Chuck Barrett's Blog, page 12

Repost from "Get the Flick" by Don Brown

What I Wish I Had Said

For those that didn't hear it, yours truly was on NPR's Morning Edition this morning. Besides the live show I was on at Oshkosh one year, it was my first radio interview. I guess it went well enough.

After the taping, I saw some non-aviation friends last night and one of them brought up the subject (sleeping controllers) and was relating what he had heard on the news. In short, everything was going to be okay. The head of air traffic control (he was uncertain whether it was Administrator Babbitt or Secretary LaHood) was going to assign more controllers to the midnight shift. Problem solved.

Not.

I was surprised at the level of anger I felt about it — but that is what I felt. As I've said before, the FAA doesn't have the controllers to provide the extra staffing. Therefore, it will be fighting fatigue by assigning controllers longer hours — overtime. Does working overtime make you less tired?

And that is the crux of what I wish I had said to Brian Naylor (NPR's reporter.) Everyone knows what it's like to get sleepy. I should have personalized the issue. So, let's do that now. Let's not talk about some abstract controller sitting in some far-away place. Let's talk about you.

I'm going to assume you are working a "day" shift today. You might think you're off on Saturday/Sunday but you would be wrong. You're off on Thursday/Friday, so that would make tomorrow (Wednesday) your last day at work. Unfortunately for you, your last "day" at work is going to begin when Wednesday starts — at midnight. Let's walk through this together.

When you get off work, you will do your standard commute and go straight home. You have to sleep for the midnight shift. Yes, it is almost summer and the sun stays up until 8 PM or so. You don't. You have a duty to report to work well rested. First question; Do you take a shower before you go to sleep or after you get up? You pick. Remember, the clock is ticking. Sleep now? Okay then. Off you go, straight to bed.

What's that? Not sleepy? Tough. Close your eyes and at least rest. The clock is ticking, Sport. You have to get some sleep. It's going to be a long night. Somebody's life might depend upon you being alert and functional. The taxpayers pay you a lot of money not to fall asleep at work. (Do you see how stupid that sounds when we're talking about you? You can pay people a million dollars a night. That won't prevent them from getting sleepy.)

KA-THUNK, KA-THUNK, KA-THUNK, KA-THUNK, KA-THUNK

What the hell??? Oh, don't mind that. It's just the kid next door practicing his basketball dribbling. At least, that's what used to happen to me. Or my Mom or (non-controller) friends would call. Even after 25 years they could never figure out what shifts I worked. What? You forgot to turn off your phone? Rookie mistake. Go back to sleep.

Rise and shine, Sunshine. It's 10 PM and time to get with it. Time for that shower you put off until now. What's that? You're hungry? Well duh. Supper was 4 hours ago. Shower first. Eat later. I was fortunate in that I was married. My wife would have a nice breakfast waiting for me. Single folks usually stop along the way to get something to eat. Yeah, restaurant selections are kind of slim at 10:30 PM. But the commute is a breeze at 11 PM.

Now, we are going to stick you in a dimly lit room for 8 hours and — God help you — if you fall asleep we will fire you. Hey, the people in those airplanes are worried about their lives. They aren't worried about you not being able to feed your kids, or losing your retirement or losing your health insurance just because you nodded off for a couple of minutes. Suck it up.

Don't worry, there are usually a few airplanes to work the first couple of hours. It's around 3 AM that it gets tough. Best of luck to you. Oh, and no laptops, DVD players or headphones. The only reading material you're allowed is FAA training manuals (like those won't put you to sleep.)

What now? A bathroom break? Are you kidding me? You're alone in a Tower. You figure out what you're going to do about it.

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock

Finally. Sunrise. See? That wasn't so bad. You didn't have to talk to an airplane after 1 PM. Easy money. Most nights are like that. Of course, some aren't.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your day. Now remember, you need to stay awake and alert long enough to drive home. I mean, it wouldn't do to have you keeping the Public safe and sound all night just to kill one of them on the way home because you fell asleep behind the wheel.

Don't forget to turn off your phone when you get home. You need your sleep. Secretary LaHood decided to double up the staffing at some Towers on the mid shift. The good news is that you'll now have someone to talk to and let you run down the stairs to the bathroom when you need to go. The bad news is that you are now assigned the overtime midnight shift tomorrow to make that happen. I can't help it that you're supposed to coach the Little League team this afternoon. Do you want to coach Little League or be an air traffic controller?

We'll see you again in 16 hours for another midnight. I bet after 20 years of this routine we can convince you it's safer to let a controller take a nap than to continue doing what we've been doing. Sleep tight.

Don Brown

April 19, 2011

http://gettheflick.blogspot.com/

Meet The Characters From THE SAVANNAH PROJECT

Jake Pendleton

Vitals: 5-10, 185 pounds. Sandy blond hair, fair complexion, and blue eyes.

Our hero, the sometimes-naive NTSB investigator has an unprecedented memory and extraordinary reasoning skills. Born in the affluent Newnan, Georgia, Jake graduated from Annapolis Naval Academy before serving four years in the United States Navy as an intelligence officer. Still in his early 30's, he has a bad habit of leaping before he looks, which frequently lands him in hot water.

 

Ian Collins

Vitals: 6-7, 250 pounds. Ruddy complexion. One brown eye, one blue eye.

The Assassin. Born in Northern Ireland, his mismatched eye color and the white blaze in his otherwise reddish-brown hair are a result of a lifelong condition known as Waardenburg's Syndrome. His trade perfected, he is recognized as one of the world's greatest assassins and known only as Shamrock, a name given to him by Interpol because he leaves a shamrock on each of his victims. Shamrock is cold and ruthless, his kills creative and flawless.

 

Beth McAllister

Vitals: 5-4. Hazel eyes and long, thick brown hair.

Jake Pendleton's love interest and fiancée. Although raised a Southern Belle, the graduate of Auburn University is anything but conservative, keeping Jake on his toes. She loves the sun and getting tan—all over. An only child, she works for her father, at her father's bank.

 

Gregg Kaplan

Vitals: 6-1, a muscular 200 pounds. Thick black hair, brown eyes.

Air traffic controller at Savannah International Airport, avid reader, and former Army Special Forces. Born and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, he learned to love aviation at an early age. His calm, unflappable demeanor, especially in the face of danger, only failed him once—at the funeral of his parents after a tragic car accident. He joins forces with Jake Pendleton to unravel the mystery surrounding the crash of an aircraft he was working at the time it went down.

 

Laurence O'Rourke

Vitals: Tall, thin, and a scurrilous bastard.

This former Quartermaster General for the Irish Republican Army worked his way up the political ladder by supporting the peace movement in Northern Ireland. But lurking below is a dark secret that only he knows. His threats to reveal that secret make him a target for murder.

 

Scott Bentley

Vitals: 6-3, 200 pounds. Gray hair, brown eyes.

Retired Admiral from the United States Navy where he was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Jake's boss, now serves as the CIA's first African-American director. Born in 1942 in Tupelo, Mississippi, he is best known for his authoritative yet calming voice and influence over people.

Spotlight Fan-Kathy Norris

[image error]I first met Kathy Norris at the Decatur Book Festival  over labor Day weekend in 2010. Having worked for a company dealing with helicopters, the aviation interests in The Savannah Project grabbed her interest from the onset. When I later heard from her, she expressed her joy over how much she enjoyed my book. She signed on as a Facebook friend and fan. I saw her again in December at a book signing at the Mall of Georgia (where she bought four books to give to friends) then again in March at the Savannah Book Festival (where she bought more books to give to friends and this time Kathy brought someone with her who also bought some books.

When I talked with Kathy, I could tell that reading is much more than a past time, it's a lifestyle. She a self-professed book junky. One of her favorite things to do is to seek out first-time authors and read their books. (I'm grateful because I was one) Kathy has been a supportive fan, sending her friends to my website to purchase The Savannah Project, sign up as fans, write reviews. Her loyalty is wonderful. I'm proud to have a fan like Kathy. She's the type that genuinely wants to see her favorite authors be successful and I'm glad I won her her over.

The top picture was taken at the Mall of Georgia. Below are pictures of Kathy relaxing and the other is with her good friend Judy Day McClendon at the Savannah Book Festival. I look forward to seeing Kathy around more often and having her continue as a loyal fan.

Thank you, Kathy. You're my first Spotlight Fan.

[image error]Return often to KILL ZONE as character profiles are about to appear. Find out more about your favorite characters as I share a little extra insight into the characters you've read about.

Chuck

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Welcome!

It was time to toss out the old and bring in the new. Speaking of my website, of course. I think you'll like the new look…I know I sure do. AuthorBytes has done an outstanding job.

Please take the time to explore the site, recommend it to your friends, and while you're there, sign up for my newsletter by entering your email address under the "Sign Up" tab. You can opt-out any time you desire. (I haven't sent one out in a year and a half) By signing up, you'll be the first to know about my new releases and how to get your copy.

Something new on this website is my new blog—KILL ZONE! I expect it to be very active. I plan to start by posting character outlines so you can read all about your favorite characters—even the parts of their past that aren't in a book—the things that make them what they are.

I'll also start the new blog by announcing the first Spotlight Fan. Read the KILL ZONE to find out who it is!

Please enjoy the new website and leave some feedback, I'd love to hear from you.