Tower visit staus

[Tommooney]

Hi

I'm wondering what anyone else knows about tower visits currently?

Before the pandemic, it was ok for a pilot/ me to ask tower for permission to come up to tower between 10am and 4 pm at OXR. It stopped in March 2020 . I haven't asked since. I'll ask tomorrow.

I would take my wife up to tower when she was taking landing lessons, fuel truck drivers, fellow pilots, etc. ( not non pilots though ) It was really good talking face to face up in tower cab. Controllers are my friends.

Are tower visits ok now?

( In the 70s there was free Hypoxia training in chamber at local KNTD ( ask yourself: 3X34=what?  ) or 198_ Operation Raincheck at KPMD to sit with Center controllers for an hour)

Is there any FAA-pilot interaction like old days now ?

Tom

[N201MKTurbo]

The FAA is having an operation rain check here. I haven’t seen one since 9-11. I saw it about 12 hours after it was announced and tried to sign up. All the slots were already filled.

[Will.iam]

34 minutes ago, Tommooney said:

 

Is there any FAA-pilot interaction like old days now ?

Tom

Yea call this number when you land. 

[hubcap]

We did a tower tour at KGGG during Mooney Max this past summer, I believe in July.

[A64Pilot]

Used to climb the steps and go into the tower unannounced to get a Wx brief, things sure have changed.

Flew a six ship formation to Dallas to visit Center maybe 1990? Trip was memorable because we took the flight through downtown at low level on a helicopter route.

You can’t even visit FSDO / ACO anymore without an appt and going through the same screening as the airport, and only the named people on the appt are allowed in.

It’s way beyond silly. Why does the FSDO need securing?

[N201MKTurbo]

1 hour ago, A64Pilot said:

Used to climb the steps and go into the tower unannounced to get a Wx brief, things sure have changed.

Flew a six ship formation to Dallas to visit Center maybe 1990? Trip was memorable because we took the flight through downtown at low level on a helicopter route.

You can’t even visit FSDO / ACO anymore without an appt and going through the same screening as the airport, and only the named people on the appt are allowed in.

It’s way beyond silly. Why does the FSDO need securing?

I haven’t visited the FSDO since COVID, but they didn’t make you go through a metal detector, but you had to get a visitors badge and be escorted everywhere. I get the same treatment while working at defense contractors and semiconductor companies, because they don’t want me stealing their secrets, but what secrets are there at a FSDO?

[A64Pilot]

19 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

I haven’t visited the FSDO since COVID, but they didn’t make you go through a metal detector, but you had to get a visitors badge and be escorted everywhere. I get the same treatment while working at defense contractors and semiconductor companies, because they don’t want me stealing their secrets, but what secrets are there at a FSDO?

I can tell you that to get to ATL FSDO at least 5 yrs ago, first you can’t park in their parking lot, then you have to go to what amounts to a big security glass walled room at the gate to their parking lot where you show proof of who you are, they confirm your appt and you empty your pockets, take off your belt and shoes that go through a scanner, and you walk through the metal detector, you then sign for a badge that you have to wear. We weren’t escorted necessarily but who we had the appt with came and got us, so I guess that’s an escort. We were going to the ACO, not FSDO but same deal.

Very soon after 911, every Georgia Ag pilot had to go to the ATL FSDO and be interviewed, many took the Wife of course and found out that the Wife couldn’t go with them but had to sit in the truck that wasn’t allowed to park in the Federal Bldg parking lot, but had to park in a sketchy part of town. I wasn’t an Ag pilot and was still active duty Army then, but I heard the stories later, many didn’t appreciate being treated like Criminals, nor being required to report to the FSDO.

it’s just silly, an extreme over reaction that does them no good, but does do them harm as far as public relations.

I let my IA lapse when we were cruising on the boat, got it back last year. FSDO in Fl was working from home, no appts, everything was done over Skype or some video conferencing APP. I know they were doing no surveillance of any Maintenance shops or ramp check or anything<just sitting at home collecting a pay check, may still be for all I know. When I got my IA back nothing else was closed except for the Feds.

[EricJ]

9 hours ago, N201MKTurbo said:

The FAA is having an operation rain check here. I haven’t seen one since 9-11. I saw it about 12 hours after it was announced and tried to sign up. All the slots were already filled.

I got signed up for the one at Sky Harbor in June, which was the first offered since lockdown, but got sick the day of and couldn't make it.   

I miraculously got signed up again for Dec 14 but when I got there I found out it had been cancelled that morning (I suspect because covid rates had gone up here again).

They do fill so fast that I doubt I'll be lucky enough to get signed up again.   

The DVT tower indicated that people could ask any time to go up, but I haven't done that yet.

[eyes_skyward]

I just went up to the tower at my home field last month to say hi and ask some questions. I called the number and they said sure, come right over. Thirty seconds later I was met at the door and led up to the cab. Seemed like no big deal at all, but this was a very slow day and they were apparently well staffed for that particular day.

 

It was fun, I learned a few things, and it was interesting to put faces with voices.

Edited December 31, 2022 by eyes_skyward
Removed some identifying info

[N201MKTurbo]

33 minutes ago, A64Pilot said:

I can tell you that to get to ATL FSDO at least 5 yrs ago, first you can’t park in their parking lot, then you have to go to what amounts to a big security glass walled room at the gate to their parking lot where you show proof of who you are, they confirm your appt and you empty your pockets, take off your belt and shoes that go through a scanner, and you walk through the metal detector, you then sign for a badge that you have to wear. We weren’t escorted necessarily but who we had the appt with came and got us, so I guess that’s an escort. We were going to the ACO, not FSDO but same deal.

Very soon after 911, every Georgia Ag pilot had to go to the ATL FSDO and be interviewed, many took the Wife of course and found out that the Wife couldn’t go with them but had to sit in the truck that wasn’t allowed to park in the Federal Bldg parking lot, but had to park in a sketchy part of town. I wasn’t an Ag pilot and was still active duty Army then, but I heard the stories later, many didn’t appreciate being treated like Criminals, nor being required to report to the FSDO.

it’s just silly, an extreme over reaction that does them no good, but does do them harm as far as public relations.

I let my IA lapse when we were cruising on the boat, got it back last year. FSDO in Fl was working from home, no appts, everything was done over Skype or some video conferencing APP. I know they were doing no surveillance of any Maintenance shops or ramp check or anything<just sitting at home collecting a pay check, may still be for all I know. When I got my IA back nothing else was closed except for the Feds.

FWIW,

The guys that work there think it is ridiculous too. OMG, you should hear some of their rants about the kids back in DC. 

[GMBrown]

I've been up in the tower at RAL twice over the last couple years.  Just wanted to talk about some things and they seem to appreciate that I took the time to come up and talk to them.  Good guys.

[N201MKTurbo]

One defense contractor I built a tool for, required an escort for visitors, but once I was in the building they would let me alone with the machine. I could go to the bathroom by myself and if I needed to talk to the guy I was working with I could walk to his cube in the next building. That lasted for two trips. On the third trip I had to have an escort within 3 feet of me the whole time I was in the building. Yes I had a buddy the whole day. What a way to make a living...

The reason was a few weeks before, two Chinese nationals (spys) just walked into the plant through the loading dock, going from cube to cube, seeing if anybody had left their computer unlocked and downloading files to thumb drives. They never made it out of the building, BTW. That takes balls of steel, you have got to figure your chance of getting caught is almost 100%

[RobertGary1]

15 hours ago, N201MKTurbo said:

I haven’t visited the FSDO since COVID, but they didn’t make you go through a metal detector, but you had to get a visitors badge and be escorted everywhere. I get the same treatment while working at defense contractors and semiconductor companies, because they don’t want me stealing their secrets, but what secrets are there at a FSDO?

I used to do it pre 911. Just called on the white phone and if they were not too busy they’d buzz us in. Usually on a foggy day with low vis. 

[T. Peterson]

On 12/31/2022 at 9:56 AM, N201MKTurbo said:

I haven’t visited the FSDO since COVID, but they didn’t make you go through a metal detector, but you had to get a visitors badge and be escorted everywhere. I get the same treatment while working at defense contractors and semiconductor companies, because they don’t want me stealing their secrets, but what secrets are there at a FSDO?

Their plans to hire 87000 regulators and increase ramp checks and check rides.

[carusoam]

1) Covid issues are winding down…

2) reservoirs are filling up…

3) Xmas and New Years parties are being attended…

4) Ships are going in and out of ports on both coasts…

5) Supply chain delays are getting managed much better…

6) Inflation has come off the peak with strong measurements…

7) Unemployment is still declining… 3.5% December.

8) Free money, isn’t super free anymore… the fed has been raising the rate in 0.75% chunks a few times already…

9) Lay-offs at large companies have begun… 

10) Acrylic barriers are coming down…

11) Fist bumps, handshakes and high fives are returning….

12) Hand sanitizers are often empty and not getting refilled…

13) The sell everything program on Wall Street has dried up a bit….

14) People are visiting control towers now!    …

15) Solving world challenges one step at a time…. Next up…

• Fix the Russia/Ukraine challenge.
• get a BFR 
• get an annual
• get the insurance
• get an IPC
• get a bigger faster newer Mooney  

Let the roaring 20s get re-started!

Best regards,

-a-