Fri, Feb 04, 2005
One Of 38 To Be Shut Down Under Privatization
When the FAA closes 38
of the 58 Flight Service Stations across America, Mike Micoletti
and some 60 of his co-workers will pack up and move on.
"I guess everyone's offered a job, but as far as the time period
we don't know how long it will be," Micoletti told the Green Bay
News-Chronicle. "It'll take six months during which we're still
going to be government employees, then we'll be Lockheed Martin
employees. But that's only guaranteed while they stay in Green
Bay."
Some FSS workers don't want to leave Green Bay. Who can blame
them? Not only do the controllers at Green Bay's facility perform
their routine tasks -- weather briefings and en route
communications -- but they also help out with the biggest air show
on Earth: AirVenture at Oshkosh.
Even though Wisconsin hosts the EAA event each year, the
transfer of FSS operations to Lockheed-Martin will leave the state
without an office. The closest will be in Princeton, MN.
As ANN reported earlier this week, the FAA awarded
Lockheed a $1.9 billion, ten-year contract to operate the flight
service system, saying it would save more than $2.2 billion in the
process.
Although controllers like Micoletti, who's the local
representative for the National Association of Air Traffic
Specialists, has been promised a job with Lockheed, many of his
colleagues are nowhere near thrilled about the move.
"As a direct result of his management agenda, President Bush is
sanctioning government employees losing a large portion of their
pensions," said Kate Breen, president of the NAATS, in a statement
quoted by the News-Chronicle.
More News
Light Gun A handheld directional light signaling device which emits a brilliant narrow beam of white, green, or red light as selected by the tower controller. The color and type of>[...]
"The journey to this achievement started nearly a decade ago when a freshly commissioned Gentry, driven by a fascination with new technologies and a desire to contribute significan>[...]
Aero Linx: JAARS, Inc. For decades now, we’ve landed planes on narrow rivers and towering mountains. We’ve outfitted boats and vehicles to reach villages that rarely se>[...]
"Our driven and innovative team of military and civilian Airmen delivers combat power daily, ensuring our nation is ready today and tomorrow." Source: General Duke Richardson, AFMC>[...]
Aircraft Conflict Predicted conflict, within EDST of two aircraft, or between aircraft and airspace. A Red alert is used for conflicts when the predicted minimum separation is 5 na>[...]