Cat

ERAU ‘08 ‘17 ✈️ Aviation Safety, Aeronautical Science. Air Traffic Controller. Apparently the wrong kind of feminist. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Instagram: @cat_atc

[Cat @ATCSkyCat]

@siicamore @13yroldwithcc MST which is 5:45pm EST.

[Cat @ATCSkyCat]

@mitrebox @bonchieredstate @andylancaster As a radar enroute controller, this is incorrect. There are thousands of radar controllers (both TRACON and enroute) and if the radar airspace is constrained, it severely limits the number of aircraft an airport can launch.

[Cat @ATCSkyCat]

@OLHZN @DJSnM @WindBorneWx By all means it should be reported, it's good to know they're out there, but there seems to be some kind of disconnect on what we need to tell pilots. Thanks!

[Cat @ATCSkyCat]

@OLHZN @DJSnM @WindBorneWx There's really very little we can do about them (if we even know they're out there). I'll tell the supervisor if someone reports one, but they've never seemed to care. It's a gap in the system that I suspect this will bring attention to.

[Cat @ATCSkyCat]

@OLHZN @DJSnM @WindBorneWx Sometimes a supervisor will mention a balloon launch with no other information. Some of the big ones have transponders but are way at the top of Class A Airspace. I've really only had to deal with a handful of balloon reports in my 16+ years of ATC.

[Cat @ATCSkyCat]

@AndythePandy_ It’s likely vectors for in-trail out the gate to ZBW

[Cat @ATCSkyCat]

@LogosMMXX @oeingoboeing @MCCCANM Hi there. The best bet is honestly to go through NATCA as they're usually the ones who run the pilot outreach education programs (and give tours) If you DM me (might have to follow me first, not sure how that works these days) I can help put you in touch.

[Cat @ATCSkyCat]

@MCCCANM It’s why I work mids. I hate being up overnight, but it’s quiet and I can read a book and have some quiet time. During thunderstorm season it’s especially nice to avoid a looong weather day

[Cat @ATCSkyCat]

@neontaster His father wrote "Stick and Rudder" which, more than 80 years later, is still one of the sacred texts of flight training.

[Cat @ATCSkyCat]

@neontaster I'm an ATC & Langewiesche was one of the few writers on the topic of aviation that I can even stand to read. He did a wonderful job of analyzing and and breaking down such a complex topic for the common man. But for an avgeek like me , his prose was captivating. What a loss.

[Cat @ATCSkyCat]

@MCCCANM I wish we had at tool like this on the ARTCC side. This has so more data than trying to remember PIREPS

[Cat @ATCSkyCat]

@jbarro @asymmetricinfo Controllers are burnt out. I’m fortunate enough to work in a large radar facility in TX where we have mandatory OT but the working conditions are’t miserable. He’s not that lucky.

[Cat @ATCSkyCat]

@jbarro @asymmetricinfo The training academy in OKC is a big bottleneck (Bloomberg had a good article about it this week). Tens of thousands of people apply, only about 2k get to OKC IIRC. There was a lot of protectionism with OT about 15 years ago, now most places are so understaffed OT is mandatory

[Cat @ATCSkyCat]

@petemuntean That second pic isn’t ARTCC console. It’s a from a TRACON somewhere.

[Cat @ATCSkyCat]

@OldHollowTree Air Traffic Controller

[Cat @ATCSkyCat]

@JoelWBerry Take them to her museum in Haarlem near Amsterdam. they even let you crawl into her hiding place. It was an emotional place to be.

[Cat @ATCSkyCat]

@NY_LBSS @RepRibble None. There just aren't enough of us. Training/qualifications/hiring takes years.

[Cat @ATCSkyCat]

@emzanotti My next shift is Monday evening. I’m sure the flying public will understand the ground delays, since the entire shift is trying log in on old, broken computers. Happy to write a list, but this makes the assumption that every employee has a computer.

[Cat @ATCSkyCat]

@emzanotti I work in a building with 300+ other ATCs. There are maybe 15 computers where we can access our email. I bet my email password is expired (along with everyone else, since we’re not required to check email regularly as supervisors have us directly sign off on new information).