AOPA: FAA Consolidates Tracons
June 5, 2007 // Published as a news service by IHS
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Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) announced the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) consolidated several tracons throughout the U.S. this year to reduce costs.
Tracons are defined as FAA facilities that house air traffic controllers who use radar displays and radios to guide aircraft approaching and departing airports generally within a 30- to 50-mile radius up to 10,000 feet.
Tracons cover this airspace to within five miles of an airport, at this point air traffic controllers take over from the airport tower.
General aviation pilots depend on tracons for visual flight rules (VFR) and instrument flight rules (IFR) services.
According to AOPA, the FAA is not soliciting information from airspace to consult on the closings. In response to demand by its members in Palm Springs, Calif., AOPA said it requested the FAA hold a public meeting before the Palm Springs tracon is consolidated into the Southern California tracon in June. More than 50 people attended the meeting on May 10, according to AOPA.
"The point of the public meeting was to solicit input from pilots, but the FAA officials didn't give much notice - only two days - for a midday meeting," said Andy Cebula, AOPA executive vice president of government affairs. "The FAA must do a better job of giving pilots the opportunity to hear about consolidations and provide comments."
Congress is also interested in tracon consolidations in terms of wanting to make sure the FAA follows an appropriate process. The Senate Commerce Committee passed legislation in mid-May with language that would create a public process for the realignment of FAA services and facilities, including tracons.
Cost is motivating the consolidation moves, according to AOPA. The FAA said in some cases it can provide more services to more locations by putting all the controllers behind radar screens in the same dark building.
The FAA advocates co-locating tracons to save money and to eliminate the need for the FAA to have multiple buildings, automation systems and voice switches associated with the tracon infrastructure.
According to FAA, in some cases of co-location, the agency can provide more services to more locations with the same amount of money.
Source: Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA).