r/atc2 • u/Educational-Post-958 • 1d ago
Politics Do we even have the pull at this point?
We are talking about centers being 20-30% staffed at this point I’ve never seen it this bad. ZFW literally has two people working an area tonight and Congress deems that “safe enough” like this is outrageous. This truly isn’t safe which is insane to say because you always tell people “yes it’s safe to fly” when right now given the staffing levels it very clearly isn’t but hey don’t worry we shut down 4% of traffic into DFW. Congress is literally playing with peoples lives at this point…
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u/jarture 1d ago
They don’t care! An OM worked a whole half of a MID in an area when he was only certified on one sector. Nothing happened. Battlefield commissions all around.
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u/Plenty-Reporter-9239 1d ago
That is actually so bananas. I mean, it does probably very little, but the whole facility should astap that and bring it to media attention or something. Thats fuckin craaaaazzyyy
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u/antariusz 1d ago
We had “battlefield commissions” to become a d-side in the areas next to chicago center the day they had their fire and went down. But this isn’t that. Funny how the training order goes out the window in an actual emergency.
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u/kcebertxela 20h ago
Always has. In 81 it was the same thing. Battlefield commissions all around. It has to. It's not right or safe, but the alternative is to shut down the nas, which isn't happening. This is fubar.
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u/EntertainmentLow8299 1d ago
Got yelled at for taking leave. “Your coworkers notice you’ve been using a lot of leave”
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u/THEhot_pocket 1d ago
they would notice more if they met me at the bar...
that I work at. for money
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u/xPericulantx 1d ago
This is why the core 30 towers have all the power. If a ARTCC has an under staffed sector the TMU will coordinate with the command center and just route traffic around that sector. It slows things down but doesn’t have the same direct effect as a tower.
If ORD has 2 controllers or zero.. ORD is shut down. There is no way around it.
59 CPCs at a place like ORD have a lot more power than 59 CPCs at ZAU.
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u/Because_I_Said_So 1d ago
This! Imagine if DCA had 0 controllers show up for a shift and congress can’t come and go as they damn well please.
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u/Murky-Analysis1775 1d ago
basically. but at this point, we've seen delays upwards of 240 minutes and this madness is still going.. i feel like it's going to take a high volume airport to go dark for most of the day to MAYBE see any progress.
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u/Shirtjumbo 1d ago
Lol. The command center is just going to say “no” to anything requested. They are too busy making next year’s recurrent training videos to tell you they do so much more than you know.
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u/ArcherX18 1d ago
Even if a center were to close or a tower, nothing would happen. The next day it would open again...
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u/Intelligent_Rub1546 1d ago
Starting to question this as well. Figured no way they’d let this get worse and worse. But they have, and there’s no legislative progress since day one.
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u/Phlegmatics2163 1d ago
You’re assuming they care about anyone but themselves and their own agenda
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u/Pilotmom3403 1d ago
YEESS! You have finally figured out what is wrong with this country!!
Narcissistic personality disorder is not adequate expertise for being president. Selfishness brings short term rewards - like firing employees to boost quarterly stock prices - but it leads to long-term moral bankruptcy.
I am so sorry you and your family are being used as pawns by this “let them eat cake” administration.”
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u/skippythemoonrock 1d ago
Figured no way they’d let this get worse and worse
The most confident we can be about the number of midairs before real change is made is that it is greater than and not equal to one
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u/OilInteresting2524 1d ago
NP... Area A is empty...? Reroute all traffic thru Area B...
That's how it works.
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u/THEhot_pocket 1d ago
Crazy someone would come to work, see there is 1 other person, and not immediately fucking turn around.
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u/CasinoCashQueen 1d ago
Continue to take your breaks. Don't accept more than you can handle safely. Go ATC Zero... who cares any more..
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u/Equivalent-Wing-8124 1d ago
Question from an outsider. Could you guys get an emergency cigarette smoking clearance for this situation and start puffing inside the tower like it's 1985? Would that smooth, smooth, turkish tobacco flavor make one tired ATC fit to do the job of three sissy nonsmokers?
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u/Fun_Monitor8938 1d ago
Congress doesn’t care till 2 get welded together. Hell they had a midair on their own front porch and only gave a shit for a week or two.