Would You Like to Fly ?

I’m cursed. There’s no longer any doubt in my mind. No matter what I seem to do, I’m cursed to be in aviation for the rest of my days. First it was pumping gas and washing airplanes. Then it was air traffic control with a side job of photographer -- photographing...you guessed it -- airplanes. Now, of all things, I’m chasing balloons.

Yep, hot air balloons. My buddy Kyle at SkyBlue Ballooning roped me into it. He told me I was highly qualified -- I know east from west, I know how to talk on a radio and I have a valid driver’s license. Oh yeah, I’m also retired (lots of free time) and I’m heavy enough to hold the crown line.

Seriously, it’s a lot of fun. Every flight is an adventure -- you never know where you’ll wind up. The passengers always have a blast so it makes for a good time for all -- even those of us who are “working.” If you would like to fly give Kyle a click.

Don Brown
November 30, 2007

It’s All Oz

Occasionally I hear from the folks Down Under. When it first happened, I was really surprised. What in the world do I have to say that would be relevant to Australian controllers ? I could start going into details but let’s keep this in general terms. Read this short blog entry from Keeping the Picture. (Does the title sound familiar ?) If you substitute “Georgia” for “Queensland” and “Washington” for “Canberra” you could be talking about America instead of Australia.

In case you’re interested, I found that blog at Civil Air Australia. With this modern day Coconut Telegraph called the internet, we’re more connected than any of us truly understand.

You don’t have to take my word for it, or Keeping the Picture’s word. Take a look at this Australian blog and see if it doesn’t look (and sound) a lot like this American blog.

Now, a land that I heard of, once in a lullaby, is just a click of our virtual ruby slippers away. And it sounds a lot like things do on this side of the rainbow.

The next thing you know, we’ll be speaking the same language -- fair dinkum mate. (Did I get that right ?)

Don Brown
November 30, 2007

FAA History Lesson -- November 30

From the FAA Historical Chronology, 1926-1996...

”Nov 30, 1992: FAA gave a “cure notice” to IBM concerning its development of the Initial Sector Suite System (ISSS), a part of the Advanced Automation System (AAS). The agency stated that unless the company provided a plan to remedy deficiencies within 10 calendar days, the government would withhold progress payments under the contract. Earlier in November, IBM had stated that, because of software difficulties and other problems, the ISSS would not be ready for FAA acceptance until Sep 1994, thus adding another 14 months to an already delayed timetable. Following the cure notice, IBM submitted to FAA an initial and later a final cure plan. FAA’s own steps to remedy the situation included changes in the project’s management structure and an Apr 1 ban on further changes in user requirements for the ISSS. (See Oct 1, 1991, and Dec 13, 1993.)“

In just a few short years the FAA went from visions of glory to dunning their contractors. For my new readers, the quest to automate air traffic control has a long and disastrous history at the FAA. I like to think it is because of a fundamental flaw in intent. Instead of using technology to assist controllers, they keep trying to make it replace controllers. See if you can detect that subtle difference in the history entry from when the FAA announced the program.

From the FAA Historical Chronology, 1926-1996...


Jul 26, 1985: FAA announced the award of a contract for replacement of the IBM 9020 computers at the nation's 20 air route traffic control centers (ARTCCs) as part of the agency's Advanced Automation Program. IBM won the replacement contract in a competition with Sperry Corp. under a pair of contracts that had been announced on Sept 22, 1983. The new installations were designated the "Host" Computer Systems (HCSs) because of their ability to run the existing 9020 software package with minimum modifications. Using the IBM 3083-BX1 computer as its key element, the Host system would provide greater speed, reliability, and storage capacity. Each installation would consist of two units, one serving as the primary processor and the other providing support and backup. (See Mar 22, 1983, and May 29, 1987.)

In addition to installing the Host systems at the ARTCCs, IBM agreed to supply the systems to teams working on the other major element of the Advanced Automation Program, the Advanced Automation System (AAS). Under a pair of contracts announced on Aug 16, 1984, IBM and Hughes Aircraft Co. were engaged in a competition to produce the best AAS design (see Jul 26, 1988). Among the key elements of AAS were controller work stations, called "sector suites," that would incorporate new display, communications and processing capabilities. AAS would also include new computer hardware and software to bring the air traffic control system to higher levels of automation. Once the full AAS system was operational, FAA planned to begin the integration of en route and terminal radar control services at the ARTCCs, which would be renamed Area Control Facilities (ACFs) and expanded to handle the new functions (see Apr 19, 1993). Among the planned future enhancements to AAS was Automated En Route Air Traffic Control (AERA), which would automatically examine aircraft flight plans to detect and resolve potential conflicts.

(Emphasis added)

Don Brown
November 30, 2007

Immune to It All

Robert Reich has a new blog entry: Why the Telecoms Shouldn't Get Immunity. I liked it when I read it. I liked it even better when I heard it on Marketplace.

I have mixed emotions about the proper place of corporations in our society. In this you’re-either-with-us-or-against-us climate we’ve created in this country, it seems increasingly difficult to have a reasoned debate. There’s no doubt that corporations have contributed greatly to America’s success. I also don’t think there’s any debate that there has been some abuses. I think Molly Ivins said it best (sorry I can’t find the exact quote) when she pointed out that we don’t just want just any corporation to succeed...we want the honest ones to succeed.

Corporations seemingly want the best of all worlds. They want the rights of humans but then, they want to avoid the responsibilities. While that is an all-to-human trait, the power they have to avoid those responsibilities is definitely super-human.

I wonder if they’ll use more lawyers to seek immunity than they did to question whether it was proper to comply with the government’s request ?

Don Brown
November 29, 2007

Rat vs. Rodent

This will only appeal to a select few, but James Fallows has a blog entry that brought a smile to my face.

I started my illustrious aviation career as a lineboy at Spartanburg Downtown Airport in South Carolina. The job is known by several different titles (lineboy, lineman, aircraft handler, aircraft refueler, etc.) but my favorite was “ramp rat.” It’s the lowest position on the proverbial totem pole at the airport. You refuel aircraft, wash them, drag them in and out of the hanger and whatever other grunt work needs to be done. It was a great job for a teenager. It wasn’t too hard, you got to meet a lot of different people (some important and/or famous people) and it had the “cool factor” of working at the airport. My favorite fringe benefit -- airports are a great place to watch sunsets.

Many a pilot got their start as a lineboy at a general aviation airport. They’d barter their work for flying lessons. I never got the flying bug so I took the money and paid for college. But I did make friends with all the air traffic controllers and the rest (as they say) is history.

Anyway, take a look at the blog and see the differences that can exist in the same job -- the difference between a ramp rat and a ramp rodent.

Don Brown
November 28, 2007

Still No News

As my daughter said last night...

How am I supposed to know what’s going on in the world without The Daily Show ?!!

Jon Stewart and the rest of the late-night comedians were the first casualties of the Writers Guild of America strike. Now, a whole generation of college students is without their generation’s Walter Cronkite of comedy.

If you’re my age or older, you might think that a strange comparison -- Jon Stewart and Walter Cronkite. Trust me, a lot of young people depend on Jon Stewart to separate the wheat from the chaff for them. They are bombarded by information all day. TV, radio, print advertisements and the internet. Jon Stewart is their filter. He’s also funny.

Which brings us back to the people that write the funny words -- the writers. They’re on strike. If you’d like to know why, you can watch this video. Or, for a very lengthy discussion, you can visit Wikipedia.

As I was reading all this, one phrase kept coming to mind -- “intellectual property rights.” The U.S. government beats up China regularly about this issue. I assume that is the entertainment (and computer) industry talking about China stealing their intellectual property. But when it comes to stealing the intelligence of creative people...I’m betting the corporations start singing a different tune.

Another random thought. Have you ever heard of a stupid writer ? Seems like an oxymoron doesn’t it ? Hey, I said it was random didn’t I ?



I’m rooting for the writers.

Don Brown
November 28, 2007

And the Winner Is...

If you’ll remember, in “Group Think”, I asked for thoughts on what the FAA would do to make sure they could announce success in curbing delays over the Thanksgiving holiday.

”Will they blame it on the weather ? Will they just say it would have been worse if the President hadn’t acted ? Will they cook the books ? What do you think ? You can send me your guess if you’d like.”

The winner is a tie. Several people guessed “all of the above.”

I have to be honest, it looks like the FAA (and the President) dodged a bullet on this one. I’ve got a story or two to tell but getting the data to back them up would be difficult if not impossible. The FAA controls the data.

It appears that General Aviation (GA) took a big hit. While the delays at the major New York metro airports (EWR, LGA and JFK) seemed to be less than an hour, I’m told the departure delays to the surrounding GA airports (TEB, HPN, FRG, MMU) were running up to 2, 3 and even 4 hours.

The arrivals into New York kept the holding patterns in constant use but they moved down through the stacks with few apparent problems. And yes, one of those holding patterns was in the now-famous “express lanes” -- at least at some point in time.

It will be interesting to see if any of the holding pattern delays make it into the news. Controllers used to write the data down, which made it a whole lot easier to remember. It’s all automated now so controllers don’t take note of the holding times like they used to. You might think that’s a good thing and in most aspects I guess it is. It’s just the (ex)safety rep. in me that makes me question whether being less aware of how long an airplane has been in a holding pattern is a good thing.

Don Brown
November 27, 2007

Way Up High

Ah, the joys of retirement. It’s raining (thankfully) so I can’t get to that driveway buried in leaves I was telling you about. But I’m still multi-tasking -- I’m defrosting the downstairs freezer while writing this blog. Speaking of which, let’s get back to that story of Matt Wald’s I was telling you about -- The Art of Air Traffic, in All Its Delicate Flow.

As I said, I like the story. I even like the title. Air traffic control is still as much an art as it is a science. I think that will remain true for decades to come. In addition, Mr. Wald has chosen to do a story on the type of airspace I used to work -- mostly high altitude airspace. You’d be surprised how little your typical airline passenger thinks about this phase of their flight. Most of my non-aviation friends still can’t figure out how I could be an air traffic controller and not work at the airport.

The story starts at the “Command Center.” Controllers have a certain inflection when they say “Command Center.” Sort of like Buzz Lightyear might say it. We’re not being fair. The Air Traffic Control System Command Center (as it is formally known) has an important job. And when it comes to “eye candy”, they’re hard to beat.



” But it was not enough. At noon, the center’s manager, Dan Smiley, called up a computer map of air traffic sectors at and above 24,000 feet. Three sectors were red, indicating saturation, and about 20 more were near-saturation yellow. All were clustered over eastern Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Each long, skinny sector held about as many planes as a single controller could communicate with.”

There are two important items in that quote from Mr. Wald’s story -- “red” sectors and the limits of communication for one controller.

“Red” sectors are just normal sections of airspace (or sectors ) where computer modeling predicts there will be a high level of air traffic. In short, the controller working the sector is about to get busy. Real busy. In a “yellow” sector, he’s just moderately busy. If you want to get down to the real nitty-gritty (I’m talking ATC nerd level) you can read about the Monitor Alert Parameter here. There are two things to know about the Monitor Alert Program. It’s a computer program making an educated guess about future traffic levels and...

”d. The MAP value will be dynamically adjusted to reflect the ability of the functional position to provide air traffic service.”

...the “number” that sets off the alert (changing a sector to “red” or “yellow”) can be adjusted. An educated guess is better than no guess (I guess) but it is far from perfect. Again, kudos to Mr. Wald for the usage of “art” in his story’s title.

The second item from Mr. Wald’s quote concerns frequency congestion -- the sheer limitations of how many people can communicate useful information on one radio frequency. I can spend days talking about this subject (and I have) so let me just quote myself. “...as I've said a dozen times, that is the biggest bottleneck in ATC: frequency congestion.” (Note to new readers. The link is to one of my columns on AVweb. You have to join AVweb to read them. It’s quick, easy and painless. Oh yeah, and it’s free.)

On some days, talking to 20 airplanes is a breeze. On others -- with thunderstorms, bumpy rides or when trying to keep the EWR arrivals spaced out at 20 miles in trail while they’re crossing the ORD arrivals that need 60 miles in trail -- talking to 20 airplanes is almost impossible. If the Monitor Alert Parameter for your sector is 20 airplanes...some days it works and some days it doesn’t.

Up to this point, I’ve used over 600 words for this blog entry. Mr. Wald only got 695 words worth of space to tell his story. That’s like trying to talk to 30 airplanes when the ride is bumpy and New York wants 20 miles in trail on the arrivals for JFK, LGA, EWR and TEB -- treat as one airport. It’s a tough job and I sincerely mean it when I say he does it well.

I hope my readers will keep that thought in mind when they’re reading a news story about air traffic control. Space in a newspaper and air time on the television is precious. Where you could spend days talking about the details of a complicated story -- you can’t. The truth can’t be found in a “sound bite”. But a good one can lead you to the truth, just as a bad one can lead you astray.

One final thought for the nerd herd -- the guys that actually read the FAA regulations I point you towards. If you’ll notice, the rules are long on collecting information and short on action. As any controller reading this knows, often, the only action taken when a sector is going red is that the supervisor comes down and says, “You’re going red.” (Gee thanks, Boss.) I’d be willing to bet the FAA is a little better about the record keeping requirements in the orders.

Keep that thought in mind -- Action vs. Data Collection.

”c. When a pattern of alerts is established (i.e., same sector, same time frame, on a daily basis or requirement for additional resources to manage on a routine basis) which requires recurring TM initiatives for resolution, additional analysis will be conducted. The analysis should result in recommendations to address the identified constraint and may include sector design adjustment, flow dispersion, or user operations adjustment. Should the local facility not be able to implement resolution recommendations due to external factors (i.e., lack of equipment, nonconcurrence from other facilities), the local facility will elevate the issue to the responsible Service Area office. “

I’d be willing to bet that a “pattern of alerts” is in the FAA’s data. I also bet the data shows that they haven’t taken any action. Especially when it comes to “user operations adjustment.”

In case it hasn’t dawned on you, the FAA has an incredibly hard time following its own rules. Even the good ones.

Don Brown
November 26, 2007

FAA History Lesson -- November 26

From the FAA Historical Chronology, 1926-1996...

”Nov 26, 1991: Administrator Busey announced a reorganization at FAA headquarters, including:

* A new Assistant Administrator for Information Technology position with responsibility for administrative and operational information resources. The Office of Management Systems at headquarters was abolished and its former director became Acting Deputy for the new Assistant Administrator.

* A new Assistant Administrator for Budget and Accounting position with responsibility for the Office of Budget and the Office of Accounting. These two offices had previously reported to the Associate Administrator for Administration, a position which was abolished.

* Retitling the Executive Director for Acquisition as the Executive Director for Acquisition and Safety Oversight and expanding this position’s responsibilities by the addition of: the Office of Aviation Safety, whose head was retitled an Associate Administrator rather than an Assistant Administrator; and the appraisal functions of the former Deputy Associate Administrator for Appraisal. (See Sep 30, 1991, and Nov 30, 1993.) “

I know. That’s five minutes of your life you’ll never get back. Sorry about that. But as usual, I do have a point. You can’t believe how many times the FAA has rearranged the deck chairs on the Titanic. It seems as if every time there is a new sheriff, they rearrange the office chairs. There are dozens and dozens of these type entries in the FAA’s history. The FAA is in the middle of another such move right now -- combining regional offices. And as far as I can tell, none of them have ever accomplished a thing. Kind of like most of the airspace redesign projects I’ve seen.

P.S. Admiral Busey was a honest-to-goodness war hero in Vietnam. If you watch the Military Channel you’ll see a show about his squadron -- The Saints -- sooner or later. It was the same squadron Senator John McCain flew in. Admiral Busey earned the Navy Cross just a couple of months before Senator McCain was shot down.

Don Brown
November26, 2007

Gratefully Gray

Sitting in South Florida on Thanksgiving Day, trying to make the best of the situation, I was reading my favorite paper -- ”The Gray Lady” -- The New York Times. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s not often I actually get to read the paper itself (just the on-line version) in that there isn’t anyplace remotely close that sells it. The place I was staying was definitely a Wall Street Journal-kind-of place -- they were stacked up in the lobby -- but my brother-in-law had thoughtfully purchased the NYTimes so I’d have something to read. My in-laws are like that. They’re incredibly thoughtful people and I was thankful to be spending time with them, even if it wasn’t in my preferred locale.

As I was reading the NYTimes I saw their editorial -- “Congestion Relief.” I was sorely disappointed. Oh well. I was going to write something about it but my new best friend, James Fallows already did so I’ll just direct you there.

In addition, the NYTimes had a story from their aviation reporter, Matthew Wald. It’s a good story that is worth your time. Hopefully, I’ll get to provide more comments later but for now, I’ll just say it’s one of the reasons the NYTimes is my favorite paper -- they’ll cover stories to this depth.

While I was busy at the beach, my driveway was getting buried in leaves. It was a beautiful fall here, with wonderful color.



Perhaps that was because of the drought (or in spite of it) but today -- on this day -- it is gratefully gray. Just like Thanksgiving ought to be. It’s cold, windy and rainy. I enjoy the gray days as much as I enjoy the blue-sky days. Just as I enjoy the sweet sadness of James Taylor as much as the craziness of Jimmy Buffet. Which reminds me of a song. See if it’s in your collection. I’m going to take a nap.

”There’s something about this Sunday
It’s a most peculiar gray.
Strolling down the avenue
That’s known as A-1-A.
I was feeling tired but I got inspired
And I knew that it wouldn’t last long...

Don Brown
November 25, 2007

Idiots in Charge

Every organization has them. Despite the spin, I’ve been assured by everyone I’ve talked to that no matter how great an organization is -- if you look hard enough -- you’ll find a few idiots working in the joint.

It’s not hard to find them in the FAA right now. They’re running the place. The idiots are in charge.

I swear to you, my Mama raised me right. She taught me to be gracious and charitable, to mind my manners and “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” Mama never worked for the FAA. And here it is a Sunday too. Lord have mercy.

In the latest incident that has caused me to cuss, the FAA is giving one of the nicest guys you’d ever meet a hard time. It’s a long and convoluted story but I’m going to keep it as short as possible.

Thom is a fine human being with 20+ years as a controller.

He has a heart problem that doesn’t medically disqualify him but required he use a lot of sick leave lately.

Using the sick leave triggered the FAA’s idiots-in-charge program to place him in the “possible sick leave abuser” category. Now he has to have a doctor’s note for any sick leave he uses.

Thom developed allergies. (Gee, I wonder how that could have happened ?) He went to the doctor, got a prescription and got the FAA idiots in charge their precious note. Sick leave approved -- because he can’t take the medicine and work airplanes (or operate heavy machinery, etc.)

Next Sunday -- I say again, (SUNDAY) -- his allergies are acting up, he calls in sick, sick leave approved -- everybody is happy.

Two weeks later, he gets his pay check and the FAA has docked him 8 hours pay. Nobody said a word -- they just changed his sick leave to Absent Without Leave (AWOL.) In case it isn’t obvious, the FAA can’t fire you for being sick. They can fire you for being AWOL.

The FAA’s argument ? Despite being diagnosed with allergies and being given a prescription that says “as needed” and getting the FAA their precious little note like this is grammar school or something...

The FAA wants a doctor’s note every single time he calls in sick. Did I mention this was on a SUNDAY ? It was mentioned to the FAA. Their response ? Go to the emergency room and get a doctor’s note. You can’t make this stuff up. They want a 40-something-year-old professional to go to the emergency room and get a doctor’s note to take some medicine (believe it or not we’re talking about Benadryl here folks) that was already legally prescribed by another doctor for allergies.

Keep in mind what “Option B” is. Come to work SICK and work YOUR airplane. I guess there is an “Option C” too. Come to work medicated and work YOUR airplane. Risk getting fired or risk getting someone killed. These options are brought to you by the Idiots in Charge (IIC) at the FAA.

I know the perfect descriptor for today’s FAA. I realized it well over a year ago. The problem is that it is crude -- some might even say vulgar. I’ve searched for a replacement. Seriously. It seems like a trivial matter but I’ve searched really hard to find another word that carries the exact connotations and I haven’t been able to find one. It really is the perfect word and -- thanks to the internet and The Urban Dictionary -- I can share it with you. (See definition #2 of the following hypertext link.)

The FAA is a $%#@!& outfit.

I hope you’ll forgive me for using such language because -- if she ever figures out how to use the internet -- Mama won’t.

Don Brown
November 25, 2007

FAA History Lesson -- November 24

Another “twofer” today because...well, because it’s my blog and I can.


From the FAA Historical Chronology, 1926-1996...

”Nov 24, 1971: The first in a series of hijackings involving extortion occurred when a passenger on a flight from Portland to Seattle successfully demanded $200,000 and four parachutes, then parachuted from the rear stairway of the Boeing 727. The hijacker--who used the name Dan Cooper, but became known as D.B. Cooper in the press--was never found. (In Feb 1980, however, tattered bills from his loot were discovered along the Columbia River in Washington.) Another incident involving a demand for ransom and parachutes occurred on Dec 24, 1971, and 17 more extortion attempts on U.S. air carriers were made during the next 6 months. (See Mar 7-9, 1972.) “

And the legend lives on. Speaking of living on...

With the current debate about a “market-based” approach as a cure to over-scheduling the runways by the airlines, this is how complicated it could get. Again, it’s my belief that it’s just a delaying tactic. This could get tied up in courts for years and besides, when you start talking about a place like Atlanta, there is no “market.” The City of Atlanta has a monopoly on commercial airports in Atlanta. They own the only one. Enough. Here’s the history.

From the FAA Historical Chronology, 1926-1996...

”Nov 24, 1993: A group of airlines and their trade associations formally asked DOT or FAA to prohibit Los Angeles officials from implementing a plan to deny airlines access to Los Angeles International Airport because of their refusal to pay higher landing fees. On Nov 30 and Dec 1, FAA Administrator David Hinson and DOT Secretary Federico Peña met with airline representatives and Los Angeles city officials to mediate the dispute. As a result, the airlines agreed to pay the higher fees, retroactive to July 1, while planning to pursue the issue through litigation. The airlines subsequently asked DOT to review the increases in accordance with legislation (see Aug 23, 1994) that provided a means of timely resolution of such disputes. On June 30, 1995, DOT ruled that the increases were largely valid but that the airlines were due a partial refund, a decision that remained under appeal at the end of 1996. ”


Don Brown
November 24, 2007

McNet

McDonald’s isn’t exactly the place I think of when I need an internet connection but I suppose any port in a storm will do. I swear I don’t know how businessmen get anything done while they’re on the road.

If you’ll remember a few posts ago, I told you about being in a meeting with then-Secretary of Transportation, James Burnley. It was quite an education for a young man (I was still in my twenties at the time.) I remember Secretary Burnley just laying into Congressman Molinari (He had graciously arranged the meeting) for “setting him up” to talk to a bunch of union reps under the guise of safety. Secretary Burnley tried to use that as a pretext to kick us out. I knew you could talk to a bunch of controllers like that and get away with it but I didn’t think you could do it to a Congressman.

Unfortunately for Secretary Burnley, two of us weren’t union “reps”. We were just plain old union members concerned about safety. I heard from the other one today...the other guy that was just a union member. I didn’t talk to him about making him famous in my blog so we’ll just call him “Bill.”

Bill and I have known each other for years. But not until today did I realize that he was “the other guy.” You see, back when all this happened, NATCA was very young. We were just getting started, we weren't “connected”, we didn’t have much money and -- to be honest -- we really didn’t know what we were doing. We didn’t even know each other.

We don’t have that problem today. Which brings me around to today. If the Secretary of Transportation pulled a stunt like that today, we’d make her famous.

We were trying to tell Secretary Burnley that the Expanded East Coast Plan (EECP) may or may not have been a decent “plan” but the training to implement the plan was horrible. One of the first assignments a controller is given is a map of their airspace to memorize. Controllers don’t have time to look at a map. They have to have their airspace memorized. The EECP was going to change that airspace overnight. All of it. And there wasn’t going to be any meaningful training on it. It was idiotic and it almost got two plane loads of people killed.

Which begs the question, with the current controller shortage, how will the FAA train it’s controllers on whatever they come up with as the new airspace configuration around New York ? They have to be overwhelmed just trying to train new controllers to be controllers. How will they fit in even more training ? More to the point, will that decrease in safety (no matter how small) be worth whatever gain we’re talking about here ? I can’t tell you what gains we’re talking about because I don’t see any gains. You’ve got to ask yourself a question (or two.) What has changed since the implementation of the Expanded East Coast Plan in 1987 ? What new airports have been built ? What has changed that a new plan will fix ?

Don Brown
November 23, 2007

FAA History Lesson -- November 23

From the FAA Historical Chronology, 1926-1996...

”Nov 23, 1959: The Strategic Air Command began using seven special air routes established for its use by FAA to carry out day and night, all-weather, low-altitude training missions. The routes for Operation Oil Burner, code name for these SAC radar bomb runs over simulated targets throughout the country, were laid out to avoid congested population and airport centers to the maximum extent possible. “

“Oil burner” is another example of the U.S. Military’s sometimes-playful sense of humor -- in a truth-in-advertising kind of sense. A B-52 flying near tree-top level does indeed burn some “oil.” One of these routes used to run through my airspace and provided an endless source of excitement. One of them once made a NMAC (Near Mid Air Collision) report on my frequency -- they almost hit a hang glider. I don’t know who would have the better story to tell -- the B-52 pilot or the hang glider pilot.

Along the truth-in-advertising line, some of the guys flying the B-52s had the best radio call sign -- DOOM.

Don Brown
November 23, 2007

His Lips Are Moving

The avalanche of press coverage about President Bush and his “express lanes” in the sky continues. So many stories...so little time.

Seriously, I’m really pressed for time.

Read this, if you like, from the aptly named Memphis Commercial Appeal...

More air lanes open to ease holiday flights

...but the only thing I really want you to see is this quote.

”Delays in New York airports account for about 75 percent of the airplane delays across the nation, said Jim Burnley, secretary of Transportation under Reagan.

"This is a novel and unprecedented step," he said. "This is the deepest that any president has delved into aviation issues since Reagan had to face down the air traffic controllers' union in 1981."”

I remember a time when Mr. Burnley delved into aviation -- or should I say, air traffic control. I was there.

Say Again? #61: It's Here!

”As I told you in Say Again? #9: Maiden and Me, predicting bad things is how I got my start in the safety business. In a meeting with the Secretary of Transportation and the FAA Administrator (James Burnley and T. Allan McArtor, respectively), I got a little hot under the collar about the tone of the meeting and I forgot to be intimidated by their titles. I told them what I thought was going to happen and where. And I was right. Well, I was close enough. And speaking of close, so were COA458 and COA703. That earned me a phone call from AT-1, the head of Air Traffic for the FAA (Keith Potts at the time), to apologize for the way we controllers were treated at the meeting. Trust me, when the head of Air Traffic calls the facility to get a rookie controller off the sector for a conversation, it gets the attention of a lot of managers.”

Let me steal an old joke about how to tell when a lawyer is lying.

How can you tell when a controller is telling ”The Truth”?

When he’s got his nose pressed to the glass of his radar scope -- or in a meeting with a bunch of politicians -- trying to keep two airliners from hitting each other.

Don Brown
November 21, 2007

Group Think

Being an ex-controller, you would think I would know how to manage my time better. Oh well. I don’t have enough free time to think this out -- much less write it out -- before Thanksgiving so you will have to do your own thinking.

As I’ve mentioned before (this is me, managing my time by not looking up the blog entry), George W. Bush has made a career out of being underestimated. As President of the United States, he has interjected himself into the airline delay crisis just a few days before Thanksgiving. I’m convinced (and I hope you are convinced) that his announced plan won’t do a thing to lessen delays this week. So, what’s the unannounced plan ?

Seriously. The POTUS doesn’t put his credibility on the line without some solid assurances that his course of action will be successful. When Monday morning comes around (remember, Sunday is as big a travel day as Wednesday) and all the controllers start talking to the Monday-morning quarterbacks, how is the Administration going to sell this turkey ? What will they say as they unfurl the “Mission Accomplished” banner with JFK Tower looming in the background ? (BTW, what’s with the JFK fetish this year ? Why not LGA or EWR or ATL ?)

The weather in Atlanta is supposed to be thunderstorms on Wednesday. For New York, it’s showers. At Chicago it’s snow mixed with rain. It ain’t looking good.

Will they blame it on the weather ? Will they just say it would have been worse if the President hadn’t acted ? Will they cook the books ? What do you think ? You can send me your guess if you’d like. I don’t know what I’d do with it but it might be interesting to see what thoughts are out there. The question has crossed more than one controller’s mind...did it cross yours ?

It shoud have.

Don Brown
November 20, 2007

FAA History Lesson -- November 20

From the FAA Historical Chronology, 1926-1996...

”Nov 20, 1992: FAA outlined the results of a congressionally mandated Aircraft Noise Mitigation Review for the New York metropolitan area within a 55 nautical mile radius of La Guardia airport. The review complemented FAA's work on the environmental impact of the Expanded East Coast plan on New Jersey (see Mar 11, 1991). In conducting the review, FAA held 18 listening sessions in New York and Connecticut. The review team's recommendations, which represented a comprehensive action plan, included: raising certain helicopter flight altitudes; amending flight patterns to allow more flights bound for La Guardia to remain longer over Long Island sound; establishing a second instrument landing system at Stewart Airport, and increasing noise reduction awareness training programs. “

How long do you think it will be before Congress mandates something for today’s noise problems associated with yet another airspace redesign for New York ?


NOISE ABOVE DELAYS BELOW: Why LI may get a break on jet noise

”Officials on Long Island, are relatively unaware of the planned changes or their impact.

"The issue has recently come to our attention," said Justin Meyers, a spokesman for the Town of North Hempstead. "We are currently reaching out to our federal representatives to explore this matter further."

Don Brown
November 20, 2007

FAA History Lesson -- November 19

From the FAA Historical Chronology, 1926-1996...

”Nov 19, 1963: Responding to requests from U.S. and foreign carriers for priority deliveries of the U.S. supersonic transport (SST) when it became available, FAA established a delivery priorities system for the first 70 airliners to come off the production line. The agency stated it was acting as intermediary for the airlines pending final selection of a manufacturer to make the SST available at an early time to the broadest possible market, while maintaining a reasonable balance of distribution been U.S. and foreign carriers. (See Aug 15, 1963, and Jan 15, 1964.)“

My, how things have changed. You have to remember the times. We were headed for the moon. For any nation that could “put a man on the moon”, a supersonic transport was child’s play. It was a time of hope and limitless possibilities. At least it seemed that way -- before that awful day in Dallas.

People of a certain age don’t have to be told this, of course. You see, for them, 1963 stands out just as 2001 will always stand out for this generation. Just as December 7th, 1941 stood out for the generation before.

I was crawling through the rails of the fence that separated our yard from the neighbors. I was just a child at play. But I remember it because I remember the fear on my mother’s face as she ran out of the front door to check on her children. Fear is infectious.

Sometimes, when I’m researching these history lessons, I can’t stop my eyes from wondering to the next entry.

From the FAA Historical Chronology, 1926-1996...

”Nov 22, 1963: President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and was succeeded by Lyndon B. Johnson.“

Don Brown
November 19, 2007

Ding !

Folks that know me well know that I’m not a technology wizard. As a matter of fact, a lot of my coworkers thought of me as anti-technology. Never mind that I was the only one shlepping (can a redneck say shlep ?) a laptop back and forth to work everyday. My obsession about non-radar and flight progress strips convinced everyone that I didn’t much care for technology. I like technology just fine -- when it works.

It was working today. I wondered who was ringing my bell -- making the “hit counter” on my site spin like the altimeter on the Space Shuttle. Lo and behold, it was James Fallows. Getting a lot of unexpected visits to your blog is always a good thing. Getting a mention from someone of James Fallows’ caliber is like getting holiday leave on the day before Thanksgiving for a controller. (For the non-controllers, the day before Thanksgiving is normally the busiest day of the year. It’s crazy-busy and you can’t normally get leave.)

My sincere thanks to Mr. Fallows and my thanks to the controllers that will be working the day before, the day of and the day after. I hope the controllers can take heart in the fact that Mr. Fallows wrote about this subject. It’s been my observation that he gets the flick earlier than most. Hopefully, the rest of the media won’t be far behind and we can start rebuilding what is left of the best air traffic control system in the world.

Don Brown
November 18, 2007

What’d I Say ?

I told you Joe Brancatelli has the flick.

” "This is President Bush saying, 'Let me get out there just days before Thanksgiving and make it look like I'm doing something,'" said Joe Brancatelli, a travel columnist who focuses on how the airlines run their businesses and treat their customers.”

” Brancatelli dismissed the Federal Aviation Administration's announcement Thursday that it will help head off flight delays by imposing a special holiday moratorium on most airport maintenance projects, saying it is a standard procedure that should be done anyway, just as highway departments routinely halt road construction over holidays.
“

You can read it for yourself if you’d like, in The Chicago Tribune”.

Don Brown
November 17, 2007

Air Traffic for Dummies

It’s unbelievable. President Bush announces he’s going to open up some military airspace -- over the ocean -- to cure airport delays and the Press just passes it on. Google News lists 993 stories covering it so far. And as far as I can tell, not one of them seriously questioned the premise.

The Associated Press did manage to work in the real problem -- at the bottom of the page.

'Express Lanes' to Ease Air Congestion

”Bush acknowledged these short-term steps "do not cure the underlying problem: In certain parts of our country, the demand for air service exceeds the available supply. As a result, airlines are scheduling more arrivals and departures than airports can possibly handle."

(Emphasis added)

If you can’t figure out how adding two “express lanes” into the mall parking lot on the day after Thanksgiving is going to help you find a (nonexistent) parking space...you aren’t the only one. I guess knowing you are in the “express lane” will somehow make the wait seem better than if you were waiting in the regular lane.

Oh well. I guess I should be used to all this by now. Just so my non-controller readers will know...

The military airspace referred to -- according to the controllers that work it -- has always been opened to civilian traffic during the holidays. If there is a thunderstorm (not likely in late November) over the land routes the airspace will come in handy. Otherwise, the only thing it will be good for is extra holding patterns.

There’s one other thought I want to leave you with. Go to your favorite media source and see how they covered the story. As you’re reading, scan for one word -- the most important word -- Safety. I bet you don’t find it. I haven’t.

Don Brown
November 16, 2007