[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 197 (Thursday, October 12, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60224-60225]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-8614]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


User Input to the Aviation Weather Technology Transfer (AWTT) 
Board

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The FAA will hold an informal public meeting to seek aviation 
weather user input on convective weather products. Details: October 17, 
2006; Orlando Orange County Convention Center, 9800 International 
Drive, Room N210A, Orlando, Florida 32819, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The 
objective of this meeting is to provide an opportunity for interested 
Government and commercial sector representatives who use Government-
provided aviation weather information in operational decision-making to 
provide input on FAA's plans for implementing new weather products.

DATES: The meeting will be held at the Orlando Orange Country 
Convention Center, 9800 International Drive, Room N210A, Orlando, 
Florida 32819; Times: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on October 17, 2006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Debi Bacon, Air Traffic Organization, 
Operations Planning, NAS Weather Policy and Requirements, Federal 
Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 
20591; telephone number (202) 385-7705; Fax: (202) 385-7701; E-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

History

    In 1999, the FAA established an Aviation Weather Technology 
Transfer (AWTT) Board to manage the orderly transfer of weather 
capabilities and products from research and development (R&D) into 
operations. The Director, Systems Engineering, Operations Planning, Air 
Traffic Organization chairs the AWTT Board. The board is composed of 
stakeholders in the Air Traffic and Aviation Safety organizations in 
the Federal Aviation Administration and the Office of Climate, Water 
and Weather Services, the Office of Science and Technology, and the 
National Center for Environmental Predictions (NCEP) in the National 
Weather Service.
    The AWTT Board meets semi-annually or as needed, to determine the 
readiness of weather R&D products for experimental use or full 
operational use for meteorologists or for end users. The board makes 
the determination based on technical and operational readiness, cost 
and benefits, user needs and budget considerations.
    FAA has the sole responsibility and authority to make decisions 
intended to provide a safe, secure, and efficient U.S. national 
airspace system. However, it behooves FAA to not make decisions in a 
vacuum. Rather, FAA is seeking inputs from the user community before 
decisions are finalized.
    Industry users are invited to participate in one-day meetings two 
or three times per year to give specific feedback to the Government. 
Meetings are often focused on a specific domain (e.g. terminal, 
enroute) or specific weather phenomena (e.g. turbulence, convection) 
but may also focus on specific weather products ready for operational 
decisions. Meetings will include a time for users to provide input on 
specific weather products and to surface issues on concerns with those 
products. The industry review sessions will be announced in the Federal 
Register and open to all interested parties.
    This meeting is the industry session focused on convective weather 
products, roadmaps and research activities.

Meeting Procedures

    (a) The meeting will be informal in nature and will be conducted by 
representatives of the FAA Headquarters.
    (b) The meeting will be open to all persons on a space-available 
basis. Every effort was made to provide a meeting site with sufficient 
seating capacity for the expected participation. There will be neither 
admission fee nor other charge to attend and participate. This meeting 
is being held in conjunction with the NBAA Convention 2006. There is a 
charge to attend the NBAA convention; however, any person desiring to 
attend this informal meeting will be admitted to NBAA convention 
officials to this meeting only, at no charge.
    (c) FAA personnel will conduct overview briefings on aviation 
weather products, the status of on-going research, the implementation 
of the Graphical Turbulence Guidance (GTG) product and the newly 
developed safety risk assessment process. Questions may be asked during 
the presentation and FAA personnel will clarify any part of the process 
that is not clear.
    (d) Any person present may offer comment or feedback in the 
session. Comments and feedback will be captured through discussion 
between FAA personnel and those persons attending the meeting.
    (e) FAA will not take any action items from this meeting nor make 
any commitments to accept specific user suggestions. An official 
verbatim transcript of the meeting will not be made. However, a list of 
the attendees and a digest of discussions during the meeting will be 
produced and posted on a Web site. Instructions to access the Web site 
will be provided to all persons attending the meeting and provided to 
any who desire it.

[[Page 60225]]

    (f) Every reasonable effort will be made to hear each person's 
feedback consistent with a reasonable closing time for the meeting. 
Written feedback is also solicited and may be submitted to FAA 
personnel for the period October 18-November 17, 2006.

Agenda

    (a) Opening Remarks.
    (b) Review of AWTT weather products and research efforts.
    (c) Overview of the Safety Risk Assessment process.
    (d) Review of implementation of the Graphical Turbulence Guidance 
(GTG) product and solicitation of user feedback.
    (e) Closing Comments.
* * * * *

    Issued in Washington, DC on October 4, 2006.
Richard J. Heuwinkel,
Manager, NAS Weather Policy and Requirements.
[FR Doc. 06-8614 Filed 10-11-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M