FAA CONTRACT TOWERS

[Fly Boomer]

Got to love the contract towers.  Let’s outsource everything and defund the FAA!

https://notams.aim.faa.gov/lta/main/viewlta?lookupid=3434611362939016385

[kortopates]

Nothing wrong with Contract towers. We have a couple in my area and we only have them because originally as untowered fields their traffic got high enough to warrant a tower but the only way to staff them was as contract towers since the FAA has been facing shortages for years.
But we get limited services with our TRACON as well due to staffing shortages and those folks are already working mandatory over time as it is.


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[N201MKTurbo]

I was ferring a plane to the Seattle area and the transponder quit. I called to get a waiver and talked to the author of that NOTAM.

back to the original thread.

We have a contract tower. It is fully staffed. All the voices we have grown accustomed to have changed in the last year and all sound much younger. Things still work OK.

The last time I flew to KTUS It took forever for CD to answer, When I contacted ground, it was the same guy. When I contacted tower, it was the same guy, When I contacted departure, it was the same guy. So, it seems the FAA has some issues...

[Paul Thomas]

I'd imagine some FAA towers have the same issue. I've generally gotten good service from contract towers; I'm based at PGD and they are great. I can't say that I would know a contract tower vs. FAA unless I look into it. The only ones I can tell are military facilities and they generally provide the best service.

[N204TA]

3 hours ago, N201MKTurbo said:

The last time I flew to KTUS It took forever for CD to answer, When I contacted ground, it was the same guy. When I contacted tower, it was the same guy, When I contacted departure, it was the same guy. 

Having spent eight of my 30-year ATC career in Tucson (5 tower, 3 TRACON), depending on the time of day, I wouldn’t be surprised if CD, Ground, and Local were combined but the departure control sounding like the same guy was a coincidence.  The approach control is a separate facility located on D-M AFB.

Side note:  Great to see someone from my old stomping grounds. I grew up in Mesa, learned to fly at CHD, had my Mooney hangared at GYR, and spent five years working at PHX tower. 

Edited August 21, 2024 by N204TA

[PT20J]

8 hours ago, Fly Boomer said:

defund the FAA!

Congress has been doing that for a long time. 

[N201MKTurbo]

3 hours ago, N204TA said:

Having spent eight of my 30-year ATC career in Tucson (5 tower, 3 TRACON), depending on the time of day, I wouldn’t be surprised if CD, Ground, and Local were combined but the departure control sounding like the same guy was a coincidence.  The approach control is a separate facility located on D-M AFB.

Side note:  Great to see someone from my old stomping grounds. I grew up in Mesa, learned to fly at CHD, had my Mooney hangared at GYR, and spent five years working at PHX tower. 

That’s what I thought too, but it was the same guy. I didn’t think it was possible.

If you worked Tucson any time in the last 30 years, I’m sure we have talked. N6319Q or N201MK

[Fly Boomer]

8 hours ago, PT20J said:

Congress has been doing that for a long time. 

I just don't get the point of pretending to have a tower that's closed most of the time.

[philiplane]

The contract towers in Florida seem to work better than FAA staffed towers. The worst tower is at Fort Lauderdale Executive. It's not only an FAA tower, it's s training tower to boot. Super inefficient.