March 15th, 2026 New England Bi-Monthly Regional Update
ARVP Update
From Jake Detwiler, NATCA New England ARVP
Hello NATCA New England,
Here in New England the seasons are starting to change — the snow is melting and the birds are coming back. With that change comes a moment of reflection for Kevin, Steve, and me.
Despite the numerous hats we may wear, and even though Steve and I were not elected into these roles, all three of us work for you. We are in these roles to help preserve and improve the working lives of NATCA New England members.
Recently, NNE sent out a communications survey asking for feedback on how we are communicating with you. For those of you who filled it out, thank you. We are reviewing the feedback and reflecting on where we may need to improve. If you didn’t get a chance to complete the survey, it’s never too late to reach out. Please feel free to email any of the three of us directly, or go through the communications team if you would prefer a buffer.
From time to time I hear from members who feel NATCA is not always aligned with the interests of the membership. Kevin, Steve, and I recognize that we are here to represent you. If you feel we are not aligned with your interests, please speak up and give us the opportunity to realign.
If you would prefer to convey that message in person, don’t forget that in two weeks — on March 31 — we will be holding our New England Spring Fling event. If you haven’t seen the flyers yet, it will be at a brewery in Cheshire, Connecticut. There is a bus heading down from Southern New Hampshire, and space is still available.
Nick Daniels and Mick Devine will be there along with Kevin, Steve, and I. It’s a great opportunity to spend time together, have real conversations, and help keep NATCA New England aligned with the members we represent.
Training
From Karen MacCrate, NATCA New England Training Rep, ZBW
Happy almost Spring NATCA New England. Training remains a priority in the NAS. With that, myself and my management counterpart will be visiting facilities over the next year to audit training. The intent is not to slap any hands or otherwise discipline facilities. It is to gage where we are, where we want to be, and how the district can help. In addition to looking through training documentation, training orders, simulation set up’s, historical data etc, we will interview OJTIs, Reps, trainees, OS’s, etc to determine strengths and challenges unique to each facility. We want to know what works and what we need to work on! If any of you have ideas please have them ready.
As always, you can always call, text or email me anytime with questions, concerns, or ideas at [email protected] or 402-651-9900. Thank you again for all you do to keep the NAS running. We truly couldn’t do it without you!
Communications Survey
Have you taken our communications survey yet? Your New England regional leadership has developed a survey about our regional communications, and they want your opinion. The survey will close on March 18th, so don’t wait to have your voice heard.
Click here to take the survey!
Spring Fling
Are you coming to the Spring Fling?
Join NATCA New England for our annual Spring Fling solidarity event on March 31 from 4:00pm to 7:00pm! This year, we will be gathering at Counter Weight Brewing Co. in Cheshire, CT. Famous New Haven apizza will be provided from both Zuppardi’s and Frank Pepe’s!
NATCA President Nick Daniels and EVP Mick Devine will be in attendance, and members will have an opportunity to participate in a Q&A session with them.
There are still a few spots left if you want to take advantage of the round-trip transportation via charter bus from the southern New Hampshire area. You don’t have to drive yourself to Connecticut, and there will be some trivia and prizes! Simply reply to this email to take advantage of the few remaining spots!
FacRep Focus
From Dustin Cain, BGR Facility Representative
Hello, I’m Dustin Cain and recently took over as FACREP at BGR!
I’m still very early on in to my career in air traffic, having only started with the agency back in May 2023, Prior to this I worked in the exciting world of insurance, so this has been a vastly different type of work and I don’t even want to imagine going back to what I was doing before. Outside of work I’m typically spending time with my wonderful wife and our twins, who recently turned 3.
With Bangor being my first facility this is all I know. And while no facility will ever be perfect I have come to enjoy what has been built here by those before me. As such, when our prior rep Benji decided he wanted to step down and told me he wanted to nominate me, I made the decision to go for it. While my short tenure as rep has been very much so a trial by fire, I have enjoyed being able to represent and assist everyone in my building. Ultimately I want Bangor to be the best it can for all of our members. Our struggles with staffing are no mystery. And from the day I first got here I’ve had the utmost respect for every single person who has walked through the doors, because they’re the ones keeping things moving, even when the light at the end of the tunnel looks so dim.
I look forward to what the future has in store for both myself and my facility!
CFS Registration Open
Registration for Communicating For Safety (CFS) 2026 is now open! Hosted annually by NATCA, CFS is the aviation industry’s leading conference focusing on safety, technology, and relationship building. This three-day conference is the only one to focus on the air traffic needs of all aviation community members affected by the National Airspace System (NAS). CFS will take place September 14-16 at The Horseshoe in Las Vegas.
For members attending, please remember to complete all three steps of the registration process:
Sign-up at the CFS page on the NATCA website (linked below)
Register to be placed on the National Excused Absence List
Complete your Local Request Form
Register now for early bird rates on conference sessions and events.
For more information and to register, please visit: www.natca.org/events/cfs/
