Brilliant points, Doug. Thank you very much. The answer to the question is: A well rested controller. full stop. Cheers -- Kathryn
On Mon, Jul 21, 2025 at 11:23 AM Doug Church via Mifnet < mifnet@lists.mifnet.com> wrote: > Most U.S. air traffic control facilities are short-staffed, forcing many > air traffic controllers to work six-day weeks; forced overtime. That leads > to poor health habits, poor rest, higher stress, and damaged morale. It's > not good for them or their families and loved ones. A job may be something > you love to do but it should not totally dominate your life and leave you > at a breaking point. Controllers don't see relief on the near horizon > simply because it takes a long time - often several years - for the > reinforcements to arrive, get trained and certified on that > facility's/sector's airspace, and be ready to work traffic alone. > > So this idea of waiving the U.S. citizenship requirement for newly hired > controllers falls into the pattern of literally trying anything and > everything to address the shortage and do something to fix it. That should > be applauded. It's an urgent situation. All ideas should be on the table > for discussion. That's a good thing. This Administration wants to get it > fixed. > > New controllers go through rigorous background and security checks like > other federal employees, so I personally have no problem with non-citizens > going through that process. But I respect those with more knowledge than I > who believe strongly that it would needlessly open up a security risk. At > the end of the day however, who do you want on that radar scope or in that > tower while you and/or your family is on an airplane? Someone with non-U.S. > citizenship or a U.S. citizen who has worked eight months straight of > six-day weeks, hasn't slept a normal amount in probably years, and is at a > breaking point mentally in a system that grinds forward with increased > traffic and increased stress? > > Throughout the discussions on controller staffing, I have waited for > someone to report - with facts - that part of the problem is a lack of > plentiful, qualified candidates. I am still waiting. Throughout my time at > NATCA, I never saw a lack of interest in those wanting to apply and be > hired for the chance to do this incredible, rewarding job. Quite the > contrary. We saw tens of thousands of applicants who wanted to be one of > the 1500-2000 the FAA hired that year. There are a LOT of people out there > in our communities who would have been amazing air traffic controllers but > instead are now doing something else for a living because they didn't get > hired for one reason or another in that turbocharged competitive > environment with many qualified, excellent candidates for limited openings. > > THAT is the real issue - limited openings. The FAA should be applauded - > standing ovation in fact - for continuing to expand the enhanced AT-CTI > program (https://www.faa.gov/jobs/students/schools) that allows students > at selected CTI schools to go through a rigorous, FAA-approved program so > that when they graduate, they can bypass the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City > and be placed directly at their first FAA facility to begin on-the-job > training. This is the way! This will cut down on washout rates. This gets > more trainees into the facilities and avoids the limited pipeline of the > Academy. This program must be expanded. There is better technology being > used and also developed to help training as well, at facilities. Staffing > shortages mean degraded on-the-job training capabilities because, > obviously, certified professional controllers are the on-the-job trainers. > So it's a vicious cycle at times in some facilities of desperately needing > controllers but not able to train them as quickly and effectively as they > can. > > -Doug Church > > > On Fri, Jul 18, 2025 at 4:38 PM srbrown via Mifnet < > mifnet@lists.mifnet.com> wrote: > >> The Atlantic article states: *"...the initiative could be payback, >> because “foreign countries routinely steal U.S. controllers, ..."* >> >> Clearly us stoopid furriners have fewer qualms about recruiting >> non-citizens. Could it be because it's not really about knowing any >> "secrets". In the RAF I remember being mostly controlled by military ATC. >> That aside, whenever we were under civil ATC control I only remember being >> cleared to the exit points of civil airspace, never being cleared to my >> target at x degrees north, y degrees east with an amended time on target of >> zero dark thirty and 30 seconds. >> >> Maybe Doug or Jim can tell us if this is the sort of detail civil US >> controllers are privy to when contacting USAF B2s on their way to create >> mayhem in lands far away. >> >> Simon >> >> -------- Original message -------- >> From: Tom Ronell via Mifnet <mifnet@lists.mifnet.com> >> Date: 18/07/2025 17:42 (GMT+00:00) >> To: Kathryn Creedy via Mifnet <mifnet@lists.mifnet.com> >> Cc: Tom Ronell <tron...@verizon.net> >> Subject: [Mifnet 🛰 73158] Re: Hiring ATCers Overseas >> >> >> "There is particular concern over access they could gain to radars and >> communications networks, as well as sensitive information about military >> flight paths, restricted airspace, and air-defense zones." >> >> Does anybody think that such things are really "secret"? >> >> TR >> >> ------------------------------ >> >> *From: *Kathryn Creedy via Mifnet <mifnet@lists.mifnet.com> >> *To: *mifnet@lists.mifnet.com >> *CC: *Kathryn Creedy <kcre...@gmail.com> >> *Date: *Jul 18, 2025 19:19:06 >> *Subject: *[Mifnet 🛰 73157] Hiring ATCers Overseas >> >> I'm looking forward to Doug's insights on this. >> >> I've never understood the citizen requirement for #pilots #ATC but I do >> get the #security issue. We can't vet these people for security? Seems >> hard to believe in this day and age. But the Atlantic says Federal >> Aviation Administration <https://www.linkedin.com/feed/#> is thinking of >> hiring #airtrafficcontrollers from overseas. >> >> >> "The Atlantic <https://www.linkedin.com/feed/#> reports that the memo >> envisions a “need to create a structured pathway for these international >> recruits that leads to FAA employment and eventual U.S. citizenship.” >> >> >> >> https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/security-experts-are-losing-their-minds-over-trump-s-latest-plan-to-solve-faa-staffing-crisis/ar-AA1IJKPb >> >> Cheers -- Kathryn >> -- >> >> >> >> Kathryn Creedy >> PHONE # 321 405 4395 >> US-Eastern Time Zone >> *Twitter*: @kcreedy >> *Visit me on LinkedIn* >> >> >> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> Revised: 20250507 >> >> You are receiving The Mifnet because you requested to join this list. >> >> The Mifnet is largely a labor of love, however the infrastructure isn't >> exactly cost-free. 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See instructions at: >> https://lists.mifnet.com/ >> >> * Manage your personal Mifnet SUBSCRIPTION at: >> https://lists.mifnet.com/ >> >> * For a list of all available Mifnet commands, SEND THIS MESSAGE via >> email: >> mifnet-requ...@lists.mifnet.com?subject=help >> >> * View The Mifnet LIST POLICIES and PRIVACY POLICY at: >> https://mifnet.com/index.php/policies >> >> * View instructions for Mifnet DELIVERY PROBLEMS at: >> https://mifnet.com/index.php/delivery-problems >> >> * View The Mifnet LIST ARCHIVE at: >> https://lists.mifnet.com/hyperkitty/list/mifnet@lists.mifnet.com/ >> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Revised: 20250507 > > You are receiving The Mifnet because you requested to join this list. > > The Mifnet is largely a labor of love, however the infrastructure isn't > exactly cost-free. If you'd care to make a small contribution to the > effort, please know that it would be greatly appreciated: > https://wardell.us/url/mifbit > > All posts sent to the list should abide by these policies: > > 1) List members acknowledge that participation in Mifnet is a > privilege--not a right. > 2) Posts are always off the record, absent specific permission from the > author. > 3) The tone of discussions is collegial. > 4) Posts are expected to be in reasonably good taste. > 5) We discuss ideas and not personalities, and we don't speak ill of other > Mifnet members. > > * The Mifnet WEB SITE is: > https://www.mifnet.com/ > > * To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list at any time please visit: > https://lists.mifnet.com/ > OR: SEND THIS MESSAGE via email: > mifnet-requ...@lists.mifnet.com?subject=leave > > * Send Mifnet mailing list POSTS/SUBMISSIONS to: > mifnet@lists.mifnet.com > > * You may reach the person managing The Mifnet at: > mifnet-ow...@lists.mifnet.com > > * Please consider the DIGEST version of The Mifnet, which consolidates all > list traffic into 1-3 > messages daily. See instructions at: > https://lists.mifnet.com/ > > * Manage your personal Mifnet SUBSCRIPTION at: > https://lists.mifnet.com/ > > * For a list of all available Mifnet commands, SEND THIS MESSAGE via email: > mifnet-requ...@lists.mifnet.com?subject=help > > * View The Mifnet LIST POLICIES and PRIVACY POLICY at: > https://mifnet.com/index.php/policies > > * View instructions for Mifnet DELIVERY PROBLEMS at: > https://mifnet.com/index.php/delivery-problems > > * View The Mifnet LIST ARCHIVE at: > https://lists.mifnet.com/hyperkitty/list/mifnet@lists.mifnet.com/ > -- Kathryn Creedy PHONE # 321 405 4395 US-Eastern Time Zone *Twitter*: @kcreedy *Visit me on LinkedIn*
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revised: 20250507 You are receiving The Mifnet because you requested to join this list. The Mifnet is largely a labor of love, however the infrastructure isn't exactly cost-free. If you'd care to make a small contribution to the effort, please know that it would be greatly appreciated: https://wardell.us/url/mifbit All posts sent to the list should abide by these policies: 1) List members acknowledge that participation in Mifnet is a privilege--not a right. 2) Posts are always off the record, absent specific permission from the author. 3) The tone of discussions is collegial. 4) Posts are expected to be in reasonably good taste. 5) We discuss ideas and not personalities, and we don't speak ill of other Mifnet members. * The Mifnet WEB SITE is: https://www.mifnet.com/ * To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list at any time please visit: https://lists.mifnet.com/ OR: SEND THIS MESSAGE via email: mifnet-requ...@lists.mifnet.com?subject=leave * Send Mifnet mailing list POSTS/SUBMISSIONS to: mifnet@lists.mifnet.com * You may reach the person managing The Mifnet at: mifnet-ow...@lists.mifnet.com * Please consider the DIGEST version of The Mifnet, which consolidates all list traffic into 1-3 messages daily. See instructions at: https://lists.mifnet.com/ * Manage your personal Mifnet SUBSCRIPTION at: https://lists.mifnet.com/ * For a list of all available Mifnet commands, SEND THIS MESSAGE via email: mifnet-requ...@lists.mifnet.com?subject=help * View The Mifnet LIST POLICIES and PRIVACY POLICY at: https://mifnet.com/index.php/policies * View instructions for Mifnet DELIVERY PROBLEMS at: https://mifnet.com/index.php/delivery-problems * View The Mifnet LIST ARCHIVE at: https://lists.mifnet.com/hyperkitty/list/mifnet@lists.mifnet.com/
