Holdiays and All

Sorry folks. I've been coasting through this month, kind of taking a break from everything.

I'll get back to regular posts after the new year.

Oh, Happy NEW YEAR to all of you, btw.

We Are Responsible Adults

Though you might not have thought so, if you caught us unawares in the control room. That was before all the new rules were laid down.

Used to be you'd find us ... oh ... shooting rubber bands at each other, throwing pencils at the ceiling, making fun of everyone and everything.

But there was a reason for our juvenile behavior.

At least, I was always certain that it was a requirement for the job. You simply can't expect someone that ACTS like a grownup to be able to handle the constantly changing, challenging, demanding environment we work in.

It is conceivable that we could kill hundreds of people with a simple mistake.

Now who wants to sign on for that?

We did. But the agency is making sure these days that no one is going to want to follow in our footsteps.

Listen Up

I remember working the Lansing sector one day. WG was working the Jackson Sector which runs along the southern boundary of Lansing. He had a departure push going on, I had a few arrivals, but mostly overflight traffic.

I had this one general aviation aircraft at FL230 eastbound when one of WG's planes took a turn off the departure path and started flying towards my sector.

WG called to the aircraft, but received no response.

Now the data block tells me his aircraft should be climbing to FL280, so to give him time to get above my GA guy I turn mine twenty degrees left.

WG's aircraft slows his climb at twenty-one thousand feet, ten mile southeast of mine, converging.

"November four-sierra-papa, descend and maintain flight level one-niner zero. Expedite your descent."

He reads it back and I watch his altitude to make sure he's hurrying down. He's not.

"November four-sierra-papa, expedite your descent through flight level two-one zero, turn thirty degrees left, vectors traffic."

WG's aircraft continues to climb slowly, and continues to converge.

"November four-sierra-papa, report leaving flight level two-one zero."

He finally clears twenty-one, which provides me with the separation I need. I clear him back on course. I'll give him twenty-three back later.

I watch as WG's plane fly's through my sector and into Chicago Centers airspace, then I turn and look at WG, who shrugs.

My GA guy asks me what that was all about, and I tell him.

Later we find out that the aircraft that went off course gave Clearance Delivery at Pontiac Tower a hard time. He kept reading back "as filed" instead of the preferential departure route.

So you pilots out there, this is a word to you. Listen up. We don't just make these routes up for shits and grins. It could mean your life.