Post by TCU 2U2 on Apr 25, 2013 15:01:51 GMT -5
it is caused by being short staffed. My area is supposed to have 12 people on a dayshift and 14 people on an eve. We have been short staffed for years due to retirements and a three year long certification process. Before the furlough we had on average 8 cpc's per shift and 2-3 developmentals. Now that we are on furlough we are seeing 6-7 cpc's and 1-2 developmentals per shift. This is not a huge issue if we can run visual approaches but if we have to run simultaneous ils approaches we will either not have the staffing or will have to work positions combined. Either scenario will have massive in-trail spacing from the ZDC/ZNY center. The intrail from the center will cause them to ground stop for IAD BWI and DCA. Once they are ground stopped the people on the ground at IAD, BWI and DCA will have to wait for their plane to get there before they can depart. This causes them to be late to everywhere else in the country and everything snowballs from there.
All it takes is one major airport (JFK, EWR, ORD, ATL, LAX, SFO, DFW etc) to be short staffed on a crappy weather day and boom the delays across the country will be insane. We as ATC's for years have been dealing with being short staffed and barely squeaking by for years because of overtime. With the furloughs overtime is not going to be as readily available as it used to be. This is most defiantly not caused by the union. Just wait a few more weeks when prime time leave and thunderstorms light up the east coast at the same time. I know my area already only has some shifts with only 6 cps toward the end of May, and that is before anyone calls in sick.
AW
All it takes is one major airport (JFK, EWR, ORD, ATL, LAX, SFO, DFW etc) to be short staffed on a crappy weather day and boom the delays across the country will be insane. We as ATC's for years have been dealing with being short staffed and barely squeaking by for years because of overtime. With the furloughs overtime is not going to be as readily available as it used to be. This is most defiantly not caused by the union. Just wait a few more weeks when prime time leave and thunderstorms light up the east coast at the same time. I know my area already only has some shifts with only 6 cps toward the end of May, and that is before anyone calls in sick.
AW