[diogenes ghost]

"Were you one of those DUPES that walked out on the strike?"

Damn.....READ MY POST.....I was one of EIGHT non-PATCO members....I did NOT walk, and retired after 35 years, all as an active enroute controller, NO staff time.

And your fairy tale about AF controllers "walking in and plugging in, saving the facility".....

Such an action would be criminal negligence, and would certainly get a facility manager fired on the spot.

At Chicago, we used furloughed airline pilots as flight data...pulling strips etc. We had controllers from less affected facilities volunteer for TDY on 6 and 12 month stints. A total of around 25, from JAX, MIA, HOU, ABQ, MEM. They were ALL full performance level enroute controllers, yet they were NOT allowed to "just plug in". They were required to learn only one sector, but they had to 'draw the map', learn frequencies, letters of agreement, etc. Then they had to have at LEAST 40 hours OJT on the sector and pass a check-ride.

ANYTHING LESS WOULD BE UNSAFE, and I can assure all that while we cut lots of corners to 'keep 'em flying', we NEVER compromised safety.

For someone to suggest otherwise is an insult to every controller who worked through the strike, and I resent the hell out of it.

[Mark17]

I got a tour of Houston Center once, where I got to see Laughlin’s airspace from another Radar facility. I could see Tweets and 38s flying around at the same time. It was big. I hope you got to see the Blackhawks play a time or two.

[Yosemitest]

If you're familiar with Centers, then I suggest you talk to the blond headed female controller at ZAB if she hasn't retired already.
She was at Seymour during that time, and she knows of the controllers who were flown to Jacksonville, FL., to Daytona Beach, to Hobby and to IAH, and then there were controllers sent to Lees Burgh VA.
It happened, and the facilities that 98 percent of the FAA controllers walk out on, had to do something, and do it quick.
After watching some of the controllers just 30 minutes, they left them on their own, and were comfortable doing it.
They didn't have time to waste on needless procedures, because they had other positions that need filling, and other USAF controllers to brief, put into position, watch for a few minutes until they were comfortable that the temporary controllers from the USAF weren't going to run two together, and get them checked out.
The FAA supervisors on duty were working air traffic, briefing USAF controllers and evaluating them for just who needed training and who was ready to work on their own.
It happened at some facilities, and some controllers, like Jimmy Bell were rewarded for it on a National Level by the FAA, and by President Reagan.

Now put that in your pipe and choke on it.