Aero-News: Quotes of the Day

ANN's Quote of the Day usually derives from current news, though we reserve the right to pick quotes out of history that have a bearing on the day's events and issues.

Sometimes, you'll find them timely and in keeping with the content of the day's news... and sometimes, they'll just be thought-provoking.

Reader suggestions and comments are welcome... and if particularly intriguing, timely, or poignant, may themselves become future Quotes of the Day.

Let us hear from you, folks!

Aero-News Quotes of the Day

"There is absolutely no justification for the supervisor to turn down the Guard channel. This frequency is required to be continuously monitored at every FAA air traffic facility and area. This is to ensure coverage and allow controllers to try and gather information on aircraft in distress. Controllers can pinpoint locations and relay information to emergency services. This can dramatically reduce the time that it takes to get assistance to the downed aircraft."

-- NATCA Oakland Center Facility Representative Scott Conde

"This is yet another example of the controller union leaders making unsubstantiated claims in their ongoing attempt to attack FAA management because they’re unhappy with a labor contract that we put in place a year and a half ago. Indeed, NATCA's national president, Pat Forrey, admitted to reporters several weeks ago that the reason the union is attacking the FAA is to force us to reopen contract negotiations. In this case, as usual, the facts do not support the union’s melodramatic rhetoric."

-- FAA Western Region Spokesman Ian Gregor

Source: In a release to numerous media outlets Friday, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association insinuated the actions of an FAA supervisor may have interfered with controllers' efforts to hear a pilot's "Mayday" call in Northern California. According to NATCA, air traffic controllers at Oakland Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZOA) last Sunday were prevented from monitoring the distress calls from a small plane in trouble, because their FAA supervisor turned down the volume of the facility’s emergency frequency and loudspeaker to an inaudible level. According to Gregor, ZOA wasn't handling the aircraft in distress -- and the pilot wasn't calling Oakland Center for help. The aircraft, an RV-7, crashed near Banning Pass, killing the pilot.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.natca.org