Hey, here is a quick, dirty little secret about the FAA tower closings at airports around the country.

They really don’t impact things much.  Seriously.

The air traffic control systems aren’t closing and those using these smaller airports will still get guidance to a final approach to these airports.

They will just have to coordinate their arrivals and departures between themselves and that’s done already in many places.  Particularly late at night.

It’s not even necessary to discontinue airline flights to these airports.  Airlines can fly into these airports safely and without trouble.  There is the chance that flights to these airports might necessarily get cancelled more frequently in bad weather but the typical flight shouldn’t be affected at all.

For those of you who think this still might be unsafe . . . it’s not uncommon for regional flights into rural airports late at night to arrive under the exact same procedures that will be used for these airports with tower closings.

Yes, it will require a change in procedures on the part of pilots (which they are already trained for) and it will possibly slow traffic into and out of these airports.  And who cares?  These airports aren’t exactly busy in the first place.  That’s why they are on the lists for closure.

Go about your business.  There really isn’t anything to see here.

Filed under: Airports by ajax
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