On that same line of concer does anyone have any info on the Death of a FAA
inspector from the Cleveland FSDO. Ron Drake?

And last but not least I heard a rumor that Art Mueller died as of late.
Any intel on that would be greatly appreciated.

Derrick.

What follows below is the Executive Summary of today’s Hearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, on the proposed Confirmation of J. Randolph (“Randy”) Babbitt as the next Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”):

1. Upon review of the Internet webcast, Quiet Rockland still maintains that one or more Senators should HOLD Babbitt’s proposed confirmation pending his written covenant to: (A) terminate the NY/NJ/PHL Airspace Redesign and (B) fire Redesign Project Manager Steven Ray (Steve) Kelley a/k/a “AeroTwink”.

2. In his opening remarks Randy Babbitt indicated his thankfulness for an opportunity to lead the “Federal Aviation Agency”[sic]. However, the correct entity-name is “Federal Aviation Administration”. Babbitt should really know what entity he is planned to lead, before he walks in the door. Then again, the Monday-before-last in D.C. I heard both an Attorney General AND a federal appellate court judge refer to my County of Rockland in New York, as “City[sic] of Rockland” instead. For that matter, I myself had a photo of Randy Babbitt up on my blog for over 2 months, that wasn’t even Randy Babbitt (although after what I have done to Sturgell, who can blame Babbitt for not making his photo easily available to me previously? – I since updated the blog posts with an accurate photo of Randy – please see above).

The point here, is that which is observed by a baseball pitcher – everyone gets nervous, but if you are going to hang a curve-ball, make sure you hang it outside the strike-zone. Don’t make a mistake WITHIN the strike zone.

The second point here is, Randy, in the event you did not know it already, we are watching and transcribing your every word, and chronicling your every step and action. I reserve the right to update and amend this summary and all my writings and postings based upon newly-gleaned information including without limitation a textual written transcription of your words today. What follows is from memory, for now:

3. Senator Frank Lautenberg led off the questioning of Randy Babbitt, by asking if Babbitt would pause or “hold” (heh, heh!) the FAA’s NY/NJ/PHL Airspace Redesign so as to include the input of interested parties including the front-line air traffic controllers who have been to date excluded from the process.

The bad news is that Babbitt in part answered the question by citing how he would “like” to solicit input from all “Stakeholders” – whom he later identified in subsequent questioning to be the airlines only.

The further bad news is that Babbitt ducked, punted, and avoided Senator Lautenberg just like Babbitt recently tried to do to me, saying that: (A) he understood there was litigation governing the Redesign, and (B) he was not certain of that to which he could legally agree, as a nominee alone.

The partial good news is that, although not clearly spoken, Babbitt seemed to suggest his own acknowledgment and understanding, at least from the today Lautenberg question alone, that air traffic controllers have not been active participants in the FAA’s Redesign efforts to date. Babbitt said he would “try” to get input from the ATC’s on the Redesign to the extent the law allows. Yet Babbitt did not agree to hold or pause the Redesign.

4. Babbitt said he “left college early” in 1966, and thereby seemed to indicate that he may not have graduated college. I intend to otherwise leave Randy alone on his background, spoken words, and delivery thereof, until he finally communicates to us whether he will terminate Redesign and fire Steve Kelley.

[He’d better].

Now that’s funny!

Through no fault of their own first and second level supervisors in today’s FFA are the most worthless positions that anyone can hold in the field. It’s easy work, no stress, money’s good, retirement guaranteed, and benefits are provided for a low impact job. Moreover there’s no prior qualifications necessary to snag one of the positions save one, one must interview well. I say let’s put these fine folks to work where they can do the most good for the taxpayer, put them back on the boards. What a boost to staffing that would provide! Not to mention the instant improvement to overall safety system-wide thanks to their higher-skill-set intellect being put to use in a practicable application such as live air traffic control. The area desk would then become just another operational position for controllers to rotate through.

If the agency were to actually abolish these positions there is one scenario that I would miss, that is watching a one-year-wonder supe attempt to help a newbie fix an incorrectly entered 6, 7, 10, amendment.

Went to Bethel FSS. Then Bethel ATCT. Then Merril in ANC and finially ANC ATCT.

Then, after getting picked up at DTW as a controller, tossed a big FU to DTW, and went back to ZAN as a supe.

7 months later, checked out on NOTHING said person goes back to ANC not as a controller, but as a ? Lateral move, so? Management says “We reserve the right to assign managers and supervisors where we need them”. Uhm, ANC already has three stupes (the limit) so now they have four? Well at least through this PP I understand.

Good luck my peeps in ANC. You will need it if she is a supe or OM.

As to saving money, no. They will lose trainees who may have been successful if they did assist/D side first. The FAA cannot lose face now, after publicly stating new hires come to the floor 80% ready. The analogy of the medical profession is dead on. I don’t wake up one morning in a downtown gutter and apply for a job as a heart surgeon. But that is the FAA concept as to what our jobs are.

But really, they should look at the historical record with the centers and how those facilities got new hires trained. I know, I’m one of them. And 21 years later, I am the greatest air traffic controller ever seen. I am Max Brill, and I approve this message.

-if Brill disagrees with you, it is because you are wrong.
-Max Brill is bored by the most interesting man (yawn) in the world.

(I’m kidding)

Yet management schlubs like phone boy have the unmitigated gall to come on here and tell us the “money is great”.

Yea, great for them.

We’ve got nearly 70 in management at SCT, to “supervise” 165 CPCs, 50 trainees and a dozen TMCs. Do the math.

Memphis, Houston, Chicago and Miami are all doing it. So this “trainee” prob isnt even certified at all the Dsides in his area and is working the Radar.
It lets the FLUBS use them as staffing and they dont get any experience (seasoning).

if we compare it to med school its like letting a doc in training perform open heart surgery before they know how to analyze the REST of the pulmonary system.

Here in ZMA, a number of OJTI’s had written letters to the FLUBS and ATM saying it was unsafe, that a A side shouldnt be working radar without seasoning.
Their response was that Seasoning is not quantifiable and therefore unnecessary. Funny thing is, seasoning is ON THE JOB EXPERIENCE AND ever other person to certify had to have ATLEAST 6 months of it before this DYSFUNCTIONAL TRAINING came about.