U.S. FAA chief makes Y2K plane reservation

WASHINGTON, May 7 (Reuters) - If doomsday prophets are right about flying and the year 2000 computer bug, the top U.S. airline regulator will probably be among the first to know about it.

Federal Aviation Administration chief Jane Garvey has booked a flight from Washington to Dallas on New Year's Eve and will be in the air when when the Greenwich Mean Time clock that controls air navigation rolls over to the year 2000.

Garvey and FAA Year 2000 computer bug coordinator, Ray Long, have been promising since last year to fly on New Year's Eve to allay public fears about flying through the date rollover.

The Year 2000, or Y2K, problem arises because many computers and their programs allocated just two digits for the year in dates. Unless repaired or replaced, these computers may misread the Year 2000 as 1900 or simply fail to work.

The problem has caused some doomsday prophets to predict that jetliners will not be able to fly when the date changes, or that air traffic control computers will be disrupted by the arrival of the year 2000.

The FAA said on Friday the agency had purchased tickets for Garvey and Long on New Year's Eve on AMR Corp.'s American Airlines.

Garvey and Long are due to depart Washington's Reagan National Airport on American Airlines Flight 1799 at 6:06 p.m. EST (2306 GMT).

Since air navigation works off Greenwich Mean Time, five hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time at the end of the year, the two will be in the air when the critical hour, 7 p.m. EST, arrives.

American Airlines said the trip by the FAA chief was a vote of confidence in the company's Y2K computer overhaul.

"We appreciate the administrator's confidence in us," said Chris Chiames, a spokesman for American Airlines, which has spent $200 million on renovating its own computers.

The FAA has pledged to have all its systems free of Year 2000 bugs by the end of June. A recent full-scale test of air traffic computer repairs in Colorado was declared a success.

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How come their not flying to China?

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), May 07, 1999

Answers

The President of Quantas Airlines (Australia) will not be along for the ride. He's stated that he refuses to fly at rollover.

Australia plans to ban non-compliant airlines from the country at rollover.

-- Puddintame (achillesg@hotmail.com), May 07, 1999.

Wonder why ITAA won't release the names of the non-compliant airports? I just can't figure it out. :)

-- a (a@a.a), May 07, 1999.

Just a thought ...

I can see it now, scheduled departure is 6.06pm but due to some unfortunate (non-Y2k related) delays it will be another 60 mins before we take off.

Who wants to bet that this is how they will get out of flying on rollover? (GRIN)

Regards, Simon Richards

-- Simon Richards (simon@wair.com.au), May 08, 1999.

How much were the tickets? Were they sold on super saver fares? Hmm, maybe $200/ticket. So, if Garvey and Long don't actually board the plane and fly from Reagan National Airport to Dallas-Fort Worth, the FAA is out $400, but hey, for such a publicity stunt, it was worth it!

-- Wallflower (y2kwallflr@aol.com), May 08, 1999.

wow,and greenspan isn't taking his money out of the bank,what a fool I've been......

-- zoobster (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), May 08, 1999.