Congressional Sequestration and Tower Closures...

On the Northern CA end, losing the towers at Napa (APC), Santa Rosa (STS), Salinas (SNS) and Stockton (SCK) would be pretty sketchy, but even considering Sacramento Executive (SAC), Buchanan (CCR), San Carlos (SQL) and Livermore (LVK) is completely asinine and unsafe. CCR has an extremely complex airport layout prone to runway incursions. SAC and LVK are very flight training intensive, and SQL - with its proximity to the arrival runways and final approach course at SFO - well all you airline pilots get ready for a lot of TCAS RAs. :bang:
 
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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Not ABQ, but AEG, Double Eagle
 
I'm curious what's really going to happen. Every class D in CT is on the list, and just about every Class D in MA is on there too. I can't imagine most of these places actually going down. It'll be a mess if many of these towers actually close.

It's just frustrating to see this stuff come out from the White House. If these politicians would stop being such school children maybe we could actually get things done in this country. I really do wish we could wipe the slate clean and just get rid of everyone in the capital and start fresh. To say they are useless would be a compliment at this point.
 
drunkenbeagle said:
While it may be political BS, the reality is the money won't be there and the cuts will happen starting tomorrow.
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well i disagree, i called my peeps at Chicago Center last night and asked if the furlough letters went out and he said no, which means if the controllers get their letters today Chicago Center cannot fulough any controllesr till March 30th. also there is plenty of money to run the ATC system ...... if the PRES wanted it to run, but you cant scare the public and further your political whatever if you do.
 
queeno said:
well i disagree, i called my peeps at Chicago Center last night and asked if the furlough letters went out and he said no, which means if the controllers get their letters today Chicago Center cannot fulough any controllesr till March 30th. also there is plenty of money to run the ATC system ...... if the PRES wanted it to run, but you cant scare the public and further your political whatever if you do.
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Im guessing they are in the same boat as everyone else: We are waiting for the decision to be made how the furloughs will be implemented. IE, will they be equitable across the board, will that list of facilities close/have hours reduced, will 77 "core" facilities and their servicing centers be exempt, etc etc. There are multiple ways to do it, yet no decision has been made. Until it is, nothing else can happen. But something will. All anyone knows at this point is that if not resolved, something will start happening PP09 (April 7th). What that something is has yet to be made known by the suits - who just happen to be politically appointed suits. You know how that goes...
 
canadian_atc looks like no tracks for us if we are on minimum staffing for every shift, and no over time.[/quote]

No tracks for ZNY, all through ZQM? Or am I reading this wrong? Will you still take the random routes overseas? Just curious. How much traffic do you guys usually have in the track system?
 
DE727UPS said:
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.
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If BFI starts to close at night, SEA will be the only open tower in western WA. That will make the ten night tower landings for the initial commercial interesting, at least during the summer.
 
inigo88 said:
On the Northern CA end, losing the towers at Napa (APC), Santa Rosa (STS), Salinas (SNS) and Stockton (SCK) would be pretty sketchy, but even considering Sacramento Executive (SAC), Buchanan (CCR), San Carlos (SQL) and Livermore (LVK) is completely asinine and unsafe. CCR has an extremely complex airport layout prone to runway incursions. SAC and LVK are very flight training intensive, and SQL - with its proximity to the arrival runways and final approach course at SFO - well all you airline pilots get ready for a lot of TCAS RAs. :bang:
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I talked to the guys upstairs at KSAC last night. They haven't gotten any word yet on furlough, but they did say the earliest would be April furloughs. Sac County has the option to keep the tower open on its own dime. Also, the word is that due to controllers being considered crucial to public safety, they have a better chance of survival. Time will tell!

How did controllers get picked anyway? There is so much FAT in the federal government, they can't find better things to cut? Oh, that's right... They want to make this as dramatic as possible.
 
DE727UPS said:
Yeah, but. Does this enhance safety? And our tax dollars are paying for it. Sorry, but I'm ready for the Fed's to take the cut.
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We have to lay off people with careers and families...but when an over $100 million dollar UAV crashed in Maryland? ...well the safety question and our taxpayer dollars that just got flushed....where was that discussion? O yes...that story was reprted on pg 18 somewhere.
 
amorris311 said:
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!
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I learn to aviate, navigate, or communicate at a non-towered airport in California and live to see all the infamous mid-airs in the state. Aviation can be made safe through the process of paying attention as if you were flying in and around TFR's at all the facilities affected. Some pilots I have seen in the past with the worst performance flying into and out of non-towered airports were other airline pilots such as in Colorado airports. Denver center may not hear or pick you up on the ground. Fly safe!!!!!!!!!
 
amorris311 said:
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!
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I do agree SMO should always be towered. SMO is surrounded by expensive homes and neighborhoods looking for ways to turn the land the airport sits on into developmental property. I truly believe SMO's days are numbered!
 
Everything around me is getting affected.
*Dupage (DPA) - Home field
*Aurora (ARR) - lots of training
*Janesville - (JVL)
*Kenosha - (ENW)
*Gary - (GYY)

Back in AZ, I see Glendale (GEU) and Goodyear (GYR) as well, but not Falcon...interesting. I can see why Deer Valley and Gateway aren't on the chopping block but there's a lot of corp. flying at Glendale. (I got my PPL/Instrument there)

DPA is a huge corporate base, so that'll be interesting with multiple crossing runways and all the training that goes on here, along with the Pt. 91 corp. jets.

Also interesting that Chicago Executive isn't on the list.
 
I cringe when I think of what some of the airports in the Northeast will look like without towers. There are days flying around KGAI that I think it should be towered, but probably never will be. I wonder if the President will consider downgrading to a Boeing Business Jet. I am sure it would save some money on fuel costs. :)
 
Following the next fatal accident, I hope that politicians and bureaucrats don't point the finger at the budget impasse. It's tough enough losing people in accidents - we don't need that political c*** inserted.
 
jmreii said:
I learn to aviate, navigate, or communicate at a non-towered airport in California and live to see all the infamous mid-airs in the state. Aviation can be made safe through the process of paying attention as if you were flying in and around TFR's at all the facilities affected. Some pilots I have seen in the past with the worst performance flying into and out of non-towered airports were other airline pilots such as in Colorado airports. Denver center may not hear or pick you up on the ground. Fly safe!!!!!!!!!
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That is a good theory, and in a perfect world you would be right. Unfortunately, Southern California has a lot of people dwelling near these airports. Having controlling facilities helps keep the entropy somewhat contained. Too many varieties of airplanes go in and out of these airports daily and having a skilled professional usher these aircraft in a safe manner makes everyone's lives much better.
 
amorris311 said:
That is a good theory, and in a perfect world you would be right. Unfortunately, Southern California has a lot of people dwelling near these airports. Having controlling facilities helps keep the entropy somewhat contained. Too many varieties of airplanes go in and out of these airports daily and having a skilled professional usher these aircraft in a safe manner makes everyone's lives much better.
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Professional in Socal?

Tower: "Cleared to land, check gear down."
Airplane: "Cleared to land."
Tower: "Confirm gear down."
Airplane: "That's not a required call."
Tower: "Landing clearance cancelled, turn right heading 360."

What civilian airport is it?
 
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