 1.7 percent general increase,
which results in a total OSI pool of 2.7 percent (1.7 percent general
increase plus 1 percent).

The OSI for this year will be 100 percent of the total pool, which
results in 2.7 percent. Employees also receive an *average* locality pay
increase of 0.5 percent. Employees who currently receive locality pay
will also see an *average* increase in their locality pay percentage of
.5 percent. In addition, approximately 65 percent of Core Plan employees
who have been designated to receive a Superior Contribution Increase
(SCI) will receive an additional increase of 0.6 percent for SCI-2, or
1.8 percent for SCI-1. The OSI and SCI adjustments and new locality pay
percentages will all be effective January 7, 2007, and will first appear
in employees' paychecks issued on January 30, 2007. There will be a 1.7%
increase in Core Pay Bands, which represents the variance to the market.

FAA continues to follow the Federal locality pay program, which will
result in an *average* locality pay increase of 0.5 percent for all FAA
employees currently receiving locality pay. Finally, there will be a
1.7% increase in Executive Pay Bands, which represents the same increase
as with the Core Pay Bands. This is also the same increase as the Senior
Executive Service.

In addition to health insurance, which traditionally has been a part of
federal employee benefits, this year, federal employees may sign up for
a new dental and vision benefits program, called FEDVIP, and flexible
spending accounts. Flexible spending accounts allow employees to use
pretax salary allotments for reimbursement of certain medical and
dependent care expenses.

Vision and dental care amount to significant costs for most families,
and this new offering will certainly be welcomed. For more information
about dental and vision care, go to
<http://www.opm.gov/insure/DentalVision>. For information on flexible
spending accounts, go to
[http://https://www.fsafeds.com](http://https:/www.fsafeds.com).

**Win/Win Proposition: 'Computers for Learning' Program**

By Frank Mierzejewski

 

How is it that school children in the Southern NJ area become direct
beneficiaries of the work being performed at the Technical Center? Well,
thanks to Executive Order 12999 and the hard work of two Tech Center
employees, **Paul D'Ambra** and **Jackie Birts**, students across the
area and beyond have received working computers in excellent shape --
and free of charge.

The Computers for Learning program (CFL) was born out of a need to
implement Executive Order 12999, which encourages agencies, to the
extent permitted by law, to transfer computers and other computer
peripheral excess equipment directly to schools and educational
nonprofit organizations. Before any computers are shipped, Paul D'Ambria
personally cleans each computer of all data. After cleaning, each
computer is entered by Jackie Birts onto the GSA listing where it
remains until the equipment is selected for use. The equipment also must
remain on a Government GSA listing for possible Government agency
selection and permanent use for a period of 60 days.

Receiving institutions must provide their own software, pick up the
equipment and deliver it to the intended school or educational
institution. Most recently, the Technical Center shipped approximately
\$250,000.00 of computer equipment to assist the flood ravaged school
system in Beaumont, TX.

Closer to home, at the behest of local high school computer teacher,
**Joe Dilkes**, a shipment of 18 surplus computers, in various stages of
assembly, were sent to Egg Harbor Township High School. Mr. Dilkes was
able to utilize the computers to teach his students the working parts of
both assembled and disassembled computer units. This represented
considerable hands-on training for the students that they might never
have been able to obtain in any other way.

The Computers for Learning program has become a wonderful success for
both the Technical Center, and schools in South Jersey and beyond. This
program represents a way for the Government to reduce its inventory of
excess computers while providing a cost savings to the taxpayers in
school districts with a genuine need for this type of equipment... a
win/win proposition for the Government, students and taxpayers!