The Global Positioning System Directorate has released a Federal Register Notice announcing plans to execute a test in February 2019 to investigate legacy receiver week roll-over behavior and analyze any off-nominal behavior exhibited.
The Global Positioning System (GPS) week number rollover occurs in the GPS legacy navigation (LNAV) message every 1024 weeks due to the GPS week number being represented by only 10 bits within the LNAV message. The next GPS week number roll over will occur 18 seconds prior to the 0000Z boundary (Coordinated Universal Time) between April 6/7 2019. In most cases, any negative response from a GPS receiver caused by a problem accounting for the 10-bit week number roll over would likely affect the calendar conversion from GPS time to UTC date/time and could result in the GPS receiver thinking it had jumped backward in time by 1024 weeks to 21/22 August 1999.
If you wish to participate in this test, please submit the answers to the questions in the Federal Register Notice to the SMC/GPE mailbox by February 4, 2019. After the submission of the questionnaire, the team will schedule individual meetings with interested civil vendors to further discuss their participation in the test in more detail.
You will find the full text of the Federal Register Notice and the list of nine questions at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/01/25/2019-00111/2017-public-interface-control-working-group-and-forum-for-the-navstar-gps-public-documents

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Rick Hamilton
CGSIC Executive Secretariat
GPS Information Analysis Team Lead
U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center
703-313-5930

More than 2,000 FAA inspectors and engineers furloughed due to the partial government shutdown that began on Dec. 22 have been recalled to work, according to an FAA statement made on Tuesday. The latest revision of the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) plan for operations during the shutdown now categorizes a total of 3,113 Aviation Safety positions as necessary for life and safety and therefore excepted from furlough.

 Read more

K​ate O'Connor  AvWebFlash

“Antarctica was the final continent on our checklist,” says Lynden Air Cargo President Rick Zerkel. “Now we can cross it off.” Lynden Air Cargo has joined a short list of operators that serve all seven continents by starting a new project in support of an Italian Antarctic expedition team doing research on the icy land mass.
The month-long mission lasted from October 30 through November 30 and involved carrying supplies from Christchurch, New Zealand to Italian base Mario Zucchelli Station and Phoenix Field at McMurdo Station, the US base in Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica. According to Lynden Air Cargo Captain Pat Madland, Terra Nova Bay is about 2,000 miles and seven hours from Christchurch, and Phoenix Field is 300 miles further south and about eight hours flying time. “This was accomplished with an augmented crew to allow for rest,” Pat explains. “We also carry a loadmaster and mechanic.” The whole operation requires nine people on the ground in Christchurch.


“This high-profile project illustrates Lynden Air Cargo’s capabilities in remote locations,” says Adam Murray, Director of Business Development and Marketing. “With 98 percent of the continent covered in ice, there are no cities or villages. This is another addition to our capabilities and we hope to provide this service next year and on an ongoing basis if possible.”


The flight crew includes Captains Pat Madland and Thomas Lindberg, First Officer Josh Havel, Flight Engineers Bill Spencer, Clint Swanson and John Worley, Loadmaster Leonel Lopez and Aircraft Mechanics Travis Blaszak and Dan Spears.
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“The cargo on the first two trips to Terra Nova Bay consisted mostly of helicopters. We carried two Squirrel helicopters on each trip. Since then, the cargo has been scientific equipment and food,” Pat says. “Although it’s exciting to go to Antarctica, Lynden Air Cargo crews are used to flying to remote locations in challenging conditions. Antarctica closely resembles Greenland with its mountainous terrain covered with an ice cap. Much of the continent is around 10,000 feet high although we landed on sea ice runways at sea level. Most of our Lynden crews have been to six continents and it’s nice to add the seventh.”

Due to a lapse in Federal Government funding, the Fairbanks FAA Safety Team cancelled the following seminars and events:

• Wednesday, January 23 – CFI Meeting; Fairbanks FSDO
• Friday, January 25 – IA Seminar; UAF Wood Center and ALL broadcasted locations
• Saturday, January 26 – Mini Expo; UAF Hangar
• Saturday, March 2 – Super Cub Seminar; UAF Wood Center

After our status changes and we are able to schedule new events, we will post them on www.faasafety.gov.  Meanwhile, we will not attempt to reschedule any of the above seminars.  For IA renewals, those individuals will need to satisfy the requirement through another method for their March renewal.
Thank you for your support!
Regards,
 
Lisa Asplin
FAA SafetyTeam Program Manager
4419 Airport Way, Fairbanks, Alaska  99709
(907) 457-9241
lisa.asplin@faa.gov
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