Last night, there was a mid-air collision in D.C. Today, we’re learning that the FAA is about to let another airport run without air traffic controllers. Huge thanks to Ken Kaplanstein for sharing this information—this needs more attention.🧵1/8 - ThreadSky

greedbane.bsky.social • 29 days ago

Last night, there was a mid-air collision in D.C. Today, we’re learning that the FAA is about to let another airport run without air traffic controllers.

Huge thanks to Ken Kaplanstein for sharing this information—this needs more attention.🧵1/8

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cocomalca.bsky.social•29 days ago

Republicans are the only party that Deregulates and wants No safety measures in food and cars and air traffic …this clown mentions other admin.
On that bullshit

greedbane.bsky.social•29 days ago

San Carlos Airport (SQL), just 10 miles from SFO, is going ATC-Zero on February 1st. That means no controllers—just pilots figuring it out on their own in one of the most congested airspaces in the country.🧵2/8

greedbane.bsky.social•29 days ago

Here’s the breakdown:
• The FAA outsourced SQL’s air traffic control to private contractors instead of staffing it directly.
• The new contractor lowballed their bid by cutting cost-of-living pay, so every single controller quit.🧵3/8

greedbane.bsky.social•29 days ago

Now, pilots—many of them students from two of the largest flight schools in the area—will have to coordinate departures and arrivals themselves.

SQL’s departure routes overlap with SFO’s arrival paths. This is a disaster waiting to happen.🧵4/8

greedbane.bsky.social•29 days ago

This isn’t just SQL’s problem. FAA has been gutting public air traffic control favor of private contractors for years. Contractors cut corners, underpay controllers, and leave airports scrambling.
We’ve seen contract towers shut down because the only controller on duty had to use the bathroom.🧵5/8

ejquiujmiplis.bsky.social•29 days ago

1/ I was an ATC until 1981, when St. Reagan fired almost 11k of us. The tower I worked at was a small facility but very near the international airport. We handled local commuter, private, and student pilot traffic. About 3+ years after the strike, the FAA contracted out my tower, as well as 2 others

ejquiujmiplis.bsky.social•29 days ago

2/ in the area. What you describe in your post is exactly what happened.

greedbane.bsky.social•29 days ago

You can bet lobbyists will use this as an excuse to push for more privatization—claiming that the problem is government control, not corporate greed. But look at what happened here: the FAA gave a critical airport to the lowest bidder, and now there’s no one left to do the job.🧵6/8

greedbane.bsky.social•29 days ago

The public needs to know this. We need accountability. We need to fight for fully funded, public air traffic control—not more cost-cutting schemes that put lives at risk.🧵7/8

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