U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
Air Traffic Organization Policy

Chapter 3. Facility Equipment

Section 1. General

3-1-1. BASIC EQUIPMENT

a. The basic operating equipment for ARTCCs consist of flight progress boards, radar displays, communications, automation, and, where applicable, URET equipment. At facilities utilizing Ocean21, additional equipment consists of Air Traffic Situation Displays and Auxiliary Displays. This equipment is arranged in individual units called sectors and laid out in accordance with master plans maintained in the En Route and Oceanic Service Area offices. Air traffic managers may recommend changes to these plans.

b. The basic operating equipment for terminals consists of a control desk, frequency control panel, weather instruments, recorders and, as required, “data communication,” radar, and automation equipment arranged in many different configurations according to the type of facility and generally conforming to master plans maintained in Terminal Service Area offices. Air traffic managers may recommend changes to these plans.

1. At terminal facilities where certified information display system (IDS) equipment is installed, the IDS must be the display source for the time, DASI, RVR, wind (including wind shear ribbon display terminals), and weather data from ASOS, AWOS, SAWS, etc.

TBL 3-1-1
Certified and Uncertified Systems

2. If all control positions are using a certified IDS, no more than one legacy display for each type (DASI, RVR, etc.) may remain in the tower and/or TRACON for back-up purposes.

3. Facilities that use uncertified IDS must ensure the information is cross-checked with the actual source for accuracy in accordance with the facility's daily watch checklist (for example, ASOS, RVR, LLWAS, etc.).

NOTE-
For facilities using certified systems, these comparisons are performed by technical operations personnel.

4. Air traffic facilities that use electronic IDS must ensure that all displayed information is current. Facilities must ensure that any information with a scheduled expiration is removed from the controller display at the time of expiration. If the system is capable of automatically removing expired information, it must be configured to do so.

c. The basic operating equipment for FSSs consist of radio and landline communications equipment, flight progress boards, pilot briefing equipment, recorders, “data communication” equipment, displays of aeronautical and meteorological information, direction-finding equipment, aircraft orientation plotting boards, “orientation, direction-finding equipment and aircraft orientation” arranged according to master plans maintained in Flight Service Area offices. Air traffic managers may recommend changes to these plans.

3-1-2. PERIODIC MAINTENANCE

a. Requests from Technical Operations personnel for approval to shut down air traffic system components for periodic maintenance are forwarded to the air traffic facility having approval authority.

b. If conditions prevent approval of the shutdown at the time requested, the OMIC/OSIC should cooperate fully and work with Technical Operations personnel in arranging an alternative time. Ordinarily, shutdowns of air traffic system components should be planned to occur during the hours of least traffic activity regardless of the time of day.

NOTE-
The OMIC/OSIC should coordinate with System Operations Traffic Management in determining alternate times.

c. When a NAVAID shutdown will affect another facility's operation, the facility having approval authority must coordinate with other facilities concerned.

d. Upon facility acceptance of any URET system, that system becomes a component of the air traffic system for the purposes of requests from Technical Operations personnel for approval to shut down that system for periodic maintenance.

e. Notification of any planned or unplanned outage of URET must be coordinated following the guidelines in Chapter 8, NAS En Route Automation, and guidelines developed and maintained by URET facilities.

3-1-3. NATIONAL AIRSPACE SYSTEM (NAS) CHANGES

When programs are initiated which will result in inauguration, commissioning, alteration, or decommissioning of NAS components (NAVAIDs, facilities, services, etc.), supervisors must ensure, to the extent practicable, that effective dates coincide with the U.S. 56-day cycle effective dates for charting publications.

3-1-4. TRAFFIC LIGHTS, GATES, AND SIGNALS

Air traffic personnel must not operate traffic lights, gates, signals, or similar devices for restricting or preventing transit of persons or vehicles between airport movement areas and other on/off airport areas, or to control vehicular traffic on streets, highways, rail, or other similar areas when traffic thereon may be incompatible with aircraft operations. The control of such traffic is the responsibility of airport management or other appropriate authorities.

3-1-5. CLEANING INSTRUMENT COVERS

Air traffic managers must ensure that personnel use a moist cloth when cleaning glass or plastic instrument covers to preclude the creation of static charges.

NOTE-
FSS OASIS facilities should exercise caution in the handling of flat panel monitors. Do not touch the screen with any object, including hands. Damage to the screen will occur. Detailed instructions for the care of the monitors can be found in the WINGS Systems Users Guide.

3-1-6. ENGINE GENERATOR TRANSFER PROCEDURES FOR ANTICIPATED POWER FAILURE

a. STMCIC or OSIC at terminal facilities and ARTCCs must inform the systems engineer (SE) or other appropriate Technical Operations supervisor of any severe storm activity approaching the facility. The STMCIC or OSIC must advise the OMIC.

b. At facilities without an operational power conditioning system (PCS), the STMCIC or OSIC must coordinate with the SE or other appropriate Technical Operations supervisor to determine a mutually acceptable time to change to/from generator power.

NOTE-
1. Air traffic and Technical Operations personnel are required to monitor weather reports and radar to determine when severe storm activity is approaching a facility. At least 30 minutes prior to the estimated arrival of a severe storm in the area of a facility, maintenance personnel will start engine generators at facilities as indicated in appropriate agency directives. (These include the Facilities Master File; FAAO JO 6030.31, National Airspace System Failure Response; FAAO 6980.5, Engine Generator Transfer Procedures for Anticipated Power Failure; local contingency/emergency plans, or any other directives pertaining to restoration of services.) This 30-minute start-up requirement does not apply at facilities where at least one of the following conditions exists:

 a. The facility has an operational PCS.

 b. Maintenance personnel are not on duty at the time action is required.

 c. Air traffic has remote control of the engine generators.

2. After coordinating with air traffic, Technical Operations must (depending on the type of auxiliary power system) either place the facility on generator power or place the generator on the loadbank until the storm activity has left the area. (The change back to commercial power will be made at the coordinated time.)

3. It is important to note that at facilities with an operational PCS, no action other than the initial storm notification is required since the transfer to generator power occurs automatically with no power interruption when commercial power fails.

REFERENCE-
FAAO JO 6030.31, National Airspace System Failure Response;
FAAO 6980.5, Engine Generator Transfer Procedures for Anticipated Power Failure.