The Flick -- A term used by air traffic controllers to describe a mental model representing the current and future positions of air traffic in a section of airspace. Controllers visualize the paths of multiple aircraft in terms of position, altitude, trajectory and speed. Controllers also refer to this as "having the picture." But the picture moves -- like a movie -- hence the term “the flick.”
Monday, January 31, 2011
Shocked, I Am
I know all current (and former) FAA employees are shocked to read this news.
FAA Reauthorization, NextGen Could Be Delayed By $1 Billion Lawsuit
”A report in The Hill indicates that WCG is seeking $1 billion in damages against allegations that Raytheon Employee Charles Keegan entered into a conspiracy with the FAA to get a 10-year contract for air traffic controller training. Keegan had been an FAA employee during the bidding process, and allegedly had a romantic involvement with another senior FAA employee, whom he later married. The suit charges the two conspired to be sure WGC would not be able to get the contract as a subcontractor for Lockheed Martin. Keegan now is Raytheon's manager for the contract.”
I’ve got the solution to this problem, by the way. Put the training back in-house -- with FAA employees -- like it ought to be. It’s just corporate welfare. All the instructors and all the managers are ex-FAA employees. They were all trained and educated at taxpayer expense. And it’s all being used for corporate profit -- instead of for the good of the people that paid for it. It’s a charade. It should have ended decades ago.
Don Brown
January 31, 2011
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1 comment:
Don, thanks for posting the link. I went to college with Mr. Keegan at Daniel Webster College.
It was with great dismay I read the article. However, given the pro-management atmosphere of the Bush 2 administration, I'm just not surprised. It seems a lot of the top brass (Blakey, Sabatini, Chew, et al.) took advantage of the contacts they made and cashed in on the backs of the career front line employees.
I wish Charlie well and hope he understands that it's likely the Justice Department is watching closely.
Love your blog pal. Looking forward to your "guest blogging" coming up.
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