Friday, March 29, 2013

My Thoughts on Tower Closures

There seems to be, as always, a lot of misinformation and sound bytes being bantered around about the pending closure of 149 control towers.  Much of the blame in the public outcry, Washington DC and the press is laid upon the FAA's feet.

However, that doesn't seem to be where it should lie.  Yes, the FAA did cut funding for all the contract towers that aren't getting additional Congressional funding.  But that doesn't mean the towers have to close.  That just means the FAA isn't going to pay for them.

You see, a tower does not have to be funded by the FAA.  The controllers in these 149 towers are employees of a private company.  That company could very well continue to offer controller services from other sources of funding.  For instance, a city owned airport could continue the funding of a tower if they felt it was a necessity for their airport.

Here is some text from the FAA Guidance in regards to these tower closures:

When the FAA ceases funding for control tower operations, the airport operator has a choice. The airport operator may choose to operate as a non-towered airport. The airport operator may also choose to continue providing tower services as a non-Federal control tower. The decision made by the airport operator will most likely affect what happens with the existing tower structure and the equipment inside.

So, bottom line is that it's not the FAA's "fault".  If blame has to be assigned, look at the airport owners and companies that provide tower controller services.

Now it's time to go to the hangar and work on the Eagle...

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