"No tours for 90 days"

Tristar

Tristar

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Tristar
So apparently the FAA took the tower thing pretty seriously. I called today to schedule a tower tour for a group of students that had been looking forward to it. They increased the security. So no tours for 90 days. Boy I missed the days when I could just call the tower in my home town and ask to come up. We would hang out well into the evening and I never had to leave until they were ready to close for the night or I wanted to go. Sigh...the good old days!
 
The kid talking on the tower freq that was all over the news.
 
So what, exactly, will be different 90 days from now that will make resuming the tours safe again?

-Rich
 
The laws of unintended consequences strike again.

*(&^ political knee jerk.
 
you can't fix stupid
 
It's like they're taking lessons from the TSA.
 
RJM62 said:
So what, exactly, will be different 90 days from now that will make resuming the tours safe again?
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My guess is they'll have a new version of the visitor policies currently contained in the Facilities Management Handbook (FAA Order 7210.3W), which currently reads as follows:

2-7-8. FACILITY VISITORS​
a.​
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Persons interested in the services and facilities
provided by air traffic should be encouraged to visit
facilities for familiarization. The facility air traffic
manager or a designated representative may
authorize these visits if:​

1.​
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​
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The presence of visitors does not interfere​

with the operation of the facility.
2.​
​
​
​
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There is no breach of security directives.​

3.​
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​
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Personnel are or will be available to conduct
an escorted tour.​

b.​
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​
​
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Foreign national visits shall be handled in​

accordance with current directives.
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...and that's it. I suspect there will be new rules about children, families, provision of escort, touching controls and talking on radios, etc.
 
Well, I suspect that any additions to the rules will have the effect of diluting (or removing) that first sentence of 2-7-8 a), rather than materially adding to the safety or efficiency of the ATC system. Maybe I'm being unfair.

As a side note, does anyone know if these restrictions apply to TRACON facilities as well? I've been meaning to get in to Bradley or New York to put faces on the voices that talk to me.
 
chucky said:
Well, I suspect that any additions to the rules will have the effect of diluting (or removing) that first sentence of 2-7-8 a), rather than materially adding to the safety or efficiency of the ATC system. Maybe I'm being unfair.

As a side note, does anyone know if these restrictions apply to TRACON facilities as well? I've been meaning to get in to Bradley or New York to put faces on the voices that talk to me.
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AFaIK the "no visitors" policy extends to all ATC facilities that "control" traffic including towers, TRACONs, and Centers. I feel so much safer knowing that no unqualified person will ever utter a word on an ATC transmitter again.
 
gismo said:
AFaIK the "no visitors" policy extends to all ATC facilities that "control" traffic including towers, TRACONs, and Centers. I feel so much safer knowing that no unqualified person will ever utter a word on an ATC transmitter again.
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Do you think that would include "contract" towers - I'm sure I'm not calling it the right term - where the controllers are not FAA employees, but employees of outside contractors? KUES is a contract tower, and I think there are quite a few of them around the country.
 
nddons said:
Do you think that would include "contract" towers - I'm sure I'm not calling it the right term - where the controllers are not FAA employees, but employees of outside contractors? KUES is a contract tower, and I think there are quite a few of them around the country.
Click to expand...

Dunno. The "contract" towers do have to follow a lot of FAA rules but I don't know if this would be one of them. Probably is since we sure wouldn't want to risk the possibility that a "kid" might grab a mic and transmit something horribly unsafe like "adios".
 
Stupid government reaction. So what else is new.

One nitwit had a lapse in judgement and let his kid talk on the frequency. No harm came to anyone.

As a result, NOBODY can visit a tower for 90 days. Brilliant.

And we want such decision-makers in charge of our health care?
 
gismo said:
Dunno. The "contract" towers do have to follow a lot of FAA rules but I don't know if this would be one of them. Probably is since we sure wouldn't want to risk the possibility that a "kid" might grab a mic and transmit something horribly unsafe like "adios".
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I don't actually know, but I've gotten the impression that contract towers operate outside of these rules. I was at SBP recently and just asked on the ground frequency if I could stop by after lunch. They didn't have a problem with it.

-Felix
 
flyersfan31 said:
Stupid government reaction. So what else is new.

One nitwit had a lapse in judgement and let his kid talk on the frequency. No harm came to anyone.

As a result, NOBODY can visit a tower for 90 days. Brilliant.

And we want such decision-makers in charge of our health care?
Click to expand...

At least the FAA doesn't have DEATH PANELS!
 
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