I'm a controller and I'm mad as Hell.

[LHP50]

I posted previously about the current state of the FAA.  The following quotes are from the "FAA Today", official newsletter of the FAA at the bottom of the Operational Update section.  It can be accessed at www.ato.faa.gov  The archives can be found from that site or at http://www.ato.faa.gov/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=28&tabid=44

04/23/07:  "Our tools had a good weekend causing zero delays.  Good tools!"

04/24/07:  "Today we can expect 14 airplanes of the FAA ilk to be among the NAS World's flying faithful.  They, and their multi-talented crews, will deliberately circle, eavesdrop and snoop on our tools, withholding pellets from any non-conforming hamsters!"

Maybe you have listened to some of my work from the audio clips.  I do not think I deserve to be called a "tool" or "hamster".  I will be working exactly 7 hours from now.  I will be a tired tool and an angry hamster.  Does anyone besides FAA/ATO Management believe controllers should be called "tools" or "hamsters"?

[tyketto]

Seeing with what you guys do every day in keeping the US skies safe, absolutely not.

Doubly so, especially since the FAA is hiring off the street again. Any future ATC prospect is going to get a really bad first impression of their career, if they are called a tool or hamster from the start..

BL.

[ogogog]

be quiet tool and eat you pellet, mmmmmmmmmmmmm faa pelllets.

[LHP50]

Now the other tools in my cage are telling me that "LH" stands for "Loud Hamster".  Go ahead, stick your finger in my cage. 

LH

[ogogog]

iam hungery  I WANT MY PELLET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WAS A GOOD TOOL YESTERDAY ,I WAS I REALLY WAS....

you know here a C90 thay replaced the top printers at all the positions with a pellet dispencer.when you do a good job the FLEMs push a button and you get your pellet right away, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[tyketto]

iam hungery  I WANT MY PELLET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WAS A GOOD TOOL YESTERDAY ,I WAS I REALLY WAS....

you know here a C90 thay replaced the top printers at all the positions with a pellet dispencer.when you do a good job the FLEMs push a button and you get your pellet right away, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

I don't know if this was posted to incite another flamefest or not, but I do question whether this is on topic. Could we please keep it to being on topic to the original post? It would not be good to watch this go down the drain yet again thanks to incessant flames.

Ta!

BL.

[EivlEvo]

Listen guys... this is an ATC forum, and I would say that pilots CERTAINLY represent the minority on here. But for the love of christ man, any bitching that I do on here about flying or GA user fees and what have you, rest assured it in no way shape or form is anything worthy of the crap that you guys have to deal with.

I have absolutely NO IDEA why the FAA would dare say ANYTHING like that to their employees considering that the FAA is the agency that should be under the most scrutiny right now based on the way that they're running their "hamsters". How many of the last "major" accidents can be listed as understaffing problems. I mean, pilot responsibility aside, accidents like the comair crash as well as a number of others, say that one at ORD where the aircraft was cleared for takeoff and had to fly OVER conflicting traffic on rollout of a converging runway? All of these could simply have been aided by having more/better staffing in the towers and other such agencies.

The thing to remember here is that the FAA is probably looking to clean house because they KNOW that you guys don't like them. I would have to say the listening in thing sure isn't a problem because there are PLENTY of controllers out there that should be turning in the mics, but for them to use that terminology is ABSOLUTELY unprofessional as well as unnecessary.

This just goes to show you how powerful a tool as LIVEATC could become to the FAA if they wanted to run controllers out for not using protocol. On this site individuals (myself included) who actually know and understand how the real world works can understand the frustration of controllers and pilots alike at JFK, or understand the ribbetting of boston john, but when the FAA wants to get rid of people those are the first audio clips that theyre going to want to hear.

Basically, I hope that you controllers don't get SO pissed off at the FAA that you start thinking that the privatization of ATC is a good idea (well, better idea) and I hope you don't get mad at the pilots because gosh darnit... the good lot of us have the most respect for all of you and consider you equally important. In many situations, INVALUABLY important.

So feed on friends... feed on.

~DAVE

[LHP50]

I started this post to help demonstrate why controllers believe the FAA/ATO does not respect the work we do.  I have not been at all insulted by any of the replys, I recognize controller humor when I see it.  I want pilots on this forum to understand that controllers aren't just bitching because of some Labor/Management squabble.  People at the top realy don't get it.  They say these things with impunity because they believe them.   
LH

[The Hoffspatcher]

Poor, poor LH.  I am looking at the PHX WX which says BLDU, TS, CB etc etc, I bet he'll have to work extra hard for those pellets, somebody over at the FAA needs a lesson in employee appreciation, that's a terrible thing to say!

[RV1]

I think that ogogog was just adding humor to what is yet a sad situation for the controllers as a whole.

In case you folks haven't heard, the FAA has some creative ways to convince congress and the public that they're doing a great job.  #1 With so many controllers retiring and outright quitting, staffing at most facilities has dropped to extremely low levels below what the 'staffing numbers' should be. The fix: change the staffing numbers, of course! Now there is a range for staffing at each facility and as long as the head count falls within that range, Presto, fully staffed. At some facilities that can range from 170-255 controllers. I'm sure that it depends on weather and day of week....
#2 How does the FAA convince congress and the public that the new staffing levels have improved safety, resulting in fewer deals? Easy, instead of having four classes of deals from just less then the required seperation to Oh, My God,  Duck! Reduce the number of classes from four to three. Immediately there are fewer deals to report!
This is great! And for their next trick satellite based gps seperation for non-transponder equipped aircraft...


Why do the pellets from the FAA look exactly like what's in my yard from the cute little bunnies?

[LHP50]

bhoffman,
"poor, poor LH"!!!
You don't know me or you would pity those that oppose me, not me.  I am at war and I don't lose.  I'm looking for allies here, as I bet most pilots and atc entusiasts would agree the ATO business model is BS.  As far as the wx goes...hah!  Bring it on, is that all you got?  I'm kicking ass and taking planes.
LH

[PHL Approach]

Suggest deletion of post #6 and 7. This forum use to be great for years. Now it has just turned into another A.net that is half the size.

LH, sorry to say. You joined this forum at a bad time.

[dave]

Enough...this thread is going nowhere.

Sorry guys...take the bashing to another site. 

And this has nothing to do with whether I agree or not.

Go to the gym and work your frustrations out there.  Writing about them here won't solve the problems you're griping about.  And this isn't the purpose of this site.

-dave