Bah. Who needs atc or radio. Our local airfield at its busiest has 200+ movements per hour without either.
Once after a hurricane hit the US Virgin Islands, I was the second aircraft (727) to land just after the hurricane passed. We followed a USAF C-141 into the airport. While the runway had been cleared, none of the airport buildings were usable, including all ATC structures.
From our pre-mission briefing I knew that the FAA was enroute in one of their DC-9s with a portable ATC tower and ATC controllers. But they had been delayed. We also knew that there were quite a few other aircraft inbound.
So after I talked to the PIC of the C-141, we was decided that we would use the 727 as make do ATC 'advisory' point. We pilots took turns relaying radio calls and positron reports from the inbound aircraft for about six hours until the FAA DC-9 showed up. Then while the temporary control tower was being set up the FAA controllers that were in the DC-9 worked from the 727.
Overall it worked pretty good, but I can tell you that we damn happy when those FAA ATC controllers showed up.
One big advantage we had was that weather was perfectly clear. A beautiful day actually.
And we did have a secret advantage, my co-pilot that day was a former ATC controller and about after two hours or so later two local ATC controllers showed up to help. Later an Air Force AWAC 135 came on station orbiting the island providing radar service and coordination with San Juan. But that was after I had left heading back to Miami to dump prisoners, get more water/ice and more SOG team members.
Remarkable how when people work together, things get done.
Okay, now you lot can go back to bashing the US.
