Congressional Sequestration and Tower Closures...

chrisreedrules said:
I do agree that there are certainly some towers that don't serve as big a purpose as others. Ocala and Lake City come to mind here in FL.
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Possibly true, though KSPG closing will be at least annoying for me. There is enough IFR traffic that it will just make more work for approach to deal with, which I'm sure they aren't staffed for.
 
drunkenbeagle said:
Possibly true, though KSPG closing will be at least annoying for me. There is enough IFR traffic that it will just make more work for approach to deal with, which I'm sure they aren't staffed for.
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Especially when they want to lay off radar controllers as well...
 
jtrain609 said:
If KGKY can operate without a tower for years without any midair's, then any airport can. KCMA is, in comparison, a sleepy, rural airport.
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Except now GKY has a shiny new stadium next to it. One in, one out, waiting on cancels, and issuing IFR clearances with void times becomes a cluster F of epic proportions with that tower closed. Epic. Cluster.
 
DE727UPS said:
ABQ huh? That could get interesting if the close the approach control as well. We have a couple flights in and out after hours. I could see center clearing you to the VOR and cleared for approach, call us landing assured, have a nice day. Better brush up on those CTAF and no vector approaches.
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There's actually a lot of Charlies that close at night. Off the top of my head HSV and MLI to add to I'm sure a very large list.
There's a few D's around me that are going to get hours cut or closed, and honestly I don't think it'll make any difference. TTD doesn't need a tower at any hour of the day. BFI's going to close at certain hours I guess. It's kind of a ghost town really late/early(midnight to 3am), but it could be a PITA one in one out under Seattle like that.
As far as the non-vector approaches and non-radar, most of us who fly into Delta's are quite used to that. A lot of these are towers without radar anyways, and then it's still one in one out tower calling center.
There's only roughly 4 airports I go to that will vector for an approach.
 
I don't see BFI as a big deal. You taxi to the end and call approach for release. Maybe some delays but I don't see a safety problem. The whole lack of services in the weeee hours of the morning I don't see as a safety thing. It's more of an efficiency thing. If you have to hold for half an hour cause some guy didn't cancel and nobody can find him, then, well, maybe the private sector (UPS, Fedex, cough, cough...) would be willing to pay to staff the facility. That would be interesting.
 
My airport, KGGG, is on the list. I wonder how that will turn out with all of the training and military traffic we have.
 
DE727UPS said:
The non-Fed tower at KSFF will close. Fine with me. The airport manager was on the news today saying safety will be maintained whether the tower is open or not. Which begs the question...why is it there? There isn't that much traffic and I say it's a waste of taxpayer money to have the tower.
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I love to come home and hear those guys and gals.

"4CX taxi home"
 
KBTL, aka Western's home is on the block. I cannot imagine the airspace with the mix of students we have now, should make for an interesting political pissing contest though.
 
DE727UPS definitely has a point. My local class D airport is towered, no clue if it's on the list... but I can go out there and it'll be 20-30 minutes at times between movements.
 
Just playing devil's-laywer ... couldn't the KSFF airport manager "maintain safety" by closing the airport?

It's like stop signs; they are safer than traffic lights, but nowhere nearly as efficient.
 
Anyone ever hear of the Airport and Airways trust? It is what pays for ATC, and it is funded strictly by taxes on pax, fuel, and user fees. The back assward part of this is that those revenues will be reduced due to a reduction in capacity, and will end up costing the FAA more money in the long run. Additionally, it will wreak havoc on next gen implementation, and anyone currently in training will likely be recalled, meaning additional training hours.

canadian_atc looks like no tracks for us if we are on minimum staffing for every shift, and no over time.
 
Yep... LZU is right by me.

Either way, I'd be willing to bet some deal gets worked out anyways.

Looking at the ones I know of in GA, only FTY might be an issue.
 
CA is definitely going to have an incident at a few of the airports I see on the list. KSMO should always be towered! Whiteman should too for that matter. There are a few on that list that might not need a tower but there a definitely some that I can think of that do!
 
PeanuckleCRJ said:
Yep... LZU is right by me.

Either way, I'd be willing to bet some deal gets worked out anyways.

Looking at the ones I know of in GA, only FTY might be an issue.
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FTYs traffic has dropped significantly since ATP and Superior flight schools left the field. Last I heard it needs a tower about as much as LZU does.
 
OUN is on the list. That should be fun. I've had several close calls even with the tower. I can't wait until they have 20+ in the pattern and 8 more ready to depart. It's going to be b.e.a.u.tiful. I see us heading to OKC a lot more in the near future.
 
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