Contract Tower Closure Action....if you care

[fantom]

Please make this important call NOW, if your political leanings allow it. In many locations it is a serious safety issue.

 

Senate leaders have locked out consideration of the “save contract towers” amendment by Senator Moran. Although his options are limited because of Senate procedural rules, Senator Moran and others, most notably Senator Blumenthal of Connecticut, continue to press for a Senate floor vote. This situation is very fluid.

 

PLEASE CALL IMMEDIATELY both of the Senate leadership offices (see details below) and urge the Senate leaders to permit Senator Moran’s “save contract towers” amendment to come to the Senate floor for a vote. Ask your aviation tenants and local business/political leaders to do the same!!! The more calls the better - right away!

 

· Office of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (202/224-2158)

 

· Office of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (202/224-3135)

[fantom]

Interesting read:

 

We Have Been Sequestered!

by Rob Mixon

To sequester is hardly a "pilot" word until now. According to Webster's II "Sequester: To give up safekeeping; to set apart or remove; to take temporary possession of; to cause to seclude oneself. " Hey, wait a minute with the proposal to close many General Aviation control towers, if we look back on those definitions, we may find ourselves with a new pilot word after all! It is definitely time to have a talk with all of your students about non-tower operation.

Some thoughts come to mind. Going back to a time when control towers were in the minority, it was not only the pilot who was responsible for the safety of his plane but to also find his way around the airport without guidance from the tower. Will those pilots who have grown up in a "controlled environment" look for enough yellow lines to know not to cross an active runway until it is clear? Even something as basic as looking at the wind indicator to determine the runway in use may be a rediscovery. In fact, how many pilots have been in an environment where they must wait at a designated place on the airport before calling Ground Control for taxi instructions? When they find the active runway who will tell them when it is safe to enter that active runway? What if an airplane has landed in front of your student while he is on Final Approach and that airplane is still on the runway? Can he still land? When will he know when to turn Base Leg without being advised from the tower? How will he know if the airport has a right hand pattern or a left hand pattern? Will he know to observe the visual signs around the wind indicator for pattern direction?

 

We often think of these things to be taught to pre-solo students. Many pilot have never flown from non-towered airports so it may be well for a review. Two answers from the questions above are that if a plane is on the runway go around! Turn Base Leg when the plane you are following is abeam your wing on his Final Approach. While many today are on that five mile Final you might want to be considerate of others and fly the traffic pattern within gliding distance of the runway.

 

Many believe that if there is no control tower then there is no need to use the radio? Wrong! Announce when you are about to enter the active runway for take off, on Downwind, and even Base Leg and Final Approach. Most of all remember that not all aircraft may even be equipped with a radio so be alert for other aircraft....Look out the window to stay safe!

 

Remember to depart the pattern on a 45 degree angle from the Crosswind Leg and enter the pattern on a 45 degree angle on the Downwind Leg. This assures proper traffic separation. I know, a "straight out" departure was also approved by the AIM but not good operation practice. Why? Others taking off behind you without a radio (assuming you announce your straight out departure) may continue to follow thinking that you are still in the traffic pattern!

A "straight in approach" or a drawn out final approach is VERY dangerous! Pilots on Base Leg are usually watching the airport. Straight in traffic would be coming at them from their blind spot. It is also more difficult to see straight in traffic if they are at a lower altitude. Be considerate of other pilots fly the prescribed traffic pattern!

A review and final word of caution. When on Base Leg always look away from the airport to the Final Approach to make sure another plane is not making that straight in approach we just talked about to ruin your day! Since there is no tower for traffic separation it is your responsibility, as it always has been, to make sure that you have a safe distance from other traffic. It is now our responsibility more than ever to make sure that our new pilot word, "sequestered," doesn't live up to its definition "To give up safekeeping"!

Rob Mixon has MES, MEL, SEL and Glider ratings. He has 20,000 hours of flight time and holds CFI (airplane & instrument) and ATP.

 

Rob was awarded The Wright Brothers Award, FSDO Miami Flight Instructor of The Year, and has had an American Flag flown over the Capatol Building in Washington, DC in honor of his work as a Certified Flight Instructor.

 

[fantom]

 Talk about a loss of basic aeronautical decision making skills!

 

No kidding! The other night I was coming into KHWO from the west, when a 5,000 hour pilot I know was approaching from the east. He was given downwind, base and final directions from the tower, somewhat unusual at our home base for non students, and he completely messed it up, even after 3 calls from the tower.

 

No, it wasn't me

[Hank]

C'mon, guys . . . Even on those rare occasions when I go somewhere that has a tower, they never tell me when to turn base. Just recently, CMH told me to report right base for 28R when coming up from the south; RDU vectored me approximately downwind and told me to follow the CJ that was 8-10 miles out on a straight in. Both left it up to me how to get to the runway, when and where to turn, etc.

 

Do you really fly into airports that tell you when to turn base, when to turn final? Do they also tell you how fast to fly, when to drop the gear, remind you about flaps and landing lights? Then again, I've never been into Class B. For the Floridians, FXE just vectored me out to sea at 2000' agl and cleared me for the GPS approach to 31, once again leaving turns up to me and my Garmin.

 

I personally find the idea that the tower will tell you when to make each turn shocking . . . Maybe that's because I'm based at a non-towered field and find the whole control thing unusual. Often I have to ask to descend, not having speedbrakes, spoilers or reverse thrust, and can't descend 4000' in 3 or 4 miles and be able to land.

[gregwatts]

I learned at FXE....the radio action alone kicked my butt!

I now fly out of F45 where I hear pilots call when on "right final" or call 22 miles out in a C 152. Some don't talk at all....and use a crossing runway....while not talking!

I am absolutely in favor of towers....however......some of the issues that I see are what is being taught to the aspiring pilots. A tower controller can't help a pilot that relies on 2 GPSs and an Ipad and never looks out the window!

That said......after a controller in.......MD?......fell asleep and the media caught wind of it, the FAA now puts 2 controllers in some of these towers....where nobody lands at night.

The problem as I see it......they can't legislate common sense! So..............we will all pay the price! Just remember who you voted for...........!

[fantom]

Do you really fly into airports that tell you when to turn base, when to turn final....

 

No, they usually don't. But in SoFL we have lots of foreign students, who have very poor English communications skills other than 'yes', 'no', 'say again' and 'I don't understand'. It can be daunting for the rest of us, and especially for ATC.

 

Probably not much of a problem in WV.

[Sabremech]

As much as I don't want to see any towers shut down temporarily or permanently, I refuse to play the politics and tell anyone in DC that these cuts are too painful to endure. The cutting doesn't go far enough.

 David

[Bennett]

We have a very interesting tower situation at KSQL (San Carlos, CA). This is a contract tower, and it is scheduled to be closed. KSQL is about 7 miles south of San Francisco International

Airport, and Class B airspace starts overhead the runway at 1500' MSL. A bit further to the north, the Class B drops to the surface. The flight paths for SFO's 29L and 29R can come close to

the SQL typical pattern (800' MSL). KSQL has turbo-prop Part 135 operations all day, along with a light jet or two (Eclipse, L39), and in addition to the approximately 350 aircraft based here,there are several viable flight schools, one of which is very active, with approximately 10 aircraft, training all day. Also KSQL is the easiest transition between the East Bay and

the CA coast. In other words, lots of airplanes moving in fairly restrictive airspace. Oh, I didn't mention the helicopter operations, organ transplant flights, and Traffic Watch that flies

over the airport to report traffic on the peninsula. The mix of speeds between the Cessna 150/152s, and the jets and turboprops make for interesting work in the tower to keep everyone apart.

As I've mentioned before, KSQL's runway is 2600'long. Closing the tower will not be a disaster for most pilots based at KSQL, but it sure increases the potentials for a disaster, most likely

a mid-air with a student pilot. By the way, this contract tower operates with 4 full time employees, while the FAA tower a few miles to the south (at Palo Alto, KPOA) employs 11 full time FAA employees with about the same number of based aircraft, and a lower number of daily operations, proving once again, that the government can spend more money to do the same work as competing

private industry. Even the recent government reports show that the contract towers operate at lower cost, and are equally safe. This is actually a example of where a tower makes sense, but we will know on Friday what its fate will be.

[wishboneash]

Looks like we won't have any of these closures for the time being, at least until September.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/20/politics/senate-spending/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

[aviatoreb]

Looks like we won't have any of these closures for the time being, at least until September.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/20/politics/senate-spending/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

 

This is more fun than any hockey game I have ever seen.

[John Pleisse]

There are 6 contract towers within 50 miles of the DC ADIZ. Inside this airspace lies Manasas (HEF). This aiport is inside DC airspace, both the Bravo and ADIZ, has an 1800 msl cieling for Dulles arrivals and is only 12 miles from IAD. Manasas has dual simultaneous approaches to paralell runways in use and a stark mix of jet and prop traffic. A contract tower on the list. Has it been removed?

 

Flying patterns properly? Here's my favorite. "Podunk Traffic, Bonanza 1234 Taking The Active". Traffic 6 miles out, "Podunk......Say your Active".. "Podunk Traffic, Cessna 5678, Clearing the Active". It's entirely posible to listen to 4 or 5 exchanges on a CTAF and not have a clue as to what people are doing. The Active? Sorry, it's a peeve.

 

Pattern entry and exit and base to final (also look below) are most critical, IMHO.

[John Pleisse]

Senate rejects airport tower amendment
The Senate refused to consider an amendment proposed by Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., that would prevent some air-traffic control towers from closing due to federal budget cuts. The Federal Aviation Administration will announce Friday which towers will close on April 7. Bloomberg (3/21), The Topeka Capital-Journal (Kan.) (3/20), Politico (Washington, D.C.) (3/21)

[FloridaMan]

My base airport of KSPG has a traffic pattern that sometimes puts you OVER downtown. KORL is also scheduled to close, which I think is ridiculous considering the safety aspects. You have that airport right under the Orlando Class B airspace sandwiched between Sanford and Orlando International airports. Orlando Executive (KORL) gets a lot of jet traffic and is literally touches the 900 ft second ring of MCO's airspace with just enough space to do a low altitude turn to stay out of MCO's to SFC airspace. To think that you could scud run into KORL NORDO in a 152 with a Gulfstream on the ILS talking to ATC is ridiculous. 

[aviatoreb]

My base airport of KSPG has a traffic pattern that sometimes puts you OVER downtown. KORL is also scheduled to close, which I think is ridiculous considering the safety aspects. You have that airport right under the Orlando Class B airspace sandwiched between Sanford and Orlando International airports. Orlando Executive (KORL) gets a lot of jet traffic and is literally touches the 900 ft second ring of MCO's airspace with just enough space to do a low altitude turn to stay out of MCO's to SFC airspace. To think that you could scud run into KORL NORDO in a 152 with a Gulfstream on the ILS talking to ATC is ridiculous. 

 

Don't worry.  The FAA said closing 200 towers won't effect safety.

[carusoam]

If it doesn't effect safety, what does it effect? What are they there for?

Best regards,

-a-

[aviatoreb]

That was the statement the FAA said. So it must be true.

[jlunseth]

Well, cuts are needed.  The reason they don't happen is that when they are attempted, every constituency under the sun screams bloody murder about THEIR part of the cuts.  The other parts are ok. 

 

I don't mean to be callous, I was in Olathe at KIXD this fall, they have a contract tower that is wonderfully well run.  But could I land there safely without the tower?  No doubt in my mind. 

[Mike A]

http://download.aopa.org/advocacy/130322tower-closures.pdf

[KSMooniac]

Looking at the list, there are quite a few places I've flown that don't really need a tower (including Olathe) but others that do like my home town of McKinney, TX.  They are a contract tower in one of the highest growth places in the entire country, and in fact just built a new runway and new/taller tower last year.  It has a steady amount of transient and based traffic, including a lot of flight training ops.  It sits under the Class B mess.  The biggest convenience of having the tower is for IFR ops and getting clearances coordinated in that busy airspace, and I'm not looking forward to IFR departures there in the future.

College Station is another one that can be busy, but is often just moderate.  2 regional airline carriers service it, but there is a LOT of military traffic and now I wonder if they'll still be allowed to use the field.  Game weekends of course are crazy-busy and I cannot imagine having 300-400 planes arrive in a short time span at an uncontrolled field.

 

Someone needs to fit a giant toilet handle to the top of the capitol building...

[aviatoreb]

Looking at the list, there are quite a few places I've flown that don't really need a tower (including Olathe) but others that do like my home town of McKinney, TX.  They are a contract tower in one of the highest growth places in the entire country, and in fact just built a new runway and new/taller tower last year.  It has a steady amount of transient and based traffic, including a lot of flight training ops.  It sits under the Class B mess.  The biggest convenience of having the tower is for IFR ops and getting clearances coordinated in that busy airspace, and I'm not looking forward to IFR departures there in the future.

College Station is another one that can be busy, but is often just moderate.  2 regional airline carriers service it, but there is a LOT of military traffic and now I wonder if they'll still be allowed to use the field.  Game weekends of course are crazy-busy and I cannot imagine having 300-400 planes arrive in a short time span at an uncontrolled field.

 

Someone needs to fit a giant toilet handle to the top of the capitol building...

 

I hope that after the first mid-air near a formerly towered busier airport results in grieving widow suing sentate/congress for malpractice.  I hope it isn't my grieving widow.  Seriously, I think this is just games and it will not play well.  Someone will get hurt.  Did they factor in the the cost to clean up the mess after an accident into all the savings they will make from closing towers?  

[flyboy0681]

The decision to close my tower was just finalized.

 

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/federal-budget-cuts-will-close-boca-air-tower/nW2Qm/

[KSMooniac]

Jim, I actually flew into KUOX last season, but arrived late on Friday evening and it was a non-event, except having to practice my OSH parking skills and taxi through a lot of grass and park *right* next to the runway.  (I was mildly concerned about someone flubbing a landing and hitting my baby!)  They have a single runway so there isn't much of a chance for mass hysteria like there is at KCLL (College Station) with 3 intersecting runways, flight training, military, and air carrier ops going on.  

 

I know many on that list need to close, but certainly not all.  

[carusoam]

Following the money trail...

-a-

[Bennett]

Newest list of contract towers to be closed (March 22, 2013)....http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2013/images/03/22/fct_closed.pdf

[Mike A]

KUOX (Ole Miss) doesn't have a tower, Scott, which is a good thing. They only need one about six days a year. Can't imagine flying in there on a home game weekend, but somehow they get by. I don't remember hearing about any accidents. Ditto, KAHN (University of Georgia). They do have a tower and it is also on this list. The place was just downright deserted the last time that I was there, but it obviously wasn't a home game weekend.

The only weekends that KAHN is busy is when the they play GT.

Probably because Dawgs who work at Wal-mart can't afford to fly. THWG