0. Decision Support at the FAA
Air Traffic Control System Command Center (ATCSCC)
Michael Eckert
Nat’l Aviation Meteorologist

1. How do we mitigate weather impacts to the NAS?
ATCSCC Goals
Balance air traffic demand with the capacity of the National Air Space (NAS), focusing on Safety and Efficiency
But… We have a Problem…
~ 70% of delays in the National Airspace System (NAS) are attributed to weather which results in Aviation Industry loses in excess of $20,000,000,000 each year.
How do we mitigate weather impacts to the NAS?
The AWC NAMs provide Integrated Decision Support Services (IDSS) to the FAA in support of the NAS

2. Weather Ready Nation
AWC NAMs are trained in Meteorology and Traffic Flow Management
Partnered with FAA, CWSUs, WFOs, Airline Mets and NCEP Centers
Developing innovative methods/products to deliver weather impact information

3. Typical Day (all times UTC) Scheduled: Impact Driven:
TAF Updates - 09, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23 & 01
5-Day Terminal Outlook
Day 1-8 Impact Graphics
NY/PHL TAF Coordination & 1640
Aviation Previous Day Impacts
NWS HQ Standup local
ATCSCC Standup & 2000
NAS Day-1 Convective Outlook
FAA NAS Sys Rev (Day 2-4+)
FAA HQ (High Impacts as needed) -1430
Impact Driven:
CAWS Collaboration
SWPC, VAAC & Mtn WV
Ad-hoc ATCSCC Briefings/Telcons/chats – 15+ each day
Holiday Outlooks, Special Events, Tropical…
Shift responsibilities

4. Most IDSS is: Terminal (Airport) Impacts Enroute (Cruising) Impacts
Arrival/Departure Gates
Weather at Airport
Ground Stop (GS)
Ground Delay Program (GDP)
Enroute (Cruising) Impacts
Route blockage

5. Traffic Flow Management Portal

6. Ground Stop (GS) Holds aircraft at departure airport
Can be immediate/unplanned
Used when Weather will directly impact an Airport for ~ 1 hours
Emergency situation at airport
Airplanes need to land…they don’t have to take off
RED = In Air
YELLOW = Ground Stopped
GREEN = Airborne Soon

7. Ground Delay Program (GDP)
Used when Weather will directly impact an Airport for > 2 hours
Control Air Traffic to Airports where demand > capacity
Each flight gets a specific departure time
Each flight gets a delay

8. Air Flow Program (AFP)
Control volume through an en route volume of airspace
Usually one-way, i.e. East Coast volume to Florida (spring break)
Assigned time to cross an line rather than arrival time at an airport

9. Typical Daily Enroute Map
GOLDEN TRIANGLE

10. Peak periods NAS Traffic ~ 6,500 aircraft

11. MILATARY RESTRICTED AREAS
Military areas offer very limited corridors with little variance for lateral adjustment of route AR
Route
Q-Route

12. Where is the bigger “aviation” impact?
Radar courtesy NEXLAB – College of DuPage

13. NY Airspace is most congested in the NAS
It’s all about the real estate…
Location…Location…Location
Timing…Timing…Timing
LGA
EWR
JFK

14. CAWS (Collaborative Aviation Weather Statement)
CAWS - Valid 2100Z Z
Radar Image Z

15. SAVINGS $250,000 Saving $$ TS SW ORD...WILL IT REACH THE TERMINAL?
ORD TRACON/TOWER ASKS FOR GROUND DELAY PROGRAM
Program length = 2 hours
#Flights affected = 154
#Passengers affected = ~15,400
Average Delay (per flight) = 21 min
Total Delay in NAS = 3,200 min or 53.3 hours
$$ Savings (per $4,690 per hour cost of delay)
NAM briefed NO TS impacts to ORD/MDW
SAVINGS
$250,000
Saving $$ by NOT issuing a GDP…Thunderstorms expected to diminish and NOT hit ORD/MDW

16. $6.3 million of delay saved NO AFP
Air Flow Program (AFP) requested by ZJX
Reduce traffic thru ZJX to ~90 flights per hour 14z-02z due to Thunderstorms
949 Flight Delays
80,656 minutes of delay
152.8 min average delay
Over 90,000 passengers affected!
Normal Traffic Flow
AFP Flow (dashed line)
$6.3 million of delay saved NO AFP

17. Eagle, CO
Fog Event
12/29/13

18. Savings ~ $228,000.00 EGE Fog Event 12/29/13
15 Min before GOES-R probability indicated clearing
20 minutes after GOES-R probability indicated clearing
30 minutes after GOES-R indicated clearing
Savings ~ $228,000.00

19. Questions?

20. PC N-AWIPs TFMS AWIPs PC
Wall of Weather
PC N-AWIPs TFMS AWIPs PC
Tools…Hardware/software

21. ATCSCC Weather Unit Joey Mike Frank Brandon Dan
Carr Eckert Brody Smith Kremnitzer