Hello, Central High School Classmates by Mike Baldridge

It is Sunday morning and I am sitting here watching “Sunday Morning” on CBS. There was a story about the “Clock Tower” shooting in Austin, TX, which took place fifty years ago; we were seniors in high school. I do remember that event, but had let it slip to the back of my mind.

This brought me back to other personal memories that will last forever; moving off the farm near Northville, SD, to the big city of Aberdeen (1957); getting to know my new neighbors, Carole Tonigan, Daralin Nelson, David Moen, Gary Carlson; beginning Sophomore year at Central and seeing Jan Gesinger in chorus class; hanging out at the Melgaard Park concession stand while Jan worked there for the owners (Terry Gesinger and Tom Daschle); later that summer, my first kiss with Jan; working at the Orpheum Theater; joining the US Navy; Wedding day in Pensacola, FL, with my lifelong sweetheart; going to Viet Nam, and coming home; the birth of our two sons, Chad and Todd; and many more.

Mike Baldridge: U.S.Navy in Vietnam

 
In 1974, I was hired by the Federal Aviation Administration, as an Air Traffic Controller. I was trained as a controller in the Navy and this led me in that direction. It was a terrific career, with many more personal memories. This flashback series of memories, spurred on by the “Clock Tower” story, brought me back to a historical event that many of you know about, but probably don’t think about. 

This past Wednesday, August 3rd, was the 35th anniversary of the Air Traffic Controller strike. A short time after that day in 1981, President Reagan fired 11,000 + controllers, and busted the Union known as the Professional Air Traffic Controller Organization (PATCO). This was a major event in US labor management history.

At the time, I was the Manager at Foss Field Air Traffic Control Tower, in Sioux Falls, SD. As a manager, I did not have to make a choice as to whether to strike, or not. I still do not know what choice I would have made, had I been a controller. We as managers across the nation, rose to the situation and developed a very strong camaraderie. We resolved to make it all work, even though the vast majority of our workforce was gone. With the full support of the aviation industry, and our dedicated managers/supervisor’s/staff, the air traffic system was restored. It took a number of years to build back to a normal workforce of 14,000 + controllers, but the system never faltered. 

At Foss Field we had 14 controllers, two supervisors and myself. All 14 controllers went on strike. I choose to believe that that was not a result of my management style, it was just the emotional challenge that the controllers were going through with their Union. The two supervisors, Ed Formiller and Dick Neish, and I, were able to keep the control tower open and conducted air traffic operations for a month until others arrived to help us out.

Mike Baldridge 1966

When the Federal Government advertised to hire controllers, over 250,000 people applied for the more than eleven thousand controller positions. The interesting part of this long term hiring process was the dynamic change that took place in our workforce. Prior to the strike, our workforce was predominately male and former military. After the strike, the workforce became a mix of male and female, college educated, and some former military. This dynamic change created a challenge for our managers and supervisors; change from a military management style to a more human relations oriented style. Yes, this was an interesting time in US history, and in my personal career. 

Jan Gesinger 1966

Twenty years later “9/11” happened. I was the manager of all NM and West TX Control Towers and Radar Approach Control facilities. On that day I witnessed all airborne traffic, evacuate the sky and land at the nearest major airport. Thousands of aircraft were controlled to their landings, within 75 minutes of the order to proceed to the nearest major airport. This orderly transition was another first in US history, and another significant memory of my career.

Jan and Mike: 45th CHS Reunion

Throughout my 33 years in the air traffic control industry, Jan and I moved to many different locations. Jan was an X-ray Technologist and was able to continue her career wherever we lived. We retired to Surprise, AZ in 2003, and enjoy our life in the active adult community of Sun City Grand. I started a new career as a REALTOR, in 2004, and am creating a whole new set of memories. Those stories will be for another blog after I have retired again.