Tutorial

10. Other FAA Facilities
Not all FAA facilities are radar-tracking facilities. The FAA is a multi-faceted agency that covers many aspectsof aviation. Below are some of the other FAA facilities.

Airport Reservation Office (ARO)
The Airport Reservation Office (ARO) processes all requests for IFR operations at designated high density trafficairports and allots reservations on a first come, first served basis.

The high density traffic airports are:

• John F. Kennedy International, New York City, NY
• La Guardia, Newark, NJ
• Chicago O´Hare International, Chicago, IL
• Ronald Reagan Washington National, Washington, D.C.

The ARO also allocates reservations to and from airportswith above-normal traffic demand due to special events such as the Olympics, major Golf Tournaments, NASCAR events,etc.

By implementing a special traffic management program (STMP),the number of arrivals and departures generated by an event are controlled. This allows for a limited number ofreservations in specific time intervals.

Flight Inspection Liaison Office (AVN)
The mission of the Flight Inspection Liaison Office (AVN) is to:

• Improve response to customer needs by providing a national focal point for flight inspection
• Create a tactical team with the National Operations Control Center and the Air Traffic Management staff to improve FAA´s management of the NAS
• Facilitate the assurance that AVN´s flight inspection mission is aligned with NAS priorities
• Strengthen the partnership between service providers and customers through collaborative decision making with Airway Facilities and Air Traffic Management staff at the ATCSCC

International Operations and Procedures Office
The International Operations and Procedures Specialists provide advisory and technical support to other federal agencies, the airspace user community, and international Air Traffic Service providers. They serve as the focal point for developing and promoting activities with international Air Traffic Flow Management Units.

Traffic Management Specialists develop global traffic flowmanagement programs and procedures, and represent the FAA at forums addressing the development of procedures andaviation systems that have an impact on the NAS and international community.

National Operations Control Center (NOCC)
The NOCC was established to provide national coordination of facility restoration activities and to provide status information on NAS equipment. The NOCC is staffed 24 hours per day, 7 days a week and is responsible for collecting, tracking and reporting data from field organizations for NAS status, facility and service interruptions, special events and disasters.

The NOCC monitors critical situations as they evolve andnotifies, mobilizes or directs key organizations while coordinating these events with Air Traffic and Airway Facilities.The NOCC is a conduit to the regional Maintenance Control Centers (MCC) for restoration of key NAS facilities andservices, and communicates electronically with FAA technicians responsible for maintaining the NAS.

Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) Office
Since the National Airspace System (NAS) is continually evolving, a focal point is essential in tracking currentNAS status. The NOTAM office is the most up-to-date resource for information related to the NAS. This office disseminatesinformation on unanticipated or temporary changes to components of or hazards within the NAS until the associatedcharts and related publications have been amended. Examples of NOTAM information include:

• Runway closures
• Malfunctions to navigational aids
• Special traffic management programs (STMP)
• Changes affecting airport arrival and departure procedures

Severe Weather Unit
When the weather is predicted to go bad, the Severe Weather Unit team springs into action. The task of the Severe Weather Management team is to minimize the impact of severe weather on the airspace system. Traffic Management Specialists collect meteorological information from a variety of sources. Through coordination with affected air traffic facilities and users, an operational plan is developed to ensure the safe and orderly flow of air traffic around impacted areas. As the weather changes, the plan can be revised and if necessary, new routings or restrictions are issued.

Photo © courtesy of Todd Lindley,
Nat´l Weather Service Forecast Office
Norman,Oklahoma

Air Traffic Management
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