Your Promise To Include Air Traffic Controllers, Stakeholders, And All Other Interested Parties In Any Future FAA Airspace Redesign
Thomas Sullivan
Mr. Thomas Sullivan, Co-Founder
Quiet Rockland – No New Flights Over Rockland County, NY
P.O. Box 918
Pearl River, NY 10965 USA
Friday, June 19, 2009
VIA E-MAIL:
and U.S. MAIL
J. Randolph (Randy) Babbitt, Administrator - Office of the Administrator
U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) - Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
Orville Wright Building (FOB10A) - Routing Code AOA-001, Room #1015
FAA National Headquarters - 800 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20591 USA
VIA E-MAIL:
and U.S. MAIL
J. Randolph (Randy) Babbitt
c/o Oliver Wyman
10780 Parkridge Boulevard, Suite 75
Reston, VA 20191 USA
FAX: 1-703-773-3119, and U.S. MAIL
J. Randolph (Randy) Babbitt, President
Eclat Consulting, Inc.
10780 Parkridge Boulevard, Suite 75
Reston, Virginia 20191 USA
VIA FAX: 1-703-766-3386; 1-703-766-3386; 1-703-766-3387, and U.S. MAIL
J. Randolph (Randy) Babbitt, Director
Access National Bank (Headquarters)
1800 Robert Fulton Dr.
Reston, VA 20191 USA
VIA U.S. MAIL
J. Randolph (Randy) Babbitt
1923 Lakeport Way
Reston, VA 20191 USA
Re: Your Promise To Include Air Traffic Controllers, Stakeholders, And All Other Interested Parties In Any Future FAA Airspace Redesign
Dear Administrator Babbitt:
One (1) month ago you testified before Congress that you would include Air Traffic Controllers and other interested parties in any FAA airspace redesign. Yet today, a month later, the ill-conceived NY/NJ/PHL Airspace Redesign still appears on your FAA’s Internet website:
You are now FAA Administrator; you purport to run this federal agency in the best interests of the American people; and yet to Quiet Rockland’s knowledge you have taken no steps in the last 30 days to include Air Traffic Controllers or re-start or re-think any evaluation of Northeast airspace. This is unacceptable.
As you well recall, at your May 19, 2009 11:00 A.M. “Nominations Hearing” which included consideration of your nomination as new FAA Administrator, before the Senate Committee On Commerce, Science, & Transportation, with the largest number of people ever seen by Senator Frank Lautenberg assembled in the hearing room:
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.AudioVideo
http://blog.flynextgen.com/about-us/may-19-2009-randy-babbitt-confirmation-hearing-part-2/
[The very First Question To Randy Babbitt From The Senate Committee On Commerce, Science, & Transportation – At Time-Code 01:03:46 – From Senator Lautenberg]:
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ):
“Mr. Babbitt, the FAA has (under)taken a major Airspace Redesign project in New Jersey, New York, and the Philadelphia region. And it’s going to result in a major overhaul of flight patterns there. Unfortunately, the FAA has not adequately included the frontline air traffic controllers in the FAA’s plan, (in my view). Would you pause the… (hold the) implementation of the Airspace Redesign project until you see that the interested parties, who have value to contribute, will be included?”
Randy Babbitt:
“Uh…Senator, I… Uh…I… I’m not exactly certain where that process stands at this point in time, and I do understand there is some litigation surrounding it… Uh… so I’m not sure just legally what I…I …I… could agree to do and not do. But I would suggest to you that…Uh… on a personal basis, I would really like to solicit the input… Uh… from all the stakeholders in that area. And I think key to that .. we’re…we’re… working right now…Uh… the Secretary has announced a program to resolve some op[en]… outstanding issues for the air traffic controllers…Uh…And… To this point in time…Uh… they haven’t been active participants in this redesign, and I think it’s key…and… and I think it’s very important, that they do play a role in this. So I can assure you that I would certainly pursue…Uh… in trying to get the input from everybody to the extent the law allows me at this point”.
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ): I’m happy to hear you [“]say[“] it…
Mr. Babbitt, are your promises worth anything?
Was your testimony before Congress on May 19, 2009, ingenuous?
Quiet Rockland needs to know, and we need to know now. While you sit and do nothing, your own FAA proceeds with its NY/NJ/PHL Airspace Redesign on greased skids, as does the expensive multi-plaintiff litigation and appellate process before the D.C. Circuit – as you full well know.
Quiet Rockland demands that you now tell us and the rest of the American public:
1. Since 30 days ago, have you now concluded “legally what [you] could agree to do and not do” regarding the NY/NJ/PHL Airspace Redesign? If so, what have you concluded? If not, then why not?
2. Have you in fact solicited ANY input at all from any stakeholders in the “area” of the NY/NJ/PHL Airspace Redesign – and if so, which stakeholders, and when?
3. Do you in fact consider and acknowledge the overflown citizens on the ground like me to be “stakeholders” too – as federal law REQUIRES you to do - or alternatively, do you plan to seek to ignore them like Bobby Sturgell did in favor of aeromercantile profit? As you are aware, 49 United States Code §40103(b)(2) reads in relevant part:
“The Administrator [of the Federal Aviation Administration] shall prescribe air traffic regulations on the flight of aircraft (including regulations on safe altitudes) for -- ...(B) protecting individuals and property on the ground” [Emphasis added].
4. To what extent, if any, have you pursued NATCA or other Air Traffic Controller input in the NY/NJ/PHL Airspace Redesign?
I wouldn’t suggest you wait another 30 days to reply.
Very truly yours,
Tom Sullivan – Co-Founder
Quiet Rockland – No New Flights Over Rockland County, NY