Reagan airport crash 1/29/25

[mtmuley]

Get rid of them all. ET will guide us.

Air traffic controllers were initially offered buyouts and told to consider leaving government

Just a day before a deadly midair collision at Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C., employees at the Federal Aviation Administration were sent an offer to resign with eight months’ pay.

apnews.com

What good does stuff like this do? The experts will figure it out. mtmuley

 

[crock239]

Currently boarding an AA CRJ for Reagan...ticket was booked before this horrific tragedy. I know my odds of drawing my hail mary elk tag in WY are far better than the odds of the worst happening, but if I suddenly disappear from the forum...well, it's been fun.

 

[BuzzH]

The experts will figure it out. mtmuley

Yeah, I used to think the same thing. If you don't kiss the ring, you can't be an expert...and that's dangerous.

 

[ismith]

Yeah, I used to think the same thing. If you don't kiss the ring, you can't be an expert...and that's dangerous.

Gravity is bipartisan.

 

[Lostinthewoods]

Cleaned up and one 3 day ban.

Some people could save themselves if they actually read the posts prior to just coming and posting their comments.

 

[thebestusernamesaretaken]

Gravity is bipartisan.

Brilliant and true

 

[thebestusernamesaretaken]

My understanding from my nephew is he was put through an intense but accelerated training program--many months still. He was recruited by ATC before he graduated from college, had a bit of time off then had to report for training after a month or two. Had some aptitude and psych testing I think first before being accepted.

He's ATC at ATL now. Not his preferred location but you go where you are sent. Probably a pretty good place to get your feet wet in the job and either cut it or wash out early though!

They can't pick their location? I think that would create some of the issues finding staff

 

[BuzzH]

They can't pick their location? I think that would create some of the issues finding staff

Correct. If they have to work in a crap location, they better get paid better.

 

[kodiakisland]

Correct. If they have to work in a crap location, they better get paid better.

Pay is a real issue. I've thought about how much it would take for me to live with that much responsibility and stress every day. You screw up, you kill a lot of people. Then you have to live with it. The daily pressure has to affect life outside of work.

In my job if I screw up I could kill one person, but most likely would only injure them. I'm paid a lot of money for what I consider to be a low stress job. I have no idea what it would take for me to be an ATC, but know without a doubt $400k/yr wouldn't even tempt me.

 

[BuzzH]

Pay is a real issue. I've thought about how much it would take for me to live with that much responsibility and stress every day. You screw up, you kill a lot of people. Then you have to live with it. The daily pressure has to affect life outside of work.

In my job if I screw up I could kill one person, but most likely would only injure them. I'm paid a lot of money for what I consider to be a low stress job. I have no idea what it would take for me to be an ATC, but know without a doubt $400k/yr wouldn't even tempt me.

Couldn't agree more, you screw up once it wouldn't be worth all the money you ever made.

 

[3855WIN]

I've flown in to Regan more times then I care to remember. The pilot is putting on the breaks 3 miles out and I watch my grandparents house go by the window. The crashes there are so horrific. I just crossed the river and was less than 500 yards from the bridge when the Air Florida jet crashed into it and into the river in 82. I could never figure out why an airport was planted at that location. Dulles is just down the road .

DCA was there first. That’s why it was planted there. It’s still used for convience.

 

[3855WIN]

Pay is a real issue. I've thought about how much it would take for me to live with that much responsibility and stress every day. You screw up, you kill a lot of people. Then you have to live with it. The daily pressure has to affect life outside of work.

In my job if I screw up I could kill one person, but most likely would only injure them. I'm paid a lot of money for what I consider to be a low stress job. I have no idea what it would take for me to be an ATC, but know without a doubt $400k/yr wouldn't even tempt me.

Stress is having a family and not being able to pay your bills.

Air Traffic is the funnest job in the world, if you have the temperament for it. Lots of fun working busy traffic and doing a good job with it. Even more fun if the entire team is doing a good job that day.
Now the night the Navy trainer couldn’t get home, almost out of fuel, and couldn’t lock in on the instrument approach took years off my life. I turned in approach into a surveillance approach where I issued heading and altitude through the clouds and to the ground. Fuel ran out when they turned off the runway. And that was after they broke out and circled back to the runway just above the ground.
Just now reading the thread but know ATC at DCA. Poor procedures that have always worked due to pilots knowing how it worked. They’ll say ATC was a contributing factor but that was a major helo screw up.

 

[seeth07]

Pay is a real issue. I've thought about how much it would take for me to live with that much responsibility and stress every day. You screw up, you kill a lot of people. Then you have to live with it. The daily pressure has to affect life outside of work.

In my job if I screw up I could kill one person, but most likely would only injure them. I'm paid a lot of money for what I consider to be a low stress job. I have no idea what it would take for me to be an ATC, but know without a doubt $400k/yr wouldn't even tempt me.

I've often thought about this as a structural engineer. I work on multistory apartments/condo and hotel buildings all the time. A mistake and progressive collapse could occur resulting in maybe 1000 deaths. Although I get paid very well, the stress and anxiety is often thru the roof and I find myself asking if it really is enough?

There are many jobs like this and it's an interesting psychology study for sure. $$$ vs stress vs risk

 

[kodiakisland]

Stress is having a family and not being able to pay your bills.

Air Traffic is the funnest job in the world, if you have the temperament for it. Lots of fun working busy traffic and doing a good job with it. Even more fun if the entire team is doing a good job that day.
Now the night the Navy trainer couldn’t get home, almost out of fuel, and couldn’t lock in on the instrument approach took years off my life. I turned in approach into a surveillance approach where I issued heading and altitude through the clouds and to the ground. Fuel ran out when they turned off the runway. And that was after they broke out and circled back to the runway just above the ground.
Just now reading the thread but know ATC at DCA. Poor procedures that have always worked due to pilots knowing how it worked. They’ll say ATC was a contributing factor but that was a major helo screw up.

Heck of a lot easier jobs that pay well over an ATC. I’d be stressed about the job and paying the bills.

 

[sapperJ24]

Pay is a real issue. I've thought about how much it would take for me to live with that much responsibility and stress every day. You screw up, you kill a lot of people. Then you have to live with it. The daily pressure has to affect life outside of work.

In my job if I screw up I could kill one person, but most likely would only injure them. I'm paid a lot of money for what I consider to be a low stress job. I have no idea what it would take for me to be an ATC, but know without a doubt $400k/yr wouldn't even tempt me.

Just throwing this out there, "approximate median annual wage for air traffic control specialists is $127,805" (emphasis their's).

https://www.faa.gov/jobs/career_fields/aviation_careers
And there are job openings...

Some other posts alluded to additional compensation for overtime, holidays worked, etc.

 

[kodiakisland]

Just throwing this out there, "approximate median annual wage for air traffic control specialists is $127,805" (emphasis their's).

https://www.faa.gov/jobs/career_fields/aviation_careers
And there are job openings...

Some other posts alluded to additional compensation for overtime, holidays worked, etc.

Yeah. Not even in the ballpark for me to consider it. Pay needs to be better for the job

 

[ismith]

Stress is having a family and not being able to pay your bills.

Air Traffic is the funnest job in the world, if you have the temperament for it. Lots of fun working busy traffic and doing a good job with it. Even more fun if the entire team is doing a good job that day.
Now the night the Navy trainer couldn’t get home, almost out of fuel, and couldn’t lock in on the instrument approach took years off my life. I turned in approach into a surveillance approach where I issued heading and altitude through the clouds and to the ground. Fuel ran out when they turned off the runway. And that was after they broke out and circled back to the runway just above the ground.
Just now reading the thread but know ATC at DCA. Poor procedures that have always worked due to pilots knowing how it worked. They’ll say ATC was a contributing factor but that was a major helo screw up.

Working as a rotary wing mechanic/ technical inspector probably took years off my life. I still have my blood oath I signed the day I graduated AIT. Honestly, if people’s lives depend on your job performance, it better be stressful or you should find a different job.

 

[Wildabeest]

Working as a rotary wing mechanic/ technical inspector probably took years off my life. I still have my blood oath I signed the day I graduated AIT. Honestly, if people’s lives depend on your job performance, it better be stressful or you should find a different job.

Did you ever work with the VATS (military) or VBAS (commercial) rotor balancing and smoothing equipment? My first job out of college was writing the algorithms and software for them.

 

[Straight Arrow]

Did you ever work with the VATS (military) or VBAS (commercial) rotor balancing and smoothing equipment? My first job out of college was writing the algorithms and software for them.

Thanks for that valuable technology.
Anecdotal aside: One duty in Vietnam was as a maintenance officer and test pilot. I would run up the helicopter and the mechanic would carefully touch the rotor disk with the flag to see where the red and black grease marks hit the flag. Each rotor blade had red or black grease on the tip. Once the two colors overlapped, theoretically the rotor was balanced. I would then test fly to determine smoothness of balance. I would bet with the mechanics how many turns on the adjustment nuts on the rotor push-pull tubes were required to balance. 'Anything to humor us in the Nam!

 

[ismith]

Did you ever work with the VATS (military) or VBAS (commercial) rotor balancing and smoothing equipment? My first job out of college was writing the algorithms and software for them.

I used an AVA kit for most of my career, but I remember when the new system came out and it was a major leap forward in technology. Before AVA, chalk on a stick was what you used, as I’m sure @StraightArrow remembers well.