ATC Local Knowledge

I was reading the new blog entry over at Praxis Foundation this morning and it pointed me to a new web site called Local Airports Matter. At the site, I found some pretty neat videos. Nothing will drive home the point to friends and neighbors that local knowledge matters in air traffic control faster than these videos.

Trust me, I spent 25 years in one of those darkened rooms, hundreds of miles away from the airspace I worked. I didn’t know where the mall was at in Hickory, NC, much less the McDonalds. That dearth of knowledge was a handicap everyday. Some days more than others.

In case you’re interested, the pictures and voice recordings came from the presentations of the Archie League Awards. The awards will be presented to this year’s recipients next month at the Communicating for Safety conference in Orlando. (I’m going to Disney World !) I hope to see you all there.

Don Brown
February 1, 2010

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