FAA may trim airport control tower hours

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Cherokee_Cruiser

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http://www.cnn.com/2005/TRAVEL/02/17/faa.control.towers.ap/index.html

Some key points:

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, said Wednesday that if the Federal Aviation Administration closes the tower in Fairbanks, Alaska, during the early morning hours, it "would be the most stupid suggestion I've ever heard from the bureaucracy."

With three Texas airports on the list, "closing towers at cities with military bases at a time of war is wrong," said Chris Paulitz, spokeswoman for Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas.




The Bush administration has proposed a lean budget in 2006 for the FAA. Yet next year, the FAA plans to hire and train about 1,200 air traffic controllers to replace those who are leaving.
 
[ QUOTE ]
When a tower is empty, pilots are always in voice contact with a controller, either at the Terminal Radar Approach Control or at a center, Martin said.

[/ QUOTE ]Whhaaaa?
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I think they're probably referring to IFR flights inbound to an airport where the tower is closed. The last person you talk to is either the local approach or center controller, then they hand you off to advisory freq. You're still only a push of a button away from being in voice in voice contact with a controller!
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[ QUOTE ]
I think they're probably referring to IFR flights inbound to an airport where the tower is closed. The last person you talk to is either the local approach or center controller, then they hand you off to advisory freq. You're still only a push of a button away from being in voice in voice contact with a controller!
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[/ QUOTE ]That makes sense. I'm just thinking of when I come into KMIC in the middle of the night. I just cruise in under the shelf (Class B) and don't talk to nobody.
 
The tower at FTY is now closed from 10pm-6am. I heard the reason was to discourage late night freight runners from operating there.
 
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