Flight Technologies and Procedures Division

Flight Operations Group

Mission

The Flight Operations Group is responsible for developing safe Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) and air traffic management operations using existing and emerging technologies and innovative operational concepts.

Responsibilities(PDF)

Projects and Programs

• Advanced Air Mobility (AAM)
• Airborne Collision Avoidance System (TCAS/ACAS) Information
• Airport Obstacle Analysis & Aircraft Performance Planning
• Approvals and Approach Procedure Facilities
• Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B)
• Aviation Weather Reporting Products
• Category I/II/III ILS Information
• Closely Spaced Parallel Operations (CSPO)
• Data Link & Display of Aeronautical Information
• Electronic Flight Bag (EFB)
• Enhanced Flight Vision Systems (EFVS)
• FAA Data Communications (Data Comm)
• Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Interference
  • GNSS Interference Resource Guide
• Helicopter / Powered Lift
• ILS Continuity of Service
• Instrument Landing System (ILS) Procedures/Facilities List
• Land and Hold Short Operations (LAHSO)
• Multiple Runway Operations (MRO)
• New Entrants
• Oceanic and Remote Airspace (Special Areas of Operation & Special Use Airspace)
• Performance Based Navigation (SatNav)
• Performance Based Navigation (PBN) Guidance & Approval
• Policy & Guidance
• Reduced Vertical Separation Minima (RVSM)
• Required Navigation Performance (RNP)
• Simultaneous Approach Operations
• Special Approach Procedures
• Streamlined Part 91 Operational Approval
• Supersonic Operations
• Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS)
• Visual Guidance Lighting Systems
• Wake Turbulence Information
• 5G Aviation Safety

Useful Links

• Dynamic Regulatory System
• Aeronautical Information Manual - AIM
• Safety Assurance System (SAS) - External Portal Sign-In - Log in or sign up to access the Operations Approval Portal System (OAPS) and WebOPSS    
• NAS Resource Guide | Federal Aviation Administration
• Regional Oceanic Resource Guides for U.S. Operators | Federal Aviation Administration
   

Handbooks

• Dynamic Regulatory System
• Aviation Weather Handbook
• Instrument Procedures Handbook
   

Address:
Federal Aviation Administration
Flight Technologies and Procedures Division
Flight Operations Group
6500 S. MacArthur Blvd.
Building 26, Suite 217
Oklahoma City, OK 73169

Email:9-AWA-AVS-AFS410@faa.gov

Flight Technologies and Procedures Division

The Flight Technologies and Procedures Division’s mission is to improve flight operations, standardization, and aviation safety within U.S. and international airspace systems in support of the FAA’s plans for the NextGen through regulations, standards, and policy at the intersection of flight operations, aircraft, airspace, airports, and flight procedures. This mission is fulfilled through the work of three functional Groups:

• Flight Operations Group
  • Develop safe CNS and air traffic management operations using existing and emerging technologies and innovative operational concepts.
• Flight Procedures and Airspace Group
  • Ensure safe and efficient flight paths from takeoff to landing and provide operational safety reviews and support to the NAS.
• Flight Research and Analysis Group
  • Provide leadership by defining and independently conducting aviation safety research while collaborating with the global aerospace research community on existing and emerging flight technologies and operational concepts.
• Organizational Effectiveness
  • To ensure consistency, interdependence, critical thinking, and agility across the Division through implementation of SMS, SAS, QMS, professional development, and communications.

Flight Technologies and Procedures Division’s Organizational Chart

AFS-400 Division of Work by Group

Division Contact Information

• Operation Specifications (OpSpec) Contact List
• Service Center Area Support Division of Work Map(PDF)

Useful Links

• Civil Aviation Registry
• Inspectors Handbook 
• Office of Safety Standards (AFS) Services and Contacts
• More »

Address:
Federal Aviation Administration
Flight Technologies and Procedures Division
6500 S. MacArthur Blvd.
Building 26, Suite 217
Oklahoma City, OK 73169

Email:9-AWA-AVS-AFS-400-Flight-Technologies-Procedures@faa.gov

AOV Credentialing and Control Tower Operator Certificate Programs

The Credentialing Program implements the Administrator's direction for independent oversight of the ATO's personnel certification program, and it ensures that those performing direct safety-related air traffic control services and/or certify systems/subsystems/services maintain required skills. ATO must maintain the NAS at a safety level that is at least equal to the baseline, in compliance with current policies, processes, and procedures that are documented in orders, handbooks, and manuals.

• The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) established International Standards for the licensing of aviation personnel including air traffic controllers in Annex 1 — Personnel Licensing from the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
• FAA Order 1100.161 Air Traffic Safety Oversight, directed AOV to develop and maintain a Credentialing Program in accordance with ICAO Annex 1 to ensure that operational personnel have the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform their assigned functions.
• FAA Order 8000.90C Air Traffic Safety Oversight Credentialing and Control Tower Operator Certification Programs, sets forth how to issue and maintain credentials for ATO personnel.

General Information

• Governing Documents
  • Air Traffic Safety Oversight, FAAOrder 1100.161
  • Air Traffic Safety Oversight Credentialing and Control Tower Operator Certification Programs, FAA Order 8000.90C
  • Certification and Rating Procedures for DoD Personnel, FAA Order 7220.1
• FY20 Year in Review(PDF) – AOV Credentialing and Control Tower Operator Programs
• Program Frequently Asked Question(PDF)

AOV Credentials

• AOV Credentialing Online System
  • On-Line Login (Accessible in MyFAA)
  • Credentialing System Frequently Asked Questions(PDF)
• Air Traffic Control Specialist
  • FAA Form 8000-44, ATCS Proficiency Manager Request Form
  • FAA Form 3120-25 (ATCS BSE Only) (PDF)
  • BSE Guidance(MS Word)
  • ATCS specific Frequently Asked Questions(PDF)
• Airway Transportation Systems Specialist
  • FAA Form 8000-45, ATSS Proficiency Manager Request Form
  • ATSS specific Frequently Asked Questions(PDF)

Control Tower Operation (CTO) Certificate

• Resources
  • AOV Policy Memo 14 CFR 65.35 and 65.39(PDF)
  • CTO Information Pamphlet(PDF)
  • CTO-E Checklist(PDF)
  • CTO Study Guide(PDF)
  • Air Traffic Safety Oversight Credentialing and Control Tower Operator Certification Programs, FAA Order 8000.90C
  • Certification and Rating Procedures for DoD Personnel, FAA Order 7220.1
  • CTO Facility Rating Test Information(PDF)
  • Certification: Airmen Other Than Flight Crewmembers from 14 CFR Part 65
• Forms*
  • Airman Written Test Application, FAAForm 8080-3
  • Application for an Airman Certification and/or Rating, FAA Form 8400-3
  • Temporary Airman Certificate, FAA Form 8060-4
  • Notice of Disapproval of Application, Form 8060-5
  • * For instructions about completing forms, look in FAA Order 8000.90C, Appendix B
• CTO specific Frequently Asked Questions(PDF)
• To request a replacement CTO contact the Airmen's Certification Branch

Air Traffic Safety Oversight Service Information and Assistance

About AOV
Stakeholder Feedback Form

Contact Us

General duty hours are Monday — Friday, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Eastern Area Operations

Central Area Operations

Western Area Operations

Headquarters

Implementation & Integration Group

Voluntary Safety Programs

Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP)

The objective of the ASAP is to encourage air carrier and repair station employees to voluntarily report safety information that may be critical to identifying potential precursors to accidents. Under ASAP, safety issues are resolved through corrective action rather than through punishment or discipline. An ASAP is based on a safety partnership that includes FAA and the certificate holder, and usually includes a third party, such as the employee's labor organization.

Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS)

ASRS collects safety reports from the entire aviation industry, analyzes them for trends and provides those trends and reports to the industry through (1) direct contact with organizations like FAA, NTSB, and Boeing, (2) alerts, newsletters and magazines, (3) research services, and (4) a public website. This is a national program funded by FAA and managed by NASA.

Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA)

FOQA collects and analyzes digital flight data generated during normal line operations. FOQA programs provide greater insight into the total flight operations environment. FOQA data is unique because it can provide objective information that is not available through other methods. The information and insights provided by FOQA can improve safety by significantly enhancing training effectiveness, operational procedures, maintenance and engineering procedures, and air traffic control procedures.

• 8900.1, Flight Standards Information Management System (FSIMS), Vol. 11, Chap.2, Sec. 2, Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA)(PDF)
• FOQA Participants(PDF)

Internal Evaluation Program (IEP)

The IEP encourages airlines to establish and maintain self-auditing programs to regularly monitor the safety of their organizations. These programs are funded and managed by the airline, with no requirement to share any non-regulatory information with FAA. When the air carrier uncovers safety issues that represent violations of Federal Aviation Regulations, these may be submitted to FAA under the Voluntary Disclosure Reporting Program (VDRP) and will receive the regulatory incentives associated with that program.

Line Operational Safety Audit (LOSA)

The LOSA encourages airlines to conduct detailed inspections of cockpit operations using the data collection protocols provided by FAA, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), or by the LOSA Collaborative. LOSA is confined to jump-seat observations of cockpit operations and FAA recommends one every three years. There is no requirement to share LOSA data with the regulator, although this is routine practice.

Voluntary Disclosure Reporting Program (VDRP)

The Voluntary Disclosure Reporting Program provides positive incentives for a certificate holder, an indirect air carrier, a foreign air carrier, or a production approval holder (PAM) operating under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) to voluntarily identify, report, and correct their own instances of regulatory noncompliance.

The FAA believes that aviation safety is well served by providing incentives for certificate holders to correct their own instances of noncompliance and to invest more resources in efforts to preclude their recurrence. The FAA's policy of forgoing civil penalty actions when a certificate holder meets the requirements of this program, is designed to encourage compliance FAA's regulations, foster safe operating practices, and promote the development of internal evaluation programs.

Safety Analysis & Promotion Division

Program Offices

• Certification & Evaluation Program Office
• Field Support Program Office
• Safety Management System (SMS) Program Office
• System Approach for Safety Oversight (SASO) Program Office

Address:
Federal Aviation Administration
Flight Standards National Field Office
13873 Park Center Road, Suite 160
Herndon, VA 20171

Phone: (703) 487-3912

Automation & Systems Management Branch

Automation & Systems Management Branch (AFS-950) develops, manages, and implements information systems essential for safety officials who surveille certificate holders, conduct investigations, identify risks, analyze data, and develop mitigation actions for both commercial and general aviation across the national airspace.

AFS-950 also executes data governance to manage, access, and secure enterprise data. Data governance within AFS-950 include development and implementation of internal processes, role definition, metrics, and compliance standards. We ensure the portfolio of systems allow people to efficiently and securely use the vast amounts of data generated by the enterprise.

AFS-950 is responsible for the collection, storage and distribution of aviation safety data. Responsibilities include the following

• Accident Incident and Enforcement System (AIE)
• Accident Incident Data System (AIDS)
• Aviation Safety Action Programs (ASAPs)
• Dynamic Regulatory System (DRS)
• Enforcement Information System (EIS)
• FAASTeam Web Portal
• Multi-System Access Tool (MSAT) 
• Pilot Records Database (PRD)
• Safety Performance Analysis System (SPAS) 
• Service Difficulty Reporting System (SDRS)\
• Voluntary Disclosure Reporting Program (VDRP)
• Web Based Application Tool (WBAT)

 AFS-950 can also provide “Limited” Data Analysis and Reporting

Contact Information
Mark Gruber 
Branch Manager
AFS-950-FED@faa.gov

Dr. Brett A. Wyrick, D.O., M.P.H.

Deputy Federal Air Surgeon

Office of Aerospace Medicine

Federal Aviation Administration

Dr. Brett Wyrick serves as the Deputy Federal Air Surgeon (AAM-2) in the Office of Aerospace Medicine (AAM) for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). He is the Senior Executive responsible for the AAM-100 Program Management Division, AAM-200 Medical Specialties Division, AAM-800 Drug Abatement Division, and the nine Regional Flight Surgeon Offices at various locations throughout the United States. He first joined the FAA in 2016 as the Regional Flight Surgeon for the Northwest Mountain Region, and he served with the United States Air Force prior to service with the FAA.

Dr. Wyrick is dual Board Certified in General Surgery and Aerospace Medicine; he is a Fellow in the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons (FACOS), and a Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA). He received his Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) degree from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, Missouri in 1989, and completed his surgical training at Oklahoma State University in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1994. He went on to earn a Master of Public Health degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin in 2008, and he completed his Residency in Aerospace Medicine at Brooks AFB, Texas in 2009. Dr. Wyrick was in the private practice of General Surgery for ten years prior extended Active Duty with the United States Air Force. He served four combat tours in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. His previous assignments include Air National Guard Assistant to the Air Combat Command Surgeon, Command Surgeon for the Air National Guard, Deputy Surgeon General of the National Guard Bureau, and Assistant Adjutant General (Air) of the Hawaii Air National Guard. Major General Wyrick retired from military service in 2023 as the Senior Air National Guard Advisor to the Department of the Air Force Surgeon General.

Dr. Wyrick has received numerous awards and decorations, and he holds the aeronautical rating of Chief Flight Surgeon with over 900 flight hours. He is also a Private Pilot and a Senior Aviation Medical Examiner for the FAA. He is married to Dr. Maryam Allahyar-Wyrick who is the Director of Research, Development, and Technology for Federal Railroad Administration, and they live with their youngest son in Northern Virginia. Both of their older children are officers in the United States Air Force.

General Aviation Safety Assurance (AFG-900)

Delegation and Resource Branch (AFG-970)

The Delegation and Resource Branch provides oversight to Designated Pilot Examiners and Specialty Aircraft Examiners which includes Experimental, Vintage, Sport Pilot and Flight Engineer Examiners. The branch is also responsible for the Flight Standards Inspector Resource Program (FSIRP) which is an internal program to the FAA to provide specialized inspector resources throughout the nation.

We perform the following functions:

• Oversight of Specialty Aircraft Examiners
• Flight Standards Inspector Resource Program
• Oversight of Designated Pilot Examiners

Useful Links

• FSIRP (FAA use only)
• Certification of Light Sport Aircraft
• Sport-Pilot Information
• Vintage & Experimental Aircraft Program

Contact Information
Ronald “Dante” Fontenot, Branch Manager
Ronald.Fontenot@faa.gov 
Phone: (601) 317-5091
Fax: (405) 954-6688

Mailing Address:
Federal Aviation Administration
Delegation and Resource Branch, ARB, Room 313
Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center
P.O. Box 25082
Oklahoma City, OK 73125

Physical Address:
Federal Aviation Administration
Delegation and Resource Branch, ARB, Room 313
Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center
6500 S. MacArthur Boulevard
ARB, Room 304A
Oklahoma City, OK 73169

If you are having difficulty locating an examiner, please contact the Delegation and Resource Branch at 9-AVS-AFG-970@faa.gov or (405) 954-6400.

Change Management Services Branch

Contact the CMSB

The Change Management Services Branch supports executives, senior leaders, managers and project teams lead and manage their change needs.

Aris Scarla, Program Manager

Manages the branch and continued sustainability of the FAA Flight Standards Service (FS) Change Management program. He also serves as an advisor to FS Executive Leaders on the development and implementation of change management policies, procedures, and practices that influence organizational performance.

Change Management Services Branch

Services

CMSB provides services that supports Flight Standards' ability to lead and manage change, identify and mitigate risk through data analysis and resource project needs.

Advisory

Provide a broad range of advice, expertise and skill development to aid the client in gaining clarity, focus and understanding in addressing their change needs.

Consultation

Conduct assessments and evaluations that provide data and analytics to aid in the design and solution in determining size, scope, risk mitigation, and other key factors to support better decisions in planning and implementing changes.

Project Support

Support Primary Sponsors, Sponsor Coalitions, Change Management Practitioners (CMP), Project Managers and Project Teams in the coordination, planning, resourcing and oversight throughout the lifecycle of projects.