Secretary Ray LaHood on FOX News Sunday

It's crazy to schedule ANYONE for days shifts and night shifts within the same week - in the Air Force, lots of us had to do 3 swings, then 3 mids, then 3 days off - usually daytime off duty because of families, and that was tough.

Whoever invented the ATC schedule is an idiot. Then again, just like in trucking, it's YOUR responsibility to get adequate rest to be able to pull your shift...

 

I'm ok with the change not getting full approval by the union, the actions of a few show the clear need for a change. Switching shifts to get long weekends and only requiring 8 hours off in between shifts is crazy. I don't think that there is any real difference between 8 and 9 hours off. I'd like to see how they justify 10 hours off for driving, but only 9 hours off for flying.

Get real there was a recommendation in 2007 for changes to their HOS??? Things should have been changed at that time regardless of a union vote. Nobody likes change, people get used to the status quo until something terrible happens.

This is just stupid, why did you say we should watch this? Safety is not even on the radar, this is all about making a name for himself. Everything is "on my watch", what a joke. Quit worrying about how you are remembered and start with making changes. If you want things to be safer you're going to need more changes than what have been made.

Don't blame congress, step up and make your own changes. More money doesn't equal more success. Take a look at your bottom line and cut out your waste.

Oh no, he's ticked off and he's mad about it! He shouldn't work 24/7 as he stated earlier that's not safe. Studies show that you need at least 9 hours off.

Now I should make like an air traffic controller and catch some zzzz's

 

Very good, longtime friend of mine is active duty Navy, an E-7, and chief military controller at NAS Ft Worth, a now-guard/reserve base that used to be Carswell AFB. He and his coworkers are going nuts about all this.

His simple thought is, make a common sense schedule, get the rest you need to work, and do your ###### job.

 

This pud LaHood is just covering his tail. The way I see it, he shoulders some of the blame here and he knows it, so hes got to go on tv and make people think hes sooo concerned and mad about it. Obviously he was snuggled up asleep right with the controllers.

 

A person needs two days off to adapt to a shift change. LaHood thinks staring at the ceiling an extra hour is going to fix the problem. It'll be a good day for the transportation industry when he is out of office. The man's way of thinking is warped with political motives over safety.

When I was a controller at PBI we would work one hour on position and one hour off. Third shift had 3 people. It was no biggie to hang out in the break room and take a nap. It's been done for years. Just stick two guys on third shift and let them figure out. So what if one naps while the other works. You are lucky to see one plane every couple hours at these one man third shift towers. A gov't worker standing around doing nothing?? We never seen that before.

 

Had the news spotlighted trucking in the same light as ATC's, we would only be able to drive for 20 minutes, then have to stop for a rest, get out of the truck to stretch &/or only drive during daytime hours.

However, wonder why Lahood won't tell the unions that the fix is to switch over to a straight shift where the person working the midnight shift works that shift all the time?

 

I did watch the whole thing. I don't think any of these changes are actually going to take. It's all just big talk, but the bottom line is that there need to be changes and they need to take place quickly. Have a real schedule for these clowns. I felt this was more of a political statement than anything else.

 

As i posted on another thread--AM I the ONLY person who thinks it is absurd--that Pilots and ATC require less time off and are allowed to work more hours than we are? especially considering commute time is figured into and as part of their off time? At least MOST of us just have to pull in and park and can go right to bed if need be--think about getting off--punching out--walking to your vehicel--commuting home--eating etc etc sleeping--commute back--park--go punch in--I mean REALLY??