Is it possible that there could be a TRACON without Class B or Class C airspace?

N918KT

N918KT

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Hello all, I got a quick question that I have been wondering for a little bit. A couple of weeks ago I flew with my CFI from Allentown Queen City Airport to Lancaster Airport and back to Queen City Airport. On the way there, we spoke with Reading Approach. I just taken a look at Skyvector online and I realized that Reading Approach is not part of Class C or B airspace.

Is it possible to have a TRACON that is not part of Class C or Class B airspace?
 
N918KT said:
Hello all, I got a quick question that I have been wondering for a little bit. A couple of weeks ago I flew with my CFI from Allentown Queen City Airport to Lancaster Airport and back to Queen City Airport. On the way there, we spoke with Reading Approach. I just taken a look at Skyvector online and I realized that Reading Approach is not part of Class C or B airspace.

Is it possible to have a TRACON that is not part of Class C or Class B airspace?
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Sure. TRSAs have approach control. In the Air Force you have radar approach control (RAPCON). In the Navy / Marines you have approach facilities (TRACON).
 
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Looking at the skyvector sectional again, it seems that Reading Airport in PA is surrounded by a thick fuzzy magenta circle. I think that Reading Airport has a Class E TRACON?:eek:
 
N918KT said:
Looking at the skyvector sectional again, it seems that Reading Airport in PA is surrounded by a thick fuzzy magenta circle. I think that Reading Airport has a Class E TRACON?:eek:
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I'm showing Reading having a Class D with approach control services. Harrisburg down the road to the SW is another approach facility without being a Class B or C.
 
Yep. Rapid City Regional (KRAP) uses Ellsworth for approach control services. Ellsworth is in its own class delta. I am guessing that a lot of it is because of the lack of radar coverage in the area along with if Ellsworth didn't control civillians they'd be really bored and their training guys wouldn't learn much in a short time at all. Minot, ND also uses Ellsworth (though they're called Minot approach/departure) which are based in Rapid City, I'm guessing most people don't know that they're talking to someone several hundred miles away.
 
I can think of at least 2 in California. Bakersfield(KBFL) is a civilian class D with approach control. And Travis AFB is a Class D airport with its own approach control and alert area.
 
Eugene, Oregon (EUG) is another one. It's class D, but the A/FD entry has a listing for Cascade Approach.
 
Sioux City, IA
Sioux Falls, SD
Bismarck,ND

All three have national guard facilities on the field, I believe at SUX you are actually talking to the guard. Approach is only staffed until some time in the evening, after that approach service is handled by center.
 
My instructor also mentioned Reading's approach frequency and it puzzled me for the same reason (based on Quakertown). There is no mention of it on the sectional either, but their approach frequency is published in the A/FD.

Since there is only class D airspace I would think that any contact with Reading approach would be completely voluntary outside of that airspace, but my instructor said that he usually tries to tune in when nearby. Philadelphia approach apparently does most of the flight following in that general region (well outside Phila class B). I'm still getting used to the conventions - I had always assumed that the ARTCC would provide flight following outside of class B.

If you were actually landing at Reading I'd think that contacting approach would probably give you better coordination with other traffic before you get into the class D. I'm not sure if the tower controller can tell you to wait outside class D and contact approach to get in line if they're busy.
 
Muskegon, Kalamazoo, Midland/BayCity/Saginaw are three TRSA in Michigan

Grissom Approach in Indiana is not a TRSA (but is a Class D) and provides ATC services.
 
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rich0 said:
If you were actually landing at Reading I'd think that contacting approach would probably give you better coordination with other traffic before you get into the class D. I'm not sure if the tower controller can tell you to wait outside class D and contact approach to get in line if they're busy.
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Yup, that's what happens. If they are busy and you call up tower directly, they send you back to approach to be vectored for sequence.
 
N918KT said:
Is it possible to have a TRACON that is not part of Class C or Class B airspace?
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Absolutely. Combined regional TRACons for multiple airports have been a reality for some time. NorCal controls approach for at least five Class C's and one Class B, in addition to a long list of Class D's, E's and G's.

I get flight following from NorCal all the time. If I want it from Oakland Center, I either have to climb over 10,000 MSL or fly north of San Francisco. It's quite easy to fly a cross-country entirely within NorCal's airspace.
 
MAKG1 said:
Absolutely. Combined regional TRACons for multiple airports have been a reality for some time. NorCal controls approach for at least five Class C's and one Class B, in addition to a long list of Class D's, E's and G's.
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And more headed that way. There's regional approach around Dallas/Ft. Worth, Potomac Approach from somewhere south of Richmond to much of Maryland, as well as NY that handles the three Class B's and numerous other airports, etc.

Clarksburg, WV is an example of a TRACON services without a TRSA or Class C/B airspace - you'll get a handoff from Potomac & it'll be similar to a TEC service.

Huntington, WV is still a TRSA. Mansfield, Ohio used to be, not sure whether it still is.
 
To add to the list:

Pueblo, Colorado (KPUB ) is a Class D with approach control handled by Denver TRACON even though it's 95NM away. It used to have its own Pueblo Approach.

Aspen, CO, (KASE) is a Class D with it's own Approach Control.

Grand Junction, CO (KGJT) is a Class D 185 NM away from KDEN, also handled by Denver Approach.


And, come to think of it, like California which MAKG already mentioned, are there any airports in the northeast corridor, including non-towered ones that are not handled by TRACON?
 
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Actually, there are quite a lot of airports in California that are not handled by a TRACon. Some of them very close to the Bay Area, like KDVO:

APCH/DEP SERVICE PROVIDED BY OAKLAND ARTCC FREQ 127.8/353.5 (MOUNT TAMALPAIS RCAG).
 
MAKG1 said:
Actually, there are quite a lot of airports in California that are not handled by a TRACon. Some of them very close to the Bay Area, like KDVO:

APCH/DEP SERVICE PROVIDED BY OAKLAND ARTCC FREQ 127.8/353.5 (MOUNT TAMALPAIS RCAG).
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I misspoke - I was referring to the sections of California that is widespread TEC not all of California.
 
KYKM (Yakima) is class D. There's approach control in that area. Go buzzing over at 11,000 MSL and you'll talk to SEA center all the way. Come back at 10,000 MSL and you'll be talking to Chinook approach for part of the trip across the state. Not sure where the dividing line is between the two for owning the airspace.
 
KDLH
KCPR

Both class D with part time approach / departure (otherwise handled by center).
 
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