Holiday Travel, Florida and the TMU

5Right_5Left

Well-Known Member
We get told all the time to file flight plans early during the holiday season so we "get our place in line and help minimize delays." From the controller side of things I assume this is helpful to gauge traffic flow programs going in and out of South Florida but I'm more curious about the minimizing delays. Say I file a flight plan today for December 26th, which we all know will be awful regardless but, does that improve any chances of reducing an EDCT? Or does it only matter how quickly I call up clearance at departure airport X before our scheduled time of departure as that is when I guess I'm changing a filed plan to an active one?
 
Afaik, when you file is irrelevent. All that matters is who calls first. First come first serve is literally in the .65. However, I work for a living so I’ve never done TMU, so I could be wrong because they rarely do rational things anyway.
 
Afaik, when you file is irrelevent. All that matters is who calls first. First come first serve is literally in the .65. However, I work for a living so I’ve never done TMU, so I could be wrong because they rarely do rational things anyway.

This is one of the few times a pilot is going to know more about this then ATC.

 
Afaik, when you file is irrelevent. All that matters is who calls first. First come first serve is literally in the .65. However, I work for a living so I’ve never done TMU, so I could be wrong because they rarely do rational things anyway.
I remember back in the 80's at LA TRACON the TMU guys were just another controller assigned the position that day. Obviously, that is ancient history, but does management do it now and is it a separate position a controller wouldn't do? I'm looking for a job I can do on my laptop from the comfort of my recliner.
 
I remember back in the 80's at LA TRACON the TMU guys were just another controller assigned the position that day. Obviously, that is ancient history, but does management do it now and is it a separate position a controller wouldn't do? I'm looking for a job I can do on my laptop from the comfort of my recliner.
It’s staffed by controllers but they’re either permanently assigned or on 1-2 year temp details, and not necessarily in their normal facility.
 
This is one of the few times a pilot is going to know more about this then ATC.

Thanks for this. Wish I would have known more about some of those links when I upgraded.
 
…It’s the least wonderful time of the year…

The EDCT system seriously grinds my gears. The FAA knows how many planes can land on a piece of pavement and go through one controller’s airspace. Instead of filing early, hoping for the best, and having pissed off pax when inevitably it all goes to hell how about just using slots? It’s even more infuriating because the OSH system would work perfectly if they’d just use it. Tons easier to tell the boss “there’s no slot at that time, here’s what we’ve got.”
 
how about just using slots?

because the airlines lobby against slots. We used to have them at EWR until 5ish years ago when they went away thanks to UAL, who immediately added 80 flights a day and then complained about the increased delays.
 
because the airlines lobby against slots. We used to have them at EWR until 5ish years ago when they went away thanks to UAL, who immediately added 80 flights a day and then complained about the increased delays.
Yeah…the whole “first come first serve” thing only works if you’ve got a company rep in the command center. I know NBAA’s got someone, but that’s one rep against literally all the airlines.
 
Young people that work in TMU are wanna be supervisors and traffic dodgers, it should really be people towards the end of their career that just needed to get off the boards full time.

They should be a completely different (Lower) payscale than those of us actively working traffic. Theres people that come out of Level 5 towers into ARTCC TMU to get their High 3 for retirement and its kind of BS. Most of them have no idea whats actually going on at a sector, would have no more of a clue than the pilots on how to work any of the sectors they're supposedly "helping", and are just drag and dropping flights into the Metering computer, and spitting out the time the computer says. Not much thought required beyond that.

That being said Im not sure filing earlier does anything for an EDCT. We see the EDCT in our departure bay, but it literally has no impact on me as an actual controller. The Flights pop up when they pop up, I don't do anything with the EDCT besides click it so it fades away on my screen.
 
Theres people that come out of Level 5 towers into ARTCC TMU

ZNY TMU is staffed with trainees who they got TMU certified in order to get them D2 raises while they wait to train in their area. It’s literally staffed with people who have never controlled a plane in their lives yet.
 
ZNY TMU is staffed with trainees who they got TMU certified in order to get them D2 raises while they wait to train in their area. It’s literally staffed with people who have never controlled a plane in their lives yet.
I’m convinced ZNY is a myth. I’m always routed around or below their airspace because “they’re so busy” but I really think they’re nonexistent.
 
ZNY TMU is staffed with trainees who they got TMU certified in order to get them D2 raises while they wait to train in their area. It’s literally staffed with people who have never controlled a plane in their lives yet.

That’s crazy. The way the FAA is run I really think it’s a miracle we accomplish our mission daily lmao.
 
Slowed to .75 all the way back in the vicinity of Sarasota, going to O’Hare, on Christmas Eve. Best laid plans, and so forth.

Not on thread, just airing my grievances.
 
Thanks for this. Wish I would have known more about some of those links when I upgraded.
In the case of EDCTs to a particular destination, you could file a proposal time earlier than your intended departure. This will get you in the line. In the case of EDCTs it is not necessarily a first come first serve priority. Your flight plan will remain open until 2 hours after your proposal time OR your EDCT, whichever is later. If you end up missing your EDCT, don't panic, usually something is available to be worked out. If you have no EDCT and are going to be more than 2 hours late, call up clearance delivery and ask them to keep your flight plan open. DO NOT file multiple flight plans for the same destination, that only gums up the system.
 
I still think the ski country routes are the must brutally painful thing im forced to give people. How do we not have a better way to manage demand then randomly route guys 500 miles out of their way. Had a poor pilatus just immediately divert for fuel because it added over an hour with the winds.
 
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