cessna2351
Well-Known Member
Doug Taylor said:
I can see it now....
"Well Atlanta Center would love to give you flight following but we don't accept your credit card."
Get ready for an exodus of ATCers....
- Thread starter cessna2351
- Start date
I can see it now....
"Well Atlanta Center would love to give you flight following but we don't accept your credit card."
Fox Xray
ATC
Things in the FAA have been going down hill for some time. The FAA has always had money problems, and they have nothing to do with salaries, especially controller salaries. A typical example of how the FAA would loose money:
The old FAA Eastern Region (AEA) has X amount of money for certain projects. Now, Joe Whoever decides that he wants a NDB, or VOR, or lighting at his favorite airport that has 3 planes a day (one of which is his). Tough you say ... except that he is close friends with Congressman or Senator big shot. Next thing you know the FAA is being forced to do this upgrade at enormous cost that is taken from more important projects. This went on for years.
Jump to the late 90's and the FAA starts to kick around the idea of user fees. The average person would think the airlines would balk at this, they sorta did, they did not have a problem with the fees, they had a problem with how the fees would be determined. They said to the FAA that they had no control over costs so how could they charge for services. This lead to the creation of the Air Traffic Organization (ATO), headed by non other the Russ Chew, a former airline executive. We are now being run like a business, and who better then a former airline executive ???
During this time Lockheed Martin (the Halliburton of aviation) has been slowly replacing all of the FAA's equipment with their own. First it was STARS (terminal radar) which is over budget and works poorly. Next we have the new 300+ million dollar debacle in oceanic control ATOP, a system that is such a POS they should have been embarrassed, it has been scary the things that have happened on this system. Let's not forget URET, the replacement for paper strips in centers, another POS non working computer. For the final we can expect ERAM in the next few years. The entire NAS is is run by something called the HOST computer system, all flight planing, data tracking, etc. is done through this computer. Granted, it's one old system, 50's technology, we use DOS type inputs, but Lockheed's track record does not bode well for this system.
They sell all this useless equipment to the FAA at a cost far above what the Gov't should be paying. Then ... they have their own people in Gov't buildings providing support and charge the Gov't for it.
Now, all the pieces are in place, we are run "like a business" (that's like being sorta pregnant), Lockheed owns, runs, and maintains almost all of the air traffic equipment, and the workforce has just had a pure anti-labor contract shoved down our throats... and the airlines could not be happier. They will finally be able to control "their" system. Look what has happened to flight service... which is already estimated to be hundreds of millions over budget, big surprise.
Any one who works, wants to work, or has anything to do with aviation should be worried. This is not union propaganda ... the wheels are in motion. Come election day the next few years vote like your job, or future job depends on it because IT DOES !!!
Anyway, enough of my ranting.
The old FAA Eastern Region (AEA) has X amount of money for certain projects. Now, Joe Whoever decides that he wants a NDB, or VOR, or lighting at his favorite airport that has 3 planes a day (one of which is his). Tough you say ... except that he is close friends with Congressman or Senator big shot. Next thing you know the FAA is being forced to do this upgrade at enormous cost that is taken from more important projects. This went on for years.
Jump to the late 90's and the FAA starts to kick around the idea of user fees. The average person would think the airlines would balk at this, they sorta did, they did not have a problem with the fees, they had a problem with how the fees would be determined. They said to the FAA that they had no control over costs so how could they charge for services. This lead to the creation of the Air Traffic Organization (ATO), headed by non other the Russ Chew, a former airline executive. We are now being run like a business, and who better then a former airline executive ???
During this time Lockheed Martin (the Halliburton of aviation) has been slowly replacing all of the FAA's equipment with their own. First it was STARS (terminal radar) which is over budget and works poorly. Next we have the new 300+ million dollar debacle in oceanic control ATOP, a system that is such a POS they should have been embarrassed, it has been scary the things that have happened on this system. Let's not forget URET, the replacement for paper strips in centers, another POS non working computer. For the final we can expect ERAM in the next few years. The entire NAS is is run by something called the HOST computer system, all flight planing, data tracking, etc. is done through this computer. Granted, it's one old system, 50's technology, we use DOS type inputs, but Lockheed's track record does not bode well for this system.
They sell all this useless equipment to the FAA at a cost far above what the Gov't should be paying. Then ... they have their own people in Gov't buildings providing support and charge the Gov't for it.
Now, all the pieces are in place, we are run "like a business" (that's like being sorta pregnant), Lockheed owns, runs, and maintains almost all of the air traffic equipment, and the workforce has just had a pure anti-labor contract shoved down our throats... and the airlines could not be happier. They will finally be able to control "their" system. Look what has happened to flight service... which is already estimated to be hundreds of millions over budget, big surprise.
Any one who works, wants to work, or has anything to do with aviation should be worried. This is not union propaganda ... the wheels are in motion. Come election day the next few years vote like your job, or future job depends on it because IT DOES !!!
Anyway, enough of my ranting.
Fox Xray
ATC
The mid term elections are this November... we (Aviation) need to vote for those that support us. That is not always Democrat, normally it is, but not always. Steve Latourette (R-Ohio) has not only been a friend to the controllers, he has been a friend to labor. He forced Bush to reinstate the Davis Bacon Act following hurricane Katrina.tonyw said:
Short of that much of the fight will be behind the closed doors of ATC facilities around the country... we have been predicting the ramifications of what this contract will do, now we will begin the "I told you so" when these things happen. As a union there are things that Natca needs to do better, and there are rumblings that they will start to happen.
I will post updates on this board info about avenues that are being pursued. I can't say enough about the support we have received, just look how far we reached under the most unfriendly to labor administration to run the white house, we lost by only six votes.
Thanks for pledging your support and I assure everyone that the fight is far from over.
For updates check out Natca President's Blog -
http://themainbang.typepad.com/
tonyw
Well-Known Member
Well, I just did a little looking -- looks like my rep was a co-sponsor of the House Bill and one of my Senators was a co-sponsor of the Senate Bill.Fox Xray said:
For those of you who want to see what your elected officials are doing, the House Bill is HR 4755 and the Senate Bill is S 2201. And to highlight Fox X-rays point, the sponsor of the House Bill was a republican.
I've heard the promos that NATCA is running with NPR. Let's hope the elected officials are listening.
Fox Xray
ATC
When you break it all down we (Aviation grunts) are all blue collar laborers at heart. Sure Mr. 30 year Capt. carries himself like an executive and I work with plenty of people that drive their yuppie cars, but from pilots to mechanics, controllers, ground personnel, dispatchers, everyone... we all work a skilled trade, we ARE LABOR. We deserve the prevailing skilled trade wage, at a minimum, and we need to support politicians who support labor, democrat, republican, whatever.
I tell aviation people all the time, vote like your job depends on it because it does !!!
I'll check back later... gonna go work my usual understaffed busy Friday evening and get my skull kicked in for a while.
I tell aviation people all the time, vote like your job depends on it because it does !!!
I'll check back later... gonna go work my usual understaffed busy Friday evening and get my skull kicked in for a while.
tonyw
Well-Known Member
SteveC said:Tonyw, giving credit to a republican????
<gasp....faint>
Now that is blatantly non-partisan!
Yeah, go figure -- you'd think that I was to the left of Fidel Castro if you listened to some people!
Seriously, there are plenty of republicans who I like -- Collins, Snowe, Chaffee, Shays, and my former congressional rep for example. It's just a shame that the hard core types in both parties are in control.
