Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Ground & Other Ops Forums > ATC Issues
Reload this Page >

Expect a glut of Tower orphans

ATC Issues A place where pilots may enter the 'lions den' that is Air Traffic Control in complete safety and find out the answers to all those obscure topics which you always wanted to know the answer to but were afraid to ask.

Expect a glut of Tower orphans

Old 20th Mar 2013, 21:32
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Canada
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Expect a glut of Tower orphans

The US Federal Government, while too busy printing 85,000,000,000$ a month to float the stock market, is set to shut down up to 240 Control Towers, mostly ones under contract.

If we calculate some early retirements, packages and the like, we can probably average 6 controllers per Tower rendered unemployed, around 1500 in all.

Last edited by LoserGill; 20th Mar 2013 at 21:32.
LoserGill is offline  
Old 20th Mar 2013, 21:52
  #2 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: YMMB
Age: 58
Posts: 703
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Seems reasonable to me.

The US government has a massive deficit and needs to cut spending.

I would have thought with improvements in technology such as Mode S transponders, better radar and networks you would need as many towers anyway.
peterc005 is offline  
Old 21st Mar 2013, 07:06
  #3 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Middle Earth
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
What help is better radar if less people are manning them? The crux of a tower position is the visual component, IE. looking out the window. Although a remote approach service could be provided, its not so easy for tower. Many large commercial operators will also not operate into an unmanned airfield due to insurance issues, which in the end could negatively affect the local economies.

Last edited by WhichWayIsNorth; 21st Mar 2013 at 07:08.
WhichWayIsNorth is offline  
Old 21st Mar 2013, 07:34
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Waters edge
Posts: 444
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
A cruel irony

Actually contract towers are the outsourced operations, using private companies like Midwest ATC and Serco. These are not FAA towers. There are 254 contract towers in the US.

The government audit of these towers said that on a like for like basis FAA manned towers are four times more expensive and in effect are over manned.

The audit can be seen here: DOT - Contract Towers Continue To Provide Cost-Effective and Safe Air Traffic Services, but Improved Oversight of the Program Is Needed | Office of Inspector General if you are involved in ATC, have a look, it makes astonishing reading.

Meanwhile the government politicisation of the FAA budget means that even contract towers are affected.

There is a big policy push to get this changed. See Reason Foundation



FF

Last edited by Flitefone; 21st Mar 2013 at 07:35.
Flitefone is offline  
Old 21st Mar 2013, 12:09
  #5 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: farfaraway
Posts: 162
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
peterc005 obviously aint a tower controller. ps what does the C stand for?

Last edited by obwan; 21st Mar 2013 at 12:10.
obwan is offline  
Old 21st Mar 2013, 17:44
  #6 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Atlanta, GA
Age: 77
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Garden City, KS is one of those airports. It has two (2) scheduled flights departing per day. Does it not make more sense to cut controllers there than at airports with lots of traffic?

Garden City Regional Airport - Flight Information
willl05 is offline  
Old 21st Mar 2013, 20:22
  #7 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Canada
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Garden City, KS is one of those airports. It has two (2) scheduled flights departing per day. Does it not make more sense to cut controllers there than at airports with lots of traffic?
It may for that airport as it has 18000 movements per year. Not all of them are that low traffic though.
LoserGill is offline  
Old 22nd Mar 2013, 10:01
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Wildest Surrey
Age: 75
Posts: 10,792
Received 89 Likes on 62 Posts
Some countries eg Norway use Aerodrome Flight Information Service Officers at low traffic airports with IFR procedures and scheduled traffic.
Google 'Entry Point North'
chevvron is offline  
Old 22nd Mar 2013, 11:12
  #9 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,815
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
UK does as well Barra for example
mad_jock is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.