"Regional Approach" vs "Lone Star Approach"?

Jim_R

Jim_R

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I've flown into/out of the Dallas area dozens of times over the last 10 years and am familiar with "Regional Approach". I always thought that was an odd name, but assumed it was probably negotiated in a smoke-filled room decades ago as a compromise so that neither Dallas nor Fort Worth would get their knickers in a twist if it were named "Ft Worth Approach" or "Dallas Approach" instead.

Last weekend, I was handed off from Ft Worth Center to "Lone Star Approach". I was a little surprised by the new name, but it seems to make a little more sense than the generic 'Regional' moniker it used to have. For the rest of that flight I heard a mixture of "Lone Star" and "Regional" calls from pilots joining the frequency, which is pretty much to be expected.

But yesterday, I flew into the Dallas area again. I can't remember which ATC handed me off (I think it was Ft Worth Ctr again), but they instructed me to "Call Lone Star Approach on xxx.x", so I did.

I was answered, "Bugsmasher 123, Regional Approach...", and the tone of voice/emphasis when he said "Regional" made it sound like he was correcting me. So I called him "Regional" after that.

I got handed off a couple more times, and one controller was going by "Lone Star" and the next was going by "Regional".

So...can anyone from the Dallas area educate me on what's going on? Is "Regional" being completely replaced by "Lone Star"? Or is it being divided such that there will still be "Regional" controllers and now there will also be "Lone Star" controllers?

Are some flight controllers just not onboard with the new name or something?
 
My father put a letter from a supplier to his business in a cheap frame and hung it in his office as a memoriam to mixed messages.

The letter from "CitySupply" states that they changed their name to reflect their expanded business, and all future correspondence should be addressed to "BiggCorp" . . .

It was printed on "CitySupply" letterhead and contained the "CitySupply" business card of his sales rep (who steadfastly refused to use the new moniker).
 
I can’t count the number of times I get something different back. I just start using whatever facility name they use
 
<Waiting to see how this one will go down the “NOTAM” outrage pathway. Not seeing it just yet. Patience…>
 
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Dallas - Ft Worth TRACON
2401 Internatiional Parkway
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX 75261
Issued: 10/03/2024 1504 (UTC)Effective: 10/31/2024 0000 (UTC)
Dallas - Ft Worth TRACONLetter to Airmen: LTA-D10-20
Subject: Regional Approach Radiotelephony Nomenclature Change
Cancellation: 10/30/2026 2359 (UTC)

Effective October 31, 2024 Dallas/Fort Worth TRACON (D10) will stop using the "Regional Approach/Departure" radiotelephony nomenclature and start using "Lone Star Approach/Departure" in radiotelephony communications.
Justin S. McDermott
Air Traffic Manager, Dallas - Ft Worth TRACON


Seems to be a temporary rule, maybe until the incumbent is retired?
 
Tower, did you call N 2432 on your radiotelephony?

Archaic at best, I received a radiotelephone license in 1959, the FCC has been faster to modernize..
 
Seems all the approach charts, STARS and DPs for area airports reflect the new name.
 
geezer said:
Seems to be a temporary rule, maybe until the incumbent is retired?
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Possibly - or maybe until all the references to Regional Approach in the regs, etc. are appropriately changed through the NPRM process, etc.
 
geezer said:
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Dallas - Ft Worth TRACON
2401 Internatiional Parkway
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX 75261
Issued: 10/03/2024 1504 (UTC)Effective: 10/31/2024 0000 (UTC)
Dallas - Ft Worth TRACONLetter to Airmen: LTA-D10-20
Subject: Regional Approach Radiotelephony Nomenclature Change
Cancellation: 10/30/2026 2359 (UTC)

Effective October 31, 2024 Dallas/Fort Worth TRACON (D10) will stop using the "Regional Approach/Departure" radiotelephony nomenclature and start using "Lone Star Approach/Departure" in radiotelephony communications.
Justin S. McDermott
Air Traffic Manager, Dallas - Ft Worth TRACON


Seems to be a temporary rule, maybe until the incumbent is retired?
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Probably because by that time all references and documents will have been updated to call it Lone Star, and the NOTAM will then be deleted.
 
Northern California used to have Bay (SFO area), Monterey, Sacramento, and Stockton Approaches. Then they were consolidated into Sierra Approach. A short time later it was again changed to NorCal Approach.
 
I cannot get used to calling it Lone Star. Also, Alliance airport is now Perot field or Alliance - Perot field. I try but usually mis-name them both,
But for any of those in this area, how many still call our outdoor music venue Starplex?
No idea what is called now.
 
Thanks for the pointers to the LTA. I guess they forgot my address because I never got the letter. Apparently a few of the controllers didn't get it, either.
 
The section of N90 that broke off and is located in Philly now is supposed to be referred to as "Newark Approach". I called them that once....
 
Jim_R said:
Thanks for the pointers to the LTA. I guess they forgot my address because I never got the letter. Apparently a few of the controllers didn't get it, either.
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It should have been in the NOTAMS. Did you check NOTAMS and not receive it?
 
Years ago we merged with a company based in Austin, Texas. They had a intelligence product called "Lone Star" which was a little trite given the location but OK. They then decided to adapt to to Homeland Security use and branded that version "Homestar." The entire delegation from our division (being Strongbad fans) broke into uncontrollable laughter.
 
Lindberg said:
It should have been in the NOTAMS. Did you check NOTAMS and not receive it?
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Yes, prior to my flights I checked NOTAMs on Weathermeister and in iFlyEFB. It didn't pop up for me in either. I just filled out a flight plan on 1800wxbrief.com reproducing one of my flights and got a route briefing. Doing a "find-in-page" search, the only hits for "lone" are for "Colonel".

So, if it's in the NOTAMs, I'm too dumb to know how to find it.
 
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You don't need a stinkin' NOTAM. It's in the published edition of the chart supplement for DFW and the other affected airports for a while now. LONE STAR APP CON and LONE STAR DEP CON.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
I cannot get used to calling it Lone Star. Also, Alliance airport is now Perot field or Alliance - Perot field. I try but usually mis-name them both,
But for any of those in this area, how many still call our outdoor music venue Starplex?
No idea what is called now.
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There are always a few.

The airport where I learned to fly was going though the process of name change from Aldino Airport to Harford County Airpark. People still call it Aldino almost 45 years later. :D
 
flyingron said:
You don't need a stinkin' NOTAM. It's in the published edition of the chart supplement for DFW and the other affected airports for a while now. LONE STAR APP CON and LONE STAR DEP CON.
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Then I guess the controllers need to read the chart supplement, too.
 
Habits die hard - a decade of calling up Regional Approach multiple times a week for photo missions doesn't go away overnight, and I think that's what's going on with some of the controllers, too, but I'll be honest, I really like the new "Lone Star" moniker, so I'm trying to use it whenever I remember.
 
When the old Tappan Zee bridge over the Hudson was replaced with a new bridge a few years ago, they named it the Governor Mario M Cuomo bridge. I don't think anyone outside of the Cuomo family has ever referred to it by that name. Nor should they, given the scandals following the family.

Tappan Zee forever!
 
It's sort of like Airventure. Unless you work for the EAA you don't call it that. Outside Wisconsin, it's Oshkosh. Inside Wisconsin, it's "The EAA."
 
I now have to call our approach control "St Louis Approach" and I don't live in St Louis. You'll get over it.
 
SoonerAviator said:
It's almost like the system of delivering NOTAMs sucks and contains so much information that airmen tend to gloss over it . . .
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And this is why I get my NOTAMS from a briefer. Let him sort through them.
RyanShort1 said:
Habits die hard - a decade of calling up Regional Approach multiple times a week for photo missions doesn't go away overnight, and I think that's what's going on with some of the controllers, too, but I'll be honest, I really like the new "Lone Star" moniker, so I'm trying to use it whenever I remember.
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Do you ever call tower "Redbird"? I've done that a few times. There may not even be any controllers left from those days.
 
Lindberg said:
And this is why I get my NOTAMS from a briefer. Let him sort through them.

Do you ever call tower "Redbird"? I've done that a few times. There may not even be any controllers left from those days.
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Oh, Redbird is natural and yes, it gets used.
 
NealRomeoGolf said:
I now have to call our approach control "St Louis Approach" and I don't live in St Louis. You'll get over it.
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There's nothing for me to "get over"--I'll use whatever callsign they want me to use. But it would be a little easier if the controllers were consistent about it.
 
flyingron said:
Years ago we merged with a company based in Austin, Texas. They had a intelligence product called "Lone Star" which was a little trite given the location but OK. They then decided to adapt to to Homeland Security use and branded that version "Homestar." The entire delegation from our division (being Strongbad fans) broke into uncontrollable laughter.
Click to expand...
Head of the dept must have gone by the name Strongbad and his secretary Marzipan.
 
Pinecone said:
There are always a few.

The airport where I learned to fly was going though the process of name change from Aldino Airport to Harford County Airpark. People still call it Aldino almost 45 years later. :D
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I'm over Zahn's for the 22R at Idlewild.
 
flyingron said:
It's sort of like Airventure. Unless you work for the EAA you don't call it that. Outside Wisconsin, it's Oshkosh. Inside Wisconsin, it's "The EAA."
Click to expand...
"Airventure" was coined (and more importantly, registered) because EAA couldn't control the use of "Oshkosh", as on T-shirts and other show memorabilia, and the resulting revenue stream derived therefrom.

Localisms like the one you're talking about are fairly typical. I interviewed for a job in Pittsburgh once and was told about those who had worked for "the company" -- US Steel.
 
Jim_R said:
Yes, prior to my flights I checked NOTAMs on Weathermeister and in iFlyEFB. It didn't pop up for me in either. I just filled out a flight plan on 1800wxbrief.com reproducing one of my flights and got a route briefing. Doing a "find-in-page" search, the only hits for "lone" are for "Colonel".

So, if it's in the NOTAMs, I'm too dumb to know how to find it.
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I've noticed that Weathermeister only shows certain types of NOTAMS in the briefs. I found that out when I went to tune ATIS before my runup and heard dead air. Started digging through other sources and found the NOTAM of the ATIS freq change.
 
BillTIZ said:
Probably a disgruntled controller that was forced to work in Texas.
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Hah! There's a controller that calls the GOPAC arrival into MKE the "gop-pick" because as a die hard Bears fan he refuses to say "Go Pack". Or so I've heard. :D
luvflyin said:
Hmm. What are some other renamings that could be done. Big Apple for New York? Snowflake for either Norcal or Socal. Loser for Las Vegas?
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For quite a while, there has been a plan to consolidate Madison and Milwaukee TRACONs (and I'm guessing Green Bay as well). I sincerely hope they call it Cheesehead Approach.
geezer said:
Cancellation: 10/30/2026 2359 (UTC)

Seems to be a temporary rule, maybe until the incumbent is retired?
Click to expand...
It's permanent, just the NOTAM is there until all of the other documentation is updated.
Groundpounder said:
The section of N90 that broke off and is located in Philly now is supposed to be referred to as "Newark Approach". I called them that once....
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That seems... Inadvisable. "Newark" and "New York" sound an awful lot like each other when you're talking fast on the radio, especially with a New York accent! Of course, it sounds like the whole thing was inadvisable in the first place, so...
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Hah! There's a controller that calls the GOPAC arrival into MKE the "gop-pick" because as a die hard Bears fan he refuses to say "Go Pack". Or so I've heard. :D

For quite a while, there has been a plan to consolidate Madison and Milwaukee TRACONs (and I'm guessing Green Bay as well). I sincerely hope they call it Cheesehead Approach.

It's permanent, just the NOTAM is there until all of the other documentation is updated.

That seems... Inadvisable. "Newark" and "New York" sound an awful lot like each other when you're talking fast on the radio, especially with a New York accent! Of course, it sounds like the whole thing was inadvisable in the first place, so...
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Eventually it would get combined with Chicago Approach and Turf Wars would break out. I’m talkin’ ‘bout fist fights on the floor at the TRACON.
 
luvflyin said:
Eventually it would get combined with Chicago Approach and Turf Wars would break out. I’m talkin’ ‘bout fist fights on the floor at the TRACON.
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I don't think the FAA would do that... But when Lockheed Martin gets control of the newly privatized ATC system, they're going to put all the controllers in one big warehouse and we can just call them "Big Brother Center".

I can hope we'll get something cool though. After all, there's now Great Lakes Approach, Lone Star Approach, Razorback, Potomac, and maybe a few others that aren't just a boring city name.
 
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