Andrew Gideon wrote in message gonline.com...

Dean Wilkinson wrote:
I think that this case is a good example of why privatizing air
traffic control in the U.S.A. is a bad idea. When safety takes a back
seat to cost controls and profit margins, people die.

What makes you think eliminating the profit issue - that is, leaving ATC in
government hands - would address the type of problem that occurred at
Skyguide? Having recently read the final report on a midair near KCDW a
while back, I can tell you: Federal Towers leave a single overworked
controller alone too.

Andrew,

The problem is, I'm not sure that leaving ATC in government hands
"eliminates the profit issue" exactly. Or at least, while it's
not exactly a profit issue, I'm not so sure but that safety is
taking a back seat to cost controls, with complications from
ponderous Federal hiring and relocation rules. For example, I
understand that some unGodly large fraction of the Chicago TRACON
controllers are due to retire PDQ but trainees are in very short
supply, because overall staffing is defined as "adequate" -- which
I suppose means more desireable positions are fully or overstaffed,
and management is oversupplied, but due to budgetary limitations
on hiring or relocating, bodies can't be put where they're really
needed.

Just what I've heard -- NB that I'm not an ATCS for which the world
can be duly thankful.

Cheers,
Sydney