Posted on Dec 8, 2016
Trump could privatize nation's air traffic controllers
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Something interesting to keep an eye on.... What say you ATC & Aviation RP'ers?
Trump could privatize nation's air traffic controllers
Posted from mobile.reuters.com
AC: Air Traffic Controller
Air Traffic Controller
15Q: Air Traffic Control Operator
Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 4
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BAD idea. The Bush administration privatized the Flight Service part of the FAA, except for one state. The contract called for around 1100 Flight service controllers, not sure we ever got above 850. In the first three years it was so bad we had pilots takening off of airports in IFR weather, because they couldn't get a hold of flight service to get a clearance. As controllers we had to change the way we cleared aircraft off the ground through flight service, the first time in my career I had Flight service release a plane off an airport when I had one landing, luckily the landing pilot saw the departing plane when he broke through the cloud deck. That state where Flight service is still FAA, Alaska where Flight service really is life of death.
I think there are parts of the government that can be run better, private, the Air Traffic Controllers is not one of them. By keeping controllers government, you keep them neutral. On 9/11, the government believed that more planes where to be hijacked, but a government system that didn't have to answer to Corporation losses shut down the system. I don't know if a corporation employee would of made the same decision, I would hope they would, but when there is profits involved, most of the time safety has to give. During the Bush administration they wanted to show that the FAA could be privatized and that safety would be better, so what did we do, we changed the way we count errors in the system . Got rid of 20% of our errors, they changed the way we categorized them and so they went away, they still happened, but now they don't count. Controllers are like police officers in the air, do you want your local police department to be private? To me one airline is the same as the other, or as any private jet, the only time I see one more important, is for an emergency or if that plane is a priority, like a life flight.
As for getting equipment faster and at less cost, won't happen. When controllers get a new computer system, we need to be as sure as possible that this system or updates are flawless, because if it's not, it could mean deaths, no just of "oh my bad", but bodies. During our last new system, the administration said we where in budget and on time, OMG what a f**king mess. I don't remember any center getting their system on time. We could get handoffs (planes going from say Denver center to Albuquerque center) and then the tags & information on the plane would drop off the controllers scope and out of the computer system. If your not busy, you can work with it, but if your working an in bound push to say PHX or LAX and have 30-40 airplanes your controlling and trying to get them into a line, having an airplane go across your airspace with out an ID tag, SUCKS. There is a reason, and it's is a GREAT reason for it to take 5 years to replace the computers in the air traffic system, trust me, you don't want it any other way.
We have the best system in the world, everyone else uses our system. There are places where it is privatize and you will hear both, good and bad. I retired after 29'years as a Controller and there are good and bad ones working, but when there is weather, a plane lost or even a pilot of a small plane dies, controllers come together to to make it safe.
I think there are parts of the government that can be run better, private, the Air Traffic Controllers is not one of them. By keeping controllers government, you keep them neutral. On 9/11, the government believed that more planes where to be hijacked, but a government system that didn't have to answer to Corporation losses shut down the system. I don't know if a corporation employee would of made the same decision, I would hope they would, but when there is profits involved, most of the time safety has to give. During the Bush administration they wanted to show that the FAA could be privatized and that safety would be better, so what did we do, we changed the way we count errors in the system . Got rid of 20% of our errors, they changed the way we categorized them and so they went away, they still happened, but now they don't count. Controllers are like police officers in the air, do you want your local police department to be private? To me one airline is the same as the other, or as any private jet, the only time I see one more important, is for an emergency or if that plane is a priority, like a life flight.
As for getting equipment faster and at less cost, won't happen. When controllers get a new computer system, we need to be as sure as possible that this system or updates are flawless, because if it's not, it could mean deaths, no just of "oh my bad", but bodies. During our last new system, the administration said we where in budget and on time, OMG what a f**king mess. I don't remember any center getting their system on time. We could get handoffs (planes going from say Denver center to Albuquerque center) and then the tags & information on the plane would drop off the controllers scope and out of the computer system. If your not busy, you can work with it, but if your working an in bound push to say PHX or LAX and have 30-40 airplanes your controlling and trying to get them into a line, having an airplane go across your airspace with out an ID tag, SUCKS. There is a reason, and it's is a GREAT reason for it to take 5 years to replace the computers in the air traffic system, trust me, you don't want it any other way.
We have the best system in the world, everyone else uses our system. There are places where it is privatize and you will hear both, good and bad. I retired after 29'years as a Controller and there are good and bad ones working, but when there is weather, a plane lost or even a pilot of a small plane dies, controllers come together to to make it safe.
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This is not going to affect military ATC. By privitzing the FAA slots it may make it easier for military controllers to get inside in civilian jobs.
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Sgt Bruce C.
right now there are 3 ways into the ATC system, 1) ATC Schools, 2) military 3) every once in a while they open it to everyone. 12 of 15 in my class where prior military, 4 of 5 of my last trainees where prior military. In 2004 I think, we had a class of 10 or 12 at Houston that where all prior military, 4 or 5 came from Eglin AFB and had all worked together.
Should it make it better or worst for the Military ATC to work with the FAA or make it easier or harder for them to get jobs, I don't know. I will tell you that Flight Service should of hired more people than they did, but that never happen, so would it mean less ATC jobs, again, I don't know.
As a trainer in the FAA, for the most part, I like military people to train. Most would listen and do what you told them. The hardest part was getting across that a ARTCC (Control Center) had different rules than towers and rap-cons and most of what they learned in the military didn't apply.
Should it make it better or worst for the Military ATC to work with the FAA or make it easier or harder for them to get jobs, I don't know. I will tell you that Flight Service should of hired more people than they did, but that never happen, so would it mean less ATC jobs, again, I don't know.
As a trainer in the FAA, for the most part, I like military people to train. Most would listen and do what you told them. The hardest part was getting across that a ARTCC (Control Center) had different rules than towers and rap-cons and most of what they learned in the military didn't apply.
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When President Reagan fired the Air Traffic Controllers en masse, I wrote a letter to the White House suggesting that they be privatized. It seems that he did not receive my missive. I still feel about it now as I did then. Let those who use the ATC system pay for it and let the FAA police them. Having an agency police itself is never a good idea.
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