The National Weather Service Credits NWSEO
For Their Work to Promote Aviation Safety through the CWSUs
(July 13, 2010) The National Weather Service credits NWSEO for their active role in addressing the CWSU issue as they unveiled plans to work with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to improve weather services. As part of the new CWSU Enhancement Plan, the FAA has accepted keeping all 21 CWSUs open. Calling NWSEO an “engaged partner” in the process of developing plans for aviation weather services, the NWS announced that NWSEO will have a representative on the FAA-NWS team. NWSEO Steward Vilma Harmon will serve as the representative for the FAA-NWS team. Ms. Harmon is a meteorologist in the Jacksonville, Florida CWSU.
NWSEO President Dan Sobien responded, “This is a great victory and I am proud of everyone who was involved in this long battle. This is just one example of what union membership can do.”
During a July 9 conference call, NWS Director Jack Hayes detailed the FAA’s agreement with the Aviation Weather Services team. To hear the call, click here.
The following is an article from NWS Jack Hayes Director’s Column:
NWS Reinforces Key Partnership with FAA
Submitted by NWSN Office on Fri, 07/09/2010 - 16:28
The National Weather Service (NWS) today announced a major step forward in its partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to improve aviation weather services for the American people.
NWS Director Jack Hayes and NWS Deputy Director Laura Furgione met yesterday with Rick Day, FAA Senior Vice President for Operations and Nancy Kalinowski, FAA Vice President for System Operations, in a meeting that Hayes described as “productive and positive,” noting that both Day and Kalinowski expressed their commitment to continued improvement in planning and monitoring aviation weather services.
Hayes said, “I view this as a significant milestone in the NWS relationship with the FAA. FAA leadership supports the need for a more active partnership with the NWS.”
As a result of the meeting, FAA has proposed a multi-step solution for improving aviation weather services. Some key points include:
- Maintain the current Center Weather Service Unit (CWSU) configuration at each FAA Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) through 2011 while we develop an implementation plan;
- Implement two incremental improvements as soon as possible:
- Refine requirements for and implement, at the appropriate CWSUs, the Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) forecast product that currently is being provided by the Atlanta CWSU, for the 10 TRACONs identified in the FAA requirements document; and
- Standardize practices for ARTCC weather support when a servicing CWSU is closed overnight.
- Conduct a joint review of the Government Accounting Office (GAO) report recommendations and follow up with actions to address recommendations previously agreed to;
- Quickly establish an FAA-NWS team with a clear charge to create a baseline of current capabilities and to develop firm requirements and implementation plans for near-term services (out through the NextGen Mid-term Operating Capability date of 2015). A team plan would be due to senior leadership by November 2010 with implementation beginning in October 2011.
Hayes said FAA senior leadership and he both recognize the need for more active engagement in setting requirements and working in partnership to define affordable and acceptable solutions. Having the National Weather Service Employees Organization (NWSEO) as a partner in this process acknowledges NWSEO’s active role in addressing the CWSU issue over these last many years. The NWSEO will be engaged as a partner in the process of developing plans for aviation weather services and will have a representative on the FAA-NWS team.