New Adelaide Tower

[AussieAviator]

It seems that the work is coming along quite rapidly now, on the new tower. I'm sure the ATC people won't miss the old one especially when aircraft are doing RW05 VOR approaches in poor weather, and you find yourself lined up with the tower, and not the runway!

New Adelaide control tower due in 2012 - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/02/2970792.htm)

[beer bong]

Instead of wasting millions of dollars on this crap. Why don't they put an ILS on RWY05?

[Aussie]

TO give you a variety of approaches... otherwise you have an ILS approach everytime into ADL... this way keeps ya Instrument skills up.... im sure this is the reason :E:E:E

[Blockla]

Instead of wasting millions of dollars on this crap. Why don't they put an ILS on RWY05?Different buckets I'm afraid...

But seriously there are many towers that in the modern world of OH&S aren't up to scratch; I think most of the towers around the country, with the exception of BN, SY, GC and PH are in the pipeline of being replaced (at some stage). The major costs for the 'upgrades' aren't the physical structures themselves, it's the new kit that's going inside them where the real costs escalate.

There are a few towers I've had the good fortune to visit that are close to being condemned. Mostly because of that certain white fibrous product... But think about it from a housing point of view, most towers were built in the 50's and 60's and have had little or no love since, they are dilapidated and need much 'renovators delight attention'. Melbourne tower is being replaced after just 35 years of life; how are the towers built 50 + years ago coping - answer not very well.

Does anyone know if they are relocating APP to the understructure of the tower, cause the current building there is also C.R.A.P.

[bin_389]

Nope. Approach stays where it is. I believe it was discussed between the various parties, but when it came down to it, there was no "operational necessity" to have the tower and TCU co-located.

[Peter Fanelli]

When was the current Adelaide tower built?
1980's wasn't it?

[bin_389]

The current tower was built in the early 1980s. The tower on top of the old domestic terminal was still in use in late 1981; I reckon that tower operations moved to the middle of the airport in 1982, maybe early '83. Area/Approach and Flight Service moved over to the present TCU site in about 1984.

[Captahab]

Aaaaah the old tower after it was closed, always good for a sleepover after a big night in the destitute institute ;)

[Dick N. Cider]

Might need to talk to Adelaide Airport Limited for the ILS. It's their airport funded by landing fees.

Airservices bills the operators direct via navcharges.

[cficare]

Ready for taxi (about 6 years ago) at 5:30 am...call to Tower....nothing....another call....nothing...called ML area freq....said they'd 'get back to me'.....lotts of blue flashing lights approach tower.....turns out the door code was changed without notifying the next ATC guy....