Class G tower

jtrain609 said:
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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I guess it all depends on if it is notified in a federal publication...AFD, etc..

The tower frequency is not on the sectional. That violation would never hold up.
 
So basically it's like class D, except extremely dangerous because during the day, vis can be 1SM with planes from 2 major flight schools and stuck-gear planes from a cheap multi outfit all buzzing around in the pattern (GKY)? Why the heck not just make it class D? Also, why doesn't GKY have the tower freq on the sectional, but FWS does?

The last time I went up to GKY I had heard the tower was open, but was VFR and without approach plates. I guess ASOS will tell you the tower freq, but every once in a while I'm lazy when the weather is really good and just listen for the winds/alt setting (a bad habit I will drop after this discussion). Anyway, I always get flight following, but a guy buzzing in below class B without flight following might not have any idea there's a tower there! I just don't get it. Was the tower not open before September 28, '06? Also, does the FAA not put tower freqs, etc. on sectionals that are scheduled to open during the next sectional validity period?

Also, the last time I was at GKY, there was a huge construction crane just east of final approach for 16 that the tower had no idea about...I think it was about 300 feet high - maybe not a factor if you can fly anything close to a decent pattern, but I would have thought the tower would have been notified by someone other than the pilots of the aircraft preceding us. Maybe class G tower don't find out about crucial information that class D towers would.

Mind boggling...

*Edit: The tower freq is in the AFD, so I guess even the guy buzzing in below class B should know there's a tower. I still think the airport should be blue on the sectional, though.
 
mhcasey said:
*Edit: The tower freq is in the AFD, so I guess even the guy buzzing in below class B should know there's a tower. I still think the airport should be blue on the sectional, though.
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I *THINK* that it is supposed to be blue on the next sectional, then after that the airspace will become Class D. Regardless, it can still be cofusing.
 
Now, this is just what I read from a CFI Candidate taking his checkride at the Ft. Worth Alliance FSDO-

I guess he asked 3/4 inspectors why Spinks and Prairie were G towers, when the have the same dimensions, entry requirement and night weather minimums, because they could easily be Class D's. Unfourtunately not one inspector knew the answer or knew anyone who did.

Supposedly- To be a Class D tower the airport needs advanced weather reporting equipment which would eventually lead to an ATIS. As where Arlington, Spinks, and Prairie all have ASOS3.

Again, if anyone thinks this is wrong, let me know.
 
I saw on a website that the control tower there opened in I think October of last year, after the current sectional came out, so it should be listed on the next sectional revision.
 
Doubt it, they can read the one minute weather on the ASOS and call it "Bravo" pretty easily.

I think it has more to do with how they'd slice up the airspace between Arlingon and Grand Prairie with how close they are.
 
SmitteyB said:
Now, this is just what I read from a CFI Candidate taking his checkride at the Ft. Worth Alliance FSDO-

I guess he asked 3/4 inspectors why Spinks and Prairie were G towers, when the have the same dimensions, entry requirement and night weather minimums, because they could easily be Class D's. Unfourtunately not one inspector knew the answer or knew anyone who did.

Supposedly- To be a Class D tower the airport needs advanced weather reporting equipment which would eventually lead to an ATIS. As where Arlington, Spinks, and Prairie all have ASOS3.

Again, if anyone thinks this is wrong, let me know.
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DTO has asos/awos and it's class D.
 
jtrain609 said:
Doubt it, they can read the one minute weather on the ASOS and call it "Bravo" pretty easily.
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ASOS/AWOS doesn't matter - the tower needs a qualified weather observer to be Class D - the lack of such a person is normally why a tower is in Class G.
 
CFIse said:
ASOS/AWOS doesn't matter - the tower needs a qualified weather observer to be Class D - the lack of such a person is normally why a tower is in Class G.
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That's gotta be BS, but I'm too lazy to look it up and prove you wrong. KCMA reverting to one minute weather and saying, "Information Alpha" before being a computerized voice makes me think you're full of it.
 
khot and kpbf in arkansas used to be class d, but the towers closed a good many years back (tower buildings still standing) and the airspace went to class e to the surface, still have precision approaches.
 
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