No. 91, 16 September, 2001

The GA VFR proposals will be presented to the Secretary tomorrow. Until then we don't really have any idea of when VFR will return. As I'm sure you already know, Alaska has been excepted.

If you haven't already received it by the time you get this, a GENOT will be issued with a part regarding visitors to ATC facilities. The interpretation is that pilot walk-in traffic is normal business but each region is responsible for ensuring security for our bargaining unit. Any concerns should be immediately raised to your facility management officials, as should security concerns in general. These should also be documented.

Suzanne Pellosmaa has asked that we start a contribution pool from NAATS members for the victims' families in New York. I've asked Acting Administrator Ward Simpson to address this. Please contact him ([email protected]) with any ideas or comments.

We want to check how bargaining unit morale is holding up considering the significantly increased workload, hours and confusing NOTAMs, GENOTs, etc. FacReps, when you get the chance please send Bill Dolan an email ([email protected]) with a quick appraisal of the state of your bargaining unit. Bill can immediately address it through the Situation Room while I use the more conventional methods if we can't resolve it there.

Wally Pike

No. 92, 17 September, 2001

Unfortunately we do not have anything new to tell you. The timing for GA VFR is still unknown. We're maintaining a presence in the Situation Room and monitoring the bridge to help the process along.

Preliminary figures show that you are handling 2-3 times the normal call rate. As mentioned earlier I will contact Air Traffic this week regarding meaningful (no letters of appreciation) recognition for your efforts. I'll also contact the Administrator.

If you need help you can always call me at NAATS Headquarters at 301-933-6228 or email [email protected]. If it is a regional question you might try your Regional Director first. If it is after hours you can reach me at my home number 301-417-0905 or cell 202-437-0764.

Wally Pike

No. 93, 19 September, 2001

We�re addressing concerns regarding a lack of information sharing between facility management and the bargaining unit. Management should be supporting your efforts on the front lines.

Since we have no real idea of when GA VFR flight will resume you are doing the right thing by being factual with the pilots. We are working to speed up the communication link on the NOTAMS.

There�s only so much a pilot can obtain from websites or DUATs. You are the controllers with the expertise and the latest, most accurate information. We�ve informed both AOPA and NBAA of this.

Union Reps, please coordinate any press activity with me in advance. We want our message to be consistent and we want to avoid any security issues.

We�re going to time future Updates to coincide with definitive information to pass along to you. Feel free to contact us at 301-933-6228 with any questions or comments.

 Wally Pike

 

The Flight Service Station Information Bulletin describing "several instances where they (pilots) have been told by AFSS specialists that they should dismantle their aircraft" was inadvertently not coordinated through NAATS before it was distributed. If it had been the Bulletin language would have been better researched. Yesterday afternoon NAATS GA Summit Representative Ward Simpson had a telcon with a number of AOPA representatives. His report follows.

Approximately 4PM yesterday (Sept. 18) I had a telecon with AOPA. Before the telecon I sat with Wally and we reviewed the major issues we have been getting from you, the members in the field either from telephone conversations or emails. Major issues are the embarrassment our people experience trying to do a professional job when FAA headquarters is not passing information to them in a timely manner. At times NBAA and AOPA websites would have material posted before the information gets to the facilities. The other issue of how Phil Boyer has put some negative information out on how we are doing our job with the pilots.

On the telecon representing AOPA were Heidi Williams and Mike Brown from Air Space and Procedures, Randy Kenagy Director of Advanced Technology, and Andy Cebula, Vice President. I went right into the matter at hand, which was Phil Boyer not supporting the jobs our controllers have been facing over the last week. I told them that most facilities are experiencing four times the amount of calls. One AFSS in Southern Region that gets on average 3,000 calls a day is experiencing 12,000 calls a day. I told them with 75 facilities we are experiencing between three quarters of a million to around a million calls a day. Our controllers have to listen to frustrated pilots who want to know "when". When they can fly! Many hound and prod our controllers for more information when the controller really does not have any definitive information to give them except the fact that... "there is no other information at this time." I told them the pilots have got to understand that our controllers are only able to give them information they get from FAA Management. I stated that for pilots to stay on the line and continue to "hound" the controller goes nowhere but downhill. They were apologetic, understood what we are saying would try to get that up to Mr. Boyer.

Ward Simpson

No. 94, 20 September, 2001

Due to a lot of hard work by NAATS Chief Negotiator Bill Dolan, the timing and coordination of the FDC Special Notice on Part 91 IFR/VFR ensured that you were advised prior to it being published on industry websites. This should help to avoid the confusion and minimize the interpretations that we've seen on previous NOTAM coordination. Bill is continuing to work in the Situation Room and address issues as they occur. My thanks and gratitude for all his efforts.

Questions have been raised regarding disagreements in interpreting intent of the NOTAMs. If you disagree with your supervisor/manager over the intent, comply with their instructions first. Then contact your Regional Director with the question. The Regional Director will either resolve it or forward it to Bill Dolan via his email. If you have an emergency interpretation that can't wait for this process you can call Bill at 301-346-6592 but please hold these calls to a minimum.

GA Summit Representative Ward Simpson is maintaining close coordination with AOPA and plans to expand this to the other industry organizations. He'll keep you briefed. 

I've talked with AT-2 Jeff Griffith and told him that, when circumstances permit, I would like to talk about recognition for all of your efforts. He's agreed and we'll have that discussion soon. I'm also preparing a letter to go to Administrator Garvey ensuring that she's aware of your contributions to the NAS. 

We are working with our lobbyist to keep congressional members briefed. We do not want to give any impression that we're trying to profit from our national tragedy but we do want to educate congressional leaders on the essential ATC services you're providing during these trying times.

Again, feel free to contact us at NAATS Headquarters (301-933-6228 or email
[email protected]) if you need help. I encourage you to first contact your Regional Director if you have a problem that is facility/regional in scope. We must work with the various Regional Directors as problems occur in their areas.

Wally Pike

No. 95, 20 September, 2001

The FDC NOTAM 1/0274 is actually a blanket TFR that was mandated by higher authority, we're trying to track down exactly who. It was not coordinated through NAATS; we know it is difficult to understand. Our advice is that you not try to interpret it but ensure that you provide all the information to the pilot who is responsible for complying with its provisions. 

Wally Pike

No. 96, 21 September, 2001

Following is the letter I sent to FAA Administrator Jane Garvey today.

September 21, 2001

Ms. Jane Garvey
FAA Administrator, AOA-1
800 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, D.C. 20591

Dear Ms Garvey:

I'm sure you agree that the terrible and tragic events of last week will have a lingering effect for some time. I want to offer you the continued services of NAATS and its membership in any capacity that we can serve.

I encourage FAA senior management to "think outside the box" when it comes to our membership's abilities to serve our country and the aviation public. Flight Service controllers have many skills and abilities that could be employed as the NAS is reopened.

I also want to take this opportunity to ensure you are aware of the essential efforts of our membership during this trying time. Working with often conflicting information and instructions as well as chronic short staffing, Flight Service controllers have successfully handled a threefold increase in their services to our customers.

Standing tall in difficult times and working with what's available is nothing new to FSS. Surely the time has come to fully recognize the value we add to air traffic control.

Sincerely,
Walter W. Pike
President

SITUATION ROOM

I'm having a hard time getting this article started, because words can't express the sadness I feel for people who lost family and friends ten days ago and the pride that I feel seeing the job that all of you are doing in the field. I am going to try and explain what has been happening here in Washington in the "Situation Room". Let me start with the set up, it's a 24-7 operation, there is at least 3-6 FAA Management people in the room at all times and the NAATS/NATCA Representatives. The room itself is not that big, the walls are plastered with notes, phone numbers, NOTAMS, TFRs and until recently was so hot you could barely stand it. There is always something going on, most of which has now almost become "routine", but at times people have to scramble to handle a situation. The team at the top has been very impressive, Bill Peacock AAT-1, Jeff Griffith AAT-2, and their staff have been doing the best possible job they can do with limitations set upon them by the Administrator, Secretary of Transportation, National Security Council and the White House. Some of the statements made by top officials to the public or user groups about airspace or VFR flight have caused absolute havoc for our Bargaining Unit Members in the field. Bill Dolan is trying very hard to get the information out to the Bargaining Unit Members first before the users/public gets it and I think he is finally making some headway. There is a 6 hour update from the situation room that gets sent out to the regions and is supposed to be filtered down to the facilities, if you are not seeing or hearing about those updates, please let your FacReps or Regional Directors know so they can pass it on to Wally or Bill. They cannot put everything that happens in the situation room on those updates for security reasons, but there is some pertinent information. Management at the facility level has a responsibility to keep you all informed and if they are failing to do so I think the people in Washington need to know that. If you have any non-dues paying members at your facilities and they have more than once said, "why should I pay dues or what has the Union done for me?" I'm here to tell you if NAATS/Wally/Bill weren't here doing the job they are doing we'd all be in the dark with no one representing our interests or letting the people at the top know the outstanding job you are all doing in the field.

Let me close with a little about the man who is my co-worker and my friend, Bill Dolan. He has been doing an absolutely wonderful job representing our interests and us. He's been working 12-14 hours a day since this happened, I don't think he's had a real meal since September 10th and his family hasn't seen him since September 9th. The latest word is Jeff Griffith asked him to stay until September 26th, that's more than two weeks of long, stressful, heart wrenching days. He knows you are all getting the stuffing knocked out of you by our customers and is doing the very best he can to help alleviate some of that.

On a personal note (not that it means much!) I'm very proud of the way the Controllers in the Flight Service Option have handled and are still handling a very tough situation.

Kate Breen

No. 97, September, 2001

From the situation room - FacReps, we're requesting that you document how management staffed your facility during the past two weeks. Of particular interest is how overtime was used. The FAA has ensured that the centers and towers have been fully staffed; we want to see if FSS management took advantage of all their options.

More advice from the situation room - we shouldn't question pilots regarding their qualifications. It's their responsibility to accurately communicate their ratings and to comply with all the requirements. 

One of the options being discussed is a requirement that VFR traffic must be on flight plans. The NAATS position is we will do everything we can to help pilots comply with this, and any other rule or regulation as required by the White House, DOT and FAA.

As I've previously said, the Board will make the decision on reimbursement for cancellation of membership airfare tickets purchased for the postponed national membership meeting. For discussion purposes it would be helpful to know who was impacted. If you had previously purchased an airline ticket and, you were charged a fee when you cancelled your ticket, please forward copies of all receipts to NAATS Headquarters, attention Gretna. To the extent it is possible please have this information to us by October 13. 

Wally Pike

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