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If you’re looking for my “opinion,” it is largely reflected by the official NATCA “union” statement about FAA management practices. But if what you’re really asking is: “Are the skies safe?“ I will tell you, “Yes.” And that’s because of the dedication and the training that your seasoned, ”journeyman” controllers received long ago that deals with possibilities of radar outages, faulty radios and the like – unlike the new group of trainees coming through who receive a “satisfactory” level of training, and then are watched aggressively…
The FAA had a plan in place to proceduralize airspace as if aircraft ran on railroad tracks in the sky the very next day after President Reagan fired those who went on strike back in 1981. “They” are not saying much today, beyond pushing NextGen which is still years away, but they may have a plan they are working to implement it now if staffing continues to dip well below recent highs – numbers that never returned to pre-1981 staffing numbers, even though air traffic had swelled by over 300% as far back as 1995…
Would I fly? Yes – if I wasn’t working 6 day work weeks. But after 9/11, the FAA did away with the opportunity for controllers to fly in air carrier cockpits – something that was a bit of a “perk,” but for most people it was “familiarization flight” that helped controllers and pilots speak the same language, discuss issues, resolve misunderstandings… It’s all good. But “perks” and better staffing makes life just that much better… safer… less stressful… And misunderstandings are starting to creep into the efforts of new trainees that have never flown in a cockpit before, who don’t understand why instructions can’t be done immediately: “fly by wire,” cockpit communications to “double-check” ATC clearances and requests, required “checklist” procedures…
Check back again, if you think things have happened that might change my opinion… But that first post here was on August 7, 2008; and now it is April 18, 2009 – and I haven’t changed my mind at all. The skies are safe. If you would like to join a team to help keep it that way, then consider a career as an Air Traffic Control Specialist!
Fill out an online application at http://jobs.faa.gov. Look for GS-2152.
