FAA Systems Specialists Celebrate Success of New Guam CERAP
AGANA, GUAM - The Professional Airways Systems Specialists (PASS), AFL-CIO, the union representing FAA systems specialists, pronounced a job well done today following the dedication ceremony of the new Guam Combined Center Radar Approach Control (CERAP) at A.P. Won Pat International Airport, which houses all air traffic control operations for the Western Pacific area.
The new CERAP, which includes state-of-the-art air traffic control equipment, will assume operations from a 40-year old facility located at Anderson Air Force Base. PASS members have been directly involved in all aspects of the project, from negotiating the layout of the new facility to working around-the-clock for over five years through the project’s completion, while also continuing to maintain normal operations at the old facility. Upon completion of the project, systems specialists orchestrated a smooth transition of all air traffic control functions from the air force base to the new facility. The new facility, which became operational on July 25, 2006, is currently maintained by eight systems specialists.
Though transforming the new facility was not without glitches, systems specialists took it all in stride, working tirelessly to repair broken equipment, righting incorrect shipments of equipment, and correctly installing critical safety equipment before a power system was built. “The hard work and dedication of systems specialists at Guam and Honolulu CERAP facilitated the smooth transition and cutover from one facility to the other without any major issues,” said Mike Perrone, PASS national vice president. “We’ve done our part, now the FAA has a responsibility to ensure that this new investment is cared for properly and professionally, which means continuing to provide resources necessary to ensure the overall success of its modernization efforts.”
The opening of the Guam CERAP highlights the important role federal employees play in ensuring the safety of the National Airspace System (NAS). Yet, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey has recently proposed that Congress allow a program that would placetheresponsibility of maintaining air space infrastructure on local municipalities and airport authorities.“Our nation’s airspace system isarguably the most complex,best integrated and safest in the world. It should stay that way by keeping the business of ensuring the safety of our NAS in the hands of the dedicated civil servants responsible for this great achievement we commemorate today,” said Ray Baggett, PASS regional vice president.
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PASS represents more than 11,000 employees of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense who install, maintain, support and certify air traffic control and national defense equipment, inspect and oversee the commercial and general aviation industries, develop flight procedures and perform quality analyses of the aviation systems. For more information, visit the PASS website at www.passnational.org.