Posted on 03/22/2013 1:49:36 PM PDT by haffast
The US aviation authority plans to close 149 air traffic control towers in response to steep budget cuts that took effect this month.
Towers will close at small airports but the facilities will remain open, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
Pilots will have to co-ordinate takeoff and landing by themselves after 7 April using a shared radio channel.
On 1 March, $85bn (£56bn) was cut from this year's budget after Congress failed to reach a budget deal.
"We heard from communities across the country about the importance of their towers and these were very tough decisions," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement.
But he said the closures were unavoidable because of the spending cuts known in Washington as the sequester.
snip
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
Yes the budget cuts, that still spend more money than they did last year.
Like the car dealers that contributed to Republicans?
There’s no reason why a municipality can’t staff a tower with their own people or with qualified volunteers (like retired air traffic controllers or people who were military air traffic controllers). For that matter a Governor could call out the National Guard to run air traffic at affected airports and use that kind of order to do an end-run around Obozo’s needless Executive Order.
Shut down the DOE (both versions) and the EPA an most of the NIH.
Then come back and tell me about “cuts” to essential services.
BFD. Many of these smaller airport towers were slated to shut down anyway and UNICOM is always an option for traffic seperation. More Obamascare at work.
Dear “journalist”:
How many airport towers are currently staffed? What percentage is this? Do any of these affected airports have commercial flights? How many airports have been similarly affected in recent years (and how many have gone from unstaffed to staffed towers?)
Doesn’t matter - you just announce pilot to pilot on the main airport frequency. Except say for Chicago ORD or Atlanta ATL.
They should use the same model when they use budget cuts as an excuse to close public parks. If they don't have the money, send the staff and rangers home but the land belongs to the people and people should be able to use the parks at their own risk.
A lot on the list makes sense. In areas with heavy traffic like Dallas with very high end regional facilities, I can’t imagine why flight plans, take off, and landing couldn’t be coordinated by the regional hub.
And how much money does Obama give foreign countries?
We are going to shut down Air Traffic Control towers, but we still give out free cell phones and cars to people.
It runs along the same lines as “WE HAVE TO CUT BACK ON FIREFIGHTERS, TEACHERS, POLICE...”
I looked at the list where I fly in AR and pilots can easily coordinate their own traffic. It will likely be more efficient.
Overspending is overspending.
We’re really asking the wrong question, both sides of this issue. The right question is, Was the Fed Govt ever supposed to be dabbling in this industry or activity in the first place?
Gee, do you think that maybe Biden could get by on less than $500,000.00 for one night in Paris? Or maybe the TSA could get by without spending $250,000,000.00 on new uniforms?
Or maybe odumbo could travel with less than 600 hangers on?
Just wondering!!
what outrages me is that even though pilots and owners do not care if the towers are closed, aopa, nbaa and such are lobbying to keep them open
Wasserman-Shultz’s aides are starving to death! Come on Man!
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