ATC Overtime; The Conversation Continues

So tell me how you really feel!

Believe it or not, I didn’t buy everything that came from 800 Independence hook line and sinker, any more than I would totally believe something I hear from 1325 Massachusetts Avenue 100 percent.

I simply published paperwork that existed from FAA and the GAO and asked someone to set me straight if I missed the point. Obviously some of you think I did. And for the most part, these posts have proven to be solid learning experiences about your world for everyone of us.

That being said, I also took the time to connect with Laura Brown, the agency’s Deputy Asst. Administrator for Public Affairs to ask for some clarification about why the overtime language in the documents doesn’t seem to jive with what you readers are telling me. I also have a call in to the GAO folks to see if they can explain some of the gray areas to me in a way that will make sense to readers. I want to hear a few different sides to this.

But a few of you need to chill out a bit when I mention FAA I think. Just because I publish some prose that doesn’t seem to support everything you all believe all the time doesn’t mean I don’t empathize. If I didn’t have a sense that something was odd, this conversation about overtime would never have begun.

I’ll publish the conversation with Laura Brown by Monday and then you all can pipe in with your opinion on her thoughts about OT and continue the conversation. It should be interesting. I’m planning on adding some responses to the posts you all sent as well. That might take a little time since I have three dozen to get through.

A moment of reflection on blogging … please

Most of the time Scott or I pick the topic for a story. After the landslide of responses yesterday, I’d say you the reader have swayed us for awhile. And that’s OK. We’re not a magazine.

We’re hear for the conversation, an interaction where we all learn something. A good argument in front of the mainstream press that read Jetwhine can only be a positive for everyone.  That’s where we depend upon you.

But I must say I had to remove some unsavory language from a number of the posts before I published them.

Look, I know you are all frustrated. I honestly do. But foul language here really isn’t going to help your cause. But a good argument will.

We all want to hear the conversation because we want to be able to recognize the answers when we see them. So give us as many facts as you can. But please keep your language civil so we don’t need to give you the hook.

Oh and one final comment for late on Friday night … I think it was the fellow who told me that if I had any brains at all, I’d catch up with Doug Church at NATCA before I publish anything again.

While I think Scott and I can probably handle much of the work, I actually did connect with Doug who has provided me with some background material that will run in the Monday piece with the FAA response. And I probably will talk to him more before Monday again too.

Thanks for taking the time to send your comments. They are always welcome.

Rob Mark, editor, Jetwhine.com

Technorati tags: FAA, NATCA, Laura Brown, Doug Church, air traffic control, ATC, GAO