Originally Posted by
OKCTalker
Incidentally, I have no problem with the closure of three of these four towers, Wiley Post being the exception (but a reprieve of sorts may be in the offing). Here's why:
1) There are approximately 19,700 airports in the US according to the FAA, and the overwhelming majority have no control tower;
2) Beginning with practically his first flight as a student, pilots are taught how to operate to/from uncontrolled (non-towered) airports;
3) The goal was to identify towered airports with the least activity, and generally speaking they appear to have succeeded (although there was little transparency, there are exceptions, and people are understandably wondering about the process); and
4) This is supposedly temporary - I'm hearing that all of the closed towers will return to operational status in September.
Due to the "sequester," FAA decided that closing 149 towers was the only way to make ends meet. I wholeheartedly disagree, but in the larger sense I agree that many airports can operation safely and productively without their control towers. If FAA can quickly close 149 towers, imagine what other cuts they can make without affecting operations, administration or performing their mission.
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