I Don't Know

One of the things that every new trainee has to learn is to say those three words, "I don't know." You'd be surprised how hard it is for people to admit that, but in this job it's vital. And yeah, I mean peoples lives depend on our ability to say it.

Every now and then though, since it is a government operation, there comes a time when too many of us "don't know" what the hell is going on.

Let me try to explain this in a way you all will understand. You know I talk of sectors. Each sector is a clearly defined geographical and spatial area. Sort of like the different states of the country. Only we go upwards too. You have your "bottom layer" the low altitude sectors, then an upper, or middle layer, which are the high altitude sectors, and in some cases another layer on top which make up the Super high sectors. Of course, in most cases there's a lowest level that are made up of approach controls.

Any way, each sector is defined. Each sector has a name. On the midnight shift when traffic volume is at its lowest, all the sectors are combined at just two radar scopes. Then, when the day shifters roll in, all the sectors are pulled apart again at the various radar scopes. We send out messages called GI's (General Information messages) letting everyone around us know when we open and close a sector.

That said, I was up at Peck working the three o'clock O'Hare push. I'm flashing a handoff at Traverse City High, which is Minneapolis Center's High altitude sector on my north side. They're not taking the handoff.

I do a couple of things, and I see they still haven't taken the handoff. I look at my D-side, and he shrugs. I do some spacing, switch a couple of guys, then see that the aircraft is getting pretty close to Minnie's boundary and they still haven't taken the handoff.

"Traverse City High, Peck on the one."

"Traverse City."

"Handoff over Bad Axe, Air Canada one-twenty-four, flight level three-zero-zero."

"Cadillac's open."

Huh? Who the fuck is Cadillac? I didn't know. I turned to my D-side, and they didn't know. I asked the guy working next to me, and he didn't know.

"Who's Cadillac?"

"The new sector. It's been open for the last hour and a half!"

"What new sector?"

See, here's the thing, Minneapolis Center had gone through almost all the hoops to get this new sector up and running. They just missed one little step in the process. They neglected to tell ANYBODY ELSE they had a new sector.

What can I say, it's a government job.