Hello Everyone,
Sadly this will be my last update as the area representative. As you all know, I am going to ZLA in August and August 5th will be my last day at ZSE. Derek will be taking over area rep duties after I leave until a new rep is elected/appointed. Here are a few things that I am currently working on:
TRAINING: I would like to congratulate Michael Morrow for getting certified on R01/31, Katrina Linder and Kevin Brothers for getting certified on R02/32, and Mike Sampson and Zachary Nelson for completing all of their D-Sides. They will be attending Stage Four class in mid September. We will need an Article 5 volunteer for that class. Labs that will run from November 1st to December 17. If you are interested in that, let the current area rep know.
SCHEDULE: I have started looking at the schedule for next year and, surprisingly, the A area will be bidding one more controller than last year. Unfortunately that still doesn’t offer much in the way of flexibility to the schedule, but it will help to fill a void that we currently have.
S46: S46 has been looking at possible ways to mitigate the increasing SEA traffic volume and they have thrown out a few ideas such as assigning 250 kts to everyone and/or alter departure routes. Assigning speeds to everyone seems to me to be overly restrictive and inefficient. We are hoping to collaborate with them to come up with something that will benefit all parties and maximize safety and efficiency. Please share your thoughts and ideas with the rep. More information will be provided as the process develops.
NUW: The Forks Corridor (090-130) is still being sorted out with NUW. The corridor will be tied to the activation/deactivation of DOWNRIGGER and will be used for military aircraft returning from SUA. There is currently no estimated date for when that will start.
Scott Vick is retiring! I’m sure everyone knows this, but I’d like to take a moment to wish Scott and EJ good luck on their new adventure. I think everyone in the area has learned something from Scott. He has been a tremendous asset to the area and will be sorely missed. His influence will continue to have a positive impact on the area for many years. Happy Retirement!
I transferred here a little over seven years ago to gain some life experience outside of the Utah bubble in which I had lived my whole life. I feel like it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. All of your influences have made me a better person and a better controller. The friendships I have made are an invaluable part of my life and I intend to keep in contact as best I can. Thank you. I will truly miss all of you. Laura was kind enough to throw a going away event for me and I hope to see you all there before I go!
In Solidarity,
Jared Zimmerman
