2101 South Bay Lane, Reston, VA 20191
cell: 703-403-0139
skyworker@comcast.net
Professional Experience
Aireon LLC, Oct 2022 - Present
Senior Software Requirements Engineer
- Assigned to the Integrated Product Team.
- Develop requirements for commercial products using data fed from Aireon's global ADS-B satellite network.
Mosaic ATM (Air Traffic Management), Leesburg, VA, Jan 2016 – Sep 2022
Systems Engineer, Senior Analyst
Current projects:
- Separation Automation System Engineering (SASE) – Key team member on this project to define major improvements in ERAM (core FAA radar processing and display system). Develop highly refined graphics, concepts, analysis and whitepapers to improve conflict detection and special activity airspace management. Led efforts to develop concepts for using machine learning in air traffic management through collaboration with European experts. Currently developing analysis methods for testing of service-based radar processing system.
- Automated Maintenance Managements System (AMMS) – Project lead in the development of requirements for evolution of maintenance management software and maintenance data exchange standard. Author of FAA Order on that standard. Our team is the lead in the use of model-based systems engineering (MBSE) with Vitech Genesys to manage software development in alignment with Agile methods. We are also developing data exchange agreements between FAA offices and exploring SWIM services.
- Crosscutting Operations Strategy and Technical Assessment (COSTA) – Team member on this project to identify how different drone environments (UTM, ETM and UAM) interact with each other and with the ATC system.
- Common Support Services - Flight Data (CSS-FD) – Team member on this project to provide a real-time demonstration of flight filing and amendment automation with the participation of industry partners.
- Teamsters - Sole developer and project lead for commercial web application providing grievance tracking solution to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Airline Division.
Other project experiences:
- Project lead of effort to install ERAM into cloud servers for automation testing purposes, with the goal of eliminating the need to support servers at each ARTCC.
- Developer of tailored web applications for team collaboration, including visualization of trajectories, customized “Google sheets”, air traffic simulation script management, data exploration, statistical analysis, auto-generation of engineering specifications and acronym analysis in a document.
- Analyst of FAA flow management data, specializing in the automation of trajectory and time estimate data.
- Experienced developer of Enterprise Architecture documents and power user of Sparx Enterprise Architect modeling tool. Recently learning Vitech Genesys.
- Creative, effective and efficient developer of presentation materials and written documentation, with a sharp eye for detail and grammar.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZDC), Leesburg, VA, Jul 2009 - Dec 2015
Staff Specialist
- Recommendations: Scott Wolfgang (Front Line Manager),
Blair Tucker (Front Line Manager),
Steve Axeman (Staff Manager)
- Developed, managed and administered schedule and overtime tracking (OT) software. Accommodate frequently changing user needs and requirements such as alternate work schedules. Built automated web page generator to enable users to review all activity. Modified schedule program to import leave requests from an external data source.
- Built, managed and administered internet-based schedule and leave bidding system for controllers and supervisors, annually saving over $100,000 while providing controllers and supervisors a popular tool for juggling shift work that is still in use today.
- Built, managed and administered employee tracking system that provide managers with at-a-glance, easy-to-read tables and graphs providing comprehensive information on facility staffing and retirements. The system also generates full-facility picture boards in both electronic and printable format and generates internal web site of personnel information with statistics and graphics.
- Team leader for group of subject matter experts assigned to convert existing video maps to En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM). Converted video map text file into database format for analysis with Standard Operating Procedure Manual and other data sets. Wrote code to identify incorrectly mapped nodes, misidentified nodes, and other inconsistencies.
- Developed reports with Business Objects software.
- Selected as primary center key site focal for Resource Management Tool (RMT) schedule program and hosted initial field testing.
- Built internet-based calendar tool for ZDC staff.
International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers Associations (IFATCA), Jul 2009 - Dec 2015
Technical Representative
- Member of the Technical Operations Committee (TOC) as US representative. TOC writes papers, gives presentations and develops policy for IFATCA on emerging technologies and procedures.
- Delivered numerous presentations and papers (see below).
- Developed web applications for IFATCA to manage membership, subscriptions and the Technical and Professional Manual.
- Awarded Certificate of Appreciation, 2012.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZDC), Leesburg, VA, Aug 1988 - Jun 2009
Air Traffic Controller
- Championed effort to revise critical air traffic control phraseology known as "time-to-climb", antiquated wording originally intended for the non-radar environment of the 1950’s. Wrote and presented a paper and proposal on this topic to the Air Traffic Procedures Advisory Committee and worked patiently and persistently with numerous stakeholders for 7 years until the change was finally published on July 24, 2014.
- Distinguished history of achievement including Superior Accomplishment Awards, Letters of Commendation, Cash Awards and Time Off Awards. Submitted numerous Employee Suggestions, NARs, and Cost Reduction Proposals (full history).
- Served on cadre helping to deploy major innovations including the Voice Switching and Communications System (VSCS) and Display System Replacement (DSR).
- In 2002, built, deployed and supported an automated schedule and leave tracking software in MS Access. This system was used for seven years when it was replaced by the web version described above.
- Full Performance Level air traffic controller certification Aug 1991.
National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), Washington, DC, Sep 2004 - present
Information Technology Committee member
International Conference Presentations and Papers
- Journal of Air Traffic Control, Fall 2021, Letter to the Editor
- SESAR JU Digital Transformation Webinar: Communication, Navigation and Surveillance - "From Barometric to Geometric Altimetry", October 22, 2020
- Fernandes, D. Wesely, B. Holtzman, D. Sweet, and N. Ghazavi, “Using Synchronized Trajectory Data to Improve Airspace Demand Predictions,” Integrated Communications Navigation and Surveillance Conference (ICNS), Herndon, VA, September 2020
- G. Hunter, B. Holtzman, A. Fernandes, and C. Robinson, “Advanced Trajectory Modeling: Stakeholder Needs and Expectations,” Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, Austin, TX, 2017
- B. Holtzman, "GNSS Based Altimetry", The IFATCA Controller, October 2015 (p. 18)
- International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers Associations (IFATCA) papers presented at the Annual Conference:
- Las Vegas, USA, March 14-18, 2016: Airspace Design and Procedures
- Sofia, Bulgaria, April 20-24, 2015: GNSS-based Altitude Blended Airspace
- Gran Canaria, Spain, May 5-9, 2014: Emergency Descent Procedures
- Kathmandu, Nepal, March 12-16, 2012: Continuous Climb Operations SID and STAR Naming
- Amman, Jordan, April 11-15, 2011: Continuous Descent Operations Runway Status Lights
- Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, April 12-16, 2010: ADS-B Flight ID
- Kaleidoscope 2009 - Oracle Developer Tools User Group (ODTUG) Conference, Monterey, CA, June 21-24, 2009 Reviews
- Kaleidoscope 2008 - ODTUG Conference, New Orleans, June 15-19, 2008 Reviews
- Oracle Open World 2007 - San Francisco, CA, November 11-15, 2007
- Kaleidoscope 2007 - ODTUG Conference in Daytona Beach, FL, June 18-21, 2007
Reviews
- Kaleidoscope 2006 - ODTUG Conference in Washington, DC, June 17-21, 2006
- Desktop 2006 - ODTUG Virtual Conference, February 21, 2006
Education
Learning Tree International
Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
Instrument pilot rating, 1996
Skills
- Over 20 years of experience with Oracle Application Express, a rapid web application development tool
- Extensive experience in data transformation, particularly using Oracle SQL and PLSQL
- Extensive experience in HTML, Javascript, Visual Basic
- Significant experience with MySQL, Postgres and MS Access databases
- Proficient user of MS Office products including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access
- Extensive experience with DoDAF engineering documentation
- Extensive experience with the FAA Acquisition Management System
- Extensive experience with Sparx Enterprise Architect and some experience with Vitech Genesys (systems engineering tools)
- Some exposure to Agile development
- Some experience with Java
Personal Life
Married, two children ages 20 and 24. Enjoy cycling, Bikram yoga and bridge.
