PIREP: Potomac TRACON Tour

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

In rec.aviation.piloting Jack Allison wrote:
Good for you taking the tour Charlie. I had a chance to visit our local
TRACON (Norcal) a few months back and it was awesome. As it turned out,
I'm now partners with two guys that work in the facility so I'll be able
to go back sometime.

It's a great experience to see things from the controller's side of
things. If anyone ever gets an opportunity for something like this, by
all means, do it.

What steps did you take for getting the visit? I tried for a
group of us, and was turned down. 4 in my group were CFIs, and one a
controller in the LFPG FIR in France. Did you just call and arrange for
a tour? Did you mention Operation Raincheck? What was it you did to get
in?

BL.
- --
Brad Littlejohn | Email:
Unix Systems Administrator, |
Web + NewsMaster, BOFH.. Smeghead! | http://www.sbcglobal.net/~tyketto
PGP: 1024D/E319F0BF 6980 AAD6 7329 E9E6 D569 F620 C819 199A E319 F0BF

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.1 (GNU/Linux)

iD8DBQFCdqnDyBkZmuMZ8L8RAo98AJ9aaVimkTTPgvLbAPE1+7 yKIC3awwCfQyUA
GW0wlYqxmBRsEh/T0Eb89mg=
=41IY
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

It was part of Operation Raincheck. Not sure if all the TRACONS do it.
Potomac is the 3rd busiest on the country - I think SOCAL was #1,
NORCAL maybe 4th... I'm sure its possible at any one of them. Luckily
the Potomac TRACON has someone there who does this pretty regularly.
There were representatives there from AOPA as well.

Randy Horner is the contact @ Potomac.

Charlie

A Guy Called Tyketto wrote:
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

In rec.aviation.piloting Jack Allison wrote:

Good for you taking the tour Charlie. I had a chance to visit our local
TRACON (Norcal) a few months back and it was awesome. As it turned out,
I'm now partners with two guys that work in the facility so I'll be able
to go back sometime.

It's a great experience to see things from the controller's side of
things. If anyone ever gets an opportunity for something like this, by
all means, do it.


What steps did you take for getting the visit? I tried for a
group of us, and was turned down. 4 in my group were CFIs, and one a
controller in the LFPG FIR in France. Did you just call and arrange for
a tour? Did you mention Operation Raincheck? What was it you did to get
in?

BL.
- --
Brad Littlejohn | Email:
Unix Systems Administrator, |
Web + NewsMaster, BOFH.. Smeghead! | http://www.sbcglobal.net/~tyketto
PGP: 1024D/E319F0BF 6980 AAD6 7329 E9E6 D569 F620 C819 199A E319 F0BF

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.1 (GNU/Linux)

iD8DBQFCdqnDyBkZmuMZ8L8RAo98AJ9aaVimkTTPgvLbAPE1+7 yKIC3awwCfQyUA
GW0wlYqxmBRsEh/T0Eb89mg=
=41IY
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

Mine was part of Operation Raincheck as well. There was a specific
discussion of the e-STMP program that was going to be in place for the
Final Four in STL. The e-STMP program was kind of glossed over since
most of the pilots in the room were VFR-only.

Yes, it is fun, isn't it? I could sit there for hours
watching/listening to traffic.

Me too! Hell, I do that now with my handheld scanner anytime I'm in the
office (about 2 miles from Lambert)

The controllers all seemed pretty laid back. Looked like it would be a
fun place to work, although I could see how it could be extremely
stressful at times.

I'm a systems guy, so being able to see another aspect of a system that
I knew from the pilot side is nice.

I'd really like to do one with Chicago Approach Control (or Center too
for that matter). Hmm.. need to research who to call on that one.....

Brian

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

In rec.aviation.piloting Charlie Derk wrote:
It was part of Operation Raincheck. Not sure if all the TRACONS do it.
Potomac is the 3rd busiest on the country - I think SOCAL was #1,
NORCAL maybe 4th... I'm sure its possible at any one of them. Luckily
the Potomac TRACON has someone there who does this pretty regularly.
There were representatives there from AOPA as well.

Randy Horner is the contact @ Potomac.

VERY interesting. I called Las Vegas Tracon pre 9/11 about
getting a tour there, mentioned Operation Raincheck, that we had some
students wanting to have a tour of the local facility, and even was
accompanied by the senior controller at O'Hare TRACON, and was not only
told emphatically NO, but that there was no such thing as Operation
Raincheck.

I wish they could be consistent across the board at the
facilities. Friends of mine could get into LA Center for a tour, but
not into LAS TRACON. They could get into Columbus FSS, but not Omaha
TRACON.. It's frustrating. and you're right. You really have to wonder
why pilots are afraid to/don't want to talk to them.

BL.
- --
Brad Littlejohn | Email:
Unix Systems Administrator, |
Web + NewsMaster, BOFH.. Smeghead! | http://www.sbcglobal.net/~tyketto
PGP: 1024D/E319F0BF 6980 AAD6 7329 E9E6 D569 F620 C819 199A E319 F0BF

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.1 (GNU/Linux)

iD8DBQFCd852yBkZmuMZ8L8RAgrwAJwNt4/HVrxLnnbMN0at6EXus5KjqQCg69jT
sMiqFHkbum0iMfP5ZLQmxmM=
=Ou0s
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

A Guy Called Tyketto wrote:

What steps did you take for getting the visit?
Slightly unorthodox (and lucky)...I met one of the controllers at the
facility during an IFR ground school. Turns out he was looking for an
airplane partner and in the process of buying a plane, I got a tour.

--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL-IA Student
Arrow N2104T

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there
you will always long to return"
- Leonardo Da Vinci

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)