The following are excerpts from two accounts of the same event: the opening of the new air traffic control tower in Atlanta. Guess which are from a government website, and which are from the air traffic controllers' union blog.
FAA or NATCA?
a) May 9 - As of May 6, the tower controllers at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport are head and shoulders above their peers across the country — literally. Their new, 398-foot tower rises higher than any other in North America.
b)When the day shift arrived, they discovered the elevator out of service. Unfortunately, their security cards did not work to access the stairwell either, so they had to wait nearly an hour for someone with an appropriate swipe card to arrive and let them into the stairwell so they could begin the 602-step climb to the top.
FAA or NATCA?
a)The high-tech communications, automation, navigational and visual aid systems in the new facility, including the first dual-sensor ASDE-X in the country, are the most modern available today. Each new system was tested for months before the commissioning to ensure a seamless cutover to the new operation at 3:10 a.m Saturday morning.
b) When the day shift finally crested the steps in the world’s newest air traffic control facility, they saw a gleaming tower full of shiny, modern equipment that didn’t work. ...To top that off, there is a loud noise in the background as if a large ventilation fan is running. When asked, management’s response was, “What noise?” Facility management did seek out the source of the droning noise in the background, and reported back that it was the ASDE-X on the roof. If this is the case, this is going to be a major problem. Controllers working in the new facility report the noise to be so loud it is distracting.
FAA or NATCA?
a) The new tower, which is 165 feet higher than the previous tower, will accommodate current and future airport growth. It gives controllers an unobstructed view of the entire airfield, and will enable the airport to commission its fifth parallel runway on May 27.
b) From the new tower you can see clearly into the old tower, where the ATIS, FDIO and LLWAS are all lit up and working. The agency was determined to open the new Atlanta Tower on May 6th, and their obstinance reduced safety while increasing delays. The opening of the new Atlanta Tower was a perfect example of what happens when you put the wrong number of people in the wrong place at the wrong time for the wrong reasons.
Bottom line? Stay the hell away from Atlanta.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
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2 comments:
Controllers are often fattened by beer and could use a climb of several hundred steps to help them exercise. Besides, it gives them an extra few minutes in the morning to sober up before they get to work.
Unfortunately, the FAA cannot fix the problems at the airports because it has spent so much on dining facilities for lazy employees and executive jets equipped with heart-shaped beds and ceiling mirrors.
I like watching the FAA and NATCA fight. They're like a fat, old, drunk, homeless married couple.
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