Odyssey of a Report • Apparently, the Aviation in and data extracted from the JUNE 1978 Safety Reporting Program has report-date, time, location and not been advertised well type of occurrence-is Volume 8 Number 6 enough because there are still punched into NASA's a lot of people who don't know computerized 45-day file. how to submit a report or what The report is then handed happens to the report once over to a pilot/attorney, who Secretary of Transportation, Brock Adams they do. screens it to determine if it in­ Administrator, FAA It's really quite simple. Let's Langhorne M. Bond volves an accident or criminal Assistant Administrator-Public Affairs, take a hypothetical example of activity or if it contains infor­ Peter Clapper a pilot who misunderstands a mation that needs to be Chief-Public & Employee Communications Div., clearance, deviates from his brought to someone's attention John G. Leyden assigned altitude and finds immediately. If not, the Editor, Leonard Samuels himself in conflict with other report-along with the 20-25 Art Director, Eleanor M. Maginnis air traffic. After deciding to other reports NASA receives report the incident to NASA, he daily-is placed in a locked may pick up a reporting form pouch and carried by bonded FAA WORLD is published monthly for the (NASA ARC Form 277, to be courier to the Battelle Institute employees of the Department of Transpor­ exact) from an airport, office just up the road from tation/Federal Aviation Administration and fixed-based operator or any NASA. There are only two keys is the official FAA employee publication. It is FAA facility and has five days to the pouch: one at NASA and prepared by the Public & Employee Com­ to report the incident.The five­ one at Battelle. The contents of munications Division, Office of Public Af­ day time limit applies only to the pouch are receipted at both fairs, FAA, 800 Independence Ave. SW, those situations where the ends to make sure all the Washington, D.C. 20591. Articles and reporter wishes to take reports make it to their photos for FAA WORLD should be submit· advantage of the waiver of destination safely. ted directly to regional FAA public affairs disciplinary action. (See "The At Battelle, the report is • officers: Mark Weaver-Aeronautical Cen­ . ter; Clifford Cernick-Alaskan Region; 45-Day File.") assigned to one of four Joseph Frets-Central Region; Robert Ful­ The reporting form is easy to analysts. The analyst studies ton-Eastern Region; Neal Callahan-Great fill out. It is divided into two the report and may determine lakes Region; Michael Benson-NAFEC; parts: The top section is the that further information is Mike Ciccarelli-New England Region; identification strip where the necessary. If so, he will David Myers-Northwest Region; George pilot is asked to give his name, telephone the pilot who Miyachi-Pacific-Asia Region; David Olds­ address and telephone number reported the incident and add Rocky Mountain Region; Jack Barker­ so that he can be contacted the supplemental data to the Southern Region; K. K. Jones-Southwest later by NASA for further report. About 10 percent of the Region; W. Bruce Chambers, acting­ details, if necessary. The reports require a call back. Western Region bottom portion solicits such Once the analyst is finished information as the type of with the identification strip, it operation and the kind of is separated from the rest of aircraft involved, conditions at the report and returned to the time of the incident, NASA, which sends it back to weather, airspace where the the reporter. The pilot should incident occurred, etc. It's like hold on to that ticket, because it a multiple choice test: all the is proof that he filed a report on pilot has to do is pick the item the altitude deviation in a most closely describing the timely fashion. incident he was involved in. Finally, the "deidentified" ERRATA Space also is provided for a report is handed over to a Bat­ Credit for the beautiful photographs of clear and precise narrative telle diagnostician, who Guam and its denizens in the April issue of description of the incident. translates items in the report FAA WORLD was inadvertently omitted. After that, it's merely a into appropriate language for They are the work of George Miyachi, public matter of folding the form and the computer. The data then is affairs officer in the Pacific-Asia Region dropping it in the mail, where it entered into the computer and goes to P.O. Box 189 at Moffett stored there until it is retrieved The cover: From the field-from ATCSs, Field, Calif. There it is logged for special reports or studies. . inspectors, technicians, pilots, FBOs--more than 5,000 reports a year are being filed with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under FAA's Aviation Safety Reporting Program. The program has come of age, as the story at right reveals. The Aviation Safety Reporting System IS ALIVE AND WELL

confidential reports submitted to NASA by pilots, controllers and others who spot safety problems in the national aviation system. The office is located about two miles up the road from NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif., where the NASA personnel who manage the reporting system and initially process the confidential reports are located. (See box: "Odyssey of a Report.") The security at Ames is equally strict. So strict, in fact, that Bill NASA attorney Bill Reynard, who holds Reynard, an attorney/pilot with NASA, a commercial pilot's license with in­ says: "We have been accused of being ( strument and multi-engine ratings, paranoid." screens an aviation safety report, one "But," Reynard admits, "we'd rather of 20-25 received daily. be accused of that than be lax about security and have unauthorized personnel come in here and gain access to the information in the reports." The security measures may indeed seem peculiar unless one understands how NASA got involved in the first place. In May 1975, FAA started an Aviation Safety Reporting Program whose rom the corridor it looks like an purpose was to get pilots, controllers ordinary office-the kind of and others to voluntarily submit reports place you expect to enter and to FAA on unsafe conditions, practices be met by the strains of Musak and a or incidents-including those they may waiting room full of patients flipping have caused themselves. The FAA through old magazines. stressed that the purpose of the But the door to this office is locked. program was to improve aviation safety, Only authorized visitors are allowed in, and that the information was not being and they must press a buzzer and wait solicited for enforcement purposes. until someone inside slips the deadbolt Since the response was less than lock with a key. And once inside, they have to sign in and wear a security badge at all times. Security is tight in that office because it's part of the Aviation Safety Reporting System being handled for FAA by the National Aeronautics and Space Admin­ istration. There, a Battelle Institute team under contract to NASA analyzes

3 Ruth Howes, secretary for the Batte/le Institute analysis team, examines a locked pouch to make sure that the avi­ ation safety reports delivered by the bonded courier from NASA are safe and uncompromised.

overwhelming-fewer than 1,500 reports during the first year-it was obvious the aviation community was not keen on the idea of telling an enforcement agency about safety problems. So, in 1976, NASA was asked to step in and act as an independent "third party" to receive, process and analyze reports filed under FAA's Aviation Safety Reporting Program. Clearly, the name of the game was to convince would-be reporters that their anonymity would be protected. Judging from the almost 11.000 reports it has received since starting the new reporting system in April 1976, NASA has been successful in that effort.

n its latest report, covering the April a 1-June 30, 1977, period, NASA gives examples of the 1,391 reports it received during that quarter. The examples range from communications problems between pilots and controllers and instances of just plan bad judgment to procedural difficulties and breakdowns in equipment. One pilot, for example, landed uneventfully at what he thought was an uncontrolled airport. It wasn't until he had taxied to the ramp and saw the security police truck coming out to greet him that he looked at his sectional chart more carefully and realized that there runway at the same time. received. It turned out that FAA already was indeed a control tower and a tower The fifth quarterly report also was aware of the problem, but the frequency indicated on the chart. indicates that, while the ground­ NASA data served to corroborate FAA's Other examples show that misun­ proximity warning system seems to be a conviction that something needed to be derstandings between controllers and useful backup to crews of done about refining profile-descent pilots about clearances can result in two high-performance aircraft, false procedures. aircraft being on the same active warnings from those safety devices The latest status report further shows were a nuisance and, in some cases, a that almost half of the reports came source of potential safety problems. from controllers (47%), and Profile-descent procedures, introduced approximately the same percentage by the FAA in late 1976 and early 1977 (48%) were filed by flight crew at a few airports, continued to cause members. Moreover, the reports were pilots and controllers headaches, and the report reflects those concerns. In fact, NASA did a special study on problems associated with profile descent based on the reports it had 4 •nly divided between air carriers and roughly as "cover your anatomy.") He Occasionally, there are items that ,1eral aviation-42 percent for each said, however, that about twice a month Reynard, after consulting with his boss, category-with military and other he will receive a report with a FAA letter Dr. Charles T. Billings, who manages government operations accounting for attached to it indicating that the incident the NASA reporting system, decides the remaining 16 percent. is being investigated as a possible should be brought immediately to the Not all the reports are deadly serious, violation of a Federal Aviation attention of FAA and others who may be says Reynard, who is the only person in Regulation. In those cases, Reynard able to assist in taking corrective action. the system to review every report that is says, he writes the reporter to advise He recalled one incident involving a filed. him or her that filing a report after being problem with a spoiler system on a "Frankly," he said, "there are some notified by the FAA of a potential widebody jet. It turned out, Reynard crank reports that have no productive violation is not what the program is all said, that it was an isolated incident, place in society," and those he about. due to a mechanic's mistake, and had destroys. However, he said, a few no bearing on other widebodies. But, at others provide a brief but welcome relief the time the report appeared, there was from the majority of reports having no way of knowing that, he said, and potentially serious ramifications. hen Reynard screens the NASA moved fast to notify the right He cites the example of one person approximately 20-25 people. who wrote: "One day recently, I flew reports NASA has been Protecting the anonymity of the over to a local field which features a Wreceiving daily, he looks initially, at reporter is paramount in these cases, small restaurant nearby. I ordered a least, for reports involving accidents or too, Reynard says. NASA would like to frankfurter and sauerkraut. While walk­ criminal activity. In the case of an relay all the specifics to FAA, for ing over to my table, I slipped on some accident, the report is handed over to example, so they could go right to the sauerkraut which had been dropped on the National Transportation Safety source of the problem and fix it. But, he the floor from someone else's sandwich. Board; where criminal activity is says, if time, place, airline involved, I suffered wrenches and bruises and involved-such as a bomb threat or etc., are provided, the anonymity of the had to sit on pillows for a week." sabotage, for example-the report is reporter may be jeopardized. But, we try The pilot went on to recommend­ forwarded to the Department of Justice. to "narrow it down" as much as .;th tongue firmly planted in cheek­ I aviation would be safer if airport .,taurants were prohibited from serving sauerkraut with hot dogs. Another reporter, who is in the poultry business, complained that when an Air Force jet comes very low over his farm, his frightened hens outdo themselves and drop extra eggs. The 45-Day File NASA keeps a computerized record for 45 days of each re­ port it has received. The file contains only date,•time, location and type of occurrence. Here's how it works. Say, for example, eynard says he continues to FAA, through its surveillance program, finds out about an inci­ be "impressed by the detail in dent in Laramie, Wyo., involving a possible violation of a some reports-and it doesn't Federal Aviation Regulation. The Flight Standards inspector seem to matter whether the reporter there who discovers the incident notifies the Rocky Mountain was the victim or the cause of the safety Regional Office, which, in turn, notifies the Office of Aviation incident." Safety in FAA Headquarters. Then, the circumstances of that While he admits there are some incident, along with queries from other FAA regions, are "CYA" reports, there aren't nearly as telexed daily to the Aviation Safety Reporting System at NASA. many as some people might suspect. The staff there searches the 45-day file to see if it contains a ("CYA," for use in a family magazine record of a report matching the Laramie incident. If it says like FAA WORLD, shall be translated "yes," FAA will not pursue the matter any further. In essence, FAA has agreed to waive disciplinary action unless the inci­ dent involves reckless operation, willful misconduct, gross negligence, an accident or criminal activity. As a further encouragement for persons to participate in the reporting program, FAA has imposed a 45-day limit on it­ self-which is where the NASA file got its name. In other words, if FAA doesn't find out about the incident or doesn't query the NASA file within 45 days, the agency has promised not to take enforcement action unless, again, the incidents involve one or more of the conditions tited above. possible, he said, "making sure at the same time that we don't blow the reporter's cover."

ASA sent almost 500 of these alert bulletins to FAA over the past two years, pointing to possible problems in the aviation system. The word "possible" is purposely used because NASA can't Marion Roscoe (center), Assistant Ad­ verify the reports from other sources. To ministrator for Aviation Safety, discus­ do so, explains Reynard, might ses a NASA alert bulletin with his dep­ jeopardize the reporter's anonymity. So, uty, Bascom Lockett (right), who is the the information NASA passes on to FAA FAA member on a committee that ad­ vises NASA on the design and conduct is based only on reports. Sometimes arrangement has complicated the of the reporting system, and Tom Kos­ those reports point to problems already procedures for initiating an enforcement siaras manager of Aviation Safety Pro­ action, he said there are trade-offs: "the being taken care of by FAA. grams, who has daily NASA contact. That doesn't bother Reynard or his valuable information that is being colleagues at NASA. "We're not at all gathered about safety problems versus disturbed when FAA replies to one of FAA's traditional approach to our alert bulletins informing us that the enforcement, perhaps, without that information." situation described in the report is Reporting Program, says it's difficult to The 1976 memorandum of agreement wrong or that FAA already knows about list specific benefits to FAA resulting between the FAA and NASA states that the situation and is on top of it. We'd be from the data gathered by NASA, but he perfectly happy if all the replies said said the "program definitely has safety ttie current reporting system will remain in effect until June 1980, unless FAA that. We're just interested in seeing that merit." and/or NASA decide they want to safety problems are brought to light," He also said it is clear from the same terminate the arrangement beforehand. Reynard said. 11,000 reports received by NASA during However, he cited an example of how the first two years of operation that the Roscoe says the program will an alert bulletin can help. It involved a "aviation community sees the system as probably continue until June 1980, but there is no way of knowing at this poir pilot flying on a VFR flight plan on a beneficial to them." moonless night into the Las Vegas what will happen to it after that time. I terminal control area. The pilot wrote will depend, he said, on the evaluation that he was cleared to descend to 3,500 of the program's effectiveness, and FAA feet at his own discretion. When he e cited the TWA 514 crash will not know the results of that became concerned about terrain near Dulles Airport on Dec. 1, evaluation until at least mid-1979. clearance, he requested the minimum 1974 as an example of "what Both Roscoe and Reynard agree, safe altitude and was advised by ATC might not have been if a reporting however, that what happens to the that it was 4,800 feet. Later, he was system like NASA is operating had program after 1980 is academic at this informed by ATC that VFR traffic was existed at that time. point. The reporting program now is responsible for its own terrain "There were at least two pilots of alive and well, and persons who know of clearance, regardless of vectors. the other aircraft, in addition to the TWA safety problems or deficiencies in the pilot reported to NASA that a pilot may 514 crew, who were confused about the national aviation system are not know the minimum safe altitude meaning of the clearance, but they lived encouraged to report them to NASA. when radar vectors take him or her off a through their confu§ion. It was not the Reynard says he feels good about published route at night. This was the kind of thing, however, that they later what the program has accomplished to second such report received by NASA, wanted to report to their employer; they date. "I'd be hard pressed to say that Reynard said, so an alert bulletin was probably thought it wouId lower their such-and-such a life was saved as a sent to FAA and steps were taken to esteem in the eyes of their peers. And it result of our efforts, but I know we're correct the situation at Las Vegas and was certainly not the kind of incident improving the aviation system. And I elsewhere. they wanted to report to the FAA for fear have a good gut feeling that we're NASA also has done special studies of possible enforcement action." saving some lives in the process." for FAA on such subjects as wake Roscoe said that the NASNFM turbulence, altitude deviations and arrangement has caused concern to potential conflicts. some FAA people. Some feel, he said, Marion Roscoe, FM's Assistant that the immunity provision (see "The Administrator for Aviation Safety, whose 45-Day File") is harming FAA's enforcement program. Others regard office is in charge of the Aviation Safety By Gerald Lav' the business of having to check with NASA before pursuing an enforcement action as a hassle that they would rather do without. Yet, while he admitted that the

6 WORD SEARCH S KY M AS TE RN X VS U TY X CO Z CAJETCOMMANDERATSIRT �., Iris A. Lassiter AFALCONCOVAPDNJAZTEC �s. El Dorado, Ark., FSS X OE NA L Y KS I T C AR D I N A LP This month's puzzle asks for aircraft model NELECTRACOMANCHENTCS names. The names read forward, backward, up, YC I T AB R I AN B O E GV I K I N G down and diagonally, are always in a straight line LCORVETTEBAXRI AVNOCO and never skip letters. The words may overlap, and STRATOL I NERACAZNANOB letters may be used more than once. U S U PE R J E T L O N SR M I N ER X Use the word list if you must, but try covering it PK C J E T S T AR N O I R U T N E CV first. All 50 names can be found. Circle those you EHCAPAJIMICMLOTS RCHA Q do find and cross them off the list. The name RI AN E E U PA CH V W (R E V AE B) "Beaver" has been circled to get you started. When COMMANDERGOJAVANZIRJ you give up, the answers may be found on page 17. U TS KY W A G ON N A I ML E NR OE BTAEGODDR I BORBPCL I KS M OR R I S M U S KE T E ER AL SE E APACHE COMANCHE ER C O U PE KC O PE T RI P A CE R ARROW COMMANDER I S TE J R AE L U G U L FS TR E AM AZTEC CONVAIR BARON CORVETTE ZAMENNEYEHCKWAHYKSMS BEAVER DUKE TR A VE L ER E MM I K S E E KN A Y BIRD DOG ELECTRA BONANZA ERCOUPE CARDINAL FALCON CENTURION GULFSTREAM MUSKETEER SKIMMER SUPER JET CHAMP JET COMMANDER NAVAJO SKYHAWK TRAVELER CHEROKEE JET STAR NAVION SKYLANE TRIPACER CHEYENNE KINGAIR OUEENAIR SKYMASTER TRISTAR CITABRIA LARK SEDAN SKYWAGON VIKING TATION LEARJET SENECA STRATOLINER YANKEE iLT LYNX SILVAIRE SUPER CUB

THE STING ... A Los Angeles County closed that NASA wasn't talking about grand jury has indicted a Hollywood lump coal-the kind bad kids find in film producer for allegedly bilking their stocking on Christmas Eve. hundreds of people out of perhaps Rather, it was talking about coal millions of dollars by getting them to products such as liquid methane, liq­ invest in movies that were never uid hydrogen and synthetic Jet A fuel. made. And, unfortunately, a large NASA's dream plane would be able to number of FAAers from facilities in (sounds like a porno flick) and "Tim­ carry some 400 passengers at a speed Southern California were among the berjack Joe" never made it to the of 640 mph over a distance of 6,300 victims. "Small World" doesn't want to silver screen, for which all of you who miles, and NASA says it could be fly­ rub salt in their wounds, but a brief patronize drive-ins can be thankful. ing in the 1990s. Still we're going to recitation of the facts might serve as a As FAA WORLD was going to press, hold off a bit before buying a ticket. warning to others who think there's no the fast-talking producer was free on business like show business. Accord­ bond awaiting trial on 18 counts of SIOUX CITY SUE ... Sioux City, Iowa, ing to the L.A. District Attorney's office, grand theft. We sincerely hope that isn't happy with the three-letter iden­ the producer solicited money for some justice will be done. tifier (SUX) FAA has hung on its air­ 30 movies over a three-year period, port. The Sioux City Journal claims SUX with an average take on each one of CASEY JONES MOUNTED TO THE turns people off but concedes its better $250,000. The only result of all this CABIN ... When "Small World" first than SEX and not as potentially con­ ·-vas a 35-mm film entitled "The heard that NASA had contracted for a fusing as SIX. But what the Journal Jend of Jedediah Carter," which study of coal-fueled airplanes, we really wants is SUE-you know, like in ,If-destructed after a token run in an wondered if FAA might not be called the song of the same name. But SUE Arizona tank town. Other proposed upon someday to certificate stokers on already is spoken for (Sturgeon Bay, films with titles like "Gorilla Go the flight deck. Stranger things have Wis.), so maybe they should toke Home," "Katrina in Wonderland" happened. But closer examination dis- another look at SEX. 7 ..

Boylan enters the cockpit of a P-39, the accident-prone aircraft that the women were eager to fly when male pilots weren't.

FAAer Remembers The w ASPS Could .. Fly Anything

hey called it the "Flying Crowbar" intimidated the male pilots and who military barracks, were subject to T because it had a disconcerting went on to prove that they could fly military law and discipline and often propensity for obeying the laws of anything the Air Corps had to offer. carried firearms on their flights, they gravity. It was so notoriously law The plane was the P-39, the war was were denied veterans' status and abiding, in fact, that many Army Air World War II, the general was the late veterans' rights. This was a denial that Corps pilots refused to fly it. Henry H. (Hap) Arnold, and the women endured until November of last year, But there was a war on at the time were WASPs-Women's Airforce when the approximately 800 surviving and the general had no intention of Service Pilots. WASPs, with the help of General letting aircraft sit around unflown. He There were more than a thousand of Arnold's son, succeeded in persuading could have ordered the men to fly it, of them, and they flew more than 60 Congress to vote them the benefits. course, but he realized that this could million miles during the war, ferrying General Arnold, then head of the have been bad for morale. aircraft, towing targets and training Army Air Corps, established the WASPs So he shamed them into it. other pilots. Thirty-eight were killed in in 1942, and an early volunteer was He did so by calling on a group of the line of duty. Margaret K. Boylan, then a 21-year-old women volunteers who jumped at the They freed male pilots for combat private pilot from Ada, Okla., and now chance to fly the plane that had so duty and, when it was all over, they chief of the Administrative Staff in the were summarily disbanded so that the Administrator's Office at Headquarters flying jobs they had could be filled by "None of us really expected to be those same pilots who were then flying anything more sophisticated than coming back from overseas. light training aircraft," Boylan recalls. Despite the fact that they had lived in "But then they started having trouble 8 th the P-39. It was unstable and it "All I got," she says, "was a cockpit mosphete then-there was no such \ ailed easily on approach unless you briefing. Then I was told to shoot three thing as the women's movement as we brought it in hot. A lot of the men were landings and take off for New York." know it now-and I don't think we could refusing to fly it." There was, she continues, a certain have kept it going then. I don't think "So, General Arnold decided on a amount of male chauvinism that the society in general was ready for it. psychological move and sent us to women had to put up with. But not "I guess we all knew it wasn't going to Pursuit School at Brownsville, Tex., much. And most of the time it was kind last. But it was fun while it lasted-flying where we were trained to fly the P-39, of funny. everything from P-39s to B-29s-and the P-40 and the P-47." "Like the time I was ferrying a we just felt lucky to have had the "Then General Arnold made a big general's personal plane to his chance we did." point about having us fly the P-39, headquarters. When I contacted the But the memory of the way they were which we did with a good safety record. tower there, the controller said, 'all right, summarily dismissed, compounded by The men got the message and stopped lady, put the pilot on.' I told him I was the implication that somehow there had refusing to fly it." the pilot, but he continued to refuse to been something second-rate about their But before Boylan got a chance to fly provide landing instructions until he contribution to the war effort, continued her first ferry flight in a P-39, she had to heard a male voice. He finally got the to bother the women. There were fly one in a P-51. This was the one message, though, when I told him I was sporadic attempts to campaign to pursuit aircraft that they hadn't been delivering the general's plane and that secure the recognition and the rights trained to fly at Brownsville. the general would be displeased if his they felt they had been denied, but none plane got diverted." of them ever came to much. And there were some tense times. Then, in the spring of 1972, the "Ten of us, flying P-51s, had been WASPs held a reunion in Sweetwater, cleared to Pittsburgh, but we hadn't Tex., the site of one of their old training been told that the airport was pretty well fields, and they invited Col. Bruce socked-in by rain and fog. So, there we Arnold, who was then winding up an Air were, circling around and trying to find a Force career that included service in a hole in the weather. I was probably the Congressional liaison job. most frightened I ever was. "They poured me a lot of scotch and "When we finally did get down," read me my father's farewell message Boylan recalls, "the ground crews to them," says Arnold, who now works cheered us in, and the airport opera­ for an aerospace firm in Washington. tions officer kissed the ground." "They worked a little campaign on me, When the end came, and the women and I promised to help them take their were told they were being disbanded, fight to Capitol Hill." "We just sort of totally accepted the fact "He picked up a fight that until then that we had to get out and make way for had been lost, and he was very in­ the men," Boylan says. strumental in getting Congress to vote "There was a totally different at- us the rights," Boylan says. "I doubt if On the wing of a P-51: Boylan got no formal we could have done it without him." training in how to fly this one-just a For her part, Boylan worked at cockpit briefinq, three practice takeoffs digging up documentation for the claim and orders to fly it to New York. that, for all practical purposes, the WASPs were a military unit-such FAA's Margaret Boylan, third from right, and other WASP alumnae with Sen. Barry Gold­ things as discharge papers and water ( Ariz), an early and strong supporter of their fight to win veterans' rights and bene­ diplomas from army flying schools. She fits. At right is Bruce Arnold, son of the World War II general who formed the WASPs, whose help was instrumental in getting Congress to vote them the rights. also testified before Congress along with Arnold in support of the claim. They were opposed by the Veterans Administration and by veterans' organi­ zations but had the support of Sen. Barry1GoldwatePand Rep. Lindy Boggs." "Eventually," Boylan recalls, "we got the support of every woman in Congress, and our bill was finally passed. We got the recognition we believed was long overdue."

By Fred Farrar

9 LONG-DISTANCE RUNNERS-Stan Lou (left) of the Houston, Tex., Airports District Office and Gary Hart of the Houston Center recently finished in the top third of the 900 contestants in the 26-mile-385-yard Houston Marathon Race, assisted by FAAers George Auivalasit, Harold Weston and Bill Phillips. Weston was also cred­ ited with coaxing a nine-year-old boy who had "run out of gas" to finish the grueling run.

RIGHT ON TARGET-Tom Salmons, an EPDS at the Oakland Center, with a 185 bowling average, last year turned in scores of 258, 245, 187, 238 and 213 in the Hoinke Classic in Cincinnati, which outstripped 36,000 other bowlers and netted him $5 0,000. He finished eightieth two years ago. Now, that's what we call real progress.

ONE OF OUR OWN- - rate pilot and f, gion, has be :; United Air/int ,e flight training ma11age1

THE BEST-Willis Granger, then manager of the AFSO at the Memphis ARTCC, recently accepted the 1977 National Airway Facilities Sector of the SNIP-Associate Administrator for Year award for his facility from Washington Headquarters' Documen James Bispo, Deputy Director serving in the front row are Brooks of the Airway Facilities Service. Greene, acting manager of the word-pi Granger is now manager of the Savannah, Ga., Sector.

ALL IN THE FAMILY-Car/ Borchers, recently of the FSNFO at the Aeronautical Center and now accident prevention specialist at the On­ tario, Calif., GADO, has reason to be proud of his son, Allen, now a controller at the Al­ buquerque Center. The younger Borchers graduated from the FAA Academy as top of his class and, just before, on leaving the Air Force, was presented the Air Force Com­ mff'()dation Medal for Meritorious Service, a rarity for a non-career airman. FACES and OLD-TIMES' SAKE-Northwest Regionaires chairman John Haley (center) works with the co­ chairmen of the region's first retirees reunion: At left, Ray Hawk, former Paine Field Sector chief, and PLACES Joe Feldman, former Seattle FSS specialist

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING-Sandra Lit­ Jrski a 1, 730-hour CF! and corpo­ win is the first of two women working as ,r , pilot in the Southern Re­ electronics technicians in the New g 737 flight engineer for England Region. Assigned to the AF e, her wings from United's Navigation Communication Unit in Ban­ t1cCu11ough. gor, Me., Litwin studied electronics at the University of Maine and took the Elec­ tronics Technician Qualification Course last year. Photo by Vet Payne

stration Charles E. Weithoner officially opened :enter in the Office of Management Systems. Ob­ jman, Management Systems Director, and Katl,y 1g facility.

SHINING EXAMPLE -Regional Director William Morgan (second from right) presents the Eastern Region Facility of the Year award to New York ARTCC Airway Facilities Sector manager Roland Jenkins. Looking on (left to right) are Bill Bracken, assistant manager; Mel Watine, assistant chief, AF Division; Paul Bohr, division chief; and Bob Goldman, chief of Maintenance Operations. When the Southern Cross Glittered

F ifty years ago, on May 31. 1928, was merely something to do until he South Wales announced that his Charles E. Kingsford-Smith and possessed the wherewithal for a government was pledging $16,800 Charles T. P. Ulm climbed into the transpacific flight. towards a Smith-Ulm transpacific flight. cockpit of a Fokker F. VII, dubbed the Ulm. also an Australian, had been So, on July 14, 1927, Smith, Ulm, and Southern Cross, after Australia's spec­ rejected by the RAF and had been Keith V. Anderson, who was recruited to tacular constellation, cranked up their forced to fight his war on land, sustain­ join the expedition as a copilot, boarded three engines and roared off into a ing three wounds at Gallipoli. But on the steamship Tahiti for San Francisco. curtain of mist hanging over the Golden returning to his native Melbourne, his The Tahiti docked at San Francisco Gate. thoughts turned again to flying-flying on Aug. 5, 1927, to find the West Coast For Smith and Ulm, an old dream was across the Pacific. pulsating with excitement over the Dole about to be fullfilled. For 10 years they Early in 1927, the two men, who had air race. James B. Dole, the pineapple had nurtured an ambition to fly the met briefly six years earlier, encountered king, had put up $35,000 in prizes to be Pacific from the United States to each other in Sydney. They decided to shared by the first two competitors to Australia-a feat no one had performed join forces. Neither man's name was make a nonstop flight from Oakland to and few had even thought of exactly a household word. and every­ Honolulu. Smith and Ulm detected a performing. where they turned for financial aid, they kind of madness in the air; the prize Charles Kingsford-Smith was born in were met with uniform indifference. money and the memory of Lindbergh's Brisbane, Australia, in 1897. He had They concluded that they would never stunning feat some three months earlier joined the Royal Air Force during World find a sponsor for a transpacific flight had seemingly prompted otherwise War I and distinguished himself by until they drew public attention to sensible people to toss caution and shooting down eight enemy aircraft. The themselves. They therefore hit on the good sense to the wind. war over. he dr[fted between Australia idea of establishing a new flying record To the Australians' discerning eyes, and California taking any flyir.;i job for circumnavigating the Australian the majority of the Dole entries were available-barnstorming with a circus, Continent, an undertaking for which Ulm ill-equipped to make the 2,400-mile performing stunts before movie managed to secure funds. ocean hop to Hawaii.. The race, begun cameras. even wingwalking. But all this Attention was now focused on these on August 16, ended in disaster. Of the two seemingly intrepid aviators as they pushed their Bristol Tourer over a grueling 7,500-mile course in a record-setting ten and a half days. Thus, when they landed to a rousing welcome in Sydney, the premier of New 12 The Southern Cross touches down in Aus­ tralia after just over 83 hours of transpacific flight from the United States.

Photos courtesy of Smithsonian Institution telling them in the same breath to "put the money in your pocket, [but] do not risk your lives in this flight." The expedition was still short of cash. from our fixed destination or any If Smith and Ulm paid Wilkins the entire eleventh hour snatching from disaster, $15,000 for the Fokker, they would have but with a substantial margin of safety." no money for engines and the additional For this they needed the best flying fuel tanks they required for the flight. machine available, preferably a Wilkins generously allowed the two men trimotored transport, equipped with the to take the plane for $7,500 and pay the latest radio and naviation aids-this, balance later. and meticulous planning. Boeing fitted the aircraft with three They soon found the airplane they Wright Whirlwind J5A engines and wanted. George Hubert Wilkins was added the extra tanks. In addition to the seeking to sell a Fokker F. VII he had main tank, which held 897 gallons, the wrecked and rebuilt in his abortive 1926 Fokker now had four 96-gallon tanks in Arctic expendition. The aircraft could be its wings and a 107-gallon tank under had for $15,000, minus engines. the pilot's seat, giving it a total fuel Still without the funds pledged by New capacity of 1,298 gallons, which South Wales, Smith and Ulm did not translated into a maximum range of have sufficient cash for the purchase 3,810 miles. The longest leg of their and were forced to look for additional original entries only two made it to backers, a search made immeasurably Honolulu. Ten people, including one more difficult by the Dole race disasters. "Our aim was to show the world woman, perished in trial runs, during the If the 2,400-mile flight to Hawaii was full that the Pacific could be spann ed race itself or in rescue attempts. of deadly peril, what would a 7,400-mile by air ... wi th a margi n of The Dole race made a particular flight to Australia hold? safety." ;.,,pression on the two Australians. It was such thoughts that ran through ike the majority of the Dole partici- the head of Sidney Myer, an Australian 1ts, they were not about to engage in businessman living in California, when three-leg journey was the 3,144 miles a daredevil's game. "Our aim was to Smith and Ulm asked him for the money from Hawaii to Suva, Fiji Islands. show the world that the Pacific could be to purchase Wilkins' Fokker. With Towards the end of 1927, Smith and spanned by air," they observed, "not by misgivir:igs, Myer made a gift of $7,500 Ulm received some very distressing any desperate struggling to land far to the would-be transpacific voyagers, news. A new government had taken power in Australia and refused to honor the old government's financial commit­ ment to the transpacific flight. Worse Standing before their Fokker Tri-motor in 1928 is the crew of the Southern Cross: (left to right) pilot Charles Kingsford-Smith, co-pilot Charles Ulm, radioman James Warner and yet, the new government requested navigator Harry Lyon, Jr., after their landing in Brisbane, Australia. Smith and Ulm to sell their aircraft and catch the first steamer home, emphasizing that the fate that had befallen the Dole fliers might also befall them. While they were pondering this request, Wilkins asked for the $7,500 owed him. The Fokker was mortgaged and Wilkins given his money. This left Smith and Ulm in need of some $16,000 to pay off their creditors and finance the flight. With their financial plight seemingly hopeless and not wishing to earn the emnity of their government, Smith and Ulm decided to abandon the flight on Jan 17, 1928. About all that remained now was to sell their plane

13 and pay off their outstanding debts. this leg was "that crushing monotony of It was not surprising, then, that the Two months later, in the middle of calm sea and cloud beauty .... " The violent storm and the lack of a reliablt. I March, their fortunes took a decided four men had all they could do to fight compass combined to throw the turn for the better when they met one the oppression of boredom. Southern Cross off course; the surprise Capt. G. Allan Hancock, a wealthy The Hawaii-Suva leg was another was that the craft had strayed only 110 American rancher and industrialist with matter, giving the four-man crew and miles-a deviation easily corrected a keen interest in navigation. Hancock the Fokker all they could handle. Four offered to buy their machine and then hours out of Hawaii, the Southern Cross Given the relatively primitive na­ loan it back to them for the flight; the ran into a tropical rainstorm that lashed ture of their instruments and the price for the machine would be sufficient the aircraft unmercifully and filled the elements they faced, Smith and to free them of their obligations and cockpit with water. After hours of Ulm had performed a most re­ finance the flight.Thus, since they were pounding and usually futile attempts to now flying under Hancock's sponsor­ skirt around menacing black clouds, markable feat. ship, they felt they could ignore the Smith decided to climb; at 8,000 feet the request of their government to return Fokker finally beat the uprush of the once the clear skies over the Australian home by steamer. menacing cloud banks. Looking down, coast were sighted. By this time, Keith Anderson had they saw a world of tumbling vapor; On the morning of June 9, when above them, as they emerged from the Smith and Ulm arrived at Brisbane to a murk, "glittered the Southern Cross, the tumultuous welcome and a cable from constellation whose name we were Hancock gifting them with the Southern proud to bear ...." Cross, they had covered a distance of The next four hours were spent flying 7,347 miles in an actual flying time of 3 through a languorous tropical night, but days, 11 hours and 11 minutes and had the elements were not finished with made the longest nonstop flight over them yet. At 5:00 a.m., fierce winds water up to that time-the 3,144 miles caused the Fokker to slide and rock between Hawaii and Suva. Given the "enough to rattle one's teeth." The wind relatively primitive nature of their was followed by an electrical storm. instruments and the elements they Smith's efforts to dodge the disturb­ faced, Smith and Ulm had performed ances by flying either under the cloud most remarkable navigational feat. ----. cover or over it were unavailing. The crossing bore testimony not only Navigating with any certainty proved to the skills of the four men manning the The Pacific-hopping Southern Cross car­ Southern Cross but also to the ried wing tanks and a tank under the pilot's impossible.And Smith's efforts to dodge seat in addition to the main tank, for a total the squalls were eating up fuel and advantages of careful planning and the of 1,298 gallons of fuel. causing everyone concern. use of the best available equipment. They had been 32 hours in the air Nearly a decade later, when Pan before the weather finally cleared and American Airways followed the trail returned to Australia, so Smith and Ulm Lyon could take a "shot" for their blazed by Kingsford-Smith, advance got busy recruiting two new crew position. The ship had strayed off planning was the prelude to its success. members-a navigator and radioman. course only slightly. But they still Both Smith and Ulm ultimately came They found two Americans, Harry W. worried about their fuel supply. As it to untimely ends. Ulm disappeared in Lyon, Jr., and James W. Warner, who happened, when they sighted the Fiji 1934 while attempting another trans­ appeared particularly suited for the jobs. Islands a mere 70 miles from the Suva pacific flight; a year later, the aircraft in Lyon, a lieutenant commander in the runway, the Fokker still had gasoline which Smith was flying vanished off the U.S. Navy Reserve, was a veteran enough to carry them five more hours. coast of Malaya. In 1958, on the 30th marine navigator; Warner had just The 1,780-mile flight from Suva to anniversary of the flight of the Southern retired from the Navy as a chief Brisbane, though the shortest leg of Cross, Lyon and Warner observed the radioman. Smith would serve as chief their journey, brought them the worst occasion by taking a commercial flight pilot during the flight; Ulm, who had experience of the entire flight. For hours to Australia. Now, 20 years later, on the expected to serve as navigator before on the night of June 8-9, savage winds Southern Cross' 50th anniversary, Anderson's departure, would serve as and freezing, torrential rains pounded Kingsford-Smith's son and namesake is relief pilot and second in command. the Southern Cross, jolting and rocking approximating the path of his father's The flight from Oakland to Honolulu the ship so violently that the crew had long journey in a twin-engine Cessna was uneventful; the Southern Cross difficulty staying in their seats. Making 340-a fitting commemoration of one of flew the 2,400 miles in near-perfect matters worse, the ship's inductor history's great flights. weather without a hitch. Indeed, with the compass, its most valuable navigation tremendous roar of the engines making aid, went out, forcing Smith and Ulm to conversation impossible, the crew's rely on their magnetic compasses, ) deadliest enemy during the 27 hours which did not perform well in the and 25 minutes it required to negotiate presence of metal objects in the cabin. By Nick Komons

14 in disagreement. The rest hedged their an'swers. WE HEAR YOU! • Informs on Employee Achievements: The yeses were recently-completed survey of FAA A summary of the results for major 36.1% of the total and the noes A WORLD readership by the Office questions follows: 25.3%. Neutrals accounted for the of Management Systems indicates that • Issues read: 38.6% said they read rest. the magazine is well read by employees every issue, 30.8% read most and • On the importance of FAA WORLD and most of them find it useful in their 9.7% read about half. Only 2.9% said as an employee communications jobs and careers. Approximately 70 they read none. vehicle, 51.3% were favorably percent of the survey respondents said • Articles read: 51.8% indicated that disposed, 28.1 % were not. The they read all or most issues of the they read all or most articles and remainder fell in the neutral category. magazine and better than two-thirds 15.3% read about half. The "none at • On the question of accuracy, 88% indicated that they wanted to continue all" readers composed 2.2% of the rated the magazine from "acceptable" receiving it. replies. to "excellent." Timeliness drew an The purpose of the survey was to • Makes readers feel a part of FAA: 82% favorable reaction. assess the effectiveness of FAA 39.9% agreed with this and 22.4% • As for enjoyment of the magazine, WORLD as an employee disagreed. The remainder were 74.7% gave a positive response and communications tool. Survey neutral. 67.2% said they wanted to continue questionnaires were mailed to the • Provides latest technical receiving the magazine. homes of 1,113 employees under a information: 39.3% said yes, 28% said • Regarding the regular features, random-selection technique designed to no and in-betweens accounted for the "Federal Notebook" got a 65% yield a statistically valid sample with 384 remainder. favorable rating; "Direct Line" 62.5%, responses. The mailing actually drew • Informs of new agency programs: "Faces & Places" 51.1 % and "Word 412 replies. 45.6% were in agreement and 24.9% Search" 15%.

across the country, the center has set up a Pilot Examiner Standardization Standardizing Pilot Skills Course that is taking to the road. Developed by the Examiner he Aeronautical Center is establish a more uniform level of Standardization Section of the center's recertifying the certifiers. To performance of pilots being certificated Flight Standard Division, headed by T Charles Steuben, the three-day course consists of a comprehensive review of administrative procedures, examiner materials and evaluation techniques. Effective Jan. 1, 1980, all examiner designees must complete this course every two years to retain their authorization. The first course for 20 pilot examiners was held at the center at the beginning of February. Teams of three people from Steuben's section have already started on the rounds of the cities that will keep them on the road until the end of next year. In July, for example, the course will be given on the 11th in Milwaukee and Salt Lake City and on the 25th in Rochester, N.Y., and Kansas City, Kan. In August, Harrisburg, Pa.; Minneapolis; St. Louis; Ypsilanti, Mich.; The staff of he Aeronautical Center's Examiner Standardization Section, which developed the pilot examiner course, includes (left to right) Donald Miller, Thoville Smith, Charles. Westfield, Mass.; and Allentown Pa., Steuben, Ralph Anderson, Carl Borchers, Gene Houtz, Chet Edwards and Ron Bragg. GADOs will host the course.

1S The Best Defense Is the Simplest

t's a sad commentary, but crime and victim, but self-defense, especially for a Martial arts enthusiast Frank Sierra demon­ I what to do about it makes headlines woman, doesn't stop there. She must strates a thrust to an attacker's eyes. daily around this country. Municipalities disable her attacker by either kicking hold clinics, make mailings and even one of his legs or by knocking the wind advertise how to deter burglars and out of him to give her the precious avoid personal attacks. moment to run for help. "It's no use But Frank Sierra, Jr., believes in the working up to an escape and then being adage that the best defense is an caught again by an alert and uninjured offense. attacker," Sierra notes. A supervisory flight-data aid at the Although martial-arts books identify Honolulu Center and a martial arts 20 vulnerable spots on the body, Sierra enthusiast, Sierra is especially suggests that, for easy remembrance, a concerned about the vulnerability of women. "Whenever, I read about When attacked from the front (right), she attacks on women," he says, "my first grabs Sevilla's shirt and jerks him toward her, followed (below) with a disabling palm thoughts are about the safety of my wife thrust to the nose and a groin kick. and other women I know." He gave considerable thought to how a woman can effectively defend herself. "I've seen many demonstrations of self-defense techniques, sQme of which were demonstrated on me," Sierra explains. "Eugene Ho, a kung fu instructor and Honolulu ARTCC .. controller, taught me combat sparring, and instructor Andrew Lum taught me that the simplest technique is the most effective, although others look to the more spectacular and difficult techniques to defend themselves. "Some schools teach that when seized, one must break the hold first and then deliver a disabling blow. Others advocate just breaking the hold. I follow the theory that if the attacker's hands are occupied-say, holding you-then he can't do much more. This gives the victim the chance to deliver a disabling or distracting blow and free herself from the hold." Sierra points out that many times the first blow to the attacker will free the

16 Darryl Sevilla and Jean Newcombe of the Honolulu Center demonstrate self-defense tech­ niques. Below, when attacked from the rear, Newcombe thrusts her arms upward to break Sevi/la's hold, and (right) she disables him with a downward swing.

Word Search Answer Puzzleonpage7 �KVMASTem�xv�uTvxeoz C A(JETC OM M AND E RJATS I R T) ,AFALC 0 NCOV AP D NJAZ TEC) X O(ENA L V KS IT (C A R D IN A L p NE L EC T R AXC 0 MA .N CH EJN TCS V CITABRIA N 13 0 EG(V I K IN G) L CC OR V E TT E) AB X(RI AV N 0 r.) 0 woman should just focus on the points s TR A TO L IN E R AC AZNANOB) that run in a straight line from the top of u S UP E R J E T) L 0N� RMINERX the head to the groin, including the p (N eyes, nose and throat. K C(J ETST AR 01 RU TN E C V E HCAPAJ IM I re� L 0T s RC H A Although he has learned many AN Q A lV H VA ts) techniques from many venerable RI EE U P �H '-\' E E G JsA A ZI masters of the martial arts, when asked OMMANDER co �, N R J who displays the simplest form of U T(S KV WAG 0 N NA ]" EN R 0E self-defense, Sierra responds quickly, � TA E (G OD ·o R I 8) 0R � C L I K s "The Three Stooges! Their slapstick MORRISCMUSK E TE E R A '[ Es E self-defense techniques are very ERCOUPE.)K COPElT RIP A C E R) practical, very simple and very ISCT E JR AE L;UGULFSTR EA M) unexpected." ZA MCEN NEVE H C)(K WAH V K SJMS T R AV E L E(R) E M M I K SXE E K N A VJ

Story and photos by George Miya chi

17 DIRECT

1 served 25V2 months on active military duty, and the controllers who guide air traffic. In this regard, a 021V2 months of which is under the Social Secu­ VORTAC that forms a fix in an instrument approach to a rity system. I have a total of 59 quarters under major airport must receive greater credit for responsibility Social Security. When I have completed 30 years of than a similar facility in the anroute system. Federal service, will the 21 V2months be counted to­ ward my Federal retirement and deducted from the FAA employees in the Alaskan Region. who quarters earned toward Social Security retirement, or were hired from outside Alaska can get free will I have to serve another 21V2 months in the FAA Q "737" travel for themselves and their families under the Civil Service retirement system? every two years. The rest of us can't. If I were to take a job with the FAA outside the region and then re­ Generally speaking, active, honorable military serv­ turn to Alaska at a later date, would I be allowed to • ice performed prior to Jan. l, 1957, will be cred­ have "737" travel? If so, what would be the shortest ited toward the Civil Service retirement system. time I would need to work in the other region? What Military service performed from that date on cannot be laws, regulations and orders apply to this? credited toward Civil Service retirement if you are eligible for Social Security benefits at the time of retirement. There­ The answer to your question depends upon your fore, if you retire from the Federal service before becoming • "actual residence." The Comptroller General has eligible for Social Security benefits (prior to reaching age ruled that an employee's actual residence may be at 62), any military service performed after Jan. 1, 1957, will a location other than the one at which he resided im- be credited for your annuity; however, upon reaching age mediately before his transfer. The place of actual residence 62 and becoming eligible for Social Security benefits, the must be determined by the agency on the basis of all avail­ Civil Service Commission will automatically recompute your able facts. If your actual residence before you return to the annuity to exclude this military credit, which will be cred­ Alaskan Region is still Alaska, you would not be eligible for ited to your Social Security benefits. Because we do not "737" travel. The law governing "737" travel is P. L. 8:> know the exact dates of your military service or what your 737. Procedures and criteria for P. L. 737 entitlements age will be at the time of your retirement, we suggest that contained in DOT Order 1500.6 (FAA Order 1500.l-. , you discuss your situation with your personnel office. You The provision concerning actual residence is discussed in may wish to review a copy of Pamphlet 18, "Your Retire­ Comptroller General Decision 45 CG 136 and in the ment System," which has some information on this subject. Federal Travel Regulations.

1 am a GS-11 electronics technician working a I am an electronics technician who made his 0high-altidue VORTAC and two RTRs with 22 GS-11 on time at the end of January this year. transmitters and three receivers, all feeding a Since mid-August, however, as a GS-9 de­ Level Ill tower. The radar technicians here are GS-12s velopmental, I had been performing GS-11 jour­ due to the TRACON, but I can't get a GS-12, th'ey Qneyman duty without any letter of detail. My super­ say, because the tower is just shy of 100,000 opera­ visor and SFO chief were informed of the need for the tions. I have strived for 100 percent availability on letter, but I was told that it was all right for me to my facilities for years, feeling that is the most impor­ certify the radar equipment. During this period, I was tant part of my job. I now find out that it's appar­ number one on the callback list, certified all equip­ ently more important for my grade to have 100,000 ment (ASR-6, ATCRB, BRITE IV, SSUM), ran system operations-not 99,000 but 100,000 or more. I can't test and trained another GS-9 technician and even see how my job changes by going, say, from 99,999 once the GS-11 technician I was assigned to assist. to 100,000. Please explain. Then, the latter was assigned to the other GS-11 for more training, while I was given the responsibility of The 1972 DOT position-classification guide for elec­ the radar and ATCRB. Am I entitled to back pay? tronics maintenance technicians recognizes three basic factors in the classification of all technician All details of more than 30 days must be A • jobs: skills, knowledge and responsibility, all of which are documented in the employee's official personnel found in varying degrees in each technician's position. Skill folder. In addition, any detail exceeding 120 days and knowledge requirements can be identified with the requires prior approval by the Civil Service Commission. types of facilities maintained. Some systems are compara­ Employees detailed to higher graded positions without tively simple, while others are complex and demand prior CSC approval are entitled to retroactive temporr greater skills and knowledge. Responsibility is not meas­ promotions with backpay for the period exceeding ured by facility type but by facility criticality within the days, provided they met all eligiblity requirements fo, National Airspace System. In other words, we must con­ promotion at the time or during the period of the detail sider what the loss of a facility means to the flying public (published Comptroller General Decisions B-183086 and 18 B-186064 of 3/23/77). Since we do not know all the facts lowing the date they are approved. The personnel office for this period, we cannot say whether you qualify for automatically makes the necessary salary adjustments in all backpay. Ask your supervisor and personnel office for a such cases. However, a promotion cannot be made retroac­ complete explanation of how the above requirements apply tively effective. Therefore, the date you were selected by a to your case. service director has no bearing on your actual promotion date. Rather, the effective date of a promotion and the There is considerable disagreement in my resulting pay increase is determined by the personnel of­ 0 facility concerning the intent of Para. 790 of fice. The references for this are the Federal Personnel Man­ Handbook 7110.65A. We would like to know if ual Supplement 990-2, Book 531, Subchapter S2-5(a) controllers are required to clear aircraft so as to inter­ and (b) and FPM chapter 335, Subchapter 1-4. cept the final approach course below the glide slope in all cases. Some interpret this paragraph to mean About the heralded promotional and career that the interception can occur above the glide slope opportunities in FAA-is there a policy govern­ if the ceiling is at least 500 feet above the minimum 0 ing the selection of eligible employees? It vectoring altitude and the visibility is at least three seems that in various instances, vacant General Avi­ miles. What is the official in terpretation? ation Airworthiness Inspector positions are fillled by personnel already in that grade classification. Con­ The cited paragraph requires that for precision ap­ sequently, this lessens the promotional possibilities • proaches the aircraft must be vectored to intercept for those bidding on the advertised positions. the final approach course at an altitude not above the glide slope. The ceiling and visibility criteria you men- Civil Service Commission regulations require each tioned are in para. 790a(l ), which, like 790a(2) and • Federal agency to adopt and administer a program 790a(3), concerns only the proximity of the aircraft to the designed to insure systematic means of selection for ,proach gate. For a precision approach, the appropriate promotion according to merit. Accordingly, vacancies may i of the three preceding alternatives is used with, not in be announced under the Merit Promotion Program and the .ou of, Para. 790a(4). Note the use of "or" and "and" selecting officials provided with a list of the best-qualified between the subparagraphs. The requirement in 790a(4)­ promotion candidates from which to select. The selecting for interception of a precision approach course at an al­ official, then, may (l) select any candidate referred on the titude not above the glide slope-is not optional. Inci­ list, (2) fill the position through internal-placement proce­ dentally, some editorial changes in the format of Para. 790 dures, which allow consideration of ingrade and are forthcoming, but the basic context now in 790a will downgrade applicants, (3) select an outside candidate or remain unchanged. (4) choose not to fill the position. All four of these options are available to selecting officials. Many of us in the Washington area were 0 selected months ago for promotions under the Is it acceptable and legal to use the same Merit Promotion Program. We have not re­ 0 rules (other than vertical) to separate Special ceived our pay increases due to the freeze that has VFR aircraft as are used in the separation of been in effect for Washington employees since May IFR aircraft? Many controllers have different interpre­ 1977. This freeze raises the following questions: Will tations as to which rules to apply, which causes con- our pay be adjusted automatically within a pay fusion among controllers and between controllers period or so following the lifting of the freeze? Will and pilots. At some facilities, the rules are applied the date of our promotions on our personnel records one way, and at other facilities, a different way. be the date that our selection was approved by the What is the correct procedure? service directors? Will our pay increases be retroac­ tive to that approval date? The answer is yes; you must use instrument flight rules seporation procedures and minima to separate Since hiring and promotion restrictions were im­ A Special VFR operations. Chapter 3 of Handbook posed in May 1977, most personnel actions for em­ 7110.65A provides the bosic separation minima and pro·­ ployees in Washington headquarters have been sus­ cedures for both S cial VFR and IFR o rations. The ap- A pe pe pended. When these restrictions are lifted, all pending proved separation specified in 7110.65A-472 is IFR sep­ promotion actions will be returned to the selecting official aration, as prescribed in Chapter 3. Radar vectors are au­ be reviewed. This review or recertification is necessary thorized, but limited (see 71l0.65A-680.b.). Although determine if the proposed action still meets the staffing hard altitudes are not assigned, vertical separation may be .equirements of a particular office. When these actions are applied by clearing the Special VFR aircraft "at or below" returned to the Office of Personnel, they may be processed an altitude "500 feet below conflicting IFR aircraft (see to take effect at the beginning of the next poy period fol- 7110.65A-481).

19 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION Postage and Fees Paid Washington. D.C 20591 Federal Aviation Administration DOT 515 U.S.MAIL OFFICIAL BUSINESS - PENALTY FOR PRIVATE USE. $300

ALASKAN REGION The Fairchild AFB RAPCON in Wash­ moves over to the Sarasota, Fla., Tower David Gray, Jr., is now deputy chief of ington has a new assistant chief in ... Peter Jackson was selected to be the Anchorage FSS. Charles E. Davis. chief of the Athens, Ga., Tower ... Allen C. Burroughs moved up to as­ CENTRAL REGION PACIFIC-ASIA REGION' sistant chief at the Memphis ARTCC ... Transferring in as chief of the Hill City, John F. Hicks, Jr., is now an assistant The new deputy chief of the West Palm Kan., FSS is Dow M. Summers, Jr. chief at the Honolulu ARTCC .. . Pro­ Beach, Fla., Tower is Dickie L. Sergent moted to assistant chief at the Guam .. . Peter J. Caruso now has an assist­ EASTERN REGION CERAP was Jon Siverly. ant chief's slot at the San Juan, Puert� Promoted to chief of the Pittsburgh Air Rico, ARTCC ... Assistant er Carrier District Office was John B. ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION Thomas F. Carrico now holds that pc. Roach ... Robert J. Tiffany was The new chief of the Akron, Colo., FSS tion at the Miami IFSS ... William R. selected as chief of the Buffalo Airway is John Homa, Jr. ... Benny A. Notti Guillebeau was promoted to chief of Facilities Sector Field Office ... The was selected for assistant chief at the the Paducah, Ky., FSS ... Selected as new deputy chief of the JFK Interna­ Denver FSS ... Taking over as chief of assistant manager of the Covington, tional Tower in New York is James Ed· the Missoula, Mont., Tower is Orin J. Ky., AF Sector was Charles Pinkerton. ward Johnston. Wardwell .. . Richard G. Harris was the successful bidder for an assistant SOUTHWEST REGION GREAT LAKES REGION chief's spot at the Denver FSS ... Francis D. Pracheil has become the Robert L. Shipp, Jr., took a promotion Gerald B. Lewis moved up at the Hu­ chief of the West Memphis, Ark., Tower to chief of the Detroit City Tower ... ron, S.D., FSS to assistant chief ... The ... Horace K. Hankins has moved over Getting the nod for an assistant chief's new deputy chief of the Denver AC DO is as chief of the McAlester, Okla., FSS spot at the La Crosse, Wis., Tower is Robert A. Westhoff .. . Lawrence L. ... The new deputy chief of the Dallas, Clarence C. Ransom ... Julius R. Morton was selected for assistant chief Tex., FSS is James R. Nausley ... Stahl was selected to be an assistant at the Colorado Springs, Colo., Tower. Selected as chief of the Gallup , N.M., chief at the Saginaw , Mich., FSS ... FSS was Stanley M. Miller ... Named Moving up to an assistant chief's job at SOUTHERN REGION chief of the Texarkana, Ark., Tower was the Grand Rapids, Mich., Tower was Transferring to the Savannah, Ga., AF Derald W. Bartimus .. . Marion L. Joseph A. Naimo ... Selected chief of Sector as manager was Willis J. Ward got the nod as chief of the El the Lansing, Mich., FSS was Robert I. Granger ... Walter Lucas, Jr., is a Dorado, Ark., FSS. Wagner ... Moving up the ladder to as­ new assistant chief at the Gainesville, sistant chief at the Green Bay, Wis., Fla., FSS ... Named deputy chief of the WESTERN REGION Tower is Ronald A. Heilmann ... Birmingham, Ala., Tower was Leo R. The Ukiah , Calif., FSS has a new as­ Donald E. Kunst has been boosted to Wiggins ... James W. Stephenson sistant chief in Gordon K. Trimble ... AF Sector Field Office chief in Lansing was selected as chief of the Bowman Donald N. Mackin has advanced to as­ . .. Daniel N. Alspach has taken the Field Tower in Louisville, Ky ... Harl A. sistant chief at the Phoenix, Ariz., FSS chief's slot at the Cleveland-Lakefront Long got the nod as chief of the Chat­ ... Selected for an assistant chief at the Tower. tanooga , Tenn., Tower ... The Mem­ Oakland Tower TRACON was Douglas phis ARTCC Sector has a new manager M. Mccready ... The Ontario, Calif NORTHWEST REGION in Robert N. Montgomery ... Taking Tower's new chief is Joseph R. Wil· The Boise, Ida., FSS is picking up Pat­ on an assistant chief's job at the Munic­ ... Larry E. Reid was named assist rick A. Girard as its new chief ... ipal Airport Tower in Atlanta, Ga., was manager of the San Diego AF Secto, Ronald C. Hanna has been promoted to Johnny J. Posey, Jr. ... A new assist­ ... A new assistant chief at the chief at the Medford, Ore., Tower ... ant chief is Harrison R. Ragland, who Prescott, Ariz., FSS is James P. Violi.