Controllers

Maybe they need to provide a device such as installed in most modern locomotive cabs. There, there is a button that needs to be pushed about every 30 seconds or so, when a tone sounds, or else the train will automatically come to a stop. In the control tower, it could simply sound the tone (continually) if not pushed periodically.

 

That pretty much sums it up.

 

I still don't understand how they don't hear the headset (or speaker) come to life and not wake up. Dozing I can certainly understand, but this?

Of course, the one guy had his own bed that he made from cushions, so I guess I can understand that one... (and he was sacked, rightly so).

 

I've heard ground-to-air communications, and a lot of people speak in a monotone so dull that it might tend to put one to sleep, not wake one up!

 

In the middle of the day, you are right. However, at 3am it is silent, and so anyone speaking comes as a bit of a shock. At least to me, when I've been flying at that hour.

 

All of you are wrong wrong wrong.... We all know controllers falling asleep in 2011 was caused my... wait for it... Ronald Reagan.

http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/scott-whitlock/2011/04/14/joy-behar-bizarrely-blames-sleeping-air-traffic-controllers-reagans-

And they let this nutty woman drive... .

 

Fascinating piece from The Atlantic a few years back on ATCs in NYC area
http://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/issues/97oct/slam.htm

 

A controller at Cleveland Center decided sleeping on the job wasn't bad enough and upped the ante by watching a movie instead of his Radar screen. And then he did something really stupid:

FAA Statement:

http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-local-air-traffic-controller-suspended-for-watching-movie-txt,0,2903386.story

Frankly, I'd rather he just be asleep.

Yes the media is highlighting every problem now... but CLEARLY there are big time management issues that need to me fixed. Soon.

 

At night, how many planes are in the air? I don't think there are many, so their shifts are probably very long and very quiet. Anyone here actually know first hand how many planes, on average, these guys manage during the night?

 

Obviously it depends on where you are-- Memphis is busier at night than during the day.

Much of the country is very, very quiet, though.

Personally, I don't blame the guy for watching a movie. I bet that happens a lot. As long as he doesn't either do what he did, or have the volume so high that he can't hear his radio, I don't really think it matters. It's not like they are staring at the scope all the time, when there is only one or two aircraft many, many miles apart.

 

Now this problem has worked its way up to the First Lady.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/04/19/michelle.obama.plane/index.html?hpt=T1

Makes me wonder why something new pops up in the news everyday on this matter. News agencies just starting to report this or has this been just as common in the past?

 

The First Lady's airplane had to go around? The horror!

She (or her staff, more likely) probably think they should have made the C-17 go around instead... but don't worry, there will be an investigation and some poor controller will have to do the carpet dance.

Just so you know, airplanes go around every day. And this had nothing to do with controllers falling asleep or watching movies.

 

It is a media feeding frenzy - I am confident they are actively looking for negative controller stories all the time. Negative press gets ratings and ad revenue. Make no mistake, modern press is as much about ratings and entertainment as it is about information, especially unbiased information.

Note the press omits any story about the controllers who work hard every day or do something extraordinary. e.g.

http://wilko.wordpress.com/2010/03/24/air-traffic-control-heroes/

 

And here is the result...... http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/04/22/355908/faa-requires-new-procedures-for-atc-around-presidential.html