Flying while deaf

When a private company like Phillips Petroleum operates the control tower is
it still considered a control tower? They offer advisories but caution you
they are not controlling traffic at Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Neither are they
part of ATC, however they will open and close clearances as a courtesy.
Things may have changed because I haven't been there in a while, but there
are still privately operated towers around the country aren't there?

--
Jim Carter
"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote in message
nk.net...

"Steve R." wrote in message
...

That's for communications with the control tower at a controlled field
airport, not ATC!


It's not ATC that staffs control towers?


Maybe,

Maybe it's not ATC that staffs control towers? Who do you think staffs
them?



but if the guy is 20 miles out and needing clearance to enter the
airport
traffic area, he's not going to be able to "see" the signal lights very
well, is he?


What is this airport traffic area that requires clearance to enter at 20
miles out?



What if he needs to transit a Class B airspace to get to the
controlled field?


Then he's almost certainly outta luck. ATC must separate all traffic in
Class B airspace and it's rather hard to do that without communications.



If he can't hear, he can't communicate with ATC, thus,
he can't get clearance. I've got to wonder if this one isn't a scam.


The question was, "How does one communicate with ATC when one is deaf?"
It's a simple question. One CAN use light gun signals. Can you think of
any others?

Incidentally, there was a time when most aircraft had no radios and light
gun signals were the main form of pilot/controller communications at
towered
fields.



Signal lights are for short range, visual communications and there's no
use for them outside the airport traffic area.


That's all true. So what's your point?

Incidentally, we haven't had Airport Traffic Areas in the US for almost
eleven years now.

"Jim Carter" wrote in message
...

When a private company like Phillips Petroleum operates the control
tower is it still considered a control tower?


Yes. There are many Non Federal Control Towers and FAA Contract Towers in
the US operated by private companies. They follow the same
rules as FAA and military towers, their controllers are issued a Control
Tower Operator certificate by the FAA.



They offer advisories but caution you they are not controlling traffic at
Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Neither are they part of ATC, however they
will open and close clearances as a courtesy. Things may have
changed because I haven't been there in a while, but there are still
privately operated towers around the country aren't there?


If they don't control traffic it's not a control tower, for that's what
control towers do. From the Pilot/Controller Glossary:

TOWER- A terminal facility that uses air/ground communications, visual
signaling, and other devices to provide ATC services to aircraft operating
in the vicinity of an airport or on the movement area. Authorizes aircraft
to land or takeoff at the airport controlled by the tower or to transit the
Class D airspace area regardless of flight plan or weather conditions (IFR
or VFR). A tower may also provide approach control services (radar or
nonradar).

The link below will open to a portion of the Kansas City Sectional showing
Bartlesville. Bartlesville Municipal Airport is depicted as a nontowered
field.

http://makeashorterlink.com/?I11143169