Facilities Closing 2/1/10

AFSS5602 Junior Member

Lockheed announced today that almost all C-Cites will be closing February 1, 2010. The sites closing are Honolulu, Seattle, Columbia, Nashville, Kankakee, Lansing, and St. Pete. Around 130 specialists will be losing their jobs due to this move. The closings must be approved by the FAA before anything is totally final. Lockheed submitted this to the FAA this morning.

irishcarbomb Moderator Houston, TX

wow...what happened to Flight Service going back to FAA? Doesnt seem like the FAA will approve it if they are planning on just opening them back up

RWG Newcomer SE Oklahoma

The "ONLY" way the FAA will take back FSS is if LM dumps it in their lap and that will not happen. LM will milk the contract and cut employees/services until the system collapses in on itself.

noid Curtis E. Carr Jawja

I don't see how they are "milking" the contract when they had been receiving funds falsely accounted for, yet still were not turning a profit. One thought that was brought up when this first started was that the FAA gave LockMart the contract to do all the dirty work for them; close facilities, lay-offs, etc. This way the FAA didn't have to worry about the union. Once it was all done, it was going back to the FAA. I love conspiracy theories.

AFSS5602 Junior Member

The only thing I can tell you for sure is that people sitting in big offices behind closed doors know exactly what the plan is for flight service. These people have known for years and lied to us specialists and congress about their plans. When the A-76 contract started, congress was given a report stating that the operation was to run on no fewer than 1000 people. With the new site closers we will only have a bit over 600.

To give some perspective, NavCanada has around 800 FSS specialists and nearly 60 stations. Lockheed will now have 600 people at only 6 facilities. (FSS Environment - NAV CANADA)
I honestly don't know how much air traffic NavCanada works compared to the US, but it certainly isn't less. So, how can Lockheed effectively work all of the traffic in the United States with so few people and stations?

Briefer Newcomer

I don't know how to answer that question, but it won't be pretty.

crjdxr Newcomer

Son of a beyotch.

Are they going to move (offer to move?) the specialists at the C-sites to the hubs?

Unreal. Two of my "targets" are on this list (LAN and BNA). This makes it next to impossible to get in (anywhere) with any (possible) recall rights, etc.

Here's hoping the FAA does not approve.

noid Curtis E. Carr Jawja

People getting transferred will get a $5,000 (before tax) moving allowance.

As far as the FAA, I seriously doubt they'll even bat an eye at the situation.

porchrat1 Newcomer

I'm at a C-site and we-ve been told that nobody is being allowed to move to the hubs. The only jobs left are for the supes or managers. (2 at PNM, 2 at RDU, and 2 MIA) How they are going to answer about 3,000 calls per day without a single extra body is beyond me.

noid Curtis E. Carr Jawja

I feel your pain porchrat, I've been in your shoes. LockMart is self-destructing in the FSS world. I see it going back to the FAA in the next year or so.