I like my privatized airport :)

"Richard Kaplan" wrote in message ws.com...
"Byron Miller" wrote in message
...
Nicest controllers, safe airport and friendly skies. They're not any more
incompetant than a "guvenment" controller and most certainly they enjoy
aviation and the lifestyle just as much as anyone else could!

Well this may be just coincidence and in any event when n=2 not all that
much can be concluded, but for what it is worth I have had two experiences
when controllers gave me instructions while low altitude in IMC which could
have resulted in a controlled flight into terrain accident, and both
situations occurred at a non-towered field -- once at Morgantown WV KMGW and
once at Johnstown PA KJST.

Richard,

Perhaps I'm not following the juxtaposition. Are you saying that
contract tower controllers gave you these instructions, or that
FAA controllers gave you these instructions whilst you were operating
at a non-towered airport for which they provide approach/departure
services?

I have to admit the "proceed direct MGW" part might have caught
us. Thanks very much for the heads-up, we'll be on alert for that
kind of thing.

Cheers,
Sydney

"Snowbird" wrote in message
om...

Perhaps I'm not following the juxtaposition. Are you saying that
contract tower controllers gave you these instructions, or that
FAA controllers gave you these instructions whilst you were operating
at a non-towered airport for which they provide approach/departure
services?

The instructions were from a controller at a non-federal control tower. So
it was a controller who was not an FAA employee. When I mentioned
"non-towered" that was my error; I meant "non-Federal towered".


I have to admit the "proceed direct MGW" part might have caught
us. Thanks very much for the heads-up, we'll be on alert for that
kind of thing.

Yes, very subtle and very scary.. and I am convinced the controller used the
terminology precisely because when he finally assumed terrain responsibility
he said "Fly Heading XXX, Center Assigned Heading". I interpret that to
mean "I check with Center and I am stating for the tape that Center is
responsible for terrain if you hit something on that heading."


--
Richard Kaplan, CFII

www.flyimc.com

"Richard Kaplan" wrote in message
s.com...

The instructions were from a controller at a non-federal control tower.
So it was a controller who was not an FAA employee. When I mentioned
"non-towered" that was my error; I meant "non-Federal towered".


My A/FD is almost two years old, but it indicates MGW is an FAA Contract
Tower and JST is still an FAA tower.

"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote in message
k.net...

My A/FD is almost two years old, but it indicates MGW is an FAA Contract
Tower and JST is still an FAA tower.

JST is a shared military-civilian field and I thought this affects
procedures/staffing. For example, JST tower always reminds pilots "check
gear down" which is not something done at a "standard" FAA tower. But you
might be correct that this is different from being an FAA Contract tower.


--
Richard Kaplan, CFII

www.flyimc.com

"Richard Kaplan" wrote in message
s.com...

JST is a shared military-civilian field and I thought this affects
procedures/staffing. For example, JST tower always reminds pilots "check
gear down" which is not something done at a "standard" FAA tower. But you
might be correct that this is different from being an FAA Contract tower.


Yes, there is a difference between an FAA tower and an FAA contract tower,
but the difference is transparent to the flying public.

In article t,
Steven P. McNicoll wrote:
My A/FD is almost two years old, but it indicates MGW is an FAA Contract
Tower and JST is still an FAA tower.

Forgive me for being dense, but the original poster said that Lancaster
(LNS) is a contract tower. I'm looking at my new A/FD, and I can't seem
to find out where it says that LNS is a contract tower. Where is this
listed?

--Ken

"Ken Hornstein" wrote in message
...

Forgive me for being dense, but the original poster said that Lancaster
(LNS) is a contract tower. I'm looking at my new A/FD, and I can't seem
to find out where it says that LNS is a contract tower. Where is this
listed?


In the communications section of the airport's listing of the A/FD,
immediately following the tower frequency. You'll find FCT for an FAA
Contract Tower, NFCT for a non-federal control tower, and nothing at all for
an FAA tower. My NE A/FD is a bit out of date, but it shows LNS to be an
FAA tower.

In article et,
Steven P. McNicoll wrote:
In the communications section of the airport's listing of the A/FD,
immediately following the tower frequency. You'll find FCT for an FAA
Contract Tower, NFCT for a non-federal control tower, and nothing at all for
an FAA tower. My NE A/FD is a bit out of date, but it shows LNS to be an
FAA tower.

Ah, okay, I had to look around a bit, but I found some examples of this.
ASH is a FAA Contract Tower, and it looks like MTN is a contract tower
part of the time, and a non-federal control tower some of the other time.
At least, that's my interpretation of listing for MTN ... I wonder why
that is?

Man, it seems like every time I look at the A/FD, I find something new.

--Ken

"Ken Hornstein" wrote in message
...

Ah, okay, I had to look around a bit, but I found some examples of this.
ASH is a FAA Contract Tower, and it looks like MTN is a contract tower
part of the time, and a non-federal control tower some of the other time.
At least, that's my interpretation of listing for MTN ... I wonder why
that is?


It has to be an error. Note that the hours of operation as an FCT coincide
with the Class D hours. I suspect this was an NFCT that became an FCT, and
the "NFCT" mysteriously remained in the A/FD.