Take action now, dont allow sequestration to impact your flight plan!

[undatc]

I know most of you guys fly under my radar, but for the few of you that do use my service, sequestration is going to effect you.

While this effects my life greatly (20% pay cut and a loss of all of my annual leave for the rest of the year), sequestration WILL affect every person in this country in a negative way. There will be fewer police on the beat, you will have a harder time finding produce and meat on the shelves in the grocery store, national parks will close down, TSA lines at the airport will be longer, your kids head start and title one funding WILL dry up; the list goes on and on.

Specifically as it pertains to aviation, Secretary Ray LaHood briefed the press about how this will effect the aviation community. 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2013/02/22/press-briefing

The FAA has come out of a list of 100 control towers that will be shut down.  No service period, for the length of sequester.  Here at ZSE we're looking at one day a pay period for the rest of the fiscal year.  What this means for you?  No VFR flight following, only IFR clearances and expect long delays as we will combine sectors up and the controllers left on the boards will give priority to scheduled air service.

Airlines wont take hits, but the people that inspect the aircraft, the controllers, and check airmen are effected. Due to staffing, we wont be able to handle as many planes, so 50 miles in trail to every major hub. Wonder how many planes will sit on the ground? How many BILLIONS of dollars will the airline industry lose every day? I wonder how that is going to effect the bottom line and those airline employees on the bottom of the food chain.

My union has started a grass roots email campain.  All you do is enter your zip code, a couple lines of info and it will send your members of congress an email urging them not allow sequestration to take place.  If you want for a facility you can use mine "ZSE".

If you have any questions, let me know.

http://afl.salsalabs.com/o/5893/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5541#http://afl.salsalabs.com/o/5893/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5541

[Baradium]

  What this means for you?  No VFR flight following, only IFR clearances and expect long delays as we will combine sectors up and the controllers left on the boards will give priority to scheduled air service.

Sorry, and I know this is important to you, but I have to bring this up.   I thought there something about how you're not allowed to give priority to an IFR flight simply because it is an airline vs corporate or other IFR?    Was thinking there was a legal issue with that.


The problem is that something has to be done.  The worst part about his whole deal is that the programs that are the worst for waste are the ones not facing any cuts (medicaid/medicare/wellfare).

[chuckar101]

Good article.  And you fire guys need to get ready.  We are already hearing rumors at the Forest Service about how were going to make the cuts.  Contracts are going to take a big hit.  It sounds like most of them aren't fire contracts, but I bet there will be more then we think.

[Mike]

Good article.  And you fire guys need to get ready.  We are already hearing rumors at the Forest Service about how were going to make the cuts.  Contracts are going to take a big hit.  It sounds like most of them aren't fire contracts, but I bet there will be more then we think.

Oh yeah? Can you elaborate?
Last meeting I went to was in November and it looked like they had no idea how and what would be cut.....

[undatc]

  What this means for you?  No VFR flight following, only IFR clearances and expect long delays as we will combine sectors up and the controllers left on the boards will give priority to scheduled air service.

Sorry, and I know this is important to you, but I have to bring this up.   I thought there something about how you're not allowed to give priority to an IFR flight simply because it is an airline vs corporate or other IFR?    Was thinking there was a legal issue with that.


The problem is that something has to be done.  The worst part about his whole deal is that the programs that are the worst for waste are the ones not facing any cuts (medicaid/medicare/wellfare).

By the books you're right. It's a first come first serve system when it comes to IFR guys. With that said, reality is different. If we hold airline guys on the ground or give them any undue delay our phones start ringing. I'd call it a grey area, while yes you're right, it doesn't do us or the "smaller users" any good when you piss off your biggest users.

Also there's this. I'm human. I can only handle X amount of airplanes at any given time. That number will change on WX, types of aircraft, winds etc. if the WX goes to shit and I'm vectoring for multiple ILS's and three different airports at the same time, you bet I'm not launching any more planes. First rule of ATC, a guy on the ground can't kill himself or anyone else.

[chuckar101]

Good article.  And you fire guys need to get ready.  We are already hearing rumors at the Forest Service about how were going to make the cuts.  Contracts are going to take a big hit.  It sounds like most of them aren't fire contracts, but I bet there will be more then we think.

Oh yeah? Can you elaborate?
Last meeting I went to was in November and it looked like they had no idea how and what would be cut.....

Sorry Mike.  Don't have any details yet.  I don't think any actual decision has been made.  Still don't know what they're going to do with us.