Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced today that DOT has determined that the recently enacted Reducing Flight Delays Act of 2013 will allow the FAA to transfer sufficient funds to end employee furloughs and keep the 149 low activity contract towers originally slated for closure in June open for the remainder of fiscal year 2013. The FAA will also put $10 million towards reducing cuts and delays in core NextGen programs and will allocate approximately $11 million to partially restore the support of infrastructure in the national airspace system.Official statement from County Executive Pollitt on the news that SBY airport tower will remain open –
“I applaud the U.S. Congress and particularly Maryland’s delegation for their strong support which has led to a reprieve on the closing of our air traffic control tower. We hope and expect that reason will continue to prevail and that our tower will remain open permanently.”
County Executive Richard M. Pollitt
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15 comments:
It was really no big deal to close Salisbury's tower anyway.
I am a private pilot and used the Salisbury airport frequently. Salisbury Airport functioned perfectly fine under the old unicom system -(122.95 radion frequency). Donald Bounds, among other flight service attendents, would handle all of the radio communications for arriving and departing aircraft. You see - before the control tower was constructed they served a dual role - (in flight weather service & tower control). Under the old unicom system - all air traffic was a right hand traffic pattern - meaning that all arriving and departing aircraft would circle using a right hand pattern.
Let's face it - one can presently go out there righ - and spend hours just sitting and waiting for the next arriving or departing aircraft. Can you imagine the waste in taxpayers money currently being expended at this facility.
But then again - who am I to judge - but just ordinary taxpaying citizen who hates to see rhampant government waste and abuse. This is one area that could most definately be streamlined.
I say no big deal to close it - the flying public would never miss it.
I am also a private pilot and I agree 100% with Anon 6:27. The public always thought that the old tower on the old building was a control tower but it was not; it was just the Flight Service Station. SBY functioned perfectly well for over 50 years without a control tower. If the volume of traffic increased by 300% or more a control tower might be justified, but not now.
To 6:27 - I am also a pilot and I also believe it would be just as safe without a tower control crew.
For the listening public - here is a typical announcement when one is inbound for landing at the Salisbury Airport using the old unicom system - (122.95 freq.)
Pilot:
"6426 Bravo to Salisbury Radio"
Salisbury Flight service attendent:
"Salisbury Radio - go ahead"
Pilot:
" 6426 Bravo inbound for landing at Salisbury airport - I am located about 7 miles west of Salisbury inbound for landing on Runway 14"
Flight service station attendent:
"Roger 6426 Bravo - incoming traffic to the north - winds light & variable south to southwest"
Now - IMHO - Salisbury does not experience anywhere near the traffic volume that is required to man a full time Tower staff. I'm with you 6:27.
This is just a ploy which will be used by Pollitt to let the public know how he personally saved the citizens of Wicomico, when all along he is going to knife us in the back with tax increases.
I respect your truthfulness.
To 6:27 - I'll tell you something else I liked about the older unicom system. I used to get one of the girls in the flight service station to call my wife prior to my arrival so that she could arrange to pick me up.
Under the current control tower system - I doubt very seriously that they would do that.
They couldn't close it anyway because of the agreements with the military. Their airplanes use it for landing and take-off practice... and again..and again...and again...and again....
The Democrats think they have done something important! Not!
Close it and save money you have start somewhere.
First Pollitt says the tower will close, then he saves it! He should get a medal of honor, a big raise, lots of cash from the Fed & State, and a one year of nutri-systems! Oh, he already gets all of that! (except for the a last one) (that will be the hidden misc section of his 8% higher budget to be unveiled next week)
ps - flying from sals to phil or charlotte which adds $200 to every ticket, and delays on almost every day, folks the drive to bwi is only 95 miles.
Surprise, suprise. Just another idle promise (threat) from the fearless CIC BULLY!
I can see from reading these commentaries that some of our elected political leaders will say and do just about anything to boost their ratings.
Thanks - to these pilots - that help to shed light on an otherwise overblown event. As a taxpayer - I say 'shut her down'.
I'm a resident that needs to fly commercial airlines occasionally for work. I have found the commuter service out of Salisbury that goes to Philadelphia and then back to Salisbury to be overpriced and unreliable, especially the flight back to SBY from PHLLY. They dropped it on me twice, I think because of lack of passengers. Even though I don't look forward to it I drive to BWI for departing flights. If SBY shuts down I would give a yawn.
10:40, I am with you after being stuck in Philly trying to get back to SBY. Sat there for over 8 hours waiting for them to figure out wtf they were doing. I Bay Runner to Baltimore now, no hassles, cheaper fares, direct flights.
Ever since our county went into a recession - (some say depression) - the number of arriving and departing aircraft have dwindled. Some of this can be attributed to the exodus of reknown businesses - like Dresser, Crown, etc. But mainly the decline can be pinned on escalating fuel prices and lack of discretionary income. Aviation gas - (100 ocatane) - is much more expensive. So it comes as no surprise to me that our airport cannot sustain a full fledged Tower - constantly being staffed with full time air-controllers.
But then again - sanity never rules with our government's decisions to spend other peoples money. I to doubt that the current air traffic control system would ever be missed.
To 3:11 - I have to agree. If there was so much traffic going in and out of the Salisbury airport then why did Regent leave. Fact is - they did not have enough business to justify their existence. They gave it the best shot they could - and found out that Wicomico was not a revenue producer.
I say close the control tower and let the flight service attendents take over like they used to.
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