The Song Remains the Same

This could have been written in 1970. Or 1980. Or 1990. Or in 2000. The FAA never learns.

FAA tries new strategy to attract controllers

”"They've been coming in hot and heavy for four years and we haven't had a completely successful one go all the way yet to full-performance level," said James Hall, a controller who is the union representative at the Terminal Radar Approach Control center, or TRACON, in Elgin.

The track record has been that about half of the experienced controllers who transferred to the TRACON and 80 percent of the new hires fail during initial training, officials said.”

And yet, the FAA keeps assigning kids straight out of the academy to Chicago, New York, Atlanta and L.A.

Sigh.

Don Brown
July 11, 2011