New ATC technology

Today we replicate the text of a speech delivered by Patrick Forrey, President of NATCA to a transportation industry meeting earlier this week.


Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being a part of this important event and thank you for the invitation to be here with you to discuss three of my favorite subjects: The air traffic control system, safety, and modernization.

I am speaking to you today on behalf of the 14,000 air traffic controllers and 5,000 other dedicated safety professionals the National Air Traffic Controllers Association represents.

This summer, we are celebrating our 20th anniversary of service to the American flying public and our motto remains the same: Safety above all.

Nothing else matters to us as we work on the front lines of the daily challenge to keep our skies safe, secure and efficient as possible.

Air traffic controllers are highly-skilled, dedicated, supremely passionate about what they do, and eager to lend their expertise in planning for the future, and modernizing our air traffic control system.

Controllers love modernization and love the newest, most modern equipment, whether it’s the GPS in their cars, the iPhones strapped to their belts or the new STARS displays they have in their radar control rooms.

The title of this panel is "Next Generation Air Traffic Control," and air traffic controllers are excited about those five words. We are eager to be involved.  There is only one problem and it’s a biggie...

The Federal Aviation Administration does not WANT us... Why? Well, you’ll have to ask them. But it’s obvious to me that excluding controllers is part of their agenda to run the air traffic control system more like a business.

I mean, who wants those pesky controllers interfering with the development and implementation of equipment and procedures controllers will need to handle the increased capacity our airspace system demands?

After all, as safety watchdogs and systems experts we might see something that won’t work or won’t help us safely and efficiently handled the demands of tomorrow... and that could interfere with the bottom line.

First they sent home every one of our dozens of controllers that worked as technical experts on modernization programs, new equipment testing and rollout plans, airspace redesign initiatives, and new air traffic procedures.
Then, the FAA imposed work and pay rules on us Labor Day weekend last year, after completely destroying the fair collective bargaining process.

They gave their managers authoritative and aggressive free reign, to run roughshod over the workforce that is directly responsible for the FAA’s ability to call our system the world’s safest.

If it sounds like I’m angry, I am... Because, we see almost daily another example of how the FAA is jeopardizing the safety and success of new equipment and procedures, by failing to work with the air traffic controllers who will be using this equipment and these procedures.

Here in Texas, we are working to try and halt the FAA’s plan to consolidate Beaumont Terminal Radar Approach Control into the Houston TRACON, until there is a full and open process for all stake holders to exam the proposed move.

It is critical that we address safety, operational, and staffing issues associated with any consolidation effort.

Let me be clear, NATCA supports consolidations where they make sense. In the case of Beaumont, the FAA agreed to participate in a public meeting that took place on Tuesday. But the FAA has no intention of listening to the stakeholders...

You see, they had already scheduled training for Houston controllers to learn how to take over Beaumont’s airspace, and even had the audacity to move up that training to Monday, one day before the public meeting took place.

We have found one way to get around the FAA’s efforts to keep us away from modernization projects. And that is to work directly with the vendors that are manufacturing the air traffic control equipment of tomorrow.

One notable example is a ground radar system known as ASDE-X. We have been working with the Sensis Corporation to work out issues and potential problems at many airports around the country.

We are looking forward to the commissioning of two ASDE-X sites later this month; at Chicago O’Hare and Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

The updated system, which already provides enhanced runway safety measures, will provide controllers with information which may reduce departure delays off the airport, due to the departure transitions now being displayed to the controller on the radar.

This is an example of using new technology to assist air traffic controllers working in control towers, by providing more information without increasing workload.

There is a large and diverse chorus of supporters of NATCA’s position, that the best modernization efforts involve ALL stakeholders, including controllers.
For many years, the Government Accountability Office has consistently reported, that failing to involve air traffic controllers in the technology development process to resolve tricky human factors issues, has led to costly reworks and delays.

The Inspector General has noted that the need for focused "human factors" research has important safety implications.

As House Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Jerry Costello stated in a hearing on modernization issues in May, "common sense would suggest that the people that will be using and maintaining this new technology should be involved in its development."

Which brings us to NextGen, the Next Generation air traffic control system. NATCA has been shut out by the FAA on all efforts to work on NextGen.

But we are now working directly again with the Joint Planning Development Office, which is spearheading the efforts to develop NextGen. NATCA has also joined RTCA, and reinserted our participation with the NGATS Institute.

NATCA strongly supports participating in a collaborative process with the FAA in the development of NextGen, as well as the agency’s new modernization programs and initiatives.

Chairman Costello’s colleague across the aisle on the House Aviation Subcommittee, Republican Ranking Member Tom Petri of Wisconsin, wrote in the Roll Call newspaper last month that, "The manufacturers, airlines, operators, airline employees and FAA employees all share an interest in the success of the new system and will contribute immensely to its effective operation. As such, it is critical that the FAA include the aviation stakeholders in the development of the new system. Only with such collaboration will the FAA be able to deliver the best service to the flying public."

Well, we couldn’t agree more with Ranking Member Petri.

While we press for more collaboration on modernization, I must point out to you the importance of how the air traffic control system is being run right now... ..

Because like it or not, this is the system we have for the next several years, possibly another decade or more, until NextGen becomes a reality and ground infrastructure is expanded to accommodate more traffic.

And the system we have, ladies and gentlemen, is steadily eroding due to critically low staffing numbers within all work forces and in all segments of the FAA.

But there is something that can be done about it.

Currently, we are urging Congressional passage of an FAA Reauthorization bill that would send us back to the contract negotiating table with the FAA, to fix the unfair process that led to imposed work and pay rules on several NATCA bargaining units last year, and worsened an already critical controller staffing shortage.

This language is critical because it would provide an incentive for veteran controllers to stay on the job long enough, to keep the system running, and to train their replacements.

Right now, the massive exodus of controllers is eroding the safety foundation of the system, and delaying flights.

It has resulted in 1,100 fewer total controllers on the job since shortly after 9/11, and an alarming 1,300 fewer fully certified controllers in the same time frame, despite a huge increase in traffic, which according to the FAA and the airlines, has overwhelmed the system.

Here in Dallas for example, a worsening shortage of air traffic controllers at several facilities is a major concern to everyone except the FAA.

We are worried about the effects on our controllers’ ability to remain sharp, focused and well-rested, as they battle thunderstorms, congestion, and a summer travel season that has been marked by record delays thus far.

Does it not pique anyone’s interest that summer weather hasn’t changed, yet we are experiencing record delays...

Maybe the shortage of flight crews and controllers has something to do with that.

At Dallas TRACON, there are currently 68 fully certified controllers on staff. There should be over 100.

The understaffing has resulted in increased usage of overtime by FAA management officials, to desperately try and staff the positions. From January through this month, the FAA is slated to use $444,000 worth of overtime to cover for a lack of staffing.

Of the 68 controllers working today, 80 percent now are forced to work OT, resulting in longer periods on position, longer work weeks, and increased fatigue.
The situation is likely to get worse before it gets better.

While two trainees are scheduled to be fully certified this year, at least five fully certified controllers will retire, with approximately 10 more retirements in 2008. The other trainees have at least two years of training left.

At DFW Tower, there are 44 fully certified controllers on staff, along with seven trainees. The 51 total is eight short of what is needed to safely staff the facility.

And at Fort Worth En Route Center, there are currently 290 fully certified controllers on board, and 65 more in training, which is well short of safe staffing levels. The FAA must overcome this shortage by routinely combining sectors of airspace, resulting in controllers working more than one sector at a time.

The staffing numbers at Las Vegas approach, one of the country’s fastest growing airports is very disconcerting. Training is very sporadic and they can no longer staff the facility without using partially certified trainees.

In 2003, the staffing number for Las Vegas TRACON was 56. Today, the FAA staffing range for certified controllers is a maximum of 52. So while their traffic has increased by approximately 25%, the staffing has been decreased by the FAA. And the only explanation to this illogical activity is a bottom line business approach to ATC services.

The controller schedule beginning this October contains only 23 CPC's. The only way Vegas is able to staff the facility, is to use trainees that are partially certified, which stops their training. There are currently 18 trainees in the building. As of October, Las Vegas TRACON will have more trainees than instructors!

What better way to pull the wool over the eyes of the American public, than for the FAA to flood the media about NextGen. This is all designed to draw your attention away from the absolute travesty the ATC system has degraded to.
Here in Dallas is also where news was made last month in the form of a report issued by the Office of Special Counsel, that stated that FAA management officials covered up operational errors made by controllers who were diligent and honest in reporting them.

The special investigator in charge wrote in his summary that, quote, "these allegations expose a continuing pattern by FAA management of abuse of the basic measures of protection meant to insulate the flying public from disasters that very well may be preventable."

We agree with the OSC, that by manipulating data and events, so that operational errors and deviations are not accurately reported, FAA officials directly affect the statistical analysis of air traffic safety.

So before we as a nation turn our full attention to NextGen, and the future aviation system we hope to enjoy, we must work to ensure that the system we have to use today, to drive our economy and get us where we need to go, remains the safest in the world and one where no corners are cut in a foolish rush to institute business agendas over safety practices.

Thank you and I look forward to addressing the issues in this panel.


Well is he right? What do think? Does this apply to your ANSP; new technology essentially developed in isolation of the workforce; without proper concepts of operation? Well it certainly sounds like my employer should take note of this world wide phenomenon; give them a machine that goes ping, why, well that’s obvious it goes ping!