bluesideup
Line Up and Wait
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2014
- Messages
- 655
- Display Name
Display name:
bluesideup
Read NOTAMs.
KSNA tower ATC will be tower closed.
- Thread starter bluesideup
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2014
- Messages
- 9,770
- Location
- Broken Arrow, OK
- Display Name
Display name:
SoonerAviator
Is this post a NOTAM of a NOTAM?
Timbeck2
Final Approach
My tower just asked me to work overtime because over half the controllers are in quarantine. Wonder if that happened at KSNA...wherever that is.
rtk11
Pattern Altitude
Interesting. The notam I see does not match what is being conveyed here. Perhaps an updated notam is in the works.
Regardless of what the hours of operation end up being, people need to read the notams for this closely. My local towered airport has different COVID hours and quite a few people have read the notam incorrectly because of the way it is written. They think the tower is closed but in reality they have only changed what hours that the tower is closed.
I’d be surprised if an airport like SNA would go without an operating tower but I guess it is possible.
Regardless of what the hours of operation end up being, people need to read the notams for this closely. My local towered airport has different COVID hours and quite a few people have read the notam incorrectly because of the way it is written. They think the tower is closed but in reality they have only changed what hours that the tower is closed.
I’d be surprised if an airport like SNA would go without an operating tower but I guess it is possible.
Timbeck2
Final Approach
If enough controllers are infected and/or exposed it could easily close down a tower or radar facility. It isn't like you just make a call for more controllers and they start work immediately. They have to be trained.
We're down to cutting flying hours because of reduced manning in the tower. On both occasions, it was caused by an infected SOF*.
*Supervisor of flying. A rated pilot who's job it is to help with emergencies and running aircraft checklists. Not serving in an ATC capacity.
True. Are/were there no backup plans made for such circumstances? Perhaps this case is above and beyond what was planned for.
Kenny Phillips
Final Approach
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2018
- Messages
- 5,634
- Display Name
Display name:
Kenny Phillips
Yeah. What to do when nobody can safely report to work?
midwestpa24
Final Approach
Bigger airports than SNA have gone ATC Zero in the last year, and they probably won't be the last. If the pandemic only affected SNA, then maybe they could find someone from outside. There isn't any place that isn't being impacted. Everyone is learning to do more with less.
Austin was ATC Zero for a while after a flood took out all comms. It was crazy, hearing "Speedbird" making traffic calls when departing to London. They were getting IFR Clearances from Houston Center by Cellphone immediately prior to takeoff.
Tarheelpilot
Final Approach
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2010
- Messages
- 7,507
- Location
- North Carolina once again.
- Display Name
Display name:
Tarheelpilot
Sounds like normal IFR procedures in the absence of a control tower. I wonder who the nanny puss was from the airport that recommended avoiding IFR and tried to prohibit training. Sounds like a non-pilot local government lifer sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong.
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2005
- Messages
- 9,486
- Display Name
Display name:
Pilawt
Las Vegas McCarran was ATC Zero for a while earlier in the pandemic. LiveATC was entertaining with pattern calls, and the occasional ATITAPA ... 
MauleSkinner
Touchdown! Greaser!
As @Timbeck2 said, they have to be trained for the local operations. And I’m betting the only people authorized to train them are in quarantine.
I just landed back home at SNA. I noticed the NOTAM before departure and thought it was curious, but I didn’t pick up that the tower would be closed for a whole week. They had only one guy in the cab running clearance, ground, and tower this morning when I left and he had his hands full. It all makes sense now. I hope everyone is ok.
Here are the relevant NOTAMs that I get from Flight Service:
!SNA 11/063 KSNA SVC TWR CLSD CLASS C SERVICE NOT AVBL CTC SOCAL APP AT 800-448-3724 EXTENSION 2 DLY 0001-0700 202011250001-202011260700
!SNA 11/061 KSNA SVC TWR CLSD CLASS C SERVICE NOT AVBL CTC SOCAL APCH AT 800-448-3724 EXTENSION 2 202011240045-202011240700
!SNA 11/059 KSNA RWY 02R/20L CLSD 202011240100-202011241415
!SNA 11/057 KSNA RWY 02R/20L CLSD DLY 0015-0700 202011250015-202011260700
!SNA 11/056 KSNA AD AP CLSD TO TGL AND LOCAL TRG 202011231834-202012010700
I notice that it doesn't say Zulu time. I guess that means it's local time, because it makes a lot more sense to close the tower from midnight to 7:00 AM than to close it from 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM.
Timbeck2
Final Approach
Looks like I'll be that guy this Saturday until Tuesday of next week at least until a floater* comes in to help me at 10am. They've authorized overtime which they haven't done in years. We're in pretty bad shape.
*non-supervisor but tower rated controller that works at busier times and which overlaps normal shift times.
Hang in there. SNA controllers are some of the best I've come across.
N1120A
Pattern Altitude
Based on the changes in the NOTAMS and having spoken to a friend at SCT, they seem to be now able to run a skeleton crew with ATC that were unexposed to the controller who is the case in question, but it is a high workload for the next week.
midwestpa24
Final Approach
While you are probably right because it makes sense, that would mean the NOTAMs are improperly formatted because NOTAMs should always be in Zulu time.
Zeldman
Touchdown! Greaser!
I can see the news now:
''A controller has taken over the tower at the airport. Witnesses claim that the controller, naked, on top of the tower and clutching a high powered rifle, is yelling instructions to parked airplanes. Men in white jackets and a net can be seen assembling in the lobby...''
''This is just coming in. It appears he is now throwing turkeys off the roof of the tower into the crowd.....''
Last edited:
danhagan
En-Route
Well Tim, I was holding off for that call from the cockpit saying they needed a pilot, but I GUESS several of us here can step in as ATC in the interim ...
Either that or just connect the scopes to the Internet ... heard things were going well with ATC on the new Microsoft Sim softare
MauleSkinner
Touchdown! Greaser!
I’m glad you defined “floater”. Any number of other, less appropriate, definitions come to mind.