Comments on: Politicos Seek To Mandate FAA Decisions

By: TJ

TJ — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:40:19 +0000

Thanks for the explanation of how this works….didn’t understand how the controller system would be set up – doesn’t sound unsafe at all. Don’t get the cost difference though.

By: Casual Observer

Casual Observer — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:42:10 +0000

If memory serves, this deal was cut in congress about 6 years ago. The new tower south of the field was sort of parting shot at the FAA from craig. ie, “Okay, you can move the operations to Salt Lake, but we still require you to build the tower in Boise.”

The need for an empty tower, then or now, mystifies me. All in the name of construction jobs, I suppose.

At this point, the brouhaha is little more than posturing by the politicos. The move the operations to Salt Lake train has been on the track for a long time and our congressional delegation doesn’t have the power to stop it.

EDITOR NOTE–You are correct. The REAL reason for the new tower is to take care of another runway aimed at attracting a FREIGHT HUB with massive jets coming and going at all hours and increased truck traffic…all in the name of GROWTH and jobs.

By: Dr Spiegelvogel

Dr Spiegelvogel — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:24:47 +0000

The safety based argument that controllers in SLC will not be familiar with terrain in the Boise area is unsupported. With Google Earth, and oh that other invention, maps, and also orientation trips to Boise, the controllers will be just as familiar.

Another example of politicos reaching for a bottom- of- the- barrel argument that many of the dangerously uninformed will buy.

This is about jobs leaving Boise, nothing else.

Another example: How about the breakout a landing in SLC costing over $36 but Boise’s cost is $12. Somehow, if the TRACON leaves, Boise’s costs are going up? Let’s see the data on both cost figures. Even the most casual observer might smell this one out.

EDITOR NOTE–Boise costs should indeed remain constant unless they pay the staff 3 times as much in Salt Lake. Boise landings would remain apart from Salt Lake landings. We presume the figures were determined by the cost of staffing divided by landings. Salt Lake probably has more controllers with a much busier sky. No doubt other factors are also included.