Rising to Today's Aviation Challenges
This year’s “Communicating for Safety” event will have a familiar theme in a time of increased traffic and staffing struggles: the need for pilots and controllers to effectively communicate and work together to maintain safety in the skies. National Safety Committee Chairperson Vince Polk believes this event is special because it provides controllers and pilots the opportunity to interact on issues that have a strong impact on safety.
“Since Sept. 11, 2001, this event is one of the few avenues for pilots and controllers to have direct contact with each other and talk about the issues that are conducive to maintaining safety.”
According to Polk, this conference is important because controllers can discuss new equipment and its impact.
“We are talking about equipment that is here now. Everything the agency told us 15-20 years ago is what we’re currently using. We need to focus on what the agency is talking about now, so we will be prepared for it down the road,” Polk remarked.
In cooperation with the Allied Pilots Association (APA), NATCA’s Safety Committee has assembled industry experts, line pilots, air traffic controllers, general aviation pilots and dispatchers along with FAA officials to participate in panels covering various topics crucially important to those in attendance.
This meeting is open to all that want to attend. The agency grants controllers official time along with travel time to attend this conference. The event will take place Sept. 12-13 at the Sheraton Grand Hotel, Dallas, Tex. For more information or to register, please visit http://safety.natca.org/.
