Control Tower Visit

[cwyckham]

I just went up for my first control tower visit today, and it was great. If you can do it, take advantage of the opportunity. I was at a smallish international airport (NZHN), and I just called them out of the blue and asked if I could come have a look. They invited me right up. I learned a lot about what they do and what tools they do and don't have at their disposal. For example, I didn't know that they had a radio direction finder that gave them a bearing to whoever's broadcasting.

I was even there when Christchurch information (who runs all of the flightplans, IFR and VFR) contacted them to ask if they'd seen a pilot who had exceeded his SAR time (you declare SAR time instead of ETA and can update the SAR time every 5 minutes if you like) without reporting. Sure enough, he had just contacted the tower. Oops!

The disconcerting thing was, they asked me if I'd arrived a few hours ago in Juliet Alpha Zulu. I guess my accent sticks out. I missed my callsign a couple times on the way in, so I was pretty embarrassed.

If you haven't been up in a tower before, make a point of creating an opportunity to go see what it's all about. It was totally worth it for me.

Chris

 

[EdFred]

Going tonight.

 

[RotaryWingBob]

That's a worthwhile thing to do. Visiting a radar facility (TRACON, for example) is a good learning experience as well.

 

[poadeleted20]

I fully agree about the value of a tower or TRACON visit. However, please keep in mind that in the post-9/11 world, unless it is an announced "Rain Check" date, it is advisable to call ahead and confirm any procedures to get in as well as good/bad times to visit. If you just show up on their doorstep unannounced, you may be told to go away.

 

[infotango]

Working for the Feds. has its advantages
If you can get into a TRACON do it!
Towers are fun too and just the view of the airport is great, I was pretty surprised how little technology is used in towers especially at D airports.

 

[AdamZ]

Ok so this is driving me nuts. Why do they call it a Rain Check date?

 

[Missa]

Going tonight.

To Lansing???? Lansing's a great tower. That's the tower I visited and they are really great with visiters. What a great view they have. And the radar room is cool too but a little dark. I walked in and stoped cause I couldn't see where I was going for a little while.

Missa

 

[tonycondon]

Ive been down to Des Moines a couple times, it is very cool to see how it works on the dark side.

 

[HPNFlyGirl]

Last week I visited KFLO. The controller there was female so we exchanged phone #'s, and emails. She told me anytime she was working I would be welcomed in the TRACON & Tower. Luckly they are right there together, unlike some airports where the TRACON & Tower are seperate. They also told me to come down one day when its not to busy and they could have lots of fun with me. She told me to ask for a No Gyro appch, a surveillence appch, and she also said that they could shine the light gun for me if I wanted. I plan on taking her up on it.

 

[Steve]

I've been to the tower cabs at JAN, HKS, and ARB. With help of some local pilots and other online friends I've gotten tours of Myrtle Beach, SC TRACON when it was still a full time AFB, ORD TRACON, and Miami and Los Angeles ARTCC's.

There's a co-located TRACON at JAN. One of the supervisors there flies a C-45 for the CAF and is a CFII. I usually visit the JAN ATC facility a couple times a year.

I was a bit dismayed how few controllers are pilots at all the locations I've visited, but they all took their jobs seriously and were happy to show me how they did their job.

 

[EdFred]

No, GRR. Hopefully the chick controller is working tonight. Word is she's a looker.

 

[gkainz]

...the chick controller...

I've tried controlling chickens ... works about as well as herding cats...

 

[ScottM]

I have been in the Melbourne, FL tower and on Patrick AFBs'. I say on because I was there one night and we got locked in the tower. We had to climb out of the tower cab and then down the side stairs to the ramp below.

I have also been in Chicago Center and a RAPCON facility. All of them were very neat. After visiting them that is when I decided I wanted nothing to do with a career in ATC. ;-)

 

[jacole8]

Good thing you won't be looking at her...right Eddie????

 

[SupraPilot]

I got to go and visit the tower and another room with controllers in it and cool radar screens at Wilks-Barre PA...me and my friend who is also a PP and is training to be an Air traffic controller flew in there one day to check out how everything works...it does help you with communications if you are scared of the mic becasue you realize its another guy just liek you on the other end...we got to see them in action also since a few aircraft were taking of and landing including some buz jets..

def something ever pilot should do..it should actually be part of the PP training

Ant

 

[poadeleted20]

def something ever pilot should do..it should actually be part of the PP training

I agree that a good CFI will, when feasible, see to it that each Student Pilot makes the pilgrimmage to a tower, but there are so many places where that is just too far to go, it isn't feasible to make it a regulatory requirement.

 

[Missa]

Good thing you won't be looking at her...right Eddie????

He He He, She lurks! I love it when you speak up! He needs to be kept in line!

Missa

PS. After my performance at GGR durring my long solo XC, I never want to show my face there agian...

 

[wsuffa]

It's well worth it.

I've been in LGA, EWR, and ISP towers, and NY Tracon. Really an experience.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

She told me to ask for a No Gyro appch, a surveillence appch,

You should probably finish your PPL and start on your instrument training so that you have a clue what's going on...

I'm gonna have to ask for an ASR ("surveillance") approach one of these days.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Good thing you won't be looking at her...right Eddie????

Doh... Busted!

 

[Bill]

Good thing you won't be looking at her...right Eddie????

 

[TangoWhiskey]

Ok so this is driving me nuts. Why do they call it a Rain Check date?

Adam, I couldn't find the reason why / origin of the "Raincheck" name, other than that it started in the 1960s.

Has anybody heard of or participated in the new Operation Take-off?

http://www.faa.gov/ATpubs/AIP/AIP.pdf

3.12 Operation Take−off and Operation Raincheck.
Operation Take−off is a program that educates
pilots in how best to utilize the FSS modernization
efforts and services available in Automated Flight
Service Stations (AFSS), as stated in FAA Order
7230.17, Pilot Education Program − Operation
Takeoff.

Operation Raincheck is a program designed
to familiarize pilots with the ATC system, its
functions, responsibilities, and benefits.