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Introduction to Categorical Amendment Criteria (CAC)

Introduction to Categorical Amendment Criteria (CAC). SAWS III Phoenix, AZ 23 Mar 2010. Joe Jurecka Aviation Program Leader NWS Lubbock, TX Commercial Pilot ASMEL Instrument. Contributors. Cammye Sims, Aviation Services Branch Brad Sipperley, WFO Fairbanks, AK

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Introduction to Categorical Amendment Criteria (CAC)

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  1. Introduction to Categorical Amendment Criteria (CAC) SAWS III Phoenix, AZ 23 Mar 2010 Joe Jurecka Aviation Program Leader NWS Lubbock, TX Commercial Pilot ASMEL Instrument

  2. Contributors Cammye Sims, Aviation Services Branch Brad Sipperley, WFO Fairbanks, AK Aaron Tyburski, WFO State College, PA David Hotz, WFO Morristown, TN Joe Dellicarpini, WFO Boston, MA Todd Lericos, WFO Caribou, ME

  3. Presentation Outline • Why change? • Review of Standard Amendment Criteria • CAC Methodology, Thresholds, and Limitations • Amendments Using CAC • Benefits of Using CAC • Implementation 3

  4. Why make a change? • To provide the aviation community with a more responsive product tailored to their regulatory needs • A more concise productis possible when theforecast is tailored toaeronautical decisionsand impacts.

  5. Standard Amendment Criteria Review of Standard Amendment Criteria

  6. Standard TAF Amendment Criteria

  7. Impacts of Standard Amendment Criteria • Non-standard individual airport minimums ignored • Only 200 feet and 1/2SM used (CAT I ILS) • Airfields served only by non-precision approaches are not represented

  8. Impacts of Standard Amendment Criteria • Aviation community receives too many amendments that do not have an impact on airport operations • Forecaster time is diverted from sites/tasks needing attention • TEMPO groups may restrict operations resulting in flight delays and impacts the National Airspace System (NAS)

  9. CAC Methodology, Thresholds, and Limitations CAC Methodology, Thresholds, and Limitations

  10. Methodology Employs the following important concepts: • Ceiling and Visibility meet specific airport requirements • Group Ceiling and Visibility together into categories to match FAA Regulations • TEMPO groups checked immediately against METARS to notify forecasters of resulting customer impacts

  11. TAF Amendment Current

  12. TAF Amendment Break Down the Wall

  13. TAF Amendment CAC ATC FLOW NON-PRECISION PRECISION

  14. Customized Airport Minimums • Airport minimums tailored and grouped together to meet specific airport requirements • Eliminates unnecessary or non applicable amendments • Example: Airport minimums 400’ AND 1SM (not standard 200’ AND/OR 1/2SM) • Eliminates need for amendments once ceiling or visibility falls below 400’ and 1SM • Also applies to alternate minimums

  15. CAC Local Thresholds • WFOs have the ability to meet the special needs of the airport or local Air Traffic Management with additional amendment criteria • Examples • Phoenix Sky Harbor (KPHX) • Visual approaches: Minimum ceiling of 5000’ • Boston Logan Airport (KBOS) • Circling approaches: Minimum ceiling of 1400’ and visibility of 3SM • Increased service to our customers • These are new, customer-driven thresholds only available using CAC

  16. CAC Limitations • Only addresses categories for ceiling and visibility • Does not include wind or RVR • Thresholds are not “runway specific” • Limited to one value for each category at each airport • Example: KLBB • - Runway 17R Category A Minimum: • 200’ and 1/2SM • - Runway 35 Category A Minimum: • 600’ and ¾ SM • CAC uses the lowest airport minimums, which are 200’ and 1/2SM

  17. CAC vs. Standard Amendment Criteria • Categorical Amendment Criteria: • The lowest element of ceiling or visibility is considered “controlling” for amendment purposes • Standard Amendment Criteria: • Software prompts for an amendment based on ceiling OR visibility

  18. Benefits of Using CAC • Better customer service • amendments based upon specific airport criteria • Regulatory needs of the flying community addressed • Quicker response to customer needs, including out of category TEMPO groups • Forecaster’s time maximized • Improved situational awareness • Allows focus on sites needing attention • amendments only issued for meaningful thresholds • Fewer amendments (WFO FAI decreased by 23%) • Comparable reduction seen in Lubbock

  19. WFOs using CAC as of April 2010 Fairbanks, AK

  20. CAC Transition for NWS Offices • Notify Users well ahead of transition date • Airlines • FBOs • ATC Facilities (TRACON/ARTCC/AFSS) • FAA Safety Team (delivery to GA community) • Modify AVNFPS to display CATegory well in advance of transition date. • Transition to CAC and remove CIG/VSBY from AvnFPS • Follow-up with your aviation partners

  21. Introduction to Categorical Amendment Criteria Questions??? joe.jurecka@noaa.gov

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