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THE DELEGATE 4 THURSDAY • OCTOBER 2, 2014 SPOTLIGHT: MINNESOTA FACILITIES ZAU RISES ABOVE, AREA FACILITIES KEEP SKIES SAFE In the early morning hours on Friday, Sept. 26, a fire in the basement of Chicago Center (ZAU) shut down one of the nation's busiest en route centers and brought the airspace above the Midwest to a screeching halt. ZAU declared ATC-0 and grounded hundreds of flights. By Saturday, nearly 850 flights had been canceled, and more than 1,700 were severely delayed. Chicago-area controllers' quick reflexes and expert maneuvering safeguarded the wellbeing of passengers not only in the immediate vicinity, but that of travelers en route to destinations all over the country and Canada, including NATCA staff and members flying into nearby Minneapolis to prepare for Convention. "This is one of the most challenging situations that air traffic controllers and other FAA employees have faced since 9/11," said NATCA President Paul Rinaldi. He was luckily able to rebook his flight in order to make it to Minneapolis in time for NEB meetings the next day. "The damage to this critical facility is unlike anything we have seen before. Since the first moment when radarscopes went dark at Chicago Center Friday morning, controllers have ensured the highest level of safety at all times. We know this has been a tremendous disruption to the travel plans of many people. We are working diligently to re-establish as close to normal operations as possible to minimize the inconvenience to travelers while keeping safety above everything else." There are four en route centers that border the ZAU airspace: Cleveland Center (ZOB), Indianapolis Center (ZID), Kansas City Center (ZKC), and Minneapolis Center (ZMP). Each of these facilities has taken on ZAU airspace responsibilities, and have worked very well with the Command Center in Herndon, Va., TRACONs in Chicago, Milwaukee, Fort Wayne, South Bend, and elsewhere, as well as with many control towers, including both O'Hare and Midway Airports in Chicago. "We have seen a plan of action established by the adjacent centers and other key facilities that is evolving and improving by the hour, and providing safe service that is increasing in efficiency," NATCA Executive Vice President Trish Gilbert said shortly aer the incident occurred. "Air traffic controllers are trained to expect the unexpected and make a new plan work safely. The level of resourcefulness Controllers at work in Chicago Center's temporary command center. continued on page 9 FCM FLYING CLOUD ATCT RST ROCHESTER ATCT STP ST. PAUL ATCT Rochester International Airport (RST) is a 100 percent NATCA facility! The 17 controllers work mainly small general aviation aircra, corporate jets, regional jets, and military C-130s. The city of Rochester is home to the Mayo Clinic, recently named the best overall hospital in the country, which also brings in a lot of Medevac aircra. Outside of work, RST controllers come together for solidarity events including holiday parties and barbeques. "The best part of being the FacRep is constantly trying to improve the overall work experience for all the controllers here," says RST FacRep Ben Madsen. "If you keep making small improvements here and there, there is always something in the short term to look forward to." St. Paul Downtown Airport (STP), a level five VFR tower with radar, is a 100 percent NATCA facility with 13 controllers. The five most senior members at STP offer over 130 years of cumulative air traffic experience. When the current tower was dedicated in 2000, the late Minnesota Congressman Jim Oberstar attended the ceremony. The facility is located within 10 miles of both Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins, and TCF Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings. The St. Paul Saints baseball team, a member of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, is building a new stadium less than two miles away. "The people are definitely the best part of the FacRep job here," says FacRep Greta Potzmann. "STP members have a strong belief in NATCA and what it stands for." This 100 percent NATCA facility is located approximately 11 miles southwest of downtown Minneapolis. Flying Cloud Airport (FCM) services many different types of aircra ranging from the C152 to the G5. Every July, FCM hosts Air Expo, an aviation event that features a wide variety of vintage airplanes. This fun and history-filled weekend attracts a large crowd. During this event, the FCM local hosts an open house and barbeque that encourages local pilots to spend time with the controllers. "Our facility is a friendly facility," says FacRep Wes Wiest. "The best part of being the FacRep is working to make our facility even better than it already is."

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