IFATCA JOURNAL OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL
THE CONTROLLER Geneva, Switzerland, June, 1987
Publisher: International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations. P.O. Box 196. CH-1215 Geneva 15 Airport. Switzerland
Volume 26 · No. 2
In th ·1s"issue
Officersof IFATCA: E.F. Sermijn. President and Chief
The Air Traffic Control Situation in the USA
page 4
Executive Officer. U. Windt, Executive Vice-President Administration, T. Gustavsson. Executive Vice-President Finance. W. Rooseman. Executive Vice-President Professional. R.W. Randall. Executive Vice-President Technical. P. O'Doherty. Executive Secretary
Next Generation of Engines for Airliners
page 10
Pilot/ Controller Meeting at Frankfurt
page 14
H. Harri Henschler 1998 Glenmore Avenue. Sherwood Park. Alberta. Canada. TBA OXB Telephone (403) 467-6826
New Kenya Integrated Air Traffic Control Radar System
page 17
Management and Advertising Sales Office:
Wind Shear and Microbursts
The Controller, P.O. Box 196. CH-1215 Geneva 15 Airport. Switzerland H.U. Heim, Subscriptions and Publicity. Tel. (022) 82 26 79 M. Henchoz. Accounting. Tel. (022) 92 56 82 B. Laydevant. Sales Promotion, Tel. (022) 82 79 83
page20
Airlines of the World -Aer Lingus
page26
Book Review
page30
Fighting for Frequencies
page31
Editor:
Production 'Der Bund', Verlag und Druckerei AG Effingerstrasse 1, CH-3001 Bern. Telephone (031) 25 66 55
Su~rlptlons
and Advertising Payments to:
Umon Bank of Switzerland. Airport Branch CH-1215 Geneva 15 Airport, Switzerland Account: IFATCA/The Controller No. 602 254.MD L
Editorial
IFATCAExecutiveBoard Most readers will remember August 1981 as 'the time PATCO ( Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization. USA) went on strike'. Much discussion has since taken place whether the strike- culmination ~ontributors are expressing their personal points of of years of frustration -'- should have vi~w and opinions. which may not necessarily coincide happened. s~ould have been with those of the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers· Associations (IFATCA). · organized differently. could have been IFATCAdoes not assume responsibility for statements prevented or avoided. or re~~ted t_oin made _a~~opinions expressed. it does only accept reanother manner by the admm1strat1on. spons1b1htyfor publishing these contributions. These are questions to which Contributions are welcome as are comments and critici~m. No payment can be made for manuscripts subhindsight rnay have answers. suffice it mitted for publication in 'The Controller'. The Editor to say that IFATCA made all possible reserves _the right to make any editorial changes in attempts at the time to bring the two manu~cnp!s, which he believes will improve the material without altering the intended meaning. sides back to the table even after the Wri~e~ permission by the Editor is necessary for precipitate mass dismissal of t~e air repnntmg any part of this Journal. traffic controllers. regrettably without success. At that time the Federal Aviation Advertisers in this issue: Administration (FAA) predicted a Qantas. Philips. Ha-rris:Cossor. complete return to a normal air traffie Ceselsa. Thornson. Selenia control situation within two years. Photos: IFATCA immediately and consis~ently WNET. Rolls-Royce. Aer Lingus. IATA declared to the then Secretary of Transportation. Mr. D. Lewis. andtMe Cartoons: Administrator of the FM. Mr . .J..L. R. Randall
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THE CONTROLLER/ JUNE 1987
Helms who has since left that post under less than favourable circumstances. that 'the only immediate and cost-effective way of returning the US system to pre-strike levels of excellence is reinstatement of dismissed controllers·. These same sentiments were conveyed to the present Secretary ofTransportation. Mrs. E. Dole. Five years after the dismissal the ATC situation appears not anywhere near back to normal. safety concerns. both from pilots - who supported the Administration action at the time and from politicians are growing and reinstatement is being demanded. If there is one important lesson to be learned from a sad period it is that. no matter how much money is available and no matter how many people are hired. it is impossible to replace the majority of a controller workforce in a few short years and to achieve consistent quality. Safety and efficiency in an ATC system depends not only on satisfactory equipment but. fundamentally. on weUtrained and experienced air traffic controllers. Anything less amounts to just filling chairs.