Edmund M. Strong
Private Consulting Practice ♦ ATIS ♦ "Air Traffic Information Service"
Since 1995
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Air Traffic Instructor for IATA [International Air Transport Association]
Instructed international students on the consolidation and standardization of air traffic services in the european and asian theaters
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Air Traffic Control Instructor for Oklahoma University
Provided instruction at the FAA Academy to new and rehired controllers on the Air Traffic Control environment through classroom lectures and the use of radar simulator laboratories in the following areas:
Radar Operations Speed Control Separation Standards Air Traffic Manuals
Federal Aviation Regulations Wake Turbulence Standards Safety Alerts Navigation Aids
Airspace Classification Computer Operations Approach Charts Aircraft Characteristics
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Air Traffic Control Specialist at Washington-Dulles Tower and Radar Approach Control
Exercised controller duties associated with a Level 5 Radar Approach Control. Dulles is classified as a highly complex, high traffic volume facility with multiple runways and runway configurations, extensive international air carrier traffic, multiple satellite airports, military operations, complex multiple traffic flows, and presidential aircraft operations. Dulles is one of the busiest airports in the country. Unlike most Level 5 facilities Dulles controllers certify in both the Control Tower and the Radar room.
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Air Traffic Control Consultant and Expert Witness for the United States Department of Justice and Federal Aviation Administration General Counsel Office
Presented written and oral opinions to the court explaining the Air Traffic Control System’s involvement in aircraft accidents. Offered testimony regarding controllers' decisions, application and interpretation of air traffic procedures as prescribed in Federal Aviation Administration publications, equipment usage, document retention, interpretation and analysis of voice and radar data, facility staffing, supervision, training, and controller proficiency. Reviewed hundreds of aircraft accident reports. Prepared witnesses for deposition and trial and formulated questions to be asked of opposing air traffic experts.
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Aircraft Accident Investigator ♦ FAA Headquarters, Wash. D.C.
Conducted on-site facility investigations, interviewed facility personnel, briefed Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Justice counsel on the air traffic system's use, or misuse, of applicable procedures and their relation, if any, to probable cause. Analyzed hundreds of FAA accident investigation reports to determine controller compliance with established procedures. Liaison to the National Transportation Safety Board.
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Air Traffic Evaluator ♦ FAA Headquarters, Wash. D.C.
Performed nationwide in-flight evaluations of the air traffic system from the cockpit of commercial aviation jets while serving as an additional crew member. Briefed Air Traffic Managers on the quality of service received from their facility, controllers' application of procedures, timeliness of air traffic clearances and instructions, and provided solutions to problem areas. Provided technical assistance to field facilities in matters pertaining to interpretation of air traffic procedures.
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Member of Washington Headquarters Special Investigation Team for Air Traffic System Errors at Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center
Conducted extensive interviews with the Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center’s Air Traffic Manager, first and second line supervisors, controllers, operations staff, and maintenance personnel to determine what existing procedures might inadvertently be contributing to system errors and deviations. Provided recommendations that could readily be implemented to reduce the facility's air traffic errors.
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Air Traffic Control Supervisor ♦ Oakland Towers and Radar Approach Control
Supervised five to seven air traffic control specialists. Responsible for the development and implementation of individualized controller training; evaluation of controller performance; shift staffing, and the day-to-day traffic operations. Devised and wrote Oakland Towers Facility Operations Manual. Developed presentations on local air traffic control procedures and airspace for civil and military pilot groups and lectured on same. Oakland Towers is a Level 4 Limited Radar Approach Control facility with two control towers. Federal Express uses Oakland as a major hub, operating fleets of high performance Cessna Caravans, Boeing 727, and DC-10 aircraft. There is a flight school on the airport that trains primarily foreign students in single and multi-engine aircraft. Oakland is the third busiest airport in California after Los Angeles and San Francisco.
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Facility Certifier and Evaluator ♦ Oakland Towers
Only person at Oakland Tower authorized to certify personnel as "Full Performance Level" controllers and conduct periodic controller performance evaluations.
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Liaison Officer for Northern California Traffic Management
Developed traffic flows and metering procedures for major airports in the Northern California area, e.g., San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, and Navy Alameda, in concert with representatives from the Air Line Pilots Association, Bay Area Terminal Radar Approach Control, San Francisco Tower, San Jose Tower, FAA Western Regional Office, and Oakland Air Route Traffic Control Center.
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Air Traffic Control Supervisor ♦ Springfield, Illinois ♦ Tower and Radar Approach Control
Responsible for supervising daily Air Traffic Control Operations at a Level 3 radar approach control. Springfield is the second largest ATC facility in Illinois. Planned, developed, coordinated, and gave seminars on how pilots can safely and effectively operate in a variety of airspace and control environments. Lectured state wide for the Federal Aviation Administration and Illinois Department of Transportation at Pilot Safety Seminars and Air National Guard briefings.
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Chief Witness for FAA General Counsel Office ♦ Great Lakes Region
Testified for the FAA in an administrative complaint brought against the FAA Academy.
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FAA Academy Lead Instructor ♦ Terminal Branch ♦ Oklahoma City
Conducted classroom and simulator training in air traffic control procedures in the radar and non-radar terminal environment. Tested and evaluated students on a variety of disciplines and provided counseling designed to assist the student develop solutions to specific academic problems. Designed and revised lesson plans to meet the changing operations occurring in the field. Conducted testing and certification of the Radar Training Facility.
Instructed Domestic and International Students on:
Application of ATC Procedures Weather FAA Air Traffic Publications Federal Aviation Regulations
Approach and En Route Charts Aerodynamics Airport Operations Aircraft Characteristics
Pilot-Controller Communications Navigation Aids Special VFR Radar and Tower Equipment
Member of FAA Academy Flying Club
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Air Traffic Control Specialist ♦ Terminal and En Route Options
Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center Tampa Tower and Radar Approach Control Miami Tower and Radar Approach Control
Denver Tower and Radar Approch Control Chicago Radar Approach Control Springfield Tower and Radar Approach Control
Oakland Air Route Traffic Control Center Oakland Towers and Radar Approach Control Washington-Dulles Tower and Radar Approaqch Control
All these facilities control high volume traffic. They have complex airspace configurations, multiple traffic flows, multiple runways and runway configurations and utilize almost the entire spectrum of terminal air traffic procedures. The traffic operating at these airports consists of a wide variety of civil, commercial aircraft with military aircraft operating into and out of MacDill, Homestead, and Lowry Air Force Base. Miami, Denver, and Tampa are classified as Level 5 facilities- meaning they are among the busiest and most complex facilities in the nation . I served as a facility instructor at all of them and was fully certified in both Tower and Radar Approach Control operations. I was also fully certified at the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center instructing there as well.
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Air Traffic Facilities
Aircraft Accident Investigator ♦ FAA Headquarters ♦ Washington, D.C.
Air Traffic Control Evaluator ♦ FAA Headquarters ♦ Washington, D.C
FAA Aeronautical Center ♦ Terminal Option ♦ Lead Instructor
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United States Air Force Radar Air Traffic Controller
Ramey Air Force Base ♦ Puerto Rico
A SAC [Strategic Air Command] base. Ramey's radar approach control was one of the largest in the Air Force covering forty miles of airspace up to 20,000 feet. It was responsible for a large array of aircraft ranging from single engine Cessna aircraft, flown by the aero club, to B-52 bombers and KC-135 tanker aircraft flying twenty-four hour missions. Member of the base Aero Club.
Laughlin Air Force Base ♦ Del Rio Texas
Laughlin Air Force Base is a primary student jet training base for high performance T-37 and T-38 aircraft. It has three parallel runways and conducts more aircraft operations than most major civilian airports. Laughlin's airspace consists of a thirty-five mile radius up to 20,000 feet. The Approach Control facility utilizes radar and non-radar procedures for arrival and departure operations. It also runs extensive VFR-on-Top Operations in addition to GCA [Ground Controlled Approach] radar approaches for pilot training in all types of weather conditions.
Air Traffic Control Instructor at both facilities.
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Education
Studies for MBA ♦ Oklahoma City University
BS in Business Administration ♦ Barry University, Miami, Florida
Southwest Texas State Teachers College ♦ Georgetown, Texas
University of Puerto Rico ♦ San Juan
Roanoke College ♦ Salem, Virginia
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Professional Air Traffic Control and Pilot Training
Role of Technical Witness in Aviation Litigation, University of Southern California
National Traffic Management Course
Aircraft Accident Investigators Course
FAA Academy Advanced Instructor Training
On-the Job Training Techniques
FAA Academy Basic Instructor Training
Certified Weather Observer's Course
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Flight Instructor Course I
Automated Radar Tracking Systems III Equipment Training
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Flight Instructors Course II
Executive Pilots Course
Federal Aviation Administration Control Tower Operator Course
Federal Aviation Administration Enroute Radar Course
Federal Aviation Administration Air Traffic Control School
United States Air Force Air Traffic Control School
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Pilot Licenses and Ratings
Commercial Pilot ♦ Airplane, Single and Multiengine Land ♦ Instrument
Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) ♦ Airplane
Certified Flight Instructor (CFII) ♦ Instrument
Certified Ground Instructor ♦ Basic
Certified Ground Instructor ♦ Advanced
Certified Ground Instructor ♦ Instrument
Instructed for Burnside-Ott Aviation, Opa-Locka Airport, providing classroom, simulator, and flight instruction for advanced instrument training
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Court Appearances
Robinson Aviation v. Ross Spohrer, Wilner, Maxwell & Matthews 03/27/06
House v. USA [Administrative Law Case] Jackson & Wade 12/05/00
Ellen v. USA Wolk & Genter 01/27/00
Costello v. USA US Department of Justice 01/28/99
Webb v. USA US Department of Justice Jan. 93'
Yaden v. USA US Department of Justice 1991
Bowers v. DOT/FAA [Administrative Law Case] US Department of Justice 06/29/83
US Aviation Underwriters, Inc. v. USA US Department of Justice 06/30/81
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Depositions & Testimony
Head v. US, Nolan-Law Group
Eberwine v United Parcel Service, Inc. Caddell & Chapman
Tilman v. USA Wilner & Block
Trans States Holdings v. Bruce Saxton [Arbitration] Ford & Harrison; Trans States Holding
TAME v. Aero Civil, Bogota, Columbia Kaplan, Von Olen & Massimillo
Robinson Aviation v. Swanson Spohrer, Wilner, Maxwell & Matthews
Robinson Aviation v. Ross Spohrer, Wilner, Maxwell & Matthews
Pelzer v. USA Law Firm of Mary Downey
Riley v. USA Speiser Krause
Al Haj v. Embry-Riddle Aviation, Inc. Podhurst, Orseck, Josefsberg, Eaton, Meadow
Lahti v. USA Rapoport & Richter
Plaintiffs v. USA- Korean Air Lines 801- Kreindler & Kreindler; Sterns & Walker
Ellen v. USA Wolk & Genter
Warnke v. USA Law Firm of Fletcher Rhodes
Costello v. USA US Department of Justice
Kuranz v. USA
Webb v. USA US Department of Justice
Love v. USA US Department of Justice
Yaden v. USA US Department of Justice
US Aviation Underwriters, Inc. v. USA US Department of Justice
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On-Site Accident Investigations
Aircraft Call Sign; Type; Location:
N6481N, Cessna 210 Spotsylvania, Virginia
N3546D [PA-60] and N78S [Bell 412] Ardmore, Pennsylvania
United 585, Boeing 737 Colorado Springs, Colorado
Avianca 052, Boeing 707 JFK International Airport
N418NE Wilmington, Delaware
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Reviewed and analyzed hundreds of FAA Accident Reports
Prepared witnesses for depositions
Conducted Nationwide In-Flight Evaluations of the ATC System
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Outstanding and Exceptional Ratings
Aircraft Accident Investigator and Evaluator, FAA Headquarters (1)
Aircraft Accident Investigator and Evaluator, FAA Headquarters (2)
Area Supervisor, Oakland Towers and Radar Approach Control (1)
Area Supervisor, Oakland Towers and Radar Approach Control (2)
Area Supervisor, Springfield, Illinois, Tower and Radar Approach Control
Air Traffic Control Specialist, Miami Tower and Radar Approach Control
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Eight Letters of Commendation
Thirty-five Letters of Appreciation
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Speaking Engagements
Civil Air Patrol Seminar, Oakland, California
Illinois Dept. of Transportation IFR-VFR Safety Seminar
Illinois Dept. of Transportation IFR-VFR Seminar Illinois Dept. of Transportation Super Safety Seminar II
Illinois Dept. of Transportation Super Safety Seminar Air Traffic Control Pilot-Controller Meeting
ATC Pilot-Controller Meeting, Springfield, Illinois Illinois Dept. of Transportation IFR-VFR Safety Seminar
Illinois Air National Guard Pilot Seminar
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Management Training
Supervisors Course- Phase I Quality Assurance Administration
Supervisors Course- Phase II Introduction to Foreign Service
Management Team Action FAA Supervisor Grid
Staff Specialist Constructive Discipline
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Miscellaneous
Member of Airspace Reconstruction Team ♦ Washington-Dulles Tower
Technical Advisory Committee Chairman ♦ Oakland Towers
Technical Advisory Committee Member ♦ Denver Tower
Technical Advisory Committee Member ♦ Miami Tower