This is the time to contact your legislators and let them know that we will hold them accountable if they don't follow through on their commitments.

The latest news about our airports is that the system that is designed to guide our planes is failing and is putting passengers at risk all over the country. Our new Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, is taking charge and is finally beginning to address the problem.  . . . the weaknesses within the air traffic control system have been highlighted for years in hearings before Congress and government reports. The struggles to keep up with increasing air traffic has been recognized since the 1990s — long before either Trump or Biden took office. The Trump administration’s overhaul plan will need enough funding to be more effective than previous reform efforts during the last three decades. Already more than $14 billion has been invested in upgrades since 2003 but none have dramatically changed how the system works. The delay in improvements has been attributed to the efforts to keep the current system running while the changes are made. But somehow the danger to passengers due to an outdated control system has not become the priority. Secretary Duffy is also insisting that the funds to make these massive changes must be made quickly and in one allocation: ‘We need all of the money up front,’ Duffy said during a news conference, calling on Congress to swing into action so that his agency can execute the plan in roughly three to four years’ time. ‘One of the problems in the past is when you give small tranches of money year over year, politics change, leadership changes, presidents change … and it never gets built.’ It’s encouraging to see that the Secretary realizes how politics can get in the way of upgrading our Air Traffic Controller system. Because the price will be enormous: The Modern Skies Coalition, an umbrella group for dozens of aviation industry groups including major U.S. airlines and some associated unions, said it would take $31 billion to do what Duffy wants to do — and maybe more. The changes that need to be made will take place nationwide and are consequential, and reflect how outdated and seriously compromised the ATC system is:· * Upgrading Communications: Replacing outdated telecommunications equipment with modern fiber, wireless, and satellite technologies across more than 4,600 sites, installing 25,000 new radios, and deploying 475 new voice switches. * Modernizing Surveillance: Replacing 618 aging radars far exceeding their intended lifespan. * Enhancing Runway Safety: Expanding the Surface Awareness Initiative (SAI) to 200 airports, up from the 50 expected by the end of 2025. * Rebuilding Facilities: Six new air traffic control centers—the first since the 1960s—will be constructed while some of the existing 21 centers are closed and consolidated. Additionally, the overhaul calls for replacing 15 towers and 15 Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facilities. * Standardizing Technology: Installing new hardware and software to ensure all air traffic facilities operate on a common platform, promoting consistency and safety. * Improving Weather Monitoring: Building 174 new weather stations in Alaska to bolster air travel safety.  Clearly lawmakers and the FAA have to seriously review their expectations and commitments to air safety: The FAA’s $3 billion annual request for facilities and equipment, the NATCA president said, has forced the agency into a ‘fix-on-fail’ model that prioritizes mandatory costs with ‘little to no money’ left for modernization programs. ‘Failing to maintain and replace critical safety equipment that has exceeded its expected life introduces unnecessary risk into the system,’ the union leader added. ‘These funding limitations also have prevented the FAA from designing and implementing new technologies that will improve safety.’ There are those in the aviation industry who are optimistic and enthusiastic about what they see as a transformation to air travel: The unveiling of the next-generation ATC system is a clarion call to reimagine the future of aviation—a future where safety, efficiency, and innovation take their rightful place at the helm of America’s ATC system. This isn’t just an upgrade; it’s a chance to revolutionize the entire system from top to bottom, obliterate the shadows of recent failures, like the chaos of the Newark outage, and propel the United States to the forefront of global aviation leadership. By dismantling obsolete infrastructure and embracing cutting-edge technology, this initiative will slash delays, fortify safety, and unleash the full potential of our skies. The time has arrived for the country to re-prioritize air safety and maintenance, or we will see terrible disasters, and more air accidents. We must choose to let go of other pet allocations that are nice to have, but are insignificant compared to the safety of our flying public. The convening of an Article V Convention of States will allow the public to demand that restrictions are put on frivolous allocations, and that funds should be allocated to those areas that are relevant for public safety. Our mission is about acting as a grass root citizenry: this is the time to contact your legislators and let them know that we will hold them accountable if they don't follow through on their commitments. An Article V Convention would also provide an opportunity to debate term limits for those legislators who neglect or ignore the needs of the federal systems, including air safety. #

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