I can imagine a $100,000 hiring bonus would sound pretty sweet to any senior graduation from high school. But then that's the point, right? Well, that's what the FAA is hoping for as they undertake a massive recruitment project aimed at replacing its post-PATCO air traffic control workforce who are nearing retirement. They have even gone to the extent of "trolling" New York area high schools and placing ads on Craigslist and even popular social websites like MySpace in an attempt to attract some young talent. In fact, by 2011, 59 percent of all controllers will have less than five years on the job according to the New York Post representing a major shift away from a well experienced workforce. One area of particular focus are five TRACONs around the New York Area. While these represent some of the busiest airspace in this country, acting FAA Administrator Bobby Sturgell seems confident with bright, young, and enthusiastic talent, no matter where it comes from to take on this big responsibility as can be seen in the video below. Not everyone is too happy with this new approach, though. Barrett Byrnes, a traffic-controllers union official from JFK Tower commented that "Giving new people $100,000 bonuses while the people doing the work day in and day out, year after year are getting their brains kicked in is just a slap in the face." Unfortunately, the gals in the Fox News video are confused in to thinking ATC uses the latest and greatest in technology, which teenagers should be accustomed to. Got to love that WWII technology we call RADAR. At least these new classes of controllers should be around to see NextGen fully implemented in a shift from RADAR to satellite-based technology that has taken the FAA a bureaucratically appropriate amount of time.
(New York Post via Fox News)
Home to PointNiner
