FAA announces list of contract control tower closings

[woodmw]

For those interested, here is the link to the list of contract control towers to be closed due to budget cuts:

http://www.aaae.org/?e=showFile&l=TDDZKA

May be more in the future.

[flyguy]

Re: FAA announces list of contract control tower closings

Well sorry for the guys out of a job if so, but happy to see Castle (Atwater, CA) on the list. The AF museum there is really great, but the CT made it just enough of a nuisance what with ignition noise that I haven't been in there since they made it controlled. I think their traffic is way down now as some of the flight schools have closed (I have heard.)
DC

[M Towsley]

Re: FAA announces list of contract control tower closings

I thought for sure ours would be, pretty slow airport and it was originally mentioned as closing. It is good sized with minor airline service, though that doesn't mean a thing as two others close by will close. Our tower is closed 10-6 anyway. I think there was probably some back room deals with Dick Durbin, who lives here and is the number two democrat in Washington. Plus, we are an ATC training facility so that may have played a part.

[waltermrich]

Re: FAA announces list of contract control tower closings

Does that mean that A Class D airport with a tower closing will revert the air space to a class E air space and small aircraft can pass thur with out contacting anyone on the radio? Dubuque Iowa is closing its tower.

[Pearson]

Re: FAA announces list of contract control tower closings

It depends, does the airport have a precision instrument approach? If so, it will be class E airspace. If they only have a non precision approach, it will be class G airspace up to either 700 or 1200 ft. and class E above.

[wmfife]

Re: FAA announces list of contract control tower closings

According to reports FL was one of the hardest-hit areas. In my corner only JAX was spared. Sad, too, as we were just getting to know our guys and it was becoming a friendly community of pilots and ATC personnel. Regular safety meetings were close-knit and on a first-name basis with good stories being told. Brand new modern (and expensive!) looking tower just finished a couple of years ago. Such a waste. Something really needs to be done. We have jet traffic and a 6,000+ ft runway with ILS and full lighting. Just not right.

[waltermrich]

Re: FAA announces list of contract control tower closings

According to the Eaa the Oshkosh Tower will be closed but the Air Venture Fly In will have some form of control during Air Venture.

[Robert G. Hamm]

Re: FAA announces list of contract control tower closings

It is not only that the tower could be closed, but the EAA will have to pay for the Controllers to be there. Sun-N-Fun was charged $284,800 for the extra FAA personnel required during the airshow. Since the tower was still open at Lakeland, Oshkosh will be higher to get the FAA there. I wish there was a way to get non-FAA personnel that could do the job. Guess we will have to see if a temporary tower will handle the operations safely.