Y2K Problems

Joshua Hung

   The FAA administrator declared that the test result for the En-route Air Traffic Control computer systems(IBM 3080) is satisfactory for the Y2K problems, despite there was warning from IBM. (Washington Post July 22nd)

   The conclusion was clear cut. The FAA hired two retired IBM programmers and a team of FAA technicians to examine all the 40 million lines of microcodes, and they found no codes were using the days and months. It is because that Air Traffic software only concerns about hours, minute and seconds. Even though the operating system provides year 00 in two digits, this does not bothers the ATC software a bit.

   However, this is not a new knowledge to me. I was involved in developing software for the ARTSII(Terminal approach air traffic control) system at Burroughs. Our system was designed not to care about flight information more than 24 hours old. A year ago, I was very concerned when my colleagues within the FAA who came from the good old Navy "BS ing" on how the car stops running and ATC stops running on the first day of Y2K.

   I had to remain silence to remain political correct then, now I can laugh about those statements.

   Well, this will be a relief to the flying public.