FLIGHT SERVICE SAFETY

Rep. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has a simple solution to the imminent closure of Bangor’s Flight Service Station, slated for shutdown along with 37 others. His bill would identify the jobs at these stations as “inherently governmental,” precluding them from a competitive bidding process and maintaining their role as federal positions.

Just as during the 1980s when the flight services went through a broad reduction in the number of offices, questions about the intent of putting them out to bid and the potential for savings have arisen this time. The government bidding of these stations resulted in Lockheed Martin winning the contract for their services and announcing plans to close most of the stations – one would close in Rep. Sanders’ state as well – and creating large regional centers.

Flight service specialists help general aviation pilots with flight plans, provide weather and emergency information, advise on flight restrictions and help out in search-and-rescue missions, among other duties. Approximately 35 people work at the station in Bangor. Nationwide, about 1,000 jobs eventually would be eliminated through the privatization unless Rep. Sanders’ bill, the Federal Aviation Safety Security Act, is approved. The act has bipartisan support, as does its Senate companion, and is co-sponsored by Reps. Tom Allen and Michael Michaud.

Rep. Sanders argues that Congress had already spoken about its attitude toward safety-related jobs at airports when it rejected a plan to privatize baggage-screener positions, fearing the lower pay and benefits would result in higher turnover and lower-quality service. He has a point. The Office of Management and Budget defines jobs as inherently governmental if they “significantly affect the life, liberty, or property of private persons.” A flight-service specialist who helps guide general-aviation pilots safely to their destinations could reasonably qualify under such a standard.

Conversely, the OMB had specific types of work in mind when defining what would be available for competitive sourcing. That includes jobs that are “primarily ministerial and internal in nature (such as building security, mail operations, operation of cafeterias, housekeeping, facilities operations and maintenance, warehouse operations, motor vehicle fleet management operations, or other routine electrical or mechanical services work).” That certainly seems less applicable to the flight-service jobs.

Flight service is responsible for getting small planes safely off the ground and back down again without endangering commercial planes in the process. It could well be that technological changes in recent years redefine this job and that the federal government needs to invest in new equipment to perform a changed role in this area, perhaps with fewer specialists. But that’s very different from turning these jobs over to a private contractor and hoping for the best.

Rep. Sanders’ bill is important to preserving jobs in Bangor, but, more so, it is important to general-aviation safety.