NCPASS

FAA's handling of controller losses questioned

WASHINGTON (AP) -- House lawmakers are questioning whether the government's response to a flood of retirements and resignations among air traffic controllers is eroding safety and aggravating airport delays.

House aviation subcommittee chairman Jerry Costello told a Wednesday hearing: "It is clear the Federal Aviation Administration was not and is not ready to deal with the situation."

The Illinois Democrat says the agency has lost 954 experienced controllers since last October because of a labor dispute and growing retirements. Costello said that working the remaining controllers longer hours risks safety and efficiency.

The panel's top Republican, Thomas Petri of Wisconsin, said "everyone would be well-served if the controllers union and FAA management could settle their outstanding labor issues."

Inspector general criticizes FAA's training of air controllers

The Transportation Department's inspector general said the Federal Aviation Administration is so swamped with new hires that it has exceeded its own maximum trainee numbers at 22 percent of its 314 air control facilities. The FAA uses a database replete with erroneous information to manage the training program and has failed to implement remedial steps the agency itself promised in 2004, the IG report added.

Even inside the FAA, it wasn't clear who was in charge because four vice presidents at FAA headquarters have authority over some part of hiring and training controllers.

"Facility managers, training managers and even headquarters officials were unable to tell us who or what office was ultimately responsible for facility training," the IG report said.

Article Here

FAA INSPECTORS UNION APPLAUDS FOREIGN REPAIR STATION BILL

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) today introduced the Safe Aviation Facilities Ensure Aircraft Integrity and Reliability Act of 2008 calling for more strict oversight of foreign repair stations, and the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS), AFL-CIO, the union that represents more than 11,000 FAA employees, including aviation safety inspectors, are commending the action.

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FAA Reauthorization Status‏

After much debate and plenty of amendment activity, in which we have been actively engaged over the third party procedure design, flight check and implementation issue, it would seem that FAA reauthorization is dead for now. See the attached Congressional Quarterly article

http://ncpass.typepad.com/Congressional_Quarterly_FAA_Bill_Status.pdf

PASS Pride - May 2008‏

This month’s PASS Pride and the PASS Times you just received feature our most powerful weapon, lobbying and other legislative activity.

Please post on PASS bulletin boards and share with non-members the PASS Pride and last month’s legislative update. Ask them to join you in supporting PASS.

http://ncpass.typepad.com/PASS_Pride_May2008.pdf

Senate Speeds FAA-Overhaul Bill

Action on the FAA bill accelerated after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) on Thursday filed a motion to call for a procedural vote on Monday. That increased pressure on Senate negotiators to reach a deal.

Story HERE

FAA removes managers in flap over cover-up of air safety errors

In addition, the Transportation Department's inspector general found FAA managers in Dallas-Fort Worth routinely and intentionally misclassified instances where airplanes were allowed to fly closer together than they were supposed to, the FAA said. Instead of calling them operational errors or deviations from safety rules by FAA controllers, the managers labeled them pilot errors or nonevents.

Story HERE

Transportation subcommittee and the FAA

Transportation subcommittee chair grills FAA chief on wiring inspections HERE

FAA sets up high-level alerts for missed airline inspections HERE

Panel doesn't expect letup in air traffic congestion

Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., attacked Gribbin for what he saw was the department's "proposing to propose" to take action, and accused officials of waiting to hand the problem off to a new administration. He said the idea of letting the free market play out was not working.

"Why do we fear regulation so much?" he said, suggesting forcing airlines to notify customers of chronically delayed flights at point of purchase and letting customers know of hidden fees, such as meals and additional luggage checking.

Transportation and Infrastructure ranking member John Mica blamed the Senate for not passing an FAA reauthorization bill, and chided the Senate for not voting to confirm Robert Sturgell as FAA administrator.

Full Article HERE

PASS Pride April Edition

The attached document is the April monthly effort to communicate issues that are happening in PASS. The National President or VP author an update to be distributed to all bargaining unit members.. not just the Membership. We have asked the PASS Reps to utilize the provision in Article 64 section 4 of the agreement that allows them to place literature into the FAA mail slots of bargaining unit employees. I have asked that they print copies of this document and put one in each mail slot of all bargaining unit employees at their facility (or work center/SSC). We believe that it will not only benefit our Membership, but will give those that do not currently support us an opportunity to reconsider, based on facts.

PASS Pride April Edition