POINT PAPER

Discussion: The June 2003 issue of AOPA PILOT magazine "President�s Position" article contains misleading information regarding the OASIS flight service automation program. Clarifications to the points made in the article are provided below.

Point

• The article states: "The long-awaited new computer system called Operational and Supportability Implementation System, or OASIS, is beginning to look more like a mirage. Five years behind schedule and millions of dollars over budget, this system is finally being deployed, but it may be obsolete by the time it is fully implemented, if it�s ever fully implemented".

Counterpoint

• The first OASIS was installed on schedule at Seattle AFSS in December 1998. The original OASIS acquisition strategy was for procurement of a Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS)/Non-Developmental Item (NDI) system. Very limited development costs were identified in the initial budget baseline. User feedback during operational tests on this early OASIS resulted in direction that the system be upgraded to ensure user requirements and operational suitability needs were met. Critical changes were made and Seattle AFSS went operational on OASIS in September 2000.
• One of the primary benefits of OASIS is its adaptability. The OASIS program is pursuing a phased-deployment strategy in which advances in technology and capability in industry are incorporated in planned updates. Since September 2000, five major updates (hardware and software) encompassing over 200 user-identified enhancements and state-of-the-art technology upgrades have been incorporated into OASIS. Another is planned for deployment by the end of 2003.
• Program budget reductions (e.g. FY2000 and FY2003), incorporation of operational suitability enhancements and the development time and rigorous testing that new software and hardware undergoes before deployment have resulted in cost and schedule impacts. The program plans to rebaseline to address these impacts.

Point

• The article states: "We�ll be lucky to have OASIS installed by the end of the decade".

Counterpoint

There are 61 AFSSs and 14 FSSs scheduled for OASIS installation. OASIS has already been deployed to 9 AFSSs plus the Academy and the William J. Hughes Technical Center, with 5 more AFSSs scheduled for installation by the end of 2003. In 2004, budget constraints reduced the planned installations from 24 to 12. Current projections based on known budget constraints indicate the final installation will occur in 2008.

Point

• The article states: "It (OASIS) provides no direct benefit or interfaces to the GA pilot. OASIS doesn�t offer Internet access, accept international flight plans automatically, have air traffic information, include real-time special-use airspace or graphical TFRs (temporary flight restrictions), or other local notams".

Counterpoint

• User and customer feedback from deployments and demonstrations has been universally positive.
• Integration of DUAT into OASIS would provide a direct interface to the GA pilot. AOPA has stated that it is against integration of DUAT into OASIS because competition-driven enhancements by the existing DUAT vendors would no longer occur.
• Unless the DUAT function is integrated into OASIS, there is no requirement for Internet access to OASIS.
• OASIS automatically accepts some international flight plans, but will not accept international flight plans from locations not included in the OASIS database. Additions to the OASIS database to include required ICAO location identifiers and weather reporting locations are in process.
• It is unclear what is meant by "OASIS doesn�t have air traffic information". OASIS has the information needed by the controllers to perform all flight service duties.
• Graphical TFRs and real-time special use airspace functions have been incorporated into the OASIS software and are undergoing test. These functions are scheduled for deployment in December 2003.
• The capability to display local NOTAM data as well as retrieval of military and international NOTAMs is part of the development of a direct connection to the Consolidated NOTAM System. This will be included in a software upgrade after December 2003.

This Point Paper has been coordinated with the OASIS program office (AUA-420) and the National Association of Air Traffic Specialists (NAATS). Specific comments from NAATS are included in Attachment 1.

Prepared by: Cindy Moran, ARU-300, x57686
Date: June 2, 2003

NAATS Response to June 2003 AOPA Pilot Article

In the June 2003 issue of AOPA Pilot in the President�s Position AOPA President Phil Boyer wrote an article entitled "FSS". Included in the article was a paragraph on OASIS. This briefing will deconstruct and analyze the OASIS portion of that article.

"This study comes at a critical time in the life of FSS because, in spite of our best efforts, current FSS modernization plans are behind schedule and over budget. The long-awaited new computer system called Operational and Supportability Implementation System, or OASIS, is beginning to look more like a mirage. OASIS is intended to replace the 1970s-era computers currently in use. Five years behind schedule and millions of dollars over budget, this system is finally being deployed, but it may be obsolete by the time it is fully implemented, if it�s ever fully implemented. We�ll be lucky to have OASIS installed by the end of the decade. It provides no direct benefit or interfaces to the GA pilot. OASIS doesn�t offer internet access, accept international flight plans automatically, have air traffic information, include real-time special-use airspace or graphical TFRs (temporary flight restrictions), or other local notams. FSS needs more than OASIS; it needs a whole new paradigm."

Extracted from "President�s Position"
By Phil Boyer
AOPA Pilot, June 2003


"Five years behind schedule and millions of dollars over budget, this system is finally being deployed..."

The original plan for OASIS was to begin deployment in 1998. However, the product originally delivered to the FAA was inappropriate for safe and efficient use by controllers in the field. While it represented a major upgrade of the hardware in use in Flight Service it would have been a major step backward in functionality and ease of use, at least doubling the amount of time it would take for the controller to access information required to perform their duties (when it was available at all). All parties involved agreed that a major redesign of OASIS was necessitated by this and the OASIS Human Factors Team was formed as a consensus workgroup of the agency and union to oversee this effort. A redesign effort of this magnitude required more cost and time than had been originally expected. Everyone who has seen OASIS is impressed with where it has come and where it is going (this includes AOPA leadership that have seen demos). As OASIS deploys it continues to undergo development and improvement. Between 1998 and 2003 the controller attitude toward OASIS has swung from dread of its arrival to eager anticipation of it.

Attachment 1

"...it may be obsolete by the time it is fully implemented, if it�s ever fully implemented."

One of the primary benefits of OASIS is its adaptability. In using Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) hardware it uses currently available equipment that is easily upgradable as warranted by advances in technology and capability in industry. It is an open architecture system that is highly adaptable to the needs of the controllers. Both hardware and software have undergone significant change in response to advances in equipment and capabilities in industry. OASIS has never been envisioned as a static system.

"We�ll be lucky to have OASIS installed by the end of the decade."

OASIS is undergoing deployment at this time at a rate of one installation per month with the 14th system scheduled for installation at Conroe AFSS in December. A further 12 systems are scheduled for deployment in 2004, and the unchanged plan for OASIS is to deploy to 61 AFSS�s and 14 FSS�s. The schedule for development and deployment is driven by budget. Current projections call for completion of deployment in 2008. Deployment could be substantially increased with budget increases. By the same token deployment could be further delayed by budgetary shortfalls in the future.

"It provides no direct benefit...to the GA pilot."

Any tool that enables the Flight Service controller to better do their job provides a direct benefit to the pilot, their customer. OASIS does this in tangible ways such as the integration of graphics and text into a single system. This enables the graphical depiction of the flight plan route on weather charts which lets the controller see precisely how a planned route of flight is impacted by weather. Overlay capability such as adverse weather conditions and pilot reports allow the controller to see exactly how those phenomena impact that route. The controller has ready access to other data such as airports, navaids, airways, and much more available as graphic overlays. A major benefit gained from OASIS is the significantly greater precision that can be brought to a pilot briefing due to the graphical capability of the system.

"It provides no...interfaces to the GA pilot. OASIS doesn�t offer internet access..."

Part of the original plan for OASIS was to integrate DUATS service into it to take advantage of significant benefits it would offer the pilot and controller. AOPA has reservations about the integration due to fears that it would stifle innovation and change if brought into FAA hands. A workgroup was formed to address OASIS/DUATS integration. Participants included AOPA who submitted their functionality requirements for a successful integration. All of those requirements were included into the final design of an integrated OASIS/DUATS system. One of these specifically was internet access. Even with all their requirements included, AOPA would not support integration of OASIS and DUATS. Thus they do not support the very thing cited as a flaw in OASIS.

"OASIS doesn�t...accept international flight plans automatically..."

The meaning of this statement is unclear. From the beginning OASIS has had automatic handling of any international flight plan it receives. If what was intended by this was to address ICAO flight planning in general, then it is somewhat more understandable though still flawed. A major shortcoming of OASIS was the difficulty it presented controllers in trying to work with ICAO flight planning and international information. Since the initial evaluations significant progress has been made, but more work remains to make the system suitable for operation at an International AFSS such as Miami or Oakland. The main problem area is in the international database. International data presents a challenge to any system, and it has become critical to OASIS with the agreement by the FAA to assume all international pilot briefing responsibilities form the National Weather Service in addition to what is already being performed. A workgroup is working on the ICAO issues in OASIS. Most ICAO functionality issues have been resolved. The database issue is critical to ICAO functionality and is an ongoing effort by the ICAO workgroup and the Human Factors Team. OASIS will have by far the most extensive database of international information of any FAA system.

"OASIS doesn�t...have air traffic information..."

This is unclear. OASIS has the information needed by the controllers to perform their duties. This could be referring to the capability to display current atc radar data from the ETMS. If that is case, it does not. However, a need for that capability has been identified and it is in line to be designed and implemented as part of the ongoing baseline development of OASIS.

"OASIS doesn�t...include real-time special-use airspace or graphical TFRs (temporary flight restrictions), or other local notams."

Both of these capabilities will be included with the next software upgrade to OASIS. That upgrade is scheduled for installation and retrofitting beginning in January 2004. The graphical depiction of TFRs has already seen some initial testing and will undergo more extensive testing at the Tech Center in June. Testing on the special-use airspace feature will be done later in the year. These will be implemented as graphical overlays, able to be depicted on any chart that can depict the flight plan route, giving the controller the ability to see precisely how a planned route of flight is impacted by TFRs and active military airspace. The capability to display local NOTAM data is part of the development of a direct connection to CNS. This will also address the retrieval of military and international NOTAM data. This will not be included in the January upgrade, but will be included in a later upgrade. In the interim, local NOTAM data will be available to the Flight Service controller via NSTS when it deploys.

There seems to be a major misperception of the state of the OASIS program by AOPA. This is troubling considering their presence in the program as a member of the OASIS-DUATS integration workgroup. The solution is to increase the awareness of what OASIS is and will be amongst the pilot community. The best way is through continued OASIS demonstrations at events that have pilot participation. It would also be good if some way can be found to accurately and knowledgeably describe OASIS in widely distributed print media.

Prepared by: Jeff Barnes, NAATS OASIS National Representative, x57743
Date: June 2, 2003