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Today in FocusFAA: Michele Merkle highlights how FAA is operationalizing NextGen at Tech Talk Tuesday; Starting as an FAA Intern, Brittany Dickison is now a management and program assistant for Tech Ops in Ft. Worth, TX; And, ARA’s Mariola Rodriguez honors Hispanic Americans who were the first to serve as aviators in the U.S. armed forces.

September 24, 2021: When it comes to personnel security, the new Trusted Workforce 2.0 framework is clearing up the clearance holder process; $382,000 civil penalty proposed against Universal Flight Training of Sarasota, Fla., for allegedly conducting illegal passenger-carrying flights; And, Domenia Shelvin receives kudos for supporting the Future of the Ocean 2035 (Foto35) and helping enhance the way oceanic air traffic management is conducted.

September 23, 2021: Augie Casado expresses pride in Hispanic heritage and a public service career spanning 40 years in the military and 28 at the FAA; Jeff Woods played a key role in connecting the dots between FAA headquarters and the hundreds of air traffic control facilities across the country; And we share ways you can participate in Girls in Aviation Day.

September 22, 2021: FAA tests new Visual Weather Observation System to provide enhanced weather info to Alaska pilots and expands weather camera coverage into lower 48 and Hawaii; And Sept. 22 marks the 60th anniversary of the passage of the Peace Corps Act - And, for Gail Lattrell, it took a Peace Corps journey of more than two years and thousands of miles to become someone completely different: Herself.

September 21, 2021: It was the children who made the biggest impact on Amer Younossi. He estimates they comprised half of the refugees who transited the processing center at the U.S. Naval Air Station in Sigonella, Italy. A senior representative for the Aircraft Certification Service based in the FAA’s office in Brussels, Belgium, Younossi and his wife, Mariam, responded to a request from the U.S. State Department for volunteers who could speak Farsi/Dari, one of Afghanistan’s main languages to assist in the transportation of refugees fleeing that country following the U.S. withdrawal. He shares their story of providing help and hope in FocusFAA.

Stories about employees and news and updates from across the agency:
   
AFN Update FAA Safety Briefing
AJI in the Know FAA Awards
AJW Connections FS Position Report
ATLDP Profiles If It Flies...Files
COO Weekly Message Lessons Learned
ATO Minute Monroney eNews
AVS Flyer Reflections on Leadership
Cleared for Takeoff @ Medium Technical Center Community Highlights
ANG Forward  

Cleared for Takeoff


Small Businesses Play a Big Part in Aviation Safety
Learn how the FAA collaborates with small businesses throughout the U.S. to provide parts and materials that are critical for aviation safety.

Save Story: Heads Up at Terre Haute
Air traffic control supervisor Matt Gillett caught hazards on back-to-back days in June, one of which could have prevented a collision between two aircraft.

‘A Continuum of Service’
FAA aviation safety inspector Mark Auer finesses the similarities between his work with the Air National Guard and FAA, and how he has used skills from both to get inside a ‘circle of trust.’

FAA Testing New System to Increase Weather Information to Alaska Pilots
The program is also planned to expand weather camera system to other states.

More Eyes on the Skies in Colorado, Montana
Working with the FAA, the two states are leveraging the agency’s weather camera capabilities to enhance aviation safety.
“We Stayed True to the Mission”
Vassie Stamos, the FAA’s longest-serving employee, and likely the longest serving female federal employee in U.S. history, offers a few humble reflections on her remarkable career.

Creating Equality in the Skies
The FAA’s cooperation with the Able Flight program has enabled scores of persons with disabilities to explore their love of flying.

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FAA Safety Briefing

safety briefing
Feature Articles

From Shrimp Boats to Satellites: The Evolution of the National Airspace System

(Don't) Drop the Mic! Take Our Quiz to Sound Like a Pro on the Radio

The Advantages of Adventuring: Using Airport Visits to Advance Skills (and Pilot Stories!)

Mission Possible: Advocating for GA in the TFR Process

Paving the Way Forward

Making it Count

Departments

Jumpseat: Ramping Up

Aeromedical Advisory: On Thin Air

Condition Inspection: Hypoxia

Checklist: New Ways to Preflight Your Destination

Drone Debrief: Coming Soon - More Airspace for Drone Operations

Nuts, Bolts, and Electrons: ADS-B on Non-electric aircrafts? We Answer Your Top Questions

Angle of Attack: Avoiding the Hottest Hot Spots

Vertically Speaking: New Guidelines for Heliport Planning, Design, and Construction

Postflight: No Place Like 'Drome

FAA Faces: Peter Sachs, FAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Office

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ATO Minute

ATO Minute

Your Path to Success as a Manager
The Employee Development Group in Management Services partners with the FAA Leadership and Learning Institute to provide new supervisors with the training and tools they need to be successful. Learn more about it in this article.

Domenia Shelvin Earns Kudos for FOTO35 Work
Domenia Shelvin, a management program analyst in Management Services, has received the Mission Support Services High-Five Award for supporting the Future of the Ocean 2035 program, or FOTO35.

It's End-of-Year Review Time
Are you ready for your end-of-year performance management review? All ATO managers must close employee FY 2021 performance plans and open the FY 2022 performance plans in October and November.

A New Way of Looking at the NAS
PMO developers have created a more robust, user-friendly website to give the aviation community and flying public real-time data about flight delays in the National Airspace System -- and they did it in record time.

Innovative 'Elroy' Has Bright Future
Through a program named after the child prodigy on "The Jetsons," the FAA is making a huge leap in modernizing software development for the National Airspace System.

Meet 'Elroy' Lead Karen Bohannon
With years of experience in software design, Elroy Program Manager Karen Bohannon is propelling the FAA forward in rapid, user-driven app development and deployment.

More ATO Minute Stories 

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AVS Flyer

AVS Flyer

Flight Standards’ Augie Casado Expresses Pride in Hispanic Heritage, Public Service
FS Division Manager Looks Back at his FAA and Military Career Fondly

AOV Revises Foundational Order 1100.161 to Reflect Collaborative Approach
Updates Highlights A Risk-based, Data-driven Oversight Model

Fall AVS STEM Career Symposium Returns Thursday
September 23 event adds programming for college students.

From Shrimp Boats to Satellites
The NAS Has Evolved as Among the Most Complex in the World

RPA Bot Challenge
Federal Employees and Contractors Can Compete for Cash Prizes and Recognition

AQS Helps Feds Feeding Families Campaign
AQS donates more than 540 pounds food for families in need.

Leadership Positions: The Ins and Outs of the Application
Leadership Application De-Mystified for Interested AVS Employees

Still time to Submit an End-of-Year Self-Assessment
AVS Employees Have Until September 30 to Complete Assessments

FY2022 Virtual Financial Management Training Schedule Now Available!
Financial Management Training Offered Virtually to Accommodate Employees

Drone Dispatch Update
To check out content from AUS, click here to read the Drone Dispatch

Takeoffs and Landings
Arrivals and Departures through September 2021

Years Fly By
Employees who have reached a tenure milestone through September 2021

More AVS Flyer Stories

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ATO COO Weekly Message

COO MEssage

It's Not Another Blursday: Time for an End-of-Year Performance Review
Completing a self-assessment allows you to highlight the work you're most proud of, identify areas where you need more support and set goals for the coming year or more.

What's Normal to the Spider is Chaos to the Fly
"People thrive in different circumstances, and it makes me grateful to be part of a team that knows exactly what to do when disaster strikes," ATO COO Teri Bristol says.

Watch How September 11 Challenged and Changed the ATO
During our livestreamed 9/11 commemoration at 2:30 p.m. Eastern tomorrow, we will pay tribute to the lives lost and highlight the steps we have taken to fortify our processes and emerge as a more resilient organization and operation.

Jumpin' Jack Flash -- Labor Day Lessons from the Rolling Stones
"No matter who holds the lead microphone in any organization, we are all key players who support and back up one another. All members of the team are needed regardless of the position we hold."

Sharing Special-Use Airspace Information with Pilots
This week, we held an FAA/DoD industry day to explain our processes for closing airspace for military operations, with the goal of maximizing the use of airspace for everyone, safely and efficiently.

Check out our Summer Safety Series
In this series of safety forums on YouTube, viewers can hear directly from our subject matter experts on a variety of critical safety matters and submit questions during the live sessions.

Check Out the Results of Your FedView Feedback
In this video weekly message, COO Teri Bristol details the results of ATO's input on the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. See what your colleagues are saying.

More COO Messages 

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ANG Forwardang

Sticking Together
Engineers in the Technical Center Structures and Materials Lab (ANG-E281) have been busy this summer. In collaboration with Wichita State University, project co-leads Lynn Pham, Danielle Stephens, and Ahmet Oztekin are almost finished designing a test fixture for helicopter rotorblades.

Defeating the Hackers
To defend against theft, deception, and disruption of aviation data, ANG's Enterprise Safety and Security Division (ANG-B3) is working with international partners to ensure communications security between Europe and the U.S.

Technical Center and NASA Partner to Address Advanced Air Mobility
Building on a long tradition of concept and technology validation collaboration, the William J. Hughes Technical Center and NASA recently expanded their partnership to address advanced air mobility (AAM).

Making Sure "Things Stay Unbroken" is the Mission of the Technical Center's Renaissance Man
For the person tasked with keeping the Technical Center's laboratory facilities running 24/7/365, his diplomatic approach to professional duty meshes seamlessly with his varied interests.

Lauren Rainier Drives Public Health and Employee Engagement at the Technical Center
"I have a weird love for people, to see them happy and successful — and healthy," Rainier said. "So being able to combine my passion for people's success and public health, it's a harmony."

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AFN Update

afn update

AFN’s Doug Wilson Honored for His Lifetime Dedication to Aviation with FAA’s Master Pilot and Master Mechanic Awards
Since he was a child, FAA Academy instructor Doug Wilson always wanted to fly, even turning his father’s old Ford sedan into a makeshift airplane. His love of flying – and of fixing things – has paid off with a rare honor: being awarded both the FAA’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award and the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award.

FAA Hiring Nearly 1,000 Air Traffic Controllers and Aviation Safety Personnel in FY21
Even with the COVID-19 pandemic challenges, the FAA plans to hire 500 air traffic controllers and 496 Aviation Safety personnel this fiscal year, according to new workforce plans released in July. These plans, required by law, demonstrate to Congress and the American public the FAA’s commitment to both safety and efficiency.

MMAC Artist Bryan Dahlvang: Serving the Citizen, Championing Change
Dahlvang, a Communications Program Specialist for the Quality Systems and Business Resources Staff at Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center and an accomplished artist, was recently honored with the 2021 Service to the Citizen award. This program recognizes those public servants and their industry partners who demonstrate excellence in their delivery of services to the public.

Enterprise Video Services Offers One Stop Shop for New Video Tech
For more than 16 months, the FAA has been using Zoom – and we’ve been getting pretty good at it. Now, thanks to the hard work of a new cross-LOB program management office, this new technology will become available in our conference rooms too.

Bots at Work: AFN's Recruiting Bots Save Time and Increase Efficiency
Warren Pegram, Manager of AFN’s Administrative Services Division (AFN-100), and his team are responsible for processing human resources actions in coordination with analysts in AFN’s four functional areas. Pegram’s team is also tasked with finding ways to utilize Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to streamline procedures and increase efficiencies.

Financial Standard Operating Procedure Updates
Did you know the Financial Policy Division (AFM-800) maintains a library of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the Agency? SOPs range in topic and cover various financial, procurement, and administrative subjects.

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AJI In the Know

AJI Employees Recognized with FAA Awards
AJI Honors its 2020 FAA Award winners.

ARIA Expands to Help Identify IFR/VFR Best Practices and Risk
What's Next for the Aviation Risk Identification and Assessment (ARIA) tool?

Meet AJI Training Policy and Requirements Lead Ralph Kyniston of Washington, DC
Get to know Ralph Kyniston better.

Tech Ops Training Summit: Driving Change to Modernize Training and Address Backlog
The pandemic fast-tracked new technology enabling the FAA Academy to hold training course labs virtually.

AJI All Managers Summit: Looking Different Next Year Than We Do Today
AJI's managers met virtually for three days in May to discuss ATO principles, return to work, and the new AJI vision.

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Technical Center Community Highlights

Space Data Integrator M.V.P. Test Team Scores Agile Success with SpaceX Launch
A small, dedicated test team at the Technical Center put the Space Data Integrator through its paces, delivering a minimum viable product for the June 30 SpaceX launch.

Dr. Angela Campbell Helps Team Set Braking Friction Standard, Earn Award Nomination
SAPOE sought to set a global standard by which braking friction monitoring systems could consistently assess runway conditions. It did - and earned a safety award nomination - with help from Campbell's mathematics aptitude and previous research.

USAF Air Mobility Command and WJHTC Forge Autonomous Technology Initiative
Mutual interest in leveraging autonomous technology in the terminal area has created an opportunity for the USAF Air Mobility Command and the FAA that holds promise to deliver immense benefits to both.

Rotorcraft Safety Team Uses Simulator to Advance Helicopter Tech
Leveraging its recently acquired S76-D simulator, the RSRT has helped develop a digital co-pilot prototype, advance vision systems technologies, and counsel rotorcraft stakeholders about the intrinsic safety value of emerging technology.

AvSTEM Impacts Educators at Summer Institute
AvSTEM Program Manager Lyndsay Digneo presented the Technical Center's take on workforce development to the 29th Summer Institute for Educators.

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drone dispatch banner


The FAA UAS Symposium: A Global Success
The FAA UAS Symposium: Remotely Piloted Edition – Episode III, is in the books. Held June 9-10, the first half of this year’s Symposium took place via virtual format and featured 25 sessions, 80 speakers, and attendees from all across the U.S. and 33 foreign countries. Those attendees had the opportunity to hear discussions on recreational and commercial operations, STEM, international developments, and public safety as well as participate in a variety of networking opportunities.

UAS by the Numbers as of July 2021

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Flight Standards Position Report

Leadership Positions: The Ins and Outs of the Application Submitted by Stacy Wells

Chris Hope Named Division Manager, Flight Technologies and Procedures Division (AFS-400)

Message from Rick, Larry, and Rico: 09/11 Remembrance, Future of Work, Town Hall

September 11 Remembrances

Tip Stinnette to Become the New Acting Deputy Director of Foundational Business

Upcoming Leadership Changes in General Aviation Safety Assurance

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Technical Operations Connections

Spring/Summer Safety Tip: Leveraging Construction Notice Diagrams
As we transition to summer and the construction season begins to take shape, the Airport Construction Advisory Council wants to take this opportunity to talk about some of the best practices for operating on an airfield.

Water and Weather Woes in Pensacola
The benefits of collegiality and collaboration were on grand display during a recent series of unfortunate events that disrupted routine operations at Pensacola Tower.

Tech Ops Training Summit: Driving Change to Modernize Training and Address Backlog
The pandemic fast-tracked new technology enabling the FAA Academy to hold training course labs virtually.

FAA Technicians Rescue Driver from Ravine
Four technicians were on a short drive between equipment sites in northwestern New Mexico when they witnessed a vehicle veer off the road into a ravine. What happened next was nothing short of heroic.

From Vision to Action - Introducing the Strategic Plan
Technical Operations is known as an innovative workforce, designing, installing and maintaining thousands of facilities and systems that make up NAS across the country and within some of the most challenging environments in the world.

Drone Tower Inspections: Enhancing Occupational Safety and Precision
The precision and added safety features demonstrated during a recent commercial drone tower flight serve as evidence of the unique capabilities that drones can offer in NAS maintenance.

Mask Up For The Mission
On behalf of Air Traffic Services, Technical Operations and Systems Operations Services, we are launching the "Mask Up for the Mission" Campaign to remind us to keep the NAS — and each other — safe.

This FAA Engineer’s Stay in American Samoa Was No Vacation 
What happens when a project that is supposed to take an engineer only a month ends up as an indefinite stay in the same remote location due to COVID-19 travel restrictions?

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MMAC eNews

Employee Engagement
Be the team that you never want to leave!

Pollinator Habitat's Fifth Year Generates a Buzz
For five years, the Office of Facility Management has maintained the Center's very own Pollinator Habitat.

Oklahoma City Community College -- Regents Business Partnership Excellence Award Nomination
The collaboration between Oklahoma City Community College and ESC have made a major difference in the cybersecurity career field.

Civil Aviation Registry Electronic Services (CARES) Initiative
The Registry has worked closely with many FAA partners to update their information systems.

Tiger Team Training Sites Revive Terminal Radar Training During Crisis

Technical Operations Training Going Virtual - How the FAA Academy Made it Happen

Craig Burson -- Celebrating a 46 Year Legacy with the FAA
Change is inevitable for all of us, but when you think about a 46 year career with the Federal Aviation Administration, you begin to realize how many changes this one employee has experienced.

ESC Teams Spend Time Upgrading PRISM Software
The Enterprise Services Center' (ESC) Procurement Request Information System Management (PRISM) upgraded their commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software to version 7.4.7 over the weekend of March 12, 2021.

Celebrating Pride Month with Employee Michael Tull
In recognition of Pride Month, the Aeronautical Center would like to highlight some LGBQT members in our community, who are dedicated to the mission and whose efforts have made a significant impact at the Aeronautical Center.

MMAC Celebrates 75 Years -- From Sonic Boom Studies to Emergency Evacuation Safety
The 1960s: a decade that brought about many changes in aviation to keep the flying public safe.

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IF IT FLIES...FILES

FAA Grant to Support Aviation Maintenance Careers

Agency Announces Program to Support Aviation Maintenance Technical Workers Workforce Development.

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PMO Chronicle


Sustaining NAS Safety and Performance
The FAA's unit responsible for updating tools used by air traffic controllers, traffic management specialists and other stakeholders within the agency has nearly doubled their average number of delivered updates per month since May.

Williams Named Enterprise Services Acting Deputy Director
Evan Setzer has assumed the Surveillance and Broadcast Services acting group manager position now that Ammyanna Williams has rejoined AJM-3 as acting deputy director.

Surveillance Services Hosts Virtual Industry Week
More than 200 participants representing 75 companies attended Surveillance and Broadcast Services' first-ever virtual "Industry Week" event. Attendees were provided with the latest information on the future of surveillance and ongoing initiatives such as SENSR.

Register Now for the PMO's Requirements Management Workshop
The Technical Management & Integration Team's PMO Requirements Management Plan Workshop is part of PMO's efforts to effectively manage requirements in support of the Requirement Management Standard Operating Procedure.

Get to Know the PMO Directors
Acting PMO Deputy Vice President Amy Gusky leads a PMO directors' panel as they share stories about their lives and careers and answer employee questions.

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Reflections on Leadership

Don Faulkner
Don Faulkner is the Executive Director, Office of Business and Mission Services in the ASH organization. Here he reflects on the strong leadership values instilled by mother, grandparents and his West Virginia community. His career advice is, don't be afraid to take a risk, or an unconventional path to pursue your career goals, while also preserving time with family and friends. Follow Don's journey from an independent kid janitor to Blue Grass star to a corner office in the Navy to a small cubicle at the FAA.

Doug Dixon
Doug Dixon is the program manager for the new AVS Voluntary Safety Reporting Program. Here he looks back on his varied career choices, his love for aviation, and what he's learned about leadership.

Tom Kenny
Tom Kenny is the Deputy Director, Oversight Operations, in the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety (AXH), within the FAA Office of Security and Hazardous Materials Safety (ASH).

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Lessons Learned

Braniff Airways 542

Lockheed L-188A

09/29/59

Buffalo, TX

Pacific Southwest 182, Gibbs Flite Center

B727-214, Cessna 172

09/25/78

Near Lindbergh Field San Diego, CA

Continental Express 2574

EMB-120RT

09/11/91

Eagle Lake, TX

Air France 072

B747-428B

09/12/93

PPT (French Polynesia)

USAir 427

B737-3B7

09/08/94

Aliquippa, PA

Swissair Flight 111

MD-11

09/02/98

Near Nova Scotia

UPS Flight 6

B747-44AF

09/03/10

Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, UAE

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