Technical Operations

Technical Operations ensures safety and efficiency in the National Airspace System (NAS) by effectively managing air navigation services and infrastructure.

Q2 2023 Airport Construction Impact Report

Rebecca Guy

Rebecca Guy is the Vice President of Technical Operations in the Air Traffic Organization. She manages the people and infrastructure that provide Air Navigation Services needed for the safe, efficient, and secure operation of the National Airspace System (NAS).

Prior to assuming her current position, Mrs. Guy served as Vice President of the Program Management Organization, where she provided program and acquisition management for FAA infrastructure programs that transform, modernize, and sustain the NAS. She also previously served as the Director of Strategy, in the ATO’s Mission Support Services, where she was responsible for evaluating and prioritizing Air Traffic operational needs for airspace modernization. 

Mrs. Guy has been with the FAA for more than 20 years. She has managed multiple agency programs, including Spectrum Efficient National Surveillance Radar, which was a cross-agency program with the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security; Unmanned Aircraft Systems; and Commercial Space and air traffic systems for the en route, oceanic, and terminal environments.

Mrs. Guy is a graduate of the University of Mary Washington where she obtained her Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science and has her Masters Certificate in Systems Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. She is a certified Program Management Professional.  

Aviation Weather Observation Program

The Aviation Weather Observation Program (AWOP) is the official owner of FAA policy and oversight of Aviation Weather Observations in the National Airspace System (NAS). AWOP provides aviation weather information through certified government personnel, contract service providers and non-federal weather observers.  The program is driven both by the weather observation requirements outlined in 29 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 and 135 requirements and the recognition that human observation of weather conditions that augment automated systems are critical to safety.   

Specifically, AWOP:

• Acts as the Office of Primary Responsibility for the FAA Orders that govern weather observations
• Oversees aviation weather observer certification process
• Owns and manages the Contract Weather Observation (CWO) contract
•  Provides quality assurance services

Program governs weather observations at approximately 585 locations:

• CWO Contract – 135 locations (congressionally mandated)
•  Limited Aviation Weather Reporting Stations (LAWRS) — air traffic control towers and federal contract towers, more than 390 locations
• Non-Federal Observer (NF-OBS) Program – non-federal contract towers, more than 60 locations

CWO – Contract Weather Observation Program

What is it?

The CWO program provides certified contract weather observers that both augment and backup automated weather observation system (AWOS/Automated Surface Observing Systems) observations at Service Level A and B towers as outlined in FAA Joint Order (JO) 7900.5 Surface Weather Observing, and a limited set of non-towered Alaska airports based on need.  CWOs are currently mandated by Congress per the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act.

How to Certify

Candidates must be hired by a CWO Contract company. Training and certification to take weather observations is the responsibility of the candidate’s employer in coordination with the FAA.

CWO Areas

• Area 1
• Area 2
• Area 3
• Area 4
• Area 5
• Area 6
• Area 7
• Area 8
• Area 9
• Area 10
• Area 11

LAWRS – Limited Aviation Weather Reporting Service 

What is it?

The CWO program provides certified contract weather observers that both augment and backup automated weather observation system (AWOS/Automated Surface Observing Systems) observations at Service Level A and B towers as outlined in FAA Joint Order (JO) 7900.5 Surface Weather Observing, and a limited set of non-towered Alaska airports based on need.  CWOs are currently mandated by Congress per the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act.

Purpose

The purpose of LAWRS is to provide required weather observation and augmentation services when required at airports that do not have a designated CWO and generally apply to Service Level C airports as outlined in FAA JO 7900.5 Surface Weather Observing.  The LAWRS observer has the complete responsibility for the surface aviation weather elements in the Aviation Routine Weather Report/Aviation Selected Special Weather Report.

How to Certify

FAA LAWRS weather observer proficiency requirements are governed by FAA JO 7900.5 Surface Weather Observing  and FAA JO 3120.4 Air Traffic Technical Training and applies to FAA, FSS, and FCT observers.  General programmatic procedures are outlined in FAA JO 7230.8B Limited Weather Reporting Stations (LAWRS).

NON-FED - Non-Federal Aviation Weather Reporting Service

What is it?

The NF-OBS Program is a voluntary program in which FAA certified, non-federal observers enter into a formal agreement to provide backup and/or augmentation of the automated system, or provide manual weather observation services as needed in support of Part 121 and Part 135 operations at an airport that do not have a CWO or LAWRS observer.   NF-OBS observers may include NFCT controllers, airline personnel, fixed-base operator personnel or other entities. 

How to Apply

The approval process involves both weather observer certification in accordance with FAA JO 7900.5, and the general procedures outlined in FAA JO 7210.77 Non-Federal Weather Observers. Contact the AWOP office for more information.

Contact Information:

Aviation Weather Observation Program Office
Aviation Weather and Aeronautical Services Programs
Enterprise Services Group AJM-3
Send requests to the AWOP Mailbox:
9-AJO-AJR-FS-AWOP@faa.gov

CWO Areas

Area 1

• DAB - Daytona Beach Int'l
• FLL - Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood Int'l
• JAX - Jacksonville Int'l Arpt
• MCO - Orlando Int'l
• MIA - Miami Int'l
• PBI - Palm Beach Int'l
• SJU - Luis Munoz Marin Int'l Arpt
• TLH - Tallahassee Regional Arpt
• TPA - Tampa Int'l
• CAE - Columbia Metropolitan Arpt
• CHS - Charleston AFB/Int'l Arpt
• SAV - Savannah Municipal Arpt

Area 2

• ATL - William B. Hartsfield Int'l Arpt
• BHM - Birmingham Int'l
• TRI - Tri-Cities Regional
• TYS - McGhee Tyson
• HSV - Huntsville Int'l
• JAN - Jackson Int'l Arpt
• BNA - Nashville Int'l
• CHA - Lovell Field
• CLT - Charlotte/Douglas Int'l
• GSO - Piedmont Triad Int'l
• MEM - Memphis Int'l
• RDU - Raleigh-Durham Int'l
• BWI - Baltimore-Washington Int'l
• DCA - Ronald Reagan National Arpt
• IAD - Washington Dulles Int'l
• RIC - Richmond Int'l
• ROA - Roanoke Regional/Woodrum
• LIT - Adams Field Arpt

Area 3

• SYR - Syracuse Hancock Int'l
• MDT - Harrisburg Int'l Arpt
• MHT - Manchester Arpt
• PHL - Philadelphia Int'l
• ALB - Albany Int'l
• BOS - Logan Int'l Arpt
• BDL - Bradley Int'l
• EWR - Newark Int'l
• ISP - Long Island Mac Arthur Arpt
• JFK - John F. Kennedy Int'l
• LGA - La Guardia Int'l Manchester Arpt
• PVD - Theodore Francis Green State Arpt
• PWM - Portland Int'l Jetport Arpt
• BGR - Bangor Int'l Arpt
• BTV - Burlington Int'l Arpt

Area 4

• AFW - Fort Worth Alliance Arpt
• AUS - Robert Mueller Municipal Arpt
• CRP - Corpus Christi Int'l Arpt
• DAL - Dallas Love Field Dallas
• DFW - Dallas/Fort Worth Int'l Arpt
• ELP - El Paso Int'l
• HOU - William P. Hobby Arpt
• IAH - George Bush Intercontinental
• LBB - Lubbock Int'l Arpt
• SAT - San Antonio Int'l
• ABQ - Albuquerque Int'l Sunport Arpt
• MSY - Louis Armstrong New Orleans Int'l
• OKC - Will Rogers World
• SHV - Shreveport Regional Arpt
• TUL - Tulsa Int'l
• PHX - Phoenix Sky Harbor Int'l Arpt
• MOB - Mobile Regional Arpt

Area 5

• ICT - Wichita Mid-Continent Arpt
• DLH - Duluth Int'l Arpt
• DSM - Des Moines Int'l Arpt
• FSD - Joe Foss Field
• GFK - Grand Forks International Arpt
• MCI - Kansas City Int'l Arpt
• MSP - Minneapolis – St.Paul Int'l
• OMA - Eppley Airfield
• STL - Lambert-St. Louis Int'l Arpt
• MDW - Chicago Midway
• MKE - Milwaukee Arpt
• MSN - Dane Co. Regional-Truax Field
• ORD - Chicago O’Hare Int'l
• RFD - Greater Rockford Arpt

Area 6

• CRW - Yeager
• CVG - Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Int'l
• SDF - Louisville Muhammad Ali Int'l Arpt
• PIT - Pittsburg Int'l
• BUF - Buffalo-Niagara Int'l Arpt
• ROC - Greater Rochester Int'l
• FWA - Fort Wayne Int'l
• IND - Indianapolis Int'l
• CAK - Akron-Washington County
• CLE - Cleveland-Hopkins Int'l Arpt
• DTW - Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County
• GRR - Gerald R. Ford Int'l Arpt
• MKG - Muskegon County
• PTK - Oakland County Int'l
• TVC - Pontiac Cherry Capital Arpt
• CMH - Columbus Int'l
• DAY - James M. Cox Dayton Int'l
• YNG - Youngstown-Warren Regional

Area 7

• APA - Centennial Arpt
• BIL - Billings Logan Int'l Arpt
• COS - Colorado Springs Municipal
• DEN - Denver Int'l
• EUG - Mahlon Sweet Field Arpt
• GEG - Spokane Int'l
• LAS - McCarran Int'l Arpt
• PDX - Portland Int'l Arpt
• RNO - Reno/Tahoe Int'l Arpt
• SEA - Seattle-Tacoma Int'l
• SLC - Salt Lake City Int'l Arpt

Area 8

• FAT - Fresno Yosemite Int'l
• HNL - Honolulu Int'l Arpt
• LAX - Los Angeles Int'l
• OAK - Metropolitan Oakland Int'l
• ONT - Ontario Int'l Arpt
• SAN - San Diego Int'l Arpt
• SFO - San Francisco Int'l Arpt
• SJC - San Jose Int'l Arpt
• SNA - John Wayne-Orange County
• SMF - Sacramento Int'l Arpt

Area 9

• ANC - Anchorage Int'l Arpt
• AKN - King Salmon Arpt
• BET - Bethel Arpt
• DUT - Dutch Harbor Unalaska Tom Madsen Arpt
• ILI - Iliamna Arpt
• MRI - Merrill Int'l
• SSDP - and Point Arpt

Area 10

• CDV - Cordova Merle K. Smith Mudhole Arpt
• JNU - Juneau Field
• PSG - Petersburg Arpt
• SIT - Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Arpt
• VDZ - Valdez Pioneer Field Arpt
• WRG - Wrangell Arpt

Area 11

• BIG - Allen Army Airfield
• BTT - Bettles Arpt
• FAI - Fairbanks Int'l Arpt
• FYU - Fort Yukon Arpt
• ORT - Great Circle Arpt
• SCC - Deadhorse Arpt
• TAL - Ralph Calhoun Arpt

Talethia H. Thomas

Ms. Thomas is the Acting Vice President for Program Management Office for the Air Traffic Organization (ATO). Management Services provides administrative support to all ATO Service Units enabling them to focus on their core mission. She oversees the prioritization and distribution of ATO’s financial and people resources; provide technical labor relations advice; improve processes in technical hiring; provide leadership and employee development; and strengthen organizational effectiveness and employee engagement.

Ms. Thomas has over 25 years of civilian service across three federal agencies, specializing in business operations and mission support. She is a graduate of the FAA’s Senior Leadership Development Program and the Federal Executive Institute. 

Since joining the ATO in 2014, Ms. Thomas has held positions as deputy vice president for Management services, senior advisor to the vice president for Air Traffic Services and as the Standardization manager in Safety and Technical Training. In all three, she was key in cultivating a balance between the operational mission and organizational advancement through workforce development, outreach, and strategic communications. Before joining the ATO, Ms. Thomas was a business manager in Aviation Safety-Air Traffic Safety Oversight.

Ms. Thomas served in a variety of capacities within the Department of Defense, as a budget analyst intern, Strategic Human Capital Division chief and deputy chief of staff. During her tenure at the Department of Treasury, she was an Office of Inspector General financial and program auditor and a manager overseeing financial management policy development at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.  

Ms. Thomas holds a master’s degree from Troy State University and a bachelor’s degree from Old Dominion University. She has received numerous awards and accolades, including the DOT Secretary’s Team Award for EEO/Affirmative Action, as well as other Civilian Achievement Medals. In her free time, she volunteers with professional, educational and community organizations that promote breast cancer awareness, programs for children with learning disabilities, and careers in aviation.
 

Natasha Durkins

Natasha “Tash” Durkins is the Vice President of Mission Support Services in the Federal Aviation Administration’s Air Traffic Organization (ATO).  She has served Mission Support Services in several key leadership roles, most recently as the acting Deputy Vice President (DVP) as well as the Director of Policy, Director of the Eastern Service Center, Acting Director of the Central Service Center, and Advisor on detail to the Executive Director of the Service Centers at Headquarters.

During her time in the DVP role, she has focused on reconciling the challenging budget landscape, creating a strategic staffing approach, and supporting the organization on the leading edge of NAS evolution. Stemming from her passion for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA), Tash created a bimonthly communication platform, Here We Grow, to encourage the growth of employees and organizational health by providing a safe space to expand thoughts, self-awareness, and celebrate diversity.

Tash is well-versed with experience from across the ATO. Prior to joining Mission Support, she held leadership positions in Safety & Technical Training, Management Services, System Operations, and the Office of the ATO Chief of Staff. Tash is a corporate thinker and true team player. She leverages her expertise and vibrant network to contribute to the collective success of the ATO, FAA and beyond. Tash emulates Mission Support’s guiding principle, Align, Integrate and Communicate (AIC), which she was instrumental in developing nearly a decade ago.  The AIC principle is a cornerstone in the organization’s daily business and key element in its success. 

Tash attended Howard University and later earned a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from George Mason University. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two dogs, Boomer and Kobe. Tash recently published her first book, Fiercely Joyful. 
 

Brian Throop

Mr. Brian V. Throop is the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Acting Vice President for Air Traffic Services within the Air Traffic Organization (ATO).

He provides leadership and direction to more than 18,000 employees who collectively provide safe and efficient air navigation services to 45,000 flights and 2.9 million airline passengers every day across more than 29 million square miles of the National Airspace System (NAS).

Mr. Throop joined the FAA in 1984 as an air traffic controller. He served in a number of staff and supervisory positions in the southwest U.S. before moving to FAA headquarters in 1997 as a program specialist in the Oceanic and International Branch.

Between 1998 and 2002, he served as the air traffic representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Latin America Region, representing U.S. interests and providing subject matter expertise on a wide range of operational and procedural issues.

In 2002, Mr. Throop was selected as the FAA representative to the North American Aerospace Defense Command’s (NORAD) Western Air Defense Sector where he helped shape the FAA's partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.

In 2004, He joined the newly formed System Operations Security directorate, the organization within FAA charged with ensuring the operational security of the National Airspace System while maximizing access for all legitimate users. 

Mr. Throop has been awarded a number of Agency and Department level awards, including the Administrator’s Award for Excellence, the DOT National Security Medal and the DOT Outstanding Achievement Award for his work to combat human trafficking. In 2019, Mr. Throop was awarded DOT's highest honor, the Secretary's Gold Medal.

Mr. Throop is a member of FAA's Native American/Alaska Native Association. He is also active in the Airborne Law Enforcement Association, the Helicopter Safety Advisory Council and numerous national security forums.

Q1 2023 Airport Construction Impact Report

Flight Plan Guide

Carey Fagan

Deputy Chief Operating Officer (A), Air Traffic Organization

Ms. Carey Fagan was appointed the Air Traffic Organization’s Acting Deputy Chief Operating Officer in November 2022.

As Acting Deputy COO, Carey is responsible to the Chief...