Tester
Thursday, December 19, 2013
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Chaplain’s corner ATR celebrates 40 years of Rejoicing in his real-time telemetry processing By Theresa Hopkins Atlantic Test Ranges Business Communications This year marked the 40th year of operations for the Real-time Telemetry Processing System (RTPS), used by the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Atlantic Test Ranges (ATR) in support of flight testing conducted at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. All fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft currently deployed by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps have used RTPS in initial and follow-on testing, and a vast majority of weapons systems tests have also been supported. RTPS processes telemetry data from the platform under test in real time and displays the data to a dedicated team of flight test engineers located in Project Engineer Stations (PES) on the ground - either at the ATR Cedar Point facility, in PES rooms at the VH-71 Presidential Helicopter Hangar or in one of many mobile units that have been developed by ATR telemetry experts. Since 1973, it is estimated that RTPS has conducted more than 80,000 operations in support of more than 50 aircraft and weapons types. More than 400 individual aircraft have been tested by thousands of flight test engineers at NAS Pax River with the current RTPS IV system. The core of the RTPS mission is to evaluate test points
unconditional love
as they happen. Flight test results are instantly displayed on computer screens and strip charts in the PES, which allows test teams to analyze the data and confirm that planned test points have been achieved and that it is safe to proceed with the test mission.
By Father Mike Dolan St. Nicholas Chapel
RTPS History
Prior to RTPS, there were limited options for flight test engineers to monitor aircraft under test. They could communicate with the pilot via UHF radio. The range provided aircraft location information and aircraft data could be transmitted to a ground station, but only the raw data could be displayed on a strip chart. An engineer would then manually convert the data to engineering units. Processed aircraft telemetry data during flight has been available to flight test engineers at Pax River since 1973. Early telemetry processors used general-purpose mainframe computers, which were very large and generally occupied several rooms of a building. However, they were the only computers with the processing power to support telemetry processing tasks in those days. The precursor to today’s ATR Telemetry Branch was the Magnetic Tape and Telemetry Branch (MTT). MTT was created as part of the Naval Air Test Center Technical Support Division to provide telemetry to Navy flight test customers. Before 1970, te-
U.S. Navy photo
Bill Rymer, left, and Wayne Joy use 1965 telemetry technology at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, when strip charts and patch boards were the telemetry tools available to the flight test engineer. lemetry was performed manually using strip charts and patch boards.
RTPS I
In 1970, the original specifications were written for the first RTPS computer processing system, which would automate the telemetry process. MTT moved to the Telemetry Data Center in Building 1591 in 1973, and then changed its name to Telemetry Data Systems in 1975. RTPS fundamentally changed the way aircraft testing was conducted, providing a significant increase in safety of flight. The original RTPS had the capability of conducting two simultaneous flight tests. RTPS was the first system specifically designed to perform real-time telemetry processing and moved the flight test engineer from a position in front of a strip chart recorder to a position at a worksta-
tion. With RTPS, the engineer could view plots, graphs and alarms in near-real time, and interact with tests while they were in progress. This made each mission much more flexible and significantly reduced test costs by reducing flight time.
RTPS II
As the demand for testing and data increased, the necessity for a more sophisticated flight test telemetry system became apparent. In 1977, RTPS was upgraded to RTPS II; giving flight test engineers the ability to test four flights simultaneously. The Pax River test area was extended significantly by partnering with NASA at Wallops Island, Va., broadening the range of flight test and telemetry data — allowing much larger over-ocean test access
See RTPS, Page 7
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White House Christmas Ornaments
Available at Customized Creations for $20 each.
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Liberty Center
Washington Capitals vs. New Jersey Devils Game
For all MWR news, visit www.cnic.navy.mil/Patuxent and click on the Fleet and Family Readiness tab.
Dec. 21 Cost per person: $35; includes a $15 concession voucher. Register at the Information Travel and Tours Office by Dec. 19. Available to E-1 through E-6 single or unaccompanied active-duty military only.
Phone directory
Christmas Eve Party
Drill Hall (recreation, fitness and sports) Energy Zone Liberty Information, Travel and Tours Office River’s Edge Catering and Conference Center Customized Creations
301-757-3943 301-995-3869 301-342-3565 301-342-3648 301-342-3656 301-342-3569
Special Events
Holiday WHObilation at MWR’s WHOville
Dec. 20 and 21, 6-9 p.m. Mattapany Day Camp off Buse Road A celebration of the most wonderful occasion in the Whoville calendar, the Holiday WHObilation. This year your presence is most important as we will also be holding the Naval Air Station Patuxent River annual Tree Lighting between 6:30 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. Come enjoy the lights and activities in a setting only the Whos can provide. Cost per person: $4; free for children ages 2 and younger.
Dec. 24, 6-10 p.m. Not able to go home for the holidays? Join the Liberty Center on Christmas Eve to celebrate with food, music, games and prizes. We will also have an Ugliest Christmas Sweater Contest, so bring those ugly sweaters and win. For to E-1 through E-6 single or unaccompanied active-duty military only.
Christmas with Liberty
Dec. 25, 2-10 p.m. Not able to go home for Christmas? Come spend the day in the Liberty Center and enjoy the day with food, music, movies and giveaways. Play a game of table tennis, foosball or pool with other Liberty Sailors, or kick back and relax while watching a movie. Dinner served at 2:30 p.m. For to E-1 through E-6 single or unaccompanied active-duty military only.
Up All Night
Dec. 31, 8 p.m. to Jan. 1, 1 a.m.
The anniversary of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is near. The event once again emphasizes the grace of God active in the past, the present and the future. It was more than 2,000 years ago that grace resulted Father Mike Dolan in the birth of Jesus. It wasn’t due to any righteous deeds on our part; it was because of God’s unconditional love for us. This Christmas season when we’re thinking of gifts for loved ones, don’t forget Jesus who loves us more than we could ever imagine. Thank him for his words in Scripture which inform and direct us. Thank him for his body and blood in the Eucharist, John 6:52-69, which empower us. Thank him for his steadfast love which maintains and saves us. Thank him for the weariness and discouragement that throw us into his arms. “But,” you ask, “how can I do that, what gift would suffice?” To that I submit that the most pleasing gift would be a contrite heart. A contrite heart expresses remorse for sin, voices contrition and repentance, and effects a lasting change in life style. At the core of the gift is the acceptance in faith of God, his love for us and his mercy toward us. We are called to be God’s people by accepting the father’s invitation to listen to his incarnate son Jesus and act on his words. The miracle is that 2,000 years after the fact, you and I can give life to Jesus in our time and space by accepting God’s word and doing it. The coming together of God’s love with our unconditional acceptance is always an incarnational event. Jesus is reborn in you and me. But can our acceptance be steadfast and unconditional? As for me, all I can do is bow my head, ask again for forgiveness and be thankful that I have a God who is mercifully patient. As I internalize the event and its meaning, how can I keep from singing? Have a blessed and therefore merry Christmas! Come bring in the New Year at Liberty. Watch movies, play video games, participate in some competition or join the “Welcome to the New Year” Texas Hold ‘em poker tournament. No alcohol permitted. For to E-1 through E-6 single or unaccompanied active-duty military only.
Bald Eagle Pub
Wine Tasting Wednesdays Wednesdays, 4-6 p.m.
Drill Hall
Winter Intramural Sports Organizational Meetings
Basketball: Jan. 7, 1 p.m. Volleyball: Jan. 8; 1 p.m. All meetings are held in the Bowling Center. Both seasons begin the week of Jan. 20.
Energy Zone Zumba Kids
Tuesdays in January, and Feb. 4, 5:30-6:30 p.m. The Zumba Kids program is the ultimate dance-fitness party for young Zumba fans ages 7-11, where they can play it loud and rock with friends to their own rules. This program features age-appropriate music and moves that get kids moving to the beat.
Zumba Kids Jr.
Fridays in January, starting Jan. 10, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Zumba Kids Jr. classes are a dance and play party for little feet where children ages 4-6 get silly, dream big and begin their journey to a healthy future. Here they can socialize, move to age-appropriate music and play games with other kids.