The fact that the FAA and it’s cadre of air traffic controllers will be working with a new leader who will be announced later today is only the beginning of the story of how this union fits into the overall plan of our nation’s airspace system. Outside of aviation, most people didn’t even know there was another controller’s union after PATCO was chopped.
I interviewed both of NATCA’s presidential finalists – Paul Rinaldi and Ruth Marlin – and found them to be bright, passionate and committed to the profession and the industry. Each, however, views the role of union president quite differently. How those views will integrate with FAA and the rest of out industry in both the short and long term make for an engaging podcast.
Rob Mark, editor