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.