HOT News! 
Where is the FAA backup plan? Check out 1900.47B. It is the 3rd link at the bottom of the page. This goes to show that they cannot and never have practiced their contingency plans.
For those who did not get the much needed emergency response by air, after hurricane Ike, because of the FAA not caring enough to have a real backup plan, I send you my condolences.
I guess Rick Ducharme was right on May 13th at the public meeting in West Palm Beach, when I asked if any center has ever assumed another centers airspace, his answer was NO! Yet this is the FAA backup plan for the entire U.S.
I have personally been asking anyone I could think of to please force the FAA to have a real backup plan. So far no one will listen not even the FAA or the IGO. Please read the 2nd link at the bottom and you will see my response to the IGO.
The FAA is placing 4 vital radar systems 1.5 nautical miles away from their back up system!
Senator Nelson, Congressman Alcee Hastings, and Congressman Robert Wexler disagree with the FAA on the consolidation of West Palm Beach TRACON in with Fort Lauderdale and Miami TRACON's. If you talk to the air traffic controllers they are also concerned about redundancy.
Congress has voted to stop this consolidation and Senator Nelson has also added an amendment to the Senate side to keep this from happening. The FAA is to argent to listen. When lives are lost it will be too late.
The FAA contingency plan is to have Jacksonville ARTCC center assume the Miami airspace if all radars got to ATCZero.
According to Rick Ducharme Deputy Vice President of Terminal Services this has never been done. At the public meeting on May 13, 2008 I asked Rick Ducharme, Has any ARTCC (high latitude center) ever assumed another centers air space? His answer NO!
I have add a few links at the bottom of the page and I will try to put them in the order that things are happening.
Please pay special attention to the FAA directive for contingency plans 1900.47B on Page 4 it talks about the money they get to train. On Page 15 is states ATC and Technical Operations personnel MUST be trained on their specific duties and responsibilities. At a minimum, refresher training on operationally relevant items seen during an actual event (e.g., automation failure or radar outage) MUST be conducted for ALL operational personnel and, where appropriate, administrative personnel.
I know a few air traffic controllers and they have never been trained. That is why when radar's go to ATCZero they scramble so much.
