More than 1,500 people attended the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (Natca) Communicating for Safety Conference last week in Las Vegas. Natca’s president Paul Rinaldi opened the annual conference by reminding the audience, “We are all here because safety is in our DNA.” Rinaldi and FAA Administrator Michael Huerta also conducted a candid conversation about implementing new technologies into the National Airspace System and how to change the public narrative about NextGen to demonstrate the benefits to systems users. The pair also discussed the need for stable FAA funding, including an explanation of how sequestration affected the system in 2013 and its still looming threat. Finally, the Human Factors panel focused on collaboration and communication between pilots and air traffic controllers.

Natca held its 11th annual Archie League Medal of Safety Awards on March 4 honoring top examples of skill, dedication and professionalism demonstrated by NATCA members who saved lives in emergency situations during 2015.

Other sessions, archived at NATCA’s YouTube channel, covered the Chicago Center outage, air traffic control modernization and safety, how voluntary reporting has advanced aviation safety, aviation weather and Natca’s national safety initiative.