(Part Five of an Extensive Investigation into the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In)

NATCA Speaks

Wrapping up our investigation of SnF air safety issues, we felt duty-bound to seek the counterpoints to the concerns raised by the air traffic experts we heard from in the last installment -- who seemed to think that the FAA/NATCA MOU was responsible for keeping some of the most valued and experienced controllers away from the high-pressure/prestige Lakeland fly-in.

Mind you; we invited Sun 'n Fun to respond. They did not.

We invited the FAA to respond and also (specifically) asked for an interview with Wayne Boggs. They refused, and later added that they would not answer any more questions about Sun 'n Fun.

However; we're pleased to note that when we asked the Southern Reg'l VP for NATCA to speak to us, he did so candidly, vociferously and intelligently. Herewith; a few of the remarks and the background furnished by NATCA's ever-outspoken Rodney Turner (right).

Turner notes that way back in 1995 the union received "complaints from union members," about the bidding process for the Lakeland Sun 'n Fun event. The complaints concerned "how controllers were hired and selected. We continued to be inundated by members saying that it was a good old boy's club, run by Wayne Boggs, and his subordinate supervisors, and that somebody had to find a way to get in there and do something about that good ol' boy club, and make it more of an objective selection process, etc., etc."

To get to the bottom of it all, Turner personally went to Sun 'n Fun in 1995 and worked the show… "I worked the runway, I worked Lake Parker, I worked whatever they wanted me to do… I acted, basically, as a regular controller. I met with Wayne and his staff, George Cline, Bryce Courtney, and some of the senior controllers and team leaders (and others). I drew my own conclusions, that based on the intense nature of the traffic arriving over the span of some 10 days, that the Sun 'n Fun event required controllers who were uniquely familiar with the event, but at the same time could provide an opportunity for brand new controllers to keep fresh people in the pipeline." Initial attempts with the FAA to seek changes, were not successful, but "some verbal agreements were reached with Boggs for the '96… and '97 event."

After that, Turner was elected to a Regional VP slot with NATCA and thereafter negotiated "a three year MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Wayne (Boggs) for the selection process outlining pretty much how many veterans and rookies were to be selected, and how many team leaders would be selected. For that three years, staff specialists, and traffic management coordinators were not represented by the union--only air traffic controllers in the terminal and enroute unit. We had varying degrees of success with that MOU. It had a three year span because my term is a three year term, and I did not want to encumber the next RVP with an agreement he or she may not have liked. So, I made the decision on my own that it would be three years."

Turner continues, "We sat down and reached an agreement again in 2000 and made some small modifications… again, staff specialists and TMCs were not a part of the selection process. About this time, Rick Day became the division manager and our first meeting was in October of 2001… and after the SnF event in 2002, he came to me and said 'hey, we gotta do something about this.' I said hey, this is a performance issue… when there are performance needs that are (not) met, it is incumbent on both team leaders and supervisory staff to say 'hey, you're not doing the job and you need to do this, this and this…' and if they can't do the job, they need to be told 'you're not going to be invited back.'"

"During the times that I reached agreement on the MOUs, we did selection by seniority. Now that means only the senior controllers are selected… there were three categories… Team Leader selection, which Wayne is able to pick, and select, without regard to seniority because it's done under our article 18, as 'controllers in charge.' They are the most experienced at Sun 'n Fun, from a controller's standpoint. The Veterans have to have been at Sun 'n Fun before, and once they have three years at Sun 'n Fun, then they're asked to go away unless they are selected to come back as a Team Leader. Rookies are (those who) have never been to Sun 'n Fun within the last five years. If you've worked SnF, but have been away for more than that, you're a rookie."

What Happened After SnF 2002...

"In the aftermath of the 2002 event, Rick Day came to me and asked me if we could shore up the MOU and I said I didn't have (any) problems with that... That, if he had any special needs for the safety and the efficiency of the event, to please feel free to come to me and tell what he needed. In my opinion, the controllers have always done a stellar job. My understanding, from what I was told by the NATCA air safety investigator, on site over the last two years, is that none of the events of '02 were blamed on the controllers… that they were considered pilot error. Now… that's my understanding."

[ANN Note: the NTSB has published no conclusions about the events we discussed (at the 2002 Fly-In) in the previous installment of this series]."

For 2003, Turner informed ANN that he asked Rick Day "to provide me with the needs of the (next) event." Subsequent meetings with Day, Boggs, and others discussed the needs in terms "of how many veterans do you need, how many rookies do you need, how many team leaders…" Since the 2002 event, though, Turner notes that "staff specialists, and traffic management coordinators are now ALL represented by NATCA… so they do not belong to management (FAA) to do with what they please."

Where Is the Turf War Coming From?

Obviously; there is some dissension among the ranks… as evidenced by the many complaints that we discussed in the last installment of this series. We asked Turner where he thought this came from.

Possible conflicts of interest were first discussed. He noted that there were other controllers out in the system, "some very experienced," that also do (non FAA) Air-Boss business--as does the FAA's Reg'l Special Events Coordinator, (the somewhat controversial Wayne Boggs). Turner opined that there was an appearance of a conflict. Turner also recalled that during the 2002 event that "something happened" related to Boggs' impending retirement, and that "the jockeying for the position of Regional Special Events Coordinator was almost like people clamoring for lottery tickets. Rick Day had made some changes in how the operations were dealt with... he had removed the actual operation of the event from Wayne and gave it to the Air Traffic manager at Tampa tower (who) then turned it over to a first line supervisor, Mike Huska. Mike then took care of the operations side, and Wayne continues to do the active liaison between the fly-in folks, with the FAA, and (then) coordinates the overall event. Apparently that did not fit well with all the folks that were jockeying for that position."

Turner disclosed that he has received a lot of criticism from some of those who have previously been excluded from the MOU, ostensibly because of their status as staff specialists, and traffic management coordinators. He says "they seem to think I have shown favoritism to the air traffic controller bargaining unit." But, he explains that the agency has agreed that controllers with CTOs (that are current and work air traffic every day) do get "head of the line" privileges above others (who do not meet those criteria) with a lot of Sun 'n Fun experience. Turner maintains that this decision keeps people who work air traffic every day at the front of the line, though this remains "a bone of contention" with the excluded staff specialists, and traffic management coordinators who (Turner admits) often have extensive SnF operational experience.

Turner understands the interest in working Sun 'n Fun, and the resentment built up by those who aren't coming back. Sun 'n Fun, Turner says, is "the aviation junkie's crack house, if you will. They can just bathe themselves in aviation and as an air traffic controller; it is the ultimate tower experience. Imagine being an air traffic controller and one of your instructions is 'I talk and you don't...' that's pretty cool as an air traffic controller. They know that no one's talking back to them, and that's pretty cool. I say it, you do it, and everybody's happy. From an air traffic controller's ego standpoint, that's pretty cool."

Closing out our interview, Turner offers a few more intriguing comments… adding that he has (on more than one occasion), "tried to get them (Boggs and Day) to institute a formal peer assessment evaluation for the event--and they are supposed to be doing that this year… every day." Turner admits that in 2001 four controllers did not pass some manner of review and but does not know how they fared in 2002.

He added that he has known Wayne Boggs… "For quite some time. He is viewed by some in the union as being just a duplicitous little weasel that just protects his own turf… (but) I've never found him to be anything but honest, I've never found him to be anything but forthright, and whenever I've had a problem, I've been able to go to him… I've found him to be easy to work with… but there still continue to be people who believe he's engaging in conflicts of interest because during his job as FAA's RSEC, he makes contacts for his Air-Boss company and things of that nature. It's my understanding that he's even been investigated by the Southern Region and found to be, you know, not engaging in anything illegal…"

Turner noted that since Boggs does actually compete with at least one controller (with over a dozen year's experience at Sun 'n Fun) who has not been asked back to SnF this year, and that since they have come to a head over those issues, "that, in and of itself, to me, is enough to me to indicate a conflict of interest…. 'cause it keeps them from doing what I believe to be the job that they were employed to do…"

On To Other Topics: Loss of Focus? Consumed By Greed?

While we've spent the great part of this series emphasizing our concerns over safety issues (as it should be), there is no question that there are a number of other concerns expressed about this Fly-in. Many of those concerns revolve around three complaints… a loss of focus on the original mission of this Fly-In, the alleged greed of those running the event (supplanting other more important concerns), and the rampant lack of veracity and ethics espoused by many who run the Fly-in.

Another Sun 'n Fun Insider (A Former Staffer) Protests

Dale Faux was, at one time, a pivotal member of the Sun 'n Fun organization… In charge of a number of responsibilities, he was seen as a fairly permanent presence at this event… until he disappeared from sight. Rumors surfaced that he'd been fired, though Sun n Fun reportedly tried to suggest that he left voluntarily… Dale then started speaking up for himself. While many others have had things to say about this subject (as have we), we feel that Faux's statements sum up a lot of the concerns we've been made aware of.

Disaffected, disillusioned and apparently not willing to go away quietly, Dale summarized his Sun 'n Fun related comments thusly, via e-mail:

"My concerns revolve around the volunteers and the lack of the feeling that they are part of the 'family.' The current heads of the paid administration, to my knowledge, have never been volunteers and as such have no feel for the volunteers themselves. One of the high staff was reported to have referred to the volunteers as "laborers." There also seems to be (a) large office staff now who never heard of SnF before they were hired, so they have no feeling for the original aims, goals and traditions of SnF."

"The event has been being turned into "big business" that has forgotten its roots. It's all about money and how to extract the maximum amount from the ticket buyers and vendors. Meanwhile, activities such as the Plane Parts Mart that is a major draw among the aviator population and the Mom and Pop vendors are being pushed aside in favor of the Mega vendors. Sun 'n Fun has lead the way for many years in giving the little guys a chance to make their mark. The same with the airshow portion of the event. Many of today's leading performers got their start at SnF because Oshkosh wouldn't give them the time of day."

"And, since it is all about money, the salary budget has nearly doubled in the last 3 years, with the top 3 making 6 figure salaries. The staff has jumped from 18 when I was there to nearly 30, most in the front office counting beans."

"Numerous chairpersons have decided to give it up after so many years since the front office believes they know so much more than the chairmen. The former Air Ops Chairman was told he was running a sloppy and unsafe operation. Strange, the FAA didn't think so. Combined, the top 3 staff members have less than 8 years total SnF experience. As I understand it, one was first introduced to the EAA less than 4 years ago. One may never have even heard of the EAA till he was hired at SnF. You really should talk to some of the volunteers and volunteer chairmen to get a better picture and so that what you have is facts, not hearsay."

"I'm concerned that the financial situation at SnF is not solid. I don't have access to financial statement or budgetary information any more, but it seems strange that the CFO was fired not many months ago. I understand one of the BoD member forced the issue of having the budget figures presented in a form that was more easily understandable."

"What would I like to see accomplished? I'd love nothing more than to see SnF survive this year and be returned to it's original format rather than becoming an Oshkosh clone. That most likely won't happen unless the BoD gets an earful and steps up to the plate. I feel that they would have to vote no confidence in Eickhoff and then, whoever was chosen as a replacement would begin the process of replacing the current president and vice-president. I'd like to see SnF continue to grow and prosper while remembering the formula that got them there."

Vendors, Airshow Pilots, and Exhibitor Comments

We hear rampant complaints from vendors, exhibitors and even airshow pilots; about the way that they are treated at Sun 'n Fun. A common complaint is the institutional rudeness of the staff, the incredible (and ever-growing) expense of the event, the over-bearing treatment they received with every attempt at correction, and an unmistakable arrogance that signaled (to the vendors, etc.) that their concerns were falling on deaf ears.

SkyStar Aircraft, one of the leading SportPlane manufacturers in the world, did something radical… passing up the event altogether. "The business reality is," continued Downs, "that Sun 'n Fun is the most expensive and labor intensive airshow we attend each year, but it has delivered ever-decreasing benefit to our marketing efforts and flight demonstration capabilities. SkyStar President, Ed Downs, also indicated that such major airshows "are a difficult, and sometimes dangerous, place to demonstrate an airplane."

Another cited the institutional distrust that Sun 'n Fun has generated among vendors who had been paying big bucks for their attendance based on the hype and promises made by the Fly-In's management… "The information you gave us regarding 'padding' the Sun 'n Fun attendance count is exactly what we, as exhibitors, have said for years. I know of several companies who have pulled out of this year's event because they just didn't see the 'crowds' that Sun-N-Fun claimed."

We've heard from vendors who have been excluded from the event because (they say) that they sold merchandise that, SnF thought, competed with their gift shop. We've heard from many who have had other misadventures... including the threat of being banned if they continued to complain, and one (an aviation writer) who was manhandled by security and the Lakeland Police Department in an incident, he later told ANN, that caused him to "fear for my life."

Airshow pilots noted that the SnF organization had gotten pretty stingy with things like hotel rooms and rental cars… which might sound a bit cheesy until you realize that Sun 'n Fun ALSO does not pay its performers for their performances. One noted that the only days that he could secure a room, or a car, were for those specific days that he flew… and on the days in between them, he was on his own… even though he still had to stay there until his next day performing. A number have also decried the air traffic confusion, and the political atmosphere.

Another performer wrote to tell us that he was not surprised at the way that ANN's Jim Campbell was being treated, noting that a senior Sun 'n Fun official once told him that 'SnF does not get mad, 'we get even.' He added, "Personally, Sir, I see it as a badge of Courage to have been denied by SnF. They have been the losers, and I and our volunteers have had the privilege to be where we are appreciated… Thank you for letting the story out. I am redeemed knowing that I am not alone."

One final report: "I went up to SNF... First thing I was greeted with was the registration van = $20 apiece. Next, rent the required tiedown kit for = $25. Breakfast was reasonably priced, $4.50 for a large breakfast. The used parts flea market has just about disappeared. No more boxes of used instruments at reasonable prices. Everything is yellow tagged for $200-300. As far as I saw there just aren't any bargains to be had on anything.... What is there is REAL JUNK. As far as I saw, the corker was an ice cream bar for $2.75. That is just plain highway robbery...
I have been going to SNF for a LOT of years. This is my last time. The greed is just too much. I am sure you know what is on the armband SNF give you to show you paid: "Sun 'n Fun is a private, non-governmental entity and controls all access  to the Fly-in, all use of it's property, and reserves the right to exclude anyone at any time from the Fly-in..."
Now we are both excluded, you by dictum, me by not liking to be screwed...."

We're In The Home Stretch…

OK… we do go on… but then again, this once pivotal aviation event has, in the past, been a poster child for all that was right in aviation -- before it became the poster child for most of what is wrong. If this thing goes down the tubes as swiftly as we fear, these lessons are going to be important for what might eventually replace it… more on that, and ANN's own experiences, in the final installment… next.

FMI: www.natca.org, www.faa.org, www.sun-n-fun.org