From: mazorj@verizon.net   
      
   "NoneYa"  wrote in message   
   news:zmUCi.3$cz5.0@newsfe12.lga...   
   >   
   > OK Johnny boy I commend your analysis and detailed   
   > response. I do agree that politics invading the FAA is a   
   > big problem. I also agree that Blacks and Women are not   
   > the only problem. My point is unqualified minorities   
   > within ANY organization is the classic bad apple theory.   
   > It don't take much to rot the rest of the barrel.   
   >   
   > The FAA was once a proud organization. Political meddling   
   > and misguided priorities in addition to social engineering   
   > edicts and stupidity has set the stage for a mess. You   
   > provided a ton of current and past analysis of FAA and ATC   
   > problems but not many solutions.   
   >   
   > Here are my solutions for a better FAA and ATC system.   
      
   Well, I must admit that I'm more than a little surprised.  I   
   hadn't expected anything of substance here, let alone an   
   admission of my points.  I assumed that solutions to the   
   problems I highlighted were either obvious or not doable.   
   But you provided some, so I will add my thoughts below.   
      
   > 1. Remove ALL social promotion and hiring within the FAA   
   > and aviation industry. Job bids should list aviation   
   > background and qualifications ONLY   
      
   I don't know the details of FAA hiring nowadays, but I'll   
   give 95% agreement.  For various reasons, there should be a   
   *small* allowance for minority hiring - a *few* extra points   
   on the Civil Service scale or whatever is the current   
   equivalent.  Not enough to open a floodgate, just a little   
   crack in the door.  Promotions, OTOH, should be strictly by   
   merit.  Once you're in, prove yourself.   
      
   > 2. Remove all social feel good crap (Black History Month,   
   > Gay Pride Month,Hispanic week, Diversity edicts etc etc.)   
   > Celebrate December 17th ONLY in the FAA   
      
   I don't see much harm in such practices if it is kept in the   
   background and doesn't affect operations or personnel   
   practices, any more than I see a problem with national   
   holidays or putting up posters for National Cancer Awareness   
   Week, etc.  If it does exceed those bounds then rein it in   
   and make it clear that it's a symbolic observance, not some   
   veiled call to arms for the disgruntled.   
      
   > 3. Raise the standards back up at the FAA Academy. If you   
   > can't pass the courses or check out on the scope you are   
   > fired. That includes marble mouth talking black females   
   > who are worthless and unqualified for FAA employment.   
      
   Amen on the first part, and I can't disagree with the   
   second, although your obsession with black females detracts   
   from your argument.   
      
   > 4. Require ALL upper FAA Management including the   
   > Administrator to hold a pilots license.   
      
   Not everyone can make that cut.  For instance, if you can't   
   pass the medical, should you still be barred?  I'd have an   
   exceptions rule if the candidate completed ground school,   
   demonstrated good faith effort to qualify for a PPL, etc.   
   But in general, it would be a good thing.  Top ATS   
   executives ought to have some qualifications that   
   demonstrate familiarity with their bailiwick, too.   
      
   > 5. Remove congress and politicians from the FAA decision   
   > process. Airlines and Airports and Passengers ONLY   
      
   Nice thought but it'll never happen.  Even if it did, I   
   don't always trust airlines and airports on general safety   
   issues, although they ought to have seats at the ATS table.   
   Passengers are really too uninformed to hold any power   
   except in an advisory role.   
      
   > 6. The FAA administrator should be voted from a board of   
   > airline and airport executives for a term no less than 10   
   > years. Remove political affiliation from the process.   
      
   That puts too much power in the hands of the regulated   
   parties.  You are focused too much on ATS - the FAA does a   
   helluva lot more than that.  I'd be okay with having a board   
   nominate the head(s) of ATS sections but subject to   
   confirmation by the Administrator.   
      
   > 7. Get rid of NATCA and PASS and form ONE ATC union with   
   > equal technical and air traffic controller leadership   
      
   Not sure what that would accomplish.  Different crafts,   
   especialy those requiring speciaized skills, almost always   
   do better when their union is focused on their specific   
   needs and not trying to be all things to all workers.   
      
   > 8. Encourage airlines to use the midnight to 6AM time slot   
   > more with cheaper tickets and more direct flights.   
      
   Great idea, except they already do it.  How many people want   
   to fly a red-eye?  The airlines have begun "unbunching" from   
   the a.m. and p.m. business rush hour flight times and   
   spreading them out a bit, but there's only so much you can   
   do before getting seriously out of synch with market demand.   
   The real solution is more airports and runways.  My   
   pie-in-the-sky solution to the NIMBY problem is to require a   
   local *open* ballot referendum on every airport and runway   
   proposal.  Anyone who voted against it would be barred from   
   air travel.   
      
   > 9. Develop and expand aircraft that will fly between 45   
   > and 60 thousand feet   
      
   The problem isn't really in the airways, at least not yet.   
   It's the choke points on the ground (airports).   
      
   > 10. Massively expand short takeoff and landing aircraft   
   > and STOL airports   
      
   The popularity of "shuttle" routes says that done properly,   
   that could absorb a lot of the short-haul traffic, leaving   
   the long runways for long-haul aircraft.   
      
   > 11. Link hub airports with mag-lev and high speed trains   
   > that coincide with airline schedules like Europe   
      
   We've shamefully neglected train service.  I wouldn't just   
   limit the concept to airport hub cities, but that would be a   
   good selling point to get things moving on building a mass   
   ground transit network.   
      
   > 12. Make the ATC system totally self funding with no   
   > political money. Stop subsidizing the airline industry.   
      
   I'm tempted to nominate you to be the guy who cleans the   
   blood off the floors and walls of the ATS board room every   
   time they try to get the airlines, business aviation,   
   general aviation, and the military to agree on who pays what   
   in fees.  Be sure to stock up on mops and Lysol, you'll need   
   them.   
      
   What you've been advocating here is the most extreme version   
   of privatizing ATC.  There are many less extreme hybrid   
   versions that could bring a major improvement without   
   turning over all the keys to the airlines.   
      
   > 13. Expand ATC and aircraft capabilities to fly in and   
   > manage weather. The ATC system grinds to a halt at the   
   > first raindrop.   
      
   Nice in theory, but there's only so much you can do about   
   flying in weather.  Your 60,000' airliner could go over some   
   storm fronts.  We could pay billions to install heated   
   runways and taxiways for ice and snow conditions.  We could   
   take airliners beyond CAT 3 capabilities.  Et cetra, et   
   cetera, et cetera.  But that ain't all gonna happen in our   
   lifetimes.  FAA now does ground holds instead of letting   
   planes stack up and divert, so that at least reduces safety   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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