How Did I Miss This ?

I could kick myself. Neal Conan, the host of NPR’s Talk of the Nation had Jeanne Marie Laskas on the show yesterday. Neal is my favorite host on NPR and Ms. Laskas is the reporter that did the story on LGA Tower for GQ.

I’ll have some comments later (the yard is waiting on me and it’s an absolutely gorgeous day here) but I want you to keep two things in mind as you listen to the story.

1) The team of controllers at LGA referenced in Ms. Laskas’ original story didn’t “survive” the New York Tracon. I noticed it when I first blogged about it. I just didn’t say anything because I wanted my readers to focus on the story. But if this story is going to take off (if Ms. Laskas is going to appear in a lot of interviews about it) it’s something people need to realize. I’ll have to check the dates, but roughly, no new trainee has checked out at New York Tracon since I retired. That was in 2006. A lot of new trainees have washed out at New York Tacon. It’s not a place to send trainees without any ATC experience. But the FAA has been doing it and that is a part of the larger story.

2) The FAA’s claim that this is the safest period in aviation surfaces again. I just happened to be watching a story on Enron last night. Once upon a time, Enron was thought to be the hottest company in America. It’s amazing how you can deceive people with creative accounting.

Listen to the story.

Don Brown
May 19, 2009