Making Order Out of Chaos

2. Muhammad Umer Yasin

4. Imagine the scene. A FedEx 727 jet and a giant U.S. Air Force cargo jet at an impasse
on the taxiway, another jet trying to reach a parking spot at the terminal, another
headed for a runway, U.S. Navy and Canadian helicopters swarming overhead, a
Bolivian DC-10 just landing, and a Boeing 757 carrying former President Bill Clinton just
landing. What a nightmare! In the first few days after the devastating earthquake in
Haiti, the airport in the capital city, Port-Au-Prince, was a chaotic free-for-all.70 Aid
planes were jostling for space on the single open runway and landing randomly. Then,
the evening after the earthquake, a small team of U.S. Air Force special-operations
troops whose job is to control air traffic set up to do what they’ve been trained to do.

6. The airport’s control tower was too badly damaged to
be used. So, operating from a folding table on a patch
of dirt, the team worked to safely bring in much-needed
supply-laden cargo jets. It didn’t take long to establish a
system. Haitian aviation officials, assisted by American
and Canadian air traffic controllers, contacted planes
30 or 40 miles out and kept order as the aircraft headed
toward Portau- Prince. When the planes got within 10 or
20 miles, the Air Force team of controllers took over and
guided the aircraft onto the lone runway. Despite the
system, the team of controllers found themselves in
conflict with arriving pilots and their governments. For
instance, one argument arose with a French crew over
who got to land first and stay parked the longest.
Despite the challenges, the small team safely directed
traffic in the crowded skies. Over the days and weeks,
planes were able to take off and land every five
minutes, bringing in 4 million pounds of supplies.

7. Q1 # As this story illustrated, sometimes teams have to move quickly.
How do you get a team up and running quickly?
Answers:
To get a team up and running quickly takes everyone understanding
and adopting the group goals and professionalism on the part of
members. In this case, lives were on the line. The population was
devastated and needed immediate assistance. The air traffic
controllers also understood the danger posed by having so many
aircraft fly and land in a congested area.

10. From exhibit 13-10, the
characteristics of an effective
team include clear goals, relevant
skills, mutual trust, unified
commitment, good
communication, negotiating skills,
appropriate leadership, and
internal and external
support. Students should see
where all of these goals are
important in this type of situation.