APCS SIR Sect J Att J.3.1 Amend 2.docx

Federal Aviation Administration

U.S. Department of Transportation

VoICE APC System Implementation Guidance and Constraints

Octoberber 13, 2022

Focal Point Air Traffic Organization (ATO) - Technical Operations Air Traffic Control (ATC) Communications Services Voice Switching and Recording Team, AJM-315

800 Independence Avenue SW

Washington, DC 20591

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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i Part 1: General FAA Voice Communication Information Facility Types There are several types of FAA facilities, depending on the type of air traffic service provided. Facilities providing separation services for airspace generally within 50 miles of an airport (i.e., providing approach and departure separation at lower altitudes) are called Terminal facilities. Facilities providing separation services for airspace not delegated to a terminal facility (mostly high altitude) are called En Route facilities. The FAA also has support facilities that provide services such as engineering, testing, logistics support, and training.

Although most FAA facilities are located within the contiguous United States (CONUS), several FAA control facilities are located outside the contiguous United States (OCONUS). They include terminal and En Route facilities in Alaska and Hawaii.

En Route Facilities Aircraft traveling between departure and arrival airports are controlled at En Route facilities called Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs). Air traffic controllers at ARTCC facilities separate aircraft at cruising altitudes, typically providing at least 5 miles of lateral separation between aircraft. ARTCCs are located at 20 sites in the contiguous U.S., with another site in Anchorage, AK. En Route facilities are identified by a “Z” in the first character of the facility three-letter identifier (example: Seattle ARTCC is identified as ZSE).

Controllers are responsible for aircraft in a geographical area called a “sector”. The positions controlling the sectors are physically arranged in back-to-back rows and are grouped into “areas”. Communications equipment rooms are located on the floor below the control room, and plenum-rated cables are routed from central equipment to the operator positions via under-floor and overhead cable trays. A separate training lab, called a Test and Training Lab (TTL), is located on the same floor and in a separate room from the control room.

Remote radio sites, including Remote Control Air-to-Ground (RCAG) and Back-Up Emergency Communications (BUEC), are most often located great distances from the ARTCC building because of the large amount of airspace to be covered. Radio equipment is often co-located at other FAA communications or navigation facilities and connected to the ARTCC via GFE telephone links or microwave links using Radio Control Equipment (RCE). Each sector in the ARTCC handles a relatively large amount of airspace, and therefore can require multiple radio sites to maintain communication between the aircraft in the sector and the air traffic controller. To prevent the aircraft in the sector from having to retune their radio to multiple frequencies while in the sector, all of the radios serving the sector are tuned to the same frequency. This can lead to issues with echo and cancellation when the aircraft is being served by multiple radio sites.

Since the airspace serviced is extensive, the ARTCCs trend to the upper limits of the range in NAS facility sizes based on the number of operator positions and communications interfaces. The average ARTCC supports roughly 170 operator positions, 180 individual radio interfaces, and 153 RCEs.

Terminal Facilities Terminal facilities provide departure, approach and local control of air traffic at airports. Airport Traffic Control Towers (ATCTs) and Terminal RADAR Approach Control (TRACON) facilities are normally located on airport property, and typically provide at least 3 miles of lateral separation between aircraft. ATCT facilities, which control traffic within visual range of the tower (generally up to 5-10 miles from the airport), control air traffic from a room at the top of the tower called a “cab”.

TRACON facilities, which direct air traffic from the 10 mile radius to the 50 mile radius from the airport (roughly), may be located in the tower base building (if the controllers work in both the tower and TRACON this is sometimes referred to as an “up-down” facility) or away from the airport altogether, and may combine approach control services for several airports (sometimes called a “consolidated” TRACON). TRACON facilities, like ARTCCs, house the traffic control area in darkened rooms.

At some terminal facilities a separate training area, called an Enhanced Target Generator (ETG) lab, is provided. Other facilities use positions in the operations area for training. Many facilities do not have dedicated training positions.

Remote radio sites (Remote Transmitter, Remote Receiver, or Remote Transmitter/Receiver) may be located on or near airport property. These radios directly connect to the control facility via copper, fiber, or microwave communications links. Local radios typically use traditional analog voice and discrete signaling. Frequencies may be located at other FAA communications or navigation facilities, especially when service is provided for other airports. These remote radios are connected to the control facility via GFE telephone or microwave links using RCE.

Since the airspace serviced is localized, the terminal facilities trend to the lower limits of the range in facility sizes based on the number of operator positions and communications interfaces. A TRACON that supports approach services for several airports, obviously, would be larger since it serves more airspace. Some of the largest TRACONs are as large as many of the ARTCCs. A large number of the radios used by these larger facilities are located off-airport and are connected via GFE telephone or microwave links using RCE.

FAA Terminal facilities are located at all major airports, with additional TRACON facilities sometimes located away from the airport property. These facilities are found in both CONUS and OCONUS locations.

Combined Facilities Some FAA facilities provide a combination of En Route and Terminal separation services in the NAS. These sites are called “Combined En Route and Approach” facilities or CERAPs for short. There are three CERAPs: San Juan, Puerto Rico, Honolulu, Hawaii, and Guam.

Support Facilities The FAA also has support facilities that provide operations control, second level engineering support, testing, supply support, and user and maintainer training.

There are several types of operations control centers, depending on the environment (En Route or Terminal). There is a System Operations Center (SOC) and Area Operations Manager (AMOC) located in each ARTCC. There are also three geographical operations control centers (OCC) responsible for non-ARTCC facilities: the Atlantic Operations Control Center (AOCC), the Mid-states Operational Control Center (MOCC), and the Pacific Operations Control Center (POCC).

The FAA Aeronautical Center (FAAAC), located in Oklahoma City, OK, and FAA Technical Center (FAATC), located in Atlantic City, NJ, both provide second level engineering support to the current FAA voice communications systems. Both facilities provide test laboratories to verify and test changes and procedures in a non-operational environment. The Technical Center is the home of the pre-deployment test support team. The Aeronautical Center is the home of the Logistic Center, which provides support for replacement components for FAA systems, and the FAA operator (Air Traffic) and maintainer training academy.

Facilities APC System control equipment designated for sites with more than approximately 410 APC interfaces will likely be ordered in the condensed footprint configuration (i.e., interface cards in card cages rather than stand-alone 1U devices). For sites where the condensed configuration is used, the FAA intends to order APC System contractor installation service. For sites with the 1U form factor, the FAA intends to perform the installation of the APC System hardware. The Local APC System hardware will be installed and tested first, followed by the remote APC System hardware. The FAA intends to perform installation of the remote APC System hardware and will transition the local and remote APC pair into service one at a time as it installs the remote APC units.

Existing facilities require installation activities to occur around live NAS equipment and operations. Often there is limited space for installation, staging and work activities because existing operations and personnel are maintaining live systems and controlling air traffic. Work is often limited to low-peak air traffic times. It is critically important to avoid disruption of the services provided by these facilities.

Inside the Facilities Equipment Rooms The areas housing the support equipment, which are generally known as “equipment rooms”, might be on the same floor as the areas used to control traffic, or they can be above or below the traffic control areas in the building.

At terminal facilities where there is a tower and a TRACON, one equipment room (in the base building) generally serves both operations floors. In the base building (the TRACON building, if there is no tower), sometimes the equipment room is below the operations floor, but since the buildings are not of a standard design, there is no sure way to predict the location of the equipment rooms without asking or going to the facility. Many have equipment rooms that are adjacent to the operations floor.

For stand-alone control towers, the equipment room can be located towards the top of the tower building (sometimes the floor below), or it could be in the base building. Not all ATCTs have an elevator. If there is no elevator at the facility, or the elevator is out of service, the Contractor is still responsible for moving hardware between floors. Availability of an elevator should be discussed during the site survey.

There may be separate equipment rooms housing surveillance (i.e., RADAR) hardware, telephone support equipment (e.g., FTI or local Telco), facility power services (e.g., engine generators), and voice and data communication demarcation hardware (including the voice switch, radios, radio control equipment, legal recorder, etc.).

FAA Facility Representation Technical On-site Representative (TOR) The FAA organization responsible for the on-site engineering, site preparation, and installation work is called Engineering Services (ES). A representative from ES will be appointed as the APC System Technical On-Site Representative (TOR). The FAA TOR is the primary point of contact for the APC System contractor installation crew while on site. All requests will be coordinated with the TOR. The APC System contractor should not make requests of other ES or site personnel.

The FAA TOR has no authority to change the terms of the APC System contract. If the contractor feels it is being given direction that is out of scope of the APC System contract, it will contact the APC System corporate installation manager, who will work with the FAA Implementation Lead from the APC System program office to resolve the issue.

Alternate or Assistant TOR The Alternate or Assistant TOR (ATOR) is designated by Engineering Services or the TOR, and assists the TOR in those duties as delegated by the TOR. The ATOR is the APC System contractor’s point of contact when the TOR is not available.

User and Maintainer Union Representation The two unions representing employees at FAA facilities are the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), and the Professional Aviation Systems Specialists (PASS). NATCA represents the air traffic controllers, the “end-users” of the voice communications equipment. The Engineering Services organization is also represented by NATCA. PASS represents the Technical Operations (“Tech Ops”) equipment maintenance personnel, the “maintainers” of the voice communications systems, including the APC System. Local facility managers may designate union representative(s) to work with the APC System TOR. The APC System contractor should allow the FAA TOR to address any local issues impacting working conditions of facility employees.

Existing Radio Interfaces The APC System contractor can expect to see a variety of radio interfaces in the NAS, some of which will conform to general (United States) telephone industry standards and some that will not.

Types of FAA Radios Primary Radios Most FAA radios have a Main and a Standby for both the transmitter and the receiver. This provides redundancy in case of failure of one of the units. Sometimes the Main and Standby radios are located in the same remote facility, sometimes they are separated to provide a solution for coverage issues. Sometimes, for less critical services, there is no standby radio. These are called “main only” radios.

Emergency Radios Emergency radios are typically provided as VHF and UHF pairs and use the frequencies 121.5 MHz and 243.0 MHz. Emergency radios are typically main only radios. The voice switch usually treats the Emergency radios differently that the primary radios in that the Emergency radio PTT is accomplished by the controller using the touch entry device rather than a PTT switch on a handset or headset or a position footswitch.

Backup Radios Since some service is so critical to operations, the FAA sometimes provides an emergency backup radio at a separate radio site. In the Terminal world, these are called Emergency Communications System (ECS) radios. In the En Route world, these radios are referred to as Back-Up Emergency Communication or BUEC. When a controller selects a BUEC or ECS radio, the normal M/S radio should automatically be deselected on the voice switch at all positions with the normal radio selected. All positions with the normal radio initially selected would have the backup radio selected and available for use.

At terminal facilities supporting Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations, an electromechanical radio bypass system allows a controller to connect directly to a radio without going through the voice switching system. This allows radio access in the event that an issue occurs with the voice switch. The Voice Switch Bypass system uses a position jackbox that is independent of the voice switch.

At Terminal facilities, where the area of radio coverage is local to the facility, portable transceivers are provided as additional backup. You’ll hear these radios referred to as “PETs” or “PET 2000s”.

Location of FAA Radios Local A/G Interfaces Since Terminal facilities control traffic that is relatively close to the airport, most of the radios in the terminal facilities are located on, or close to, the airport property. Audio and signaling for these radios are usually carried on copper cables (or on local fiber). These interfaces are analog audio with discrete signals for push-to-talk and radio antennae switching. These radios do not use RCE equipment, and would be candidates for Legacy Local Radio APC System (LLR-APC) hardware.

Remote A/G Interfaces and Radio Control Equipment RCE equipment is used at some Terminal facilities to provide access to radios that are not local to the facility. The GFE telephone transport between the control facilities and the radio sites uses voice-grade telephone services (i.e., audio only with no discrete signaling). The RCE is essentially a pair of modems that allow the transmission of analog audio and discrete signaling over a voice-grade telephone circuit.

For each RCE pair, there is one RCE located at the facility with the voice switch, called a control RCE or C-RCE, to convert the analog voice and discrete signaling into a modulated signal. There’s another RCE at the radio site, called a remote RCE or R-RCE, to convert communication to analog audio and discrete signaling used by the transmitters and receivers. Each RCE pair supports interfacing with one or two telephone trunks, allowing for redundancy of the signal path.

RCEs can be configured to allow two control facilities to share a single radio. This involves a C-RCE installed at two voice switch sites. Each facility uses one of the two redundant signal paths. The R-RCE regulates which site is able to use the radio. The RCE allows one of the sites to be defined as a “preemptor”, which allows that site to take control of the radio when the non-preempting site is using it.

TRACONs that are not collocated with their ATCT might require coverage on radios that are a significant distance from the facility. In this case, Radio Control Equipment (RCE) is used to interface between the TRACON voice switch and the radios.

En Route facilities, which control traffic in airspace that is spread over a wide geographical area, use RCE on all of their radio interfaces, even for radio transmitters and receivers located at the facility.

Facilities using RCE would be candidates for replacement with Local APCS System (L-APC) and Remote APC System (R-APC) hardware.

Remote Radio Interface Although relatively uncommon in the NAS, some of the currently fielded FAA terminal voice switches allow two facilities to share a single radio M/S pair. They do this using an 8w E&M type telephone interface that connects the remote facility (called the “interlocked” site) to the facility that controls the radio (called the “interlocking” site). This interface is treated as a radio interface at the remote facility voice switch. At the facility that owns the radio, the interface is treated like a controller position with the radio selected.

These types of interface would be candidates for L-APC and R-APC System equipment configured for dual control to provide this same capability to air traffic.

Notional Deployment Process Overview Control Site Hardware Control site hardware includes both the Local Legacy Radio (LLR) interfaces (used with a VoIP VoICE Communications System (VCS)) and the L-APC interfaces used in conjunction with a R-APCs for connection to remote radio sites. All control sites that currently use RCE will get L-APC System hardware. Only facilities having a legacy VCS replaced with a VoIP VCS will require LLR-APCs. Some facilities will require only one or the other APC variety, while others will require both.

RCE but no VoIP VCS For sites with RCE equipment but not requiring LLR-APC interfaces, APC System control equipment (i.e., L-APC) may be ordered in two different physical form factors depending on the number of RCEs being replaced.

Sites with approximately 4 or fewer than approximately 10 APC interfaces will likely be ordered with the 1U form factor and the FAA will perform the installation. No APC System contractor site survey will be required for these sites. Sites with more than approximately 10 4 APC interfaces will likely be ordered in the condensed footprint configuration (i.e., interface cards in card cages rather than stand-alone 1U devices). For sites where the condensed configuration is used, the FAA intends to order APC System contractor site surveys and installation service.

VoIP VCS but no RCE For sites not using RCE but requiring Local Legacy Radio APC System (LLR-APC) hardware, the FAA intends to order APC System contractor site surveys and installation service.

Both RCE and VoIP VCS For sites with RCE equipment but also requiring LLR-APC hardware, the FAA intends to order APC System contractor sites surveys and installation service. For some of these sites, depending on the timing of the APC System hardware delivery, the FAA may order an APC System with expansion to allow addition of LLR-APC interfaces at a later date (i.e., just prior to delivering the VoIP VCS).

Remote (Radio) Site Hardware The FAA intends to perform installation of the remote APC System hardware and will transition the local and remote APC pair into service one at a time as it installs the remote APC units. For this reason, the FAA will preplan the number of R-APC interfaces required well in advance of the installation and will submit a bulk purchase order to the APC System contractor for these interfaces. Delivery will be made to an FAA warehouse or other distribution facility and the FAA will coordinate delivery and installation of the individual R-APC units per the FAA installation schedule (likely to occur AFTER delivery and installation of the control site L-APC system.)

Deployment Process The APC System deployment (implementation) process is comprised of five distinct phases as described below.

Requirements Definition The FAA will determine the requirements for APC Systems at its sites and will create and maintain a deployment schedule. About 9 months prior to a scheduled installation, the Government will perform a site survey to determine a set of baseline requirements for the APC System and to determine the scope of engineering and site preparation activities necessary to successfully accomplish the APC System installation and transition. The Government will consolidate and review the information gathered at the Government survey. This information is forwarded to the APC System program office along with a request for an APC System contractor site survey, if appropriate (e.g., for control sites where the condensed footprint configuration will be used).

For sites where the APC System contractor will be performing installation, about 7 months prior to proposed delivery the APC System program office will coordinate and order a site survey from the APC System contractor. The contractor site survey will occur about 6 months prior to proposed APC System delivery and will validate the information gathered at the Government survey. Additional information required for APC System configuration and installation will also be gathered. These activities are sometimes collectively called the requirements definition phase of implementation.

Production and Integration For sites where the APC System contractor has performed a site survey, the contractor prepares and delivers to the Government a site survey report detailing the information gathered at the site survey. The Government reviews the survey report and provides any comments back to the APC System contractor. The Government then generates a system order for the APC System hardware to be delivered to the site. In the meantime, the APC System contractor will use the site survey report, along with the Government’s comments to the site survey report, to create a site-specific Site Implementation Plan (SIP).

Concurrent with generation of the SIP, the APC System contractor is building the APC System based on the hardware order and the configuration information contained in the SIP. While the contractor is building the APC System, the Government will perform the site preparation necessary for APC System installation. The group of activities surrounding manufacturing, assembling, and factory testing the hardware for each site is called the production and integration phase of implementation.

For sites where the Government will perform installation, and thus has not ordered an APC System contractor site survey, the Government will prepare and submit an a system order for the APC System hardware to be delivered to the site (along with any necessary configuration information) with sufficient lead time to allow the APC System contractor to manufacture and deliver the system per the requirements in Section F, Deliveries or Performance.

Site Installation The FAA and APC System contractor will work together to coordinate a delivery date for the APC system hardware.

For sites where the APC System contractor is performing installation, the APC System contractor will deliver, unload and unpack, and inventory the APC System at the site on the designated delivery day. The Government TOR (or a representative of the TOR) will be present as well to oversee installation activities. The contractor will then install and test the APC System with Government personnel witnessing.

The Government hopes to be able to allow the contractor to install the APC System in its final home, but this may not be possible –the APC System racks may be installed in a temporary location for testing. If so, the Government may ask the contractor (via task order) to come back and assist when moving the hardware to its final location. Connection to live operational communications assets will also likely not be possible during the installation, so the Government may ask the contractor to simulate live circuits for acceptance testing.

Once the Government is certain the APC System is installed and operating according to requirements, the Government will formally accept the APC System from the contractor. The set of activities from the delivery to the end of site acceptance testing is called the site installation phase of implementation.

Transition The Government will continue their preparations for cutover, including performing end-to-end tests on live communications paths where possible. For LLR-APC installations, the Government may ask the APC System contractor to return after sell-off to assist with integration testing (prior to start of the cutover). This effort would be ordered via task order.

The LLR-APC System cutover will typically occur in one night, concurrent with the cutover of the new VoIP VCS. This dual cutover will be scheduled during the facility’s low air traffic period, which is usually a Saturday night/Sunday morning. This minimizes risk and affords greater access to operations areas for the VCS installation crews. The Government will be responsible for the LLR-APC System transition, but may request APC System contractor assistance via task order at larger sites or sites with special requirements.

For control sites with L-APCs, the cutover of the L-APCs will occur over an extended period of time (depending on the number and location of R-APCs being integrated). As the FAA travels to each remote radio site to perform R-APC installation it will coordinate outages on the radios using the RCEs and transition those services one at a time as the R-APCs are installed, tested, and services transitioned. At most sites, FAA personnel will be present at the control facility and will move circuits from the C-RCE to the L-APC as the R-APCs are made available. The FAA may request APC System contractor support at some facilities to assist with some transitions. This effort will be coordinated and ordered via task order.

After the APC System is fully transitioned and the legacy voice communications equipment is decommissioned (which may not happen immediately after the APC System is being used full-time to control air traffic), the FAA will remove the legacy voice equipment, cabling, demarcation frames, and associated equipment from the control facility. Due to space constraints at the remote radio sites, the remote facility RCE equipment will be removed during the R-APC installation. It is not anticipated that contractor assistance will be required for this activity.

The collection of events from the end of site acceptance to the end of cutover are referred to as the transition phase of implementation.

Post-Cutover Mission Adjustments The APC System will likely have many traditional analog interface connections at the time it is commissioned (i.e., on the control site legacy voice switch side). This will be especially true at the start of deployments, when there are no VoIP VCS systems fielded. As VoIP VCS systems are fielded, the L-APC is no longer required and the control APC System may be reduced in size accordingly. This necessarily will occur after VoIP VCS commissioning.

For sites with no local radios (and thus no LLR-APC interface requirements for VoIP VCS interfaces), the APC System can be decommissioned and removed entirely.

For sites with local radios, the APC System will remain after VoIP VCS installation and cutover, and will support LLR-APC interfaces (where necessary). Because the L-APC will need to support the legacy VCS until after commissioning of the VoIP VCS, it will not be possible to simply replace L-APC interfaces with LLR-APC interfaces when the VoIP VCS is installed and commissioned. Both will need to be operational at the time of cutover of the VoIP VCS. The FAA may try to anticipate and size those systems when ordering the initial system installation (i.e., to include LLR-APC expansion), but in some instances, the LLR-APC capacity will need to be adjusted. The FAA may request APC System contractor support in making adjustments at facilities where the APC System will remain to support LLR-APC interfaces (via task order).

FAA sites sometimes add radios to accommodate changes to operations. The FAA will likely try to anticipate this expansion and order APC System hardware to allow for it, but in some cases, may have to expand an APC System beyond the initial configuration to allow for new operations. The FAA may request APC System contractor support during site expansions via task order.

This is known as the post-cutover mission adjustment phase of implementation.

Documentation Deliverables For sites where APC System contractor installation will be ordered, the FAA will order a contractor site survey. Prior to this APC System contractor site survey, the FAA will conduct a government site survey and will generate a site configuration worksheet intended to ensure the information needed to configure and order the APC System is available for discussion at the APC System contractor site survey. The FAA intends to provide these site worksheets with the APC System contractor site survey order. The APC System contractor will verify the information in the site worksheets during its site survey. The APC System contractor will also collect additional information required to document its site installation activities at its site survey.

The contractor will document the results of its contractor site survey in a Site Survey Report (SSR), CDRL/DID APC-DEP003, which will include information for the system/configuration to be delivered to the site. Within 30 days after completion of the site survey, the APC System contractor will submit a site survey report to the Government (FAA program office and the surveyed site) for review. This report will document the facility’s APC System configuration, as validated during the site survey. In addition to the survey report, the APC System contractor will provide a separate electronic copy of the site worksheets used in the Survey Report (the ones provided to the APC System contractor with the site survey order, and modified by the APC System contractor at the contractor’s site survey).

The Government will review the contractor’s survey report for completeness and accuracy based on information discussed during the site survey and will collect any comments generated by the review. These comments will be provided back to the contractor formally and will be incorporated into the Site Installation Plan (CDRL/DID APC-DEP001). In addition to containing the modified and approved site configuration information presented in the SSR, the SIP defines the requirements and responsibilities for site preparation, provides a list of detailed site-specific installation activities with a proposed schedule, and initial check out, integration and test requirements for each APC System site.

The Government will review the SIP and use the site configuration information as the basis for creating the formal APC System order. The SIP comments and formal order are then forwarded to the APC System contractor by the Government Contracting Officer.

After the system is ordered, the Government reserves the right to make changes to the hardware order and/or configuration for the site up to 60 days prior to the scheduled delivery. The Government intends to minimize changes, as they impact both the APC System contractor and the FAA (site preparation, etc.). If the contractor is able to accommodate changes made within the 60 day window it would be beneficial to both parties. These changes would have to be reflected in a revised SIP (provided by the contractor). If not, the changes will be made by the contractor AFTER the system is delivered to the site, installed, and formally tested according to the plan documented in the SIP.

After the APC System has been installed, the contractor will let the TOR know and schedule the start for the Site Acceptance Test. There may be tests (specifically, the legacy interface audio alignments and cable verification tests) that can be done prior to the start of formal SAT. After the completion of SAT, the TOR will work with the APC System contractor to address SAT failures and other installation issues, and once satisfactorily addressed the FAA TOR will sign the FAA Form 256 formally accepting the APC System. The results of the pre-Sat and formal SAT tests are documented in the contractor Test Report (CTR) (CDRL/DID APC-TES004), along with any discrepancy reports. The final system configuration data, including site-specific “as-built” software and hardware configuration information and updated wiring diagrams and rack elevation drawings, is included as part of the Site Configuration Document (SCD), CDRL/DID APC-DEP004.

Government Site Survey FAA Engineering Services personnel will begin the site planning activities by conducting a Government site survey. The purpose of this Government survey is to gather initial APC System requirements and familiarize the facility on the project and APC System. The Government survey will begin with the facility being briefed on the APC System project and system installation/configuration options.

During this Government survey, initial APC System site worksheets, which define the preliminary system configuration for the site, will be prepared. The information included in these worksheets will be sufficient to identify the hardware and software requirements and configuration proposed by the Government for the to-be-delivered APC System. For example, the worksheets will identify the number and types of legacy radio interfaces to be supported, as well as an estimation of the number and type of networked radio communications resources to be accessed to/from the site. The intent of the worksheets is to allow the Government to order a system, not to provide all the information necessary to allow the contractor to install the system.

The proposed configuration information in the worksheets is presented to the APC System contractor with an order for a formal APC System contractor site survey and is the “starting point” for identifying the facility hardware and software configuration during the APC System contractor site survey.

APC System Contractor Site Survey The APC System contractor will review the initial site worksheets provided by the Government with the APC System site survey order to prepare for the site survey and will validate the information in the site worksheets during the site survey. The site survey will allow the APC System contractor to document all the information required to manufacture, configure, and install the APC System. The survey will also document the site preparation work that will need to be accomplished by the Government to allow for APC System installation (e.g., power and grounding requirements).

During the site survey, the APC System contractor will verify the proposed system configuration contained in the initial worksheets and gather any additional information required to prepare the site for installation. The APC System contractor will also gather the information required to build, configure and install the APC System. Examples of information include cable lengths, facility drawings (will be provided by the Government if available), site security requirements, staging areas, etc. Changes to the initial set of site worksheets will be made by the contractor and the updated worksheets will become part of the contractor’s site survey report.

Additional information will be required by the contractor to define the hardware and software requirements well enough to allow the APC System to be built. Collection and verification of this information will be the contractor’s responsibility. This additional information will also go into the contractor’s site survey report.

A walk-through of the facility will be possible during a site survey at an existing facility. The facility walk-through will allow the APC System contractor, among other things, to verify loading dock capabilities, equipment transport routes (make sure the elevator is sized to handle the contractor’s equipment), equipment locations, location of power panels and grounding plates, and determining cable routes and measuring cable lengths. At new facilities, which may or may not still be in the construction phase, a walk-through of the unfinished facility may not be possible at the time of the survey. Construction planning drawings will be used to establish equipment locations and determine cable length requirements.

The contractor will prepare a site survey report to document the results of the site survey. The survey report will include drawings identifying the proposed equipment locations, the power panels and grounding plates to be used by APC System, the cable routes to be used, etc. The survey report will also include a set of site worksheets revised during the site survey.

Part 2 – Installation Constraints Shipping and Delivery The APC System contractor will be responsible for shipping and inside delivery of the APC System to the designated facility. The Government will not be responsible for assisting the APC System contractor in this activity.

Sometimes there are security restrictions placed on delivery trucks at FAA facilities. These vary from site to site and should be identified during the site survey. The APC System contractor must coordinate the arrival time of the delivery truck with the FAA TOR. For sites where the APC System contractor is performing the installation, the APC System contractor’s lead installer (or other contractor representative) will need to be present to accept the shipment when the delivery truck arrives at the facility – the Government will not accept delivery for the contractor. The delivery truck may need to have a lift gate, as not all FAA facilities (especially smaller and older facilities) have a loading dock.

The APC System contractor will have to provide the necessary manpower and tools (hand-trucks and dollies, etc.) necessary to offload the APC System hardware from the delivery truck and move it to the equipment staging area identified during the site survey. The APC System contractor needs to take care not to damage any walls, door frames, doors, or other equipment while delivering APC System hardware to the facility and while moving hardware within the facility during installation.

Not all FAA facilities have an elevator for transporting racks and other equipment to the various floors of the facility. Elevators, if available, may not provide the clearance necessary to accommodate taller equipment racks. The path between the loading dock (or delivery access doors) and the staging area/equipment room should be identified during the site survey. This will allow the Government to ensure the path is clear (free from obstruction) at the time of the delivery.

A staging area for performing an inventory of the shipment prior to the start of installation should be identified during the site survey. The Government will attempt to provide an area for on-site storage if this requirement is identified during the site survey by the APC System contractor. The Government will provide secure storage space for APC System equipment and tools during installation and a storage cabinet for storing APC System site spares (on a continuing basis after the installation).

The Government will provide a working area (preferably in the common equipment room) with one desk and chair for use of the APC System contractor installation team during the installation.

Trash Removal Although many FAA facilities have a dumpster, the Government cannot guarantee access to a dumpster for the removal of packaging and other trash generated by the APC System contractor during delivery and installation. It may be necessary, therefore, to place the packing materials back on the delivery truck for removal from the site.

Many of the FAA’s larger facilities will have a dumpster, however, and if room is available the contractor will be allowed to use it. The contractor must break down all boxes and other packing materials to make the best use of the dumpster space provided. The contractor should coordinate with the FAA TOR prior to disposing of boxes or other packing material, as some sites may want to keep some of the packing material for future use. The availability of a dumpster should be discussed and documented during the site survey.

Site Security/Site Access The contractor must coordinate with the FAA TOR or the site security point of contract in advance of arrival of APC System contractor personnel at an FAA site. The contractor must provide the names, Social Security numbers, supervisor’s name, and role of the installation personnel prior to arrival to obtain access to the FAA facility.

APC System contractor personnel must follow all site security requirements while at the FAA facility.

All APC System contractor (and other) personnel require proper FAA badges in order to be permitted inside an FAA facility. Badges must be worn in plain view, below the collar and above the waist. Visitor or temporary badges will be assigned for short term or daily access. Any personnel with a visitor or temporary badge will have to be escorted while inside the facility by FAA or other personnel with appropriate security credentials.

APC System contractor personnel who may be at an FAA facility long term, or performing APC System installation work at multiple FAA facilities, may be assigned an FAA contractor’s badge. The FAA requires a background security check prior to issuance of an FAA contractor’s badge.

APC System contractor personnel may be issued electronic card keys allowing access inside an FAA facility relevant to work areas specific to the needs of the contractor’s work assignment. These card keys must be signed out and then returned to the facility at the end of the APC System installation.

There are tight restrictions on granting access to foreign nationals at FAA facilities. Access for foreign nationals may not be possible at some FAA facilities.

Personal Safety Equipment Some FAA facilities may require APC System contractor personnel to obtain and use personal safety equipment. This will be especially true at new facilities, where construction activities may necessitate the wearing of hard hats, steel toed shoes, hearing and eye protection, and safety vests while on site. Requirements for personal safety equipment should be identified and documented during the site survey.

APC System contractor personnel must follow all site safety requirements while at the FAA facility. Contractor personnel who arrive at the site without the proper safety equipment will not be granted access to the facility. Sometimes the Government may be able to loan items such as hard hats, but there are no guarantees of availability and items will not be provided for extended use. Contractor personnel who do not comply with the requirements for use of the safety equipment while on site may be removed from the facility.

Work Schedule The work schedule for APC System installation and other tasks will be directed by the TOR. The weekly schedule may be five eight-hour days, four ten-hour days or a combination of both schedules. Work hours normally are within the 6:00 am to 6:00 pm (local time) window, but may include work during low traffic times from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am. The work hours are established to minimize impact to air traffic control operations, and may change on a daily or weekly basis. The TOR will provide the contractor with advance notice of the schedule as much as practicable.

FAA Work Moratoriums The FAA has established a work moratorium during the Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year holiday periods. These moratoriums normally start the Friday prior to the holiday week and end the Monday following the holiday. The specific dates for any moratorium occurring during the planned installation will be discussed during the site survey and will be recorded in the site survey report. The site TOR can verify the dates of any moratoriums with the contractor during the installation in-briefing.

Special Events Some facilities support operations for special events that occur throughout the course of the year. In these situations, the contractor will coordinate with the TOR and the facility manager to determine the work activities and schedule to mitigate any possible outages during the course of the special event. Some examples of special events are: presidential visits, sporting events, and air shows. Some special events may not be preplanned or known in advance, such as natural disaster recovery efforts like hurricane evacuations or forest fire fighting.

Equipment Room Rules Because facilities support air traffic operations, and the equipment being used to do so is generally housed in the same areas of the facility where APC System installation will occur, care must be taken during APC System installation to avoid impacting these critical NAS services. This includes care around the systems specifically, but also extends to things such as power panels feeding those other systems and plenum areas providing cooling for those systems. To avoid impact to operations, the FAA TOR should be asked prior to performing installation activities such as the following.

Floor Tiles Raised floor systems provide airflow to cool equipment. Monitoring systems are installed in the plenum area for smoke detection. Removing multiple floor tiles often causes alarms to these systems, so systems should be isolated by the FAA before removing tiles. In operational areas, removing floor tiles may cause dust on top of consoles to become airborne. Personnel safety can be compromised if multiple tiles are removed. Warning signs and cones are used while tiles are removed to perform work under the floor. In operational areas these tiles should not be removed without coordination with the TOR.

Power Panels Authorized FAA employees are the only personnel allowed to work inside power panels. Other personnel may install conduit and power cabling outside the panels. FAA personnel will make any connections inside facility power panels. For the APC System installation, the FAA will bring power cables to the location where the APC System equipment racks are to be installed. The APC System contractor will make the connections to the APC System equipment. The FAA will energize the circuit (i.e., turn on the breaker) when appropriate.

Other NAS Equipment In equipment rooms and other areas of NAS facilities, especially in existing facilities, other operational equipment might be in use for controlling aircraft. APC System installation personnel in these areas must work under the direction of FAA personnel and be aware of proximity to live NAS equipment when performing installation tasks.

Outages The APC System contractor must coordinate any work around live FAA equipment with qualified FAA personnel. Facilities are actively controlling aircraft and any interruption to that service can potentially result in a loss of life. Extensive risk management planning and “dry runs” of transitions must be accomplished by the Government prior to the start of any work on live ATC systems. Unscheduled service outages can result in APC System contractor personnel being removed from the site.

Food and Drink Some FAA facilities do not allow food or drink in the equipment…