Controller shortage and the Govt Shutdown

[Rgbeard]

So, the FAA is curtailing operations into New York LaGuardia. Initially it was reported that the airport was being shut down. Now they've retracted that. But it can't be far away from happening.

If this shutdown continues, and ATC gets shorter and shorter-staffed, what's the possibility of essentially shutting down all air travel including GA VFR?

I ponder this for selfish reasons as much as anything. I have a trip from KSDM to KDVT (San Diego to Phoenix) planned in a week+, and while I generally file IFR, it's essentially a VFR flight with IFR handling.

If an airport such as either of these two has the tower controllers walk out, is a flight inbound to be treated as a non-tower airport, or would the airport be closed to traffic?

Hmmmmmm.

 

[BigBadLou]

Well, they cannot shut down GA VFR in general, they don't rule it.
And if an airspace and tower are abandoned (Charlie or Delta), you can self announce and go in. Just like night-time operations at most class D fields. *shrug*

Bravo, however, might be a different story.

 

[Juliet Hotel]

And if an airspace and tower are abandoned (Charlie or Delta), you can self announce and go in. Just like night-time operations at most class D fields. *shrug*

Well unless the airport management decides to haul out the X's and close the runways.

 

[RyanB]

Looks like you’ll be ok! A short-term funding bill was passed this afternoon.

 

[Kenny Phillips]

Looks like you’ll be ok! A short-term funding bill was passed this afternoon.

Yeah, we call that "kicking the can".

 

[Landing Fees]

There is a wall around my airport and no one has any issues with it.

 

[Katamarino]

There is a wall around my airport and no one has any issues with it.

That's because it only affects those rich pilots, not all those potential new <insert the obvious party here> voters.

 

[sourdough44]

It may take a while to get up & running. Seems like the ‘shutdown’ is somewhat over, for a few weeks anyway.

 

[ircphoenix]

There is a wall around my airport and no one has any issues with it.

Probably because to build it, nobody first said "I'm going to make someone else pay for it" then handed you the bill.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

 

[DutchRoller]

Yeah, we call that "kicking the can".

Well, certainly someone needs their can kicked.

 

[weilke]

Shutdown is over. Can we now return to our regular programming: russians, russians, russians !

 

[Lantraxco]

Nothing is over until Trump says it's over, LOL. Merely a time out, it will be back after a couple hundred commercial (political) messages from both sides.

 

[Pilots Of America Management]

Closed by MC vote.