FSS To Be "Privatized" Soon

I wonder if it's fair to judge the impact of privatizing ATC on the
success or failure of this:


-------------------------------------------------------------
AOPA ePilot Volume 7, Issue 4 January 28, 2005
-------------------------------------------------------------
FAA TO ANNOUNCE WINNING FLIGHT SERVICE BIDDER NEXT WEEK
Sometime next week, the FAA is expected to announce the winner in
the government's bidding process (called an A-76 study) to operate
the 58 flight service stations (FSSs) located in the continental
United States. "Regardless of who wins the bid, members must know
that the current FSS service will not change immediately, and you
will continue to use FSS like you always have," said AOPA
President Phil Boyer. "But when it does change, it will get
better, with high standards for quality flight briefing services
and new performance metrics. Just as important, no user fees are
in the FSS future, and the government will keep responsibility for
operating the system." AOPA lobbied Congress for legislative
direction that tells the FAA to measure both the performance of
the FSS provider and customer satisfaction. The FAA will have to
show that pilots are satisfied with the quality, timeliness,
accuracy, and relevance of briefings. The contract will be awarded
to the bidder who offers the "best value" in A-76
government-speak. In addition to FAA employees, the contenders are
Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and DUATS-contractor
Computer Sciences Corporation. For the complete story, see AOPA
Online
( http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsite...050127fss.html ).





-------------------------------------------------------------------
AVflash Volume 11, Number 5b -- February 3, 2005

-------------------------------------------------------------------


LOCKHEED MARTIN WINS FSS CONTRACT...
All of the existing FSS positions in the FAA will be eliminated
and Lockheed Martin will hire its own staff. The FAA announced
Tuesday the company won the government's largest-ever competitive
outsourcing competition with a bid that will cut the number of FSS
offices by two-thirds (from 58 to 20) by 2007, intends to save
taxpayers $2.2 billion over 10 years, and at the same time pledges
to offer virtually on-demand availability of flight information
for pilots. Lockheed Martin beat four other applicants, including
a partnership between the existing FSS organization (members of
the National Association of Air Traffic Specialists, NAATS) and
the Harris Corp.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#189085

...ANSWERS WHEN PILOTS NEED THEM, SAYS AOPA...
According to AOPA, pilots win because of performance standards
written into the deal. In a statement, AOPA President Phil Boyer
said pilots can soon look forward to phone calls being answered by
a live briefer within 20 seconds, radio calls answered within five
seconds and the requested information supplied within 15 seconds.
Urgent PIREPs would be entered into the system within 15 seconds
and routine reports updated within 30 seconds. Flight plans will
take no more than three minutes to file. There's no provision for
user fees in the contract.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#189086

...OF USER FEES AND DIRE WARNINGS
NAATS President Kate Breen told AVweb she believes aircraft groups
have been sold a bill of goods, particularly on the issue of user
fees. She said that once Lockheed Martin takes over, she believes
it will be constantly looking for extra money to cover costs not
foreseen in the contract and the FAA won't have the funds.
"They're going to need fees to compensate for that," she said.
Breen also doubts the hoped-for service improvements can be
achieved with such drastic cuts to the operation. But she also has
more dire predictions for the system if Lockheed Martin's effort
fails.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#189087

Larry Dighera wrote:
I wonder if it's fair to judge the impact of privatizing ATC on the
success or failure of this:

Why do you think they're doing it?

On Thu, 3 Feb 2005 11:21:01 -0500, "Sam O'Nella"
wrote in ::

Larry Dighera wrote:
I wonder if it's fair to judge the impact of privatizing ATC on the
success or failure of this:

Why do you think they're doing it?



Agreed. This is probably the first step toward ATC privatization.
And NAATS President Kate Breen seems to suggest how FSS user fees
might be implemented.

AOPA says:

The FAA's schedule calls for a six- to nine-month phase-in period
after the new FSS service provider is selected, then a 36-month
transition period.

So how long will LockMart be willing to subsidize their FSS service
before they demand more money? With an eye toward an ATC
privatization contract, they may be motivated to subsidize it long
enough to convince Congress that privatization is cost effective.

Saving taxpayers $220 million annually while improving FSS service
just sounds like pie-in-the-sky to me.


--

Stop Mad Cowboy Disease: Impeach the son of a Bush.
-- Michelle Steiner

On Thu, 03 Feb 2005 16:13:10 GMT, Larry Dighera
wrote in ::



I wonder if it's fair to judge the impact of privatizing ATC on the
success or failure of this:


-------------------------------------------------------------
AOPA ePilot Volume 7, Issue 4 January 28, 2005
-------------------------------------------------------------
FAA TO ANNOUNCE WINNING FLIGHT SERVICE BIDDER NEXT WEEK
Sometime next week, the FAA is expected to announce the winner in
the government's bidding process (called an A-76 study) to operate
the 58 flight service stations (FSSs) located in the continental
United States. "Regardless of who wins the bid, members must know
that the current FSS service will not change immediately, and you
will continue to use FSS like you always have," said AOPA
President Phil Boyer. "But when it does change, it will get
better, with high standards for quality flight briefing services
and new performance metrics. Just as important, no user fees are
in the FSS future, and the government will keep responsibility for
operating the system." AOPA lobbied Congress for legislative
direction that tells the FAA to measure both the performance of
the FSS provider and customer satisfaction. The FAA will have to
show that pilots are satisfied with the quality, timeliness,
accuracy, and relevance of briefings. The contract will be awarded
to the bidder who offers the "best value" in A-76
government-speak. In addition to FAA employees, the contenders are
Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and DUATS-contractor
Computer Sciences Corporation. For the complete story, see AOPA
Online
( http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsite...050127fss.html ).





-------------------------------------------------------------------
AVflash Volume 11, Number 5b -- February 3, 2005

-------------------------------------------------------------------


LOCKHEED MARTIN WINS FSS CONTRACT...
All of the existing FSS positions in the FAA will be eliminated
and Lockheed Martin will hire its own staff. The FAA announced
Tuesday the company won the government's largest-ever competitive
outsourcing competition with a bid that will cut the number of FSS
offices by two-thirds (from 58 to 20) by 2007, intends to save
taxpayers $2.2 billion over 10 years, and at the same time pledges
to offer virtually on-demand availability of flight information
for pilots. Lockheed Martin beat four other applicants, including
a partnership between the existing FSS organization (members of
the National Association of Air Traffic Specialists, NAATS) and
the Harris Corp.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#189085

...ANSWERS WHEN PILOTS NEED THEM, SAYS AOPA...
According to AOPA, pilots win because of performance standards
written into the deal. In a statement, AOPA President Phil Boyer
said pilots can soon look forward to phone calls being answered by
a live briefer within 20 seconds, radio calls answered within five
seconds and the requested information supplied within 15 seconds.
Urgent PIREPs would be entered into the system within 15 seconds
and routine reports updated within 30 seconds. Flight plans will
take no more than three minutes to file. There's no provision for
user fees in the contract.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#189086

...OF USER FEES AND DIRE WARNINGS
NAATS President Kate Breen told AVweb she believes aircraft groups
have been sold a bill of goods, particularly on the issue of user
fees. She said that once Lockheed Martin takes over, she believes
it will be constantly looking for extra money to cover costs not
foreseen in the contract and the FAA won't have the funds.
"They're going to need fees to compensate for that," she said.
Breen also doubts the hoped-for service improvements can be
achieved with such drastic cuts to the operation. But she also has
more dire predictions for the system if Lockheed Martin's effort
fails.
http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#189087


Additional information:


The U.S. government awarded a contract worth up to $1.9 billion
to LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP. on Tuesday to take over a federally
run program that gives weather and flight plan information to
private pilots. The FAA said it expects to save $2.2 billion if
all options in the flight service station contract are exercised
over 10 years. The deal, which affects 2,500 union workers at
the FAA, represents one of the most significant initiatives in
the agency's drive to outsource certain work and function more
like a business. The FAA operates 58 flight service stations
nationwide, and spent roughly $500 million to operate its
flight service stations in fiscal year 2003. Lockheed was
selected over five other applicants, including the agency's
flight services team. The transition will begin next October
with consolidation of FAA flight service stations being phased
in over a year beginning in 2006.
(Reuters 05:37 PM ET 02/01/2005)

Mo

http://q1.schwab.com/s/r?l=248&a=105...a&s=rb050 201

----------------------------------------------------------------