SALT LAKE CITY — Hearts are heavy in the aviation community Wednesday as they try to wrap their head around the tragedy that unfolded in our nation’s capital.
“The family members that were involved in this and then the crew members,” said Aaron Whittle. “[My heart] aches for those individuals.”
Aaron Whittle devoted two decades of his life to being an air traffic controller for the Air Force.
“It’s a very unique skillset,” Whittle said. “I’ve worked with a lot of very intelligent people who just couldn’t do air traffic control.”
He notes those skills must be honed for a complex airspace like the one around Reagan National Airport.
“I know it’s restrictive,” said Whittle. “It’s a very dense airspace. You’re limited on your ability to do certain things.”
Or the space here in Salt Lake City.
“Communication is the number one key,” Whittle said, describing what it’s like to manage the traffic. “In the control tower - you’re constantly looking out your windows, you’re keeping track of aircraft movement on the ground, aircraft movement in the air, and this is what we call the tower-team concept.”
He’s trying to help build that workforce as a professor at Utah State University.
“We started off last fall with introducing an Air Traffic Control minor, with the number one purpose of being able to prevent collisions,” said Whittle.
As many as 66 students enrolled this semester in a field that he says desperately needs the support.
“The FAA’s hurting,” Whittle said. “Reports last year said that 98% of air traffic control facilities are understaffed.”
It could even make an impact here locally.
“Salt Lake Airport is understaffed,” said Whittle. “So if we can fill Salt Lake, if you go watch Ogden - those guys are busy!”
Until they establish an agreement with the FAA, Whittle says they’ll use the minor to make their future pilots well-rounded.
“Down the road, we’ll build air traffic controllers, and we’ll send a quality product to the FAA,” Whittle said.
In the meantime, he’s thinking of all those working to keep flyers safe under difficult circumstances.
“This is where your heart just hurts, because you give so much,” said Whittle. “All I know is the men and women doing that job are phenomenal.”
