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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