Jay Honeck wrote:


My "event horizon" of GA is only 13 years -- perhaps someone who has
been flying longer (and doesn't have a vested interest in supporting
ATC) can comment on the history and usage of Class D towers?




Some places don't rate a tower but the people who run the airport want
one. Happened at Bozeman, MT. They didn't meet the minimum number of
ops for an FAA tower, so the city built one anyways and now there are
non FAA controllers there. But to say that all class D's shouldn't have
a tower is ridiculous. To make places like Van Nuys, Pontiac, even
where I used to work, Grand Forks, ND; uncontrolled fields would make it
far more dangerous and tremendously inefficient. I've been to busy
uncontrolled fields and I know how **** poor the weekend pilot is at
being able to aviate, navigate and communicate at the same time. Once
you get about four airplanes in the area I'll take the tower.