Class G tower

I_WANNA_BE_ATP

I_WANNA_BE_ATP

New Member
My instructor said that there is a tower not specified as a class B,C, or D. Have you guys heard about it, or know how I could find it myself, I did try google and I won't even go into the results!

Thanx
 
I_WANNA_BE_ATP said:
My instructor said that there is a tower not specified as a class B,C, or D. Have you guys heard about it, or know how I could find it myself, I did try google and I won't even go into the results!

Thanx
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Arlington, TX - KGKY
Grand Prarie, TX - KGPM
Fort Worth Spinks, TX - KFWS

All class G towers. It seems kinda retarded to me, having uncontrolled controlled airspace.
 
91.126(d) establishes the rule for talking to control towers in class G airspace. You still have to talk to them within 4nm up to 2500 AGL.

there are some tradeoffs to it. You cant get an SVFR clearance from one of these towers because there is no controlled airspace extending to the surface, but you dont need one either because of class G cloud clearances. (1sm vis, clear of clouds during the day).
 
Hey try this one on for size. Vancouver Pearson airport (KVUO) in Vancouver, Washington is a Class D airspace, and it doesn't have a control tower. However, it lies just a couple miles underneath the final approach course for Portland International, so pilots going into or out of Pearson must contact PDX tower first.
 
Last week, the Arlington (GKY) tower announced that the airport 'was going IFR' when the ceiling dropped just below 1,000 feet - if it's still G airspace, why would he bother?
 
PanJet said:
Hey try this one on for size. Vancouver Pearson airport (KVUO) in Vancouver, Washington is a Class D airspace, and it doesn't have a control tower. However, it lies just a couple miles underneath the final approach course for Portland International, so pilots going into or out of Pearson must contact PDX tower first.
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KVUO is my home airport when your inbound you also must contact KPDX "if you have a radio" to enter via a specific cut out. See Chart at http://skyvector.com/
 
Technically, you can enter the airspace, the pattern and land all without talking to the control tower that resides in a Class G airspace.

Pretty scary...eh?
 
cessnajockey454 said:
Last week, the Arlington (GKY) tower announced that the airport 'was going IFR' when the ceiling dropped just below 1,000 feet - if it's still G airspace, why would he bother?
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If you break it down...

A Class G tower is just a D airspace with more lienient day weather requirements. That and there are really no dimensions.

The GKY tower treats it as a D, for sure.
 
cessnajockey454 said:
Last week, the Arlington (GKY) tower announced that the airport 'was going IFR' when the ceiling dropped just below 1,000 feet - if it's still G airspace, why would he bother?
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What the controller probably meant was that the was turning the rotating beacon on, which generally but not necessarily indicates below VFR weather conditions during the day.
 
SmitteyB said:
Technically, you can enter the airspace, the pattern and land all without talking to the control tower that resides in a Class G airspace.

Pretty scary...eh?
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except for that pesky reg i posted earlier that specified in class G airspace you must be in two way radio contact within 4nm and below 2500AGL.

though your post is right, *if* you are have lost two way radio contact and enter the pattern and wait for a visual clearance to land (also contained in that reg i posted). If you have radios and do what you describe, expect the FBO lineman to give you the phone number to the tower.

91.126

scary indeed...
 
casey said:
except for that pesky reg i posted earlier that specified in class G airspace you must be in two way radio contact within 4nm and below 2500AGL.

though your post is right, *if* you are have lost two way radio contact and enter the pattern and wait for a visual clearance to land (also contained in that reg i posted). If you have radios and do what you describe, expect the FBO lineman to give you the phone number to the tower.

91.126

scary indeed...
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You're completely correct.

If you're private pilot and you don't know the regs as good as some of the rest of us do, you can be in serious trouble...

Normally (us that didn't train in a G with TWR) know that in a G there are no aircraft or pilot requirements. IE- No two way radio communication needed

You have to be extra-cautious in an airspace like GKY, etc.

Good regulation find by the way.
 
SmitteyB said:
Technically, you can enter the airspace, the pattern and land all without talking to the control tower that resides in a Class G airspace.

Pretty scary...eh?
Click to expand...

I asked the Arlington tower guys about that once, and they said I'd be taking a violation if I did that.
 
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