Narrative:

Today we opened up the lynchburg sector of our airspace (ASR-9 radar at lyh remoted to roa). Our training consisted of 2 classroom days followed by 2 days running simulated traffic on a training target generator, 5 simulated radar problems were required for chkout. I was complimented by the instructor as being one of the best in the training session, so hopefully that will make these comments more valid and believable. I got to work at XG00 and work 1 hour of lyh. In this time period: I learned how to make roa-lyh and lyh-roa handoffs. I had no idea how to do this before sitting down today. I experienced 3 unsuccessful automated handoffs. We had technical folks on site to monitor the operation and when I mentioned this to them, they said they had known since XA00 of problems, but hadn't forwarded the problems to the controllers so they would have advance information. It apparently wasn't their job. I had an lyh tower controller tag up aircraft and put them on my frequency for TA's even though no procedures had been established to do such a thing. So far, it's just been aircraft delayed or forced to cancel IFR and go VFR, but by the time you read this, there will have been separation errors or more reported or unrpted. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the lack of procedures aspect of his report has been addressed by the facility. They now have procedures in place between roa and lyh. Reporter has met with the air traffic manager to express his concern about the training and automation problems. Reporter was told, due to a lack of a full automation staff, the facility is addressing the automation problems, but it's moving slowly. As far as training, facility believes what is being given to the controller work force is adequate. Reporter agrees that the etg's administered by the facility are very good. However, allowing only 2 days for the self study classroom portion is too short. An example cited by the reporter is, those who xfer to roa, receive 3 weeks of classroom study.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR INDICATED THAT FACILITY TRAINING PROGRAM FOR ASR-9 RADAR AND ASSOCIATED SECTOR(S) WAS LACKING. THERE WERE PROBS WITH AUTOMATION, IN ADDITION, NO PROCS IN PLACE IN HANDLING TFC BTWN ROA AND LYH.

Narrative: TODAY WE OPENED UP THE LYNCHBURG SECTOR OF OUR AIRSPACE (ASR-9 RADAR AT LYH REMOTED TO ROA). OUR TRAINING CONSISTED OF 2 CLASSROOM DAYS FOLLOWED BY 2 DAYS RUNNING SIMULATED TFC ON A TRAINING TARGET GENERATOR, 5 SIMULATED RADAR PROBS WERE REQUIRED FOR CHKOUT. I WAS COMPLIMENTED BY THE INSTRUCTOR AS BEING ONE OF THE BEST IN THE TRAINING SESSION, SO HOPEFULLY THAT WILL MAKE THESE COMMENTS MORE VALID AND BELIEVABLE. I GOT TO WORK AT XG00 AND WORK 1 HR OF LYH. IN THIS TIME PERIOD: I LEARNED HOW TO MAKE ROA-LYH AND LYH-ROA HDOFS. I HAD NO IDEA HOW TO DO THIS BEFORE SITTING DOWN TODAY. I EXPERIENCED 3 UNSUCCESSFUL AUTOMATED HDOFS. WE HAD TECHNICAL FOLKS ON SITE TO MONITOR THE OP AND WHEN I MENTIONED THIS TO THEM, THEY SAID THEY HAD KNOWN SINCE XA00 OF PROBS, BUT HADN'T FORWARDED THE PROBS TO THE CTLRS SO THEY WOULD HAVE ADVANCE INFO. IT APPARENTLY WASN'T THEIR JOB. I HAD AN LYH TWR CTLR TAG UP ACFT AND PUT THEM ON MY FREQ FOR TA'S EVEN THOUGH NO PROCS HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED TO DO SUCH A THING. SO FAR, IT'S JUST BEEN ACFT DELAYED OR FORCED TO CANCEL IFR AND GO VFR, BUT BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS, THERE WILL HAVE BEEN SEPARATION ERRORS OR MORE RPTED OR UNRPTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE LACK OF PROCS ASPECT OF HIS RPT HAS BEEN ADDRESSED BY THE FACILITY. THEY NOW HAVE PROCS IN PLACE BTWN ROA AND LYH. RPTR HAS MET WITH THE AIR TFC MGR TO EXPRESS HIS CONCERN ABOUT THE TRAINING AND AUTOMATION PROBS. RPTR WAS TOLD, DUE TO A LACK OF A FULL AUTOMATION STAFF, THE FACILITY IS ADDRESSING THE AUTOMATION PROBS, BUT IT'S MOVING SLOWLY. AS FAR AS TRAINING, FACILITY BELIEVES WHAT IS BEING GIVEN TO THE CTLR WORK FORCE IS ADEQUATE. RPTR AGREES THAT THE ETG'S ADMINISTERED BY THE FACILITY ARE VERY GOOD. HOWEVER, ALLOWING ONLY 2 DAYS FOR THE SELF STUDY CLASSROOM PORTION IS TOO SHORT. AN EXAMPLE CITED BY THE RPTR IS, THOSE WHO XFER TO ROA, RECEIVE 3 WKS OF CLASSROOM STUDY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.