The NATCA Podcast

In this episode of the NATCA Podcast, Communications Committee Chair Shannon Lyman (Boston Center, ZBW) interviews 2024 Region X Commitment to Safety Award Winner Troy Swanberg (Engineer/Great Lakes Region, EGL). The nomination form for the Region X Commitment to Safety Award is open through May 15, 2025. NATCA members can nominate their peers on our website, natca.org.

In this episode of the NATCA Podcast, Communications Committee Chair Shannon Lyman (Boston Center, ZBW) interviews the 2024 Archie League Medal of Safety Award Winners Anthony DeHaven, Tyler Spencer, and William Wyatt (Wichita Airport, ICT). Cameron Haynes, Allison Healey, and Cody Wilkerson were also Archie Award recipients, but they were not available to be interviewed. The nomination form for t...

NWP Archie Award Winner Devin Stankevitz by NATCA National Office

In this episode of the NATCA Podcast, former Communications Committee Northwest Mountain Region Rep. Brittney Armbrust (Colorado Springs ATCT, COS) interviews 2024 Archie League Medal of Safety Award Winner Jordan Smith (Denver TRACON, D01).

In this episode of the NATCA Podcast, we revisit one of the 2024 Archie League Award Recipients. Communications Committee Alaskan Region Rep. Amanda Clinefelter (Anchorage ATCT, ANC) interviews 2024 Archie League Medal of Safety Award Winner Wayne Harper (Anchorage ATCT, ANC).

NATCA has started an advertising effort targeting members of Congress and other D.C. influencers urging congressional action to address the ATC staffing crisis while Congress acts on FAA Reauthorization. Radio ads started running in the National Capital Region, emphasizing the critical need for substantial revisions in the upcoming FAA Reauthorization, which expires May 10. The message, being deli...

At NATCA CFS 2023, NATCA Director of Safety and Technology Tom Adcock and NASA ATM-X Project Manager Shivanjli Sharma moderated a panel titled “Meeting the Demands of Tomorrow,” with panelists from Joby Aviation, the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), and the MITRE Corporation, along with NATCA Article 114 Rep. for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Jimmy Smith and FAA Executiv...

At CFS 2023, National Recurrent Training Lead Richard Kennington and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Director of Safety Joe Winingar moderated a panel of experts who discussed making changes in the National Airspace System to enhance safety. Panelists included NATCA Western Event Review Committee member Erich Chouinard, NATCA Confidential Information Share Program member Dawn Johnson, FAA Ai...

The aviation safety professionals who make up the frontline air traffic controller workforce are key to understanding safety issues in the National Airspace System (NAS). A safety culture that encourages reporting of safety issues in an effort to constantly improve safety is critically important. Across the nation, NATCA representatives work as part of teams for facility personnel to identify and...

In this episode of the NATCA Podcast, join Executive Vice President Andrew LeBovidge at Communicating For Safety 2023 as he leads a thought-provoking panel discussion on the critical topic of maintaining medical evaluations for air traffic controllers. Panelists include FAA Federal Air Surgeon Susan Northrup and Aviation Medicine Advisory Service (AMAS) President/CEO Quay Snyder, M.D., M.S.P.H. Me...

In this episode of the NATCA Podcast, Communications Committee Central Region Rep. Bryan Martini (location) interviews 2023 Archie League Medal of Safety Award Winners John “Casey” Hovis (St. Louis TRACON, T75; formerly at MCI) Tyler Wilke (Kansas City International ATCT, MCI) and Matt Williams (MCI). Daniel Clifton (MCI) was also honored with an Archie League Medal of Safety Award for this event,...

In this episode of the NATCA Podcast, Communications Committee Region X Rep. Lisen Minetti (Engineers and Aeronautics Center, EAC) interviews 2022 Region X Commitment to Safety Award Winner Jon Stanton (New England Region Engineers, ENE).

In this episode of the NATCA Podcast, Communications Committee Southern Region Rep. Amy Sayers (Fort Lauderdale ATCT, FLL) interviews 2022 Archie League Medal of Safety Award Winner David Kunzman (Memphis Center, ZME).

In this episode of the NATCA Podcast, Communications Committee Southern Region Rep. Amy Sayers (Fort Lauderdale ATCT, FLL) interviews 2022 Archie League Medal of Safety Award Winner Artur Mularczyk (Memphis Center, ZME).

In this episode of the NATCA Podcast, former Communications Committee Northwest Mountain Region Rep. Lydia Baune (Spokane ATCT, GEG) interviews 2022 Archie League Medal of Safety Award Winners Morgan Farmer and Jake Zakrzewski (Denver Center, ZDV).

In this episode of the NATCA Podcast, Communications Committee New England Region Rep. Shannon Lyman (Boston Center, ZBW) interviews 2022 Archie League Medal of Safety Award Winner Patrick Sullivan (Boston ATCT, BOS).

In this episode of the NATCA Podcast, Communications Committee Great Lakes Region Rep. Jennifer Malloy (Cleveland Center, ZOB) interviews 2022 Archie League Medal of Safety Award Winner Darren Groce (Indianapolis ATCT, IND - Retired).

Central Region 2022 Archie Winner Brian Magnuson by NATCA National Office

We sat down with Bill Geoghagan, NATCA’s Senior Terminal Technology Representative at the NATCA National Office in Washington. In November, Bill celebrated his 10 year anniversary as part of NATCA’s staff. From watching the Union first organize his air traffic facilities in Mississippi, to describing how the profession evolved after the White Book, to explaining how members can be involved now, Bi...

Alaska Region Communications Committee Rep. Eric Mauro interviews 2022 Archie League Medal of Safety winners Nathan Midthun and Brent Eber of Merrill Field ATCT.

Each week, NATCA will be publishing a podcast episode featuring each region’s Archie League Medal of Safety winners for 2022. In this week’s podcast, Communications Committee Southwest Region Representative Mary Ann Hall (Houston Hobby ATCT, HOU) interviews Megan Baird (Fort Worth Center, ZFW) and Kerri Fingerson (Boston Center, ZBW; previously at ZFW). Baird and Fingerson were also recipients of...

National Safety Committee Chair Chrissy Padgett talks about the upcoming Communicating For Safety (CFS) Conference, union activism, and the importance of working together. She talks about how NATCA members’ day-to-day work is affected by the discussions and collaboration that takes place at CFS, and what she’s looking forward to most about the conference for 2022. “Everything we do is part of that...

At approximately 8:30 p.m. on March 9, 2021, Greensboro ATCT (GSO) member Noah Walker was working the approaches into Greensboro, N.C., from the tower cab, as the positions were combined and the radar position was moved to the tower. Walker was lining up a Lifeguard aircraft to the final for Runway 14. Just before he instructed the pilot to contact the tower, he noticed lights that appeared to be...

By Sept. 15, 2020, six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, air carrier traffic volume was greatly reduced, presenting opportunities for many general aviation pilots - and students, with their instructors - to do takeoffs and landings at major airports. One such flight, a Mooney M20 piloted by a student with an instructor, departed runway 1 right at Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD). Jus...

On a Thursday afternoon in September 2020 in the Prairie Area of Kansas City Center (ZKC), just six months into the COVID pandemic, the facility was staffed with small teams of controllers working their shifts together for safety but still handling busy traffic volumes. ZKC member Ingrid “Inga” Owens was working a Yak 18T that was headed north toward Nebraska from Texas. The pilot encountered two...