Free Republic

Texas will pay to keep 13 local air traffic control towers that the Obama administration plans shut down in order to play politics with the sequester. Last week, the Obama administration announced it would close 149 air traffic control towers nationwide starting on April 7 to save $600 million. The Texas Department of Transportation said safety and Texas's economy, which relies on air travel, prompted the state to keep the air traffic control towers open. “Safety is the primary reason we felt a need to take immediate action for the air travelers and business aircraft that use these airports," Texas...

Al Sharpton joined the sequester scare-mongering squad on his MSNBC show this evening. Just one problem: the Reverend Al got one of his "facts" embarrassingly wrong. Sharpton claimed that the effect of the sequester would be to close Rep. Paul Ryan's hometown airport in Janesville, Wisconsin. Nuh-uh. Yes, Southern Wisconsin Regional in Janesville is on a list of 200 airports, 100 of which would have their towers closed under the sequester. But closing a tower by no means closes an airport. Is Al unaware that of the roughly 20,000 airports in the USA, only about 500—less than 3%—have towers? Even...

Accounts of actual exchanges between airline pilots and control towers around the world. ==================================================== Tower: "Delta 351, you have traffic at 10 o'clock, 6 miles!" Delta 351: "Give us another hint! We have digital watches!" ============================================================ "TWA 2341, for noise abatement turn right 45 Degrees." "Centre, we are at 35,000 feet. How much noise can we make up here?" "Sir, have you ever heard the noise a 747 makes when it hits a 727?" ============= ========================================= From an unknown aircraft waiting in a very long takeoff queue: "I'm f... ing bored!" Ground Traffic Control: "Last aircraft transmitting, identify yourself immediately!"...