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Post by jesse on Mar 27, 2010 15:53:32 GMT -5
As I had mentioned a couple of years back. My first job after I retired from USAF was a Controller. When I applied, I thought I would get a nice quiet tower like ROA. Not to be. Since I retired from the 649th radar squadron on Apple Orchard Mountain outside ROA on the Blue Ridge Parkway, we were a joint site; FAA handled the survelliance radar that we piped into Washington Center and USAF handled the Height Finding AN/FPS-6. I was assigned for training at Leesburg and I stayed one week. It was a bloomin' madhouse. I signed on with ITT/FEC and went to Greenland as a scope dope on the DEWLINE stations.
Jesse
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Post by dave mcqueen on Mar 27, 2010 15:56:05 GMT -5
I was in PATCO as well and still have my belt buckle.
But in 1981 I felt, and still do, that they acted irresponsibly when they went on strike. By then we were making decent wages and the job was manageable for those of us with the right DNA. Add to that the illegality of the job action, the horrible economic climate of that time, and despite the lip service, there was not really much support for them. I took a chance and did not walk out, enduring 6 day work weeks and no vacations for 4 years afterward. We were given the concessions that were offered to PATCO and rejected by them as a kind of reward for staying.
Given the politics of the situation it could have gone either way. But recalling Reagan from when he was Governor of California I felt he would not look kindly on any of it. My only criticism of him is that he gave PATCO encouragement during his campaign for President by saying he would support them. But campaign promises are what they are, not to be taken seriously.
And I am grateful for a pension. Way back when I chose between staying with Pan American or going with FAA. I believe I chose wisely. Now I find myself torn between my conservative leanings and my Socialist reality, ha.
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Post by dave mcqueen on Mar 30, 2010 3:27:41 GMT -5
Jesse, all of those centers were like that -- ie - Chicago, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Washington and New York. Once in a while they would ship someone into our facility as a new supe and we just rolled our eyes and shook our heads. They had their own phraseology separate from what the "Book" said to say. And God help the poor foreign pilot whose English (actually I mean American slang) skills were lacking.
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Post by jesse on Mar 30, 2010 15:44:32 GMT -5
I hope it has changed for the better. It has been a long, long time since I last had contact with any Center. Oscar Bakke was in charge of our east coast area and when he came thru on inspection trips, we had to treat him like he was the Chief of Staff of USAF. Actually he was a pretty nice guy. I worked with his brother who incidentally went down with the Texas tower out of the Boston Sector. That really shook us up. That happened a few years before your time but I imagine you heard stories about it down the pipeline.
Jesse
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