Since 1983, I have worked on worldwide air traffic control projects. My first assignment was as a schedule analyst, where I applied probability, statistics, and logistics to determine whether a project was on schedule. I soon moved into a more technical area, system test and evaluation, in which we simulated the flight of aircraft under a wide spectrum of environments to test whether the computer system was functioning properly. I was responsible for looking at the system from an air controller's point of view.

Currently, we are involved in a major upgrade to the air traffic control system, the Advanced Automation System (AAS). One significant component of the project is to replace the displays where aircraft are viewed by the controllers. The new Display System Replacement (DSR) will display more information to the controllers and decrease the likelihood for human errors. The first step was an interim replacement system, Display Channel Complex Rehost (DCCR). The AAS is expected to carry air traffic control operations into the 21st century.

The Display Channel Complex Rehost (DCCR) project was successfully completed ahead of schedule and under budget in early 1997. The Display System Replacement (DSR) project was deployed to the Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) in 1998 and is currently in operational use. I was involved in the software testing using simulated aircraft and entering air traffic commands to review their acceptability and reliability during DSR's operational test and evaluation period.