Tower closed or not?

U

Unregistered

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I was flying at night, approaching a controlled airport. It was 11 p.m. and the AFD said the tower closed at midnight local. I called the tower and no response. I tried again. I was starting to think maybe they closed the tower early. The tower frequency is the same as CTAF, so I did a radio check and then treated the frequency as CTAF. As I approached the airport, I looked at the tower for light signals, but did not see any, another indication that they'd all gone home. There were no other AC in the pattern or taxiing. The CTAF was quiet. I was 500-800 feet above the pattern for light AC and then descended in order to enter the pattern and land. Still no light signals from the tower. I landed and taxied to the FBO. There was just one guy there, a lineman, and I turned in the rented AC. That was about it.

What do you think?
 
The towers around here set the ATIS to indicate they are closed. There is usually an announcement from the tower first, then some delay before they get everything changed over. I'm not sure, but I think they'll close early if there really isn't any traffic. You might have been there during the transition?
 
Did you check ATIS on the way in? In my experience, ATIS almost always has a blurb to the effect of "XYZ tower ceased controlled operations at XXXX local time..." when closed.
 
Unregistered said:
I was flying at night, approaching a controlled airport. It was 11 p.m. and the AFD said the tower closed at midnight local. I called the tower and no response. I tried again. I was starting to think maybe they closed the tower early. The tower frequency is the same as CTAF, so I did a radio check and then treated the frequency as CTAF. As I approached the airport, I looked at the tower for light signals, but did not see any, another indication that they'd all gone home. There were no other AC in the pattern or taxiing. The CTAF was quiet. I was 500-800 feet above the pattern for light AC and then descended in order to enter the pattern and land. Still no light signals from the tower. I landed and taxied to the FBO. There was just one guy there, a lineman, and I turned in the rented AC. That was about it.
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What airport?
 
This airport doesn't have ATIS, just ASOS. I did check ASOS and they didn't say anything about being closed. But I don't know if you can record that kind of message on ASOS.

Yes, I did the conversion from Zulu to local time correctly.

I'd rather not give out the name of the airport, but it is a rather small airport, at the low-end of those with a CT. A Cessna jet comes in now and then.

Thanks, and please continue the comments if you can!!
 
Unregistered said:
Yes, I did the conversion from Zulu to local time correctly.
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Okay. However, the reason I ask is that most time entries in the AFD have a double t symbol next to them indicating that during Daylight Savings Time, the actual time is 1 hour sooner. So that midnight closing could really have been 11PM.
 
If in doubt file an ASRS report. :) If the tower turns you in you pull out the ASRS. I suppose Ron (Levy) would say it's not a safety thing but I was always told do the ASRS if in doubt. :) Maybe the report will make the tower do a report on the ASOS/AWOS next time.
 
Anymouse said:
Okay. However, the reason I ask is that most time entries in the AFD have a double t symbol next to them indicating that during Daylight Savings Time, the actual time is 1 hour sooner. So that midnight closing could really have been 11PM.
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That's one of the annoying questions on the IR test. Stupid symbols in the AFD. :)
 
Actually the attended hours do have the double t symbol next to it, so I guess I was arriving right at closing time. Didn't know about this double t symbol. Thanks.
 
Unregistered said:
Actually the attended hours do have the double t symbol next to it, so I guess I was arriving right at closing time. Didn't know about this double t symbol. Thanks.
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No worries!!

For a reference, check Page 6 of the AFD Item #6 all the way on the bottom of the page.

(I only know this because I just looked it up myself!)
 
I had a similar experience once. I honestly thought the tower fell asleep. I started calling out for traffic as I would for a nontowered field and suddenly the tower chimed n. Not sure what happened but all ended fine.
 
saracelica said:
If in doubt file an ASRS report. :) If the tower turns you in you pull out the ASRS. I suppose Ron (Levy) would say it's not a safety thing
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No, I would not. I think a tower that is not responding when it is supposed to be open is definitely a safety issue. For all we know, the controller was sound asleep.

To the OP: By your post, you did everything right, so you have nothing to worry about. My recommendation is to file the ASRS and then call the tower manager in the morning -- and if you don't like what the manager says, call the Safety Program Manager at the FSDO and talk it over with him/her.
 
ajstoner21 said:
I had a similar experience once. I honestly thought the tower fell asleep. I started calling out for traffic as I would for a nontowered field and suddenly the tower chimed n. Not sure what happened but all ended fine.
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Possibly Murphey's Law of going to the bathroom when all by yourself. No sooner than your pants down and comfortable on the throne than the phone rings.
 
I would also add that if there's a question as to whether the tower is, or should be open, you could always call the approach or center frequency for the area. They generally know the tower's hours, and could in turn call the cab on the landline. It's not totally impossible that late at night, the controller could be resting his eyes, playing his game boy, or answering the call of nature at the time you called in.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Possibly Murphey's Law of going to the bathroom when all by yourself. No sooner than your pants down and comfortable on the throne than the phone rings.
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Or the facility radio:mad2:

That happens to me all the time on my job in the control room. We have a phone in the bathroom and kitchen and a portable radio, but we can't operate the electrical equipment from there:lol:
 
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Um, the tower does not close an hour earlier during DST . . .. the local time is an hour earlier Zulu. . .
 
I know the airport in question has an ASOS, not ATIS.
But, FYI, at my place, the ATIS changes to an AWOS when the tower closes (as in it's a computer voice give an "Automated Weather Observation", not a human reading "ATIS Information Charlie").
If you're hearing the AWOS, the tower is closed.
 
PilotAlan said:
But, FYI, at my place, the ATIS changes to an AWOS when the tower closes (as in it's a computer voice give an "Automated Weather Observation", not a human reading "ATIS Information Charlie").
If you're hearing the AWOS, the tower is closed.
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Or tower personnel forgot to throw the switch. You're describing AAIU; Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS)/Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) Interface Unit. That's the official name but it works with AWOS too.
 
I don't understand the hesitation to name the airport. If you did, we could all read the applicable information and might find something useful to tell you. You are posting anonymously here anyway.

It is also possible there was a NOTAM or other published change to the tower's hours of operations since the effective ate of the A/FD you used.

Jon
 
PilotAlan said:
If you're hearing the AWOS, the tower is closed.
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...or you're at a towered airport like Salisbury MD (KSBY) where there's an AWOS but no ATIS, and the AWOS is always operating whether the tower is open or close. Y'all make sure you read the A/FD entry carefully so you know what to expect.
 
The hesitation is because s/he doesn't want to risk getting the CT crew into trouble, if indeed they skipped off early, for a no harm / no foul incident.
 
Ron Levy said:
...or you're at a towered airport like Salisbury MD (KSBY) where there's an AWOS but no ATIS, and the AWOS is always operating whether the tower is open or close. Y'all make sure you read the A/FD entry carefully so you know what to expect.
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That's why I said my place was different. Other posters said their airports updated the ATIS to say the tower was closed. Mine there IS no ATIS when the tower is closed. The point was that there is no single rule.
 
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