Narrative:

Denver, co, is preparing to open a new international airport in mar/94. ZDV is not prepared to work with this new facility. This is going to create a very dangerous situation beginning in mar/94. ZDV's working policy has been that the change from denver stapleton to denver international is not really going to impact our facility. I think this has really shown in the lack of training we have received. I can really only speak for area 3 (south area) of ZDV, but I do speak with 8 plus yrs as an fpl, instructor, evaluator, 2 yrs on ZDV fab behind me. I will relate the changes to my area and the training we have received. Area 3 has 7 sectors. 6 sectors are being reconfigured. 3 sectors are changing vertical limits and 2 additional sectors are next to sectors changing vertical limits (shelf airspace being created). Denver TRACON's airspace is also being reconfigured and changing vertical limits. We are also going to stars for denver area arrs. Area 3 has 1 new jet route, 8 new victor rtes and changes to existing airways (navaids, MEA's, MCA's, etc). New procedures will be written for arrs and departures from denver and cos. The training we have received so far began in jun/93. At that time we were given a self study packet. We were to receive between 8-20 hours to review this material prior to oct/93. I received 6 hours during this time frame. I have received 1 additional hour since oct/93 even though I request study time every day. Information in the study packet has changed several times since we first received it. When you try to ask questions or seek clarification on the material no one will take responsibility to find an answer. Beginning in oct/93 we were supposed to receive briefings from our supervisor and a 'cadre' instructor assigned to our crew. We have received no briefings. Beginning in oct/93 (repeated 1 per month until the new airport opens) we are taking multiple choice cbi (computer test) asking the same questions every month. In oct/93 we were assigned to work 1 shift from xdpm to xfam for the purpose of running or watching 2 practice problems. During the running of these problems it was apparent that our area expert did not know the phraseology to clear aircraft off of one STAR and onto the other. He said the problems were designed for the aircraft to fit 5 1/2 mi in trail so just let them run. (In a subsequent facility briefing, one of denver ARTCC's denver airport liaison staff didn't even know the phraseology was in the 7110.65. He said it wasn't in the index.) during our practice problem our area expert also was unable to find our new SOP's with denver TRACON. It is worth noting that these practice problems were not mandatory. As bad as all of this is, my biggest concern is with the denver arrs. No one yet knows if we will be spacing (mi in trail) or metering or both. No one knows where or how we will hold when denver TRACON shuts us off (fog, heavy snow, microbursts, etc). You can be certain I will not fly out of denver international for at least 3 months.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR COMPLAINT ABOUT TRAINING NOT BEING DONE FOR TRANSITION TO NEW DENVER ARPT.

Narrative: DENVER, CO, IS PREPARING TO OPEN A NEW INTL ARPT IN MAR/94. ZDV IS NOT PREPARED TO WORK WITH THIS NEW FACILITY. THIS IS GOING TO CREATE A VERY DANGEROUS SIT BEGINNING IN MAR/94. ZDV'S WORKING POLICY HAS BEEN THAT THE CHANGE FROM DENVER STAPLETON TO DENVER INTL IS NOT REALLY GOING TO IMPACT OUR FACILITY. I THINK THIS HAS REALLY SHOWN IN THE LACK OF TRAINING WE HAVE RECEIVED. I CAN REALLY ONLY SPEAK FOR AREA 3 (S AREA) OF ZDV, BUT I DO SPEAK WITH 8 PLUS YRS AS AN FPL, INSTRUCTOR, EVALUATOR, 2 YRS ON ZDV FAB BEHIND ME. I WILL RELATE THE CHANGES TO MY AREA AND THE TRAINING WE HAVE RECEIVED. AREA 3 HAS 7 SECTORS. 6 SECTORS ARE BEING RECONFIGURED. 3 SECTORS ARE CHANGING VERT LIMITS AND 2 ADDITIONAL SECTORS ARE NEXT TO SECTORS CHANGING VERT LIMITS (SHELF AIRSPACE BEING CREATED). DENVER TRACON'S AIRSPACE IS ALSO BEING RECONFIGURED AND CHANGING VERT LIMITS. WE ARE ALSO GOING TO STARS FOR DENVER AREA ARRS. AREA 3 HAS 1 NEW JET RTE, 8 NEW VICTOR RTES AND CHANGES TO EXISTING AIRWAYS (NAVAIDS, MEA'S, MCA'S, ETC). NEW PROCS WILL BE WRITTEN FOR ARRS AND DEPS FROM DENVER AND COS. THE TRAINING WE HAVE RECEIVED SO FAR BEGAN IN JUN/93. AT THAT TIME WE WERE GIVEN A SELF STUDY PACKET. WE WERE TO RECEIVE BTWN 8-20 HRS TO REVIEW THIS MATERIAL PRIOR TO OCT/93. I RECEIVED 6 HRS DURING THIS TIME FRAME. I HAVE RECEIVED 1 ADDITIONAL HR SINCE OCT/93 EVEN THOUGH I REQUEST STUDY TIME EVERY DAY. INFO IN THE STUDY PACKET HAS CHANGED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE WE FIRST RECEIVED IT. WHEN YOU TRY TO ASK QUESTIONS OR SEEK CLARIFICATION ON THE MATERIAL NO ONE WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY TO FIND AN ANSWER. BEGINNING IN OCT/93 WE WERE SUPPOSED TO RECEIVE BRIEFINGS FROM OUR SUPVR AND A 'CADRE' INSTRUCTOR ASSIGNED TO OUR CREW. WE HAVE RECEIVED NO BRIEFINGS. BEGINNING IN OCT/93 (REPEATED 1 PER MONTH UNTIL THE NEW ARPT OPENS) WE ARE TAKING MULTIPLE CHOICE CBI (COMPUTER TEST) ASKING THE SAME QUESTIONS EVERY MONTH. IN OCT/93 WE WERE ASSIGNED TO WORK 1 SHIFT FROM XDPM TO XFAM FOR THE PURPOSE OF RUNNING OR WATCHING 2 PRACTICE PROBS. DURING THE RUNNING OF THESE PROBS IT WAS APPARENT THAT OUR AREA EXPERT DID NOT KNOW THE PHRASEOLOGY TO CLR ACFT OFF OF ONE STAR AND ONTO THE OTHER. HE SAID THE PROBS WERE DESIGNED FOR THE ACFT TO FIT 5 1/2 MI IN TRAIL SO JUST LET THEM RUN. (IN A SUBSEQUENT FACILITY BRIEFING, ONE OF DENVER ARTCC'S DENVER ARPT LIAISON STAFF DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THE PHRASEOLOGY WAS IN THE 7110.65. HE SAID IT WASN'T IN THE INDEX.) DURING OUR PRACTICE PROB OUR AREA EXPERT ALSO WAS UNABLE TO FIND OUR NEW SOP'S WITH DENVER TRACON. IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT THESE PRACTICE PROBS WERE NOT MANDATORY. AS BAD AS ALL OF THIS IS, MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS WITH THE DENVER ARRS. NO ONE YET KNOWS IF WE WILL BE SPACING (MI IN TRAIL) OR METERING OR BOTH. NO ONE KNOWS WHERE OR HOW WE WILL HOLD WHEN DENVER TRACON SHUTS US OFF (FOG, HVY SNOW, MICROBURSTS, ETC). YOU CAN BE CERTAIN I WILL NOT FLY OUT OF DENVER INTL FOR AT LEAST 3 MONTHS.

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.