AOPA and ATC Privatization

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
...

[good links snipped, although some of the links were dead]

Larry, thanks a lot for taking the time to post all of those links. Like I
said, Boeing's ATC moves are conceptual in nature. Except for the new "Flow
Control" bid this summer, Boeing has been very quiet on *actual* ATC plans
and nascent ATC technology since 2001. That was the year the FAA 10-year
OEP seriously embarrassed Boeing. That was the summer that FAA announced
specific, actual steps for ATC modernization over this decade. At the same
time, Boeing could not produce any evidence of either a specific plan or a
specific technology to accomplish the vaporous ATC "improvement" goals
their quest for a *non-competitive contract* would "produce". Boeing
claimed that their plan and the technology to make it work was "secret and
proprietary". To most of us in the system, that was code for "we don't have
a plan, we don't even have the technology yet to develop a plan, but throw
us a contract anyway and we'll make it work..."

I'd also like to point out that the consortium of contractors that Boeing is
putting together to make a run on a Central Flow Control contract is not the
same as providing contract ATC services. Central Flow doesn't control
airplanes, it is staffed with displaced weenies from flight service stations
and terminal environments who don't have a clue about the actual nuts and
bolts mechanics of enroute air traffic control, and it breaks down early and
often every year. It's about the biggest collection of egg-headed FAA
management want-to-be's in the whole NAS. If Boeing and friends can clean
all of those strap hangers out the central command bunker, more power to
them.

FAA ought to let Boeing take over running all of the Regional offices
too. We have over 600 enroute CPC "controllers" working as "traffic
management coordinators" in the system right now. We have over 900 CPC
"controllers" working as air traffic office staff in the various Regional
offices, Hubs, and ARTCC's. Let Boeing run the offices and the command
center. Then we could ship those FAA central flow and office staff
"controllers" back out to the embattled field facilities, head set in hand,
to do the actual job they are getting top tax dollar to perform.

Chip, ZTL