Archived Speeches
Remarks of Jane F. Garvey, Administrator,
Federal Aviation Administration to the Aero Club,
March 30, 2000
Last year, I told you my top ten reasons to stay — and I will tell you that all ten are still valid. I am particularly waiting for that USA Today editorial “The FAA — Hip, Cool, and Doing It Right.”
The halfway mark provides a good vantage point for a quick look back, a look at where we are going — and if you will indulge me — a few personal observations.
The first observation is simply about the sheer magnitude and importance of the FAA, the agency that oversees the world’s largest, safest, and I would say, most successful aviation system. In a recent article, Norm Augustine put this success in context. He reminds us of those two bicycle mechanics from Dayton who invented the flying machine. Today, at any given moment – 70,000 people – nearly the population of the Wright Brothers’ hometown is flying on U.S. airlines.
It’s an extraordinary industry that is transforming the world we live in. How lucky we are to be part of its history — even luckier to participate in its making.
Within this industry the public and private sectors have come together to create a remarkable record of achievement. No small accomplishment. Which is not to say we are without challenges. But if there is a single message today it is that I am increasingly confident that both the FAA and the aviation community will meet those challenges.
Now, there are two questions I get asked most frequently. One, Is the job what you expected? And, two, Are you having fun?
The job is exactly what I expected — only more so. There is an intensity to the pace that is hard to describe — that is at once exhilarating and exhausting.
At the end of some days I can identify with the controller in “Pushing Tin” who said to his spouse, “I made a hundred decisions today, maybe you could make just one."
And, yes, we are in the public eye. This is a highly visible agency. But, perhaps that’s as it should be. What we do — assure safety, prevent accidents, save lives — never escapes me.
At times, there are conflicting agendas — oversight agencies that often see the world very differently. Joe Sherick, the Defense Department’s very dedicated and able I-G, speaking of his boss Casper Weinberger once said, “My good news is his bad news.” I know what he means.
Yet, in the end we all want the same thing — to serve the public interest by creating, by operating, the world’s safest aviation system.
And, yes, it still takes too long for things to get done. There is a real art to knowing when we have enough information to move forward.
In a large organization it’s a struggle sometime to create a sense of urgency — not impulsiveness, but urgency — because the issues are too important not to act. And frankly, at some point after you’ve heard the relevant arguments and considered them carefully — further debate or reflection becomes marginal and delay becomes a de facto decision.
But, I have to say when it works — when people and organizations are persuaded to line up — persuaded to work together on the big issues — it is exhilarating.
So, will we be ready for the enormous growth ahead — those 1 billion airline passengers in 2010 — that 35 percent increase in commercial airline flights — the 21 percent climb in general aviation operations? Will we be able to handle it — safely, securely, and efficiently?
I am confident that we – and that means all of us – will be ready. Sitting on the President’s desk is one important step that has been taken. That’s the “Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment Reform Act for the 21st Century.” We expect this reauthorization bill– the first in three years – to be signed in the next few days. I understand the Senate side calls the bill “FAIR-21” to make sure the “F for Ford” is in the title. Senator Ford, a great advocate for aviation, used to say when speaking of finding legislative compromises that “You don’t have to be in love to dance.”
We know with this bill there were differences, difficult issues, strongly held views on all sides. But in the end the bipartisan congressional leaders who fashioned this legislation, who acted on their strong belief in the importance of aviation, deserve enormous credit.
In the House, Chairman Shuster and Congressmen Oberstar, Duncan, and Lipinski. And Senators Lott, Domenici, Rockefeller, and Gorton took the lead in supporting aviation in the Senate. We are grateful for their work.
This bill does address key aviation issues. To begin with — it is a three-year bill. This provides a strong foundation for the planning stability that we need. It gives us a running start on infrastructure investment –$40 billion dollars over three years for airports and modernization.
While it did not go as far as the Baliles Commission and the Mineta Commission recommendations on ATC reform, it’s a good first step, with a Chief Operating Officer to run Air Traffic Control and an oversight board.
David North said it best. “To those who say that we should have waited for a better bill…legislative history is replete with examples of good programs that never received funding because supporters kept waiting for something better to come along.”
It’s no secret that we remain concerned about the operations budget and we will continue to press the case for the President’s budget for safety and operating the ATC system.
But now the challenge shifts to us. What we must do is build on this legislation. And I can tell you we will use every tool available to us — administrative, legislative tools — to move us forward to create a system that responds to demand. We will continue to build on our solid modernization achievements. But I believe at some point fundamental governance and financing reform will be necessary. The debate on reform — and what shape it should take — should occur. The question is when will it occur? When will the issue evolve to a point where political action can have a constructive impact?
Yes, it is our turn to deliver. I will tell you today we are already delivering. And what is making the critical difference in our ability to deliver is the constructive collaboration — the partnership — we have with the aviation community.
In each case where we’ve pulled together, we’re getting results — whether it’s modernization — near-term Free Flight Phase 1 benefits — or the Spring 2000 plan.
I hope you saw the article in The New York Times last week about the benefits of Free Flight Phase 1 technologies. It highlighted the Memphis enroute center, which has been called “the most modern ATC facility” in the world.
Free Flight Phase 1 is on schedule — in fact a bit ahead of schedule. We’ve met every deadline and it is bringing real and measurable benefits. Take conflict probe, for example. This tool, being used by controllers at the Indianapolis Center, each month is helping controllers shorten routes for more than 200,000 aircraft by more than one mile each. Those numbers add up quickly to save fuel and money — or about $1 million dollars a month in fuel costs. Traffic Management Advisor, fully operational at Fort Worth Center, helps manage incoming aircraft. It has helped controllers increase the arrival rate at DFW by 5 percent. And another tool, pFAST, which maximizes runway utilization, is helping to increase total operations at DFW by up to six aircraft per hour.
Three weeks ago, President Clinton announced Spring 2000, the collaborative plan developed by industry, labor, and government to better manage air traffic during severe weather.
While it is still early to measure actual results of this new approach, we know it is making a difference. Two weeks ago we were dealing with severe weather in the Northeast. One carrier told us after a particularly bad day that given the same weather last year, they would have expected a 60 percent on-time arrival. But because of the new approach, it achieved 83 percent on-time arrivals, in spite of the weather.
Another example was just this past weekend. One carrier reported that it probably had a top-ten revenue day and the FAA had a top 5 or even top 2 best performance day. The airline’s representative went on to say that, "it was phenomenal how well the command center let us operate with thunderstorms impacting the middle of the country and Chicago traffic…I don't know how to put it to get across how good a job you guys did for us today."
“How good a job” — which brings me to my final point. I want to acknowledge something that can too often get lost in the midst of inside-the-beltway debates about budgets and business plans — and that is the extraordinary dedication and professionalism of the people I have the privilege to lead. The issues the FAA deals with are not simple; they are rarely straightforward. They are conspicuous for their lack of “silver bullet” solutions.
Yet, the system works because of the commitment and excellence of everyone involved — from controllers to technicians to engineers and inspectors.
When you hear about the Spring 2000 Plan, you hear about Monte Belger, who did a terrific job co-chairing the effort, or about Jack Kies, who runs the Command Center. Or with Free Flight Phase 1, you know Charlie Keegan. But it’s really the folks who work for them — who are making hundreds of decisions a day, who make it all happen.
There’s Tom Spellerburg, the URET Product Team Lead who provides the day-to-day program management oversight. His job is to satisfy two organizations — the En Route IPT and the Free Flight Program office.
Then there’s Jesse Wijntjes. He’s the lead URET systems engineer. He worked long hours, gave up weekends, to lay out the architectural design for the program — at the same time he became the father of twin daughters! Thanks to people like Jesse, I can stand here and say we are on-time, on schedule.
Or there’s Jeff O'Leary, lead URET software engineer. His work on the software development program is cutting edge and absolutely essential.
It’s the work of these people and others who made the transition at Memphis — to be the most modern ATC facility — so smooth and so quick — 16 minutes in fact!
There are many more bright, dedicated professionals all across the agency. Take Tim Grovac, for example. He’s the one who put together all the data for the Spring 2000 playbook. He created a Web site so that the FAA and airline planners can all be on the same planning page. And, starting next Monday, the general public will be able to go on the Web and see the results of his efforts to improve real-time communications and provide air travelers with information about operations at the major airports.
These are the people who are making a difference — they are why this job — in spite of the frustrations — is so rewarding (and sometimes even fun).
Yes, I am confident about the future. I am optimistic, because of the people — at the FAA and all across the aviation community — and because of the partnership we have that is creating the future — building the legacy.
Anna Quindlen tells us that history is most often written in terms of inventions and events, revolutions and revolutionary ideas. But it is essentially the story of people. If you get lucky you can see history being made; luckier still to participate in its making.
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