"Sam Spade" wrote in message
...

This is from the NTSB ATC Chairman's report about Comair 5191 and
confirmed by the transcript and ATC tape:

"At 0447 (UTC), all LEX tower and radar positions were combined and being
worked from the local control position in the tower cab. In addition to
those functons, the tower controller was responsible for obtaining
releases from the Indianapolis (ZID) Air Route Traffic Control Center
(ARTCC) Traffic Management Unit (TMU), and recording the ATIS broadcast
and all other operational and administrative duties required of a
tower/radar facility."


An IFR tower does not call for an IFR release, it may have to call for a
flow release if the aircraft is going to an applicable destination such as
ORD or ATL.