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FAA Lists ATC Control Towers to Be Axed

Did yours make the cut?

The FAA published on Friday afternoon a list of the contract air traffic control towers that will close by April 7. The list is extensive and includes a number of iconic airports that are traditionally important to GA.

These include the tower at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, home to the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual air show. Also on the hit list is the tower at Lakeland Linder Regional, home to the Sun ‘n Fun fly-in. According to our sources, Sun ‘n Fun is actively working to ensure the tower is open and operating for the air show, which starts the day after the tower closure is scheduled to take effect.

The list spares no favorites. Frederick, Maryland, home field for AOPA, is on the hit list, as is nearby Hagerstown, Maryland, and Martin State, in Baltimore, three of the major towered GA-friendly airports in the region.

Florida was hit hard, with tower closures in St. Petersburg, Ocala, Space Coast, Boca Raton, Naples, Fort Myers and … well, the list goes on and on. Other states were hard hit as well, including Connecticutt and Mississippi, just to name a few. Which facilities were targeted appears to be a largely non-political process.

AOPA president Craig Fuller said “AOPA is extremely disappointed that the Federal Aviation Administration has taken the unnecessary and unprecedented step of closing a third of the nation’s 515 air traffic control towers, some of them newly built at a cost of millions of taxpayer dollars. This is no time for politics. These towers were put into operation to ensure aviation safety. By closing them, the same organization responsible for ensuring the safety of our skies is comprising that safety.

Ed Bolen, president of the National Business Aviation Association, said “While it appears FAA officials took some of our concerns into account – 40 towers originally slated for closure will now remain open – we are frustrated that the FAA has nevertheless chosen to move ahead with the closure of 149 facilities targeted in its original sequester-response plan. At the same time, we recognize it’s critically important that we continue to cooperate with agency officials to ensure the closures that will happen are as workable as possible for our Member Companies. We will continue working with the FAA with that objective in view.

“As we have repeatedly said,” Bolen continued, “air traffic control towers play an integral role in ensuring America’s aviation system remains the safest, largest and most efficient in the world. There are few services more important to all citizens, companies, and communities than aviation, so our work with the FAA will focus on containing, to the greatest degree possible, any negative effects of the agency’s decision.”

At this point, the closures look to be a near-certainty. Some of the towers slated to close were only recently completed and became operational within the last many months, including towers at Frederick, San Marcos and Albert Whitted in St. Petersburg. That last tower was built to withstand hurricane-force winds at a cost in excess of $2 million, using, ironically, stimulus funds from the federal government.

Those new contract tower controllers will now, presumably, have to figure out where to go from here.

For a full list of the towers being closed, and for a list of those that escaped the chopping block for now, click on.

FAA Contract Tower Cost Share Sites Remaining Open (16 FCTs)

LOCID – Facility Name – Location

ASG – Springdale Muni – Springdale, AR

ROG – Rogers Muni-Carter Field – Rogers, AR

MWA – Williamson County Rgnl – Marion, IL

BMG – Monroe County – Bloomington, IN

MIE – Delaware County Rgnl – Muncie, IN

GCK – Garden City Rgnl – Garden City, KS

JXN – Jackson County-Reynolds Field – Jackson, MI

JEF – Jefferson City Memorial – Jefferson City, MO

JLN – Joplin Rgnl – Joplin, MO

GRI – Central Nebraska Rgnl – Grand Island, NE

HOB – Lea County Rgnl – Hobbs, NM

ADM – Ardmore Muni – Ardmore, OK

IPT – Williamsport Rgnl – Williamsport, PA

FWS – Fort Worth Spinks – Fort Worth, TX

GPM – Grand Prairie Muni – Grand Prairie, TX

ALW – Walla Walla Rgnl – Walla Walla, WA

FAA Contract Towers Remaining Open (24 FCTs):

LOCID – Facility Name – Location

BFM – Mobile Downtown – Mobile, AL

HHR – Jack Northrop Field/Hawthorne Muni – Hawthorne, CA

PMD – Palmdale Rgnl/Usaf Plant 42 – Palmdale, CA

SQL – San Carlos – San Carlos, CA

FTG – Front Range – Denver, CO

CRG – Craig Muni – Jacksonville, FL

ISM – Kissimmee Gateway – Orlando, FL

OPF – Opa-Locka Executive -Miami, FL

VQQ – Cecil Jacksonville, FL

FTY – Fulton County Airport- Brown Field Atlanta, GA

JRF – Kalaeloa (John Rodgers Field) – Kapolei, HI

FOE – Forbes Field – Topeka, KS

CWF – Chennault Intl – Lake Charles, LA

BAF – Barnes Muni – Westfield/Springfield, MA

STJ – Rosecrans Memorial – St Joseph, MO

GTR – Golden Triangle Rgnl – Columbus/W Point/Starkville, MS

MEI – Key Field – Meridian, MS

FOK – Francis S Gabreski – Westhampton Beach, NY

IAG – Niagara Falls Intl – Niagara Falls, NY

WDG – Enid Woodring Rgnl – Enid, OK

LMT – Klamath Falls – Klamath Falls, OR

MQY – Smyrna – Smyrna, TN

GKY – Arlington Muni – Arlington, TX

CYS – Cheyenne Rgnl/Jerry Olson Field – Cheyenne, WY

FAA Contract Tower Closure List (149 FCTs):

LOCID – Facility Name – Location

DHN – Dothan Rgnl – Dothan, AL

TCL – Tuscaloosa Rgnl Tuscaloosa, AL

FYV – Drake Field – Fayetteville, AR

TXK – Texarkana Rgnl-Webb Field – Texarkana, AR

GEU – Glendale Muni – Glendale, AZ

GYR – Phoenix Goodyear – Goodyear, AZ

IFP – Laughlin/Bullhead Intl – Bullhead City, AZ

RYN – Ryan Field – Tucson, AZ

FUL – Fullerton Muni – Fullerton, CA

MER – Castle – Atwater, CA

OXR – Oxnard – Oxnard, CA

RAL – Riverside Muni – Riverside, CA

RNM – Ramona – Ramona, CA

SAC – Sacramento Executive – Sacramento, CA

SDM – Brown Field Muni – San Diego, CA

SNS – Salinas Muni – Salinas, CA

VCV – Southern California Logistics – Victorville, CA

WHP – Whiteman – Los Angeles, CA

WJF – General Wm J Fox Airfield – Lancaster, CA

BDR – Igor I Sikorsky Memorial – Bridgeport, CT

DXR – Danbury Muni – Danbury, CT

GON – Groton-New London – Groton (New London), CT

HFD – Hartford-Brainard – Hartford, CT

HVN – Tweed-New Haven – New Haven, CT

OXC – Waterbury-Oxford – Oxford, CT

APF – Naples Muni – Naples, FL

BCT – Boca Raton – Boca Raton FL

EVB – New Smyrna Beach Muni – New Smyrna Beach, FL

FMY – Page Field – Fort Myers, FL

HWO – North Perry – Hollywood, FL

LAL – Lakeland Linder Rgnl – Lakeland, FL

LEE – Leesburg Intl – Leesburg, FL

OCF – Ocala Intl-Jim Taylor Field – Ocala, FL

OMN – Ormond Beach Muni – Ormond Beach, FL

PGD – Punta Gorda Punta Gorda, FL

SGJ – Northeast Florida Rgnl – St Augustine, FL

SPG – Albert Whitted – St Petersburg, FL

SUA – Witham Field – Stuart, FL

TIX – Space Coast Rgnl – Titusville, FL

ABY – Southwest Georgia Rgnl – Albany, GA

AHN – Athens/Ben Epps – Athens, GA

LZU – Gwinnett County – Briscoe Field – Lawrenceville, GA

MCN – Middle Georgia Rgnl – Macon, GA

RYY – Cobb County- Mccollum Field – Atlanta, GA

DBQ – Dubuque Rgnl – Dubuque, IA

IDA – Idaho Falls Rgnl – Idaho Falls, ID

LWS – Lewiston-Nez Perce County – Lewiston, ID

PIH – Pocatello Rgnl – Pocatello, ID

SUN – Friedman Memorial – Hailey, ID

ALN – St Louis Rgnl – Alton/St Louis, IL

BMI – Central IL Rgnl Arpt at Bloomington- Normal Bloomington/Normal, IL

DEC – Decatur – Decatur, IL

MDH – Southern Illinois – Carbondale/Murphysboro, IL

UGN – Waukegan Rgnl – Chicago/Waukegan, IL

BAK – Columbus Muni – Columbus, IN

GYY – Gary/Chicago Intl – Gary, IN

HUT – Hutchinson Muni – Hutchinson, KS

IXD – New Century Aircenter – Olathe, KS

MHK – Manhattan Rgnl – Manhattan, KS

OJC – Johnson County Executive – Olathe, KS

TOP – Philip Billard Muni – Topeka, KS

OWB – Owensboro-Daviess County – Owensboro, KY

PAH – Barkley Rgnl – Paducah, KY

DTN – Shreveport Downtown – Shreveport, LA

BVY – Beverly Muni – Beverly, MA

EWB – New Bedford Rgnl – New Bedford, MA

LWM – Lawrence Muni – Lawrence, MA

ORH – Worcester Rgnl – Worcester, MA

OWD – Norwood Memorial – Norwood, MA

ESN – Easton/Newnam Field – Easton, MD

FDK – Frederick Muni – Frederick, MD

HGR – Hagerstown Rgnl- Richard A Henson Fld – Hagerstown, MD

MTN – Martin State – Baltimore, MD

SBY – Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Rgnl – Salisbury, MD

BTL – W K Kellogg – Battle Creek, MI

DET – Coleman A. Young Muni – Detroit, MI

SAW – Sawyer Intl Marquette, MI

ANE – Anoka County-Blaine Arpt (Janes Field) – Minneapolis, MN

STC – St Cloud Rgnl – St Cloud, MN

BBG – Branson – Branson, MO

COU – Columbia Rgnl – Columbia, MO

GLH – Mid Delta Rgnl – Greenville, MS

HKS – Hawkins Field – Jackson, MS

HSA – Stennis Intl (HSA) – Bay St Louis, MS

OLV – Olive Branch – Olive Branch, MS

TUP – Tupelo Rgnl – Tupelo, MS

GPI – Glacier Park Intl – Kalispell, MT

EWN – Coastal Carolina Regional – New Bern, NC

HKY – Hickory Rgnl – Hickory, NC

INT – Smith Reynolds – Winston Salem, NC

ISO – Kinston Rgnl Jetport At Stallings Fld – Kinston, NC

JQF – Concord Rgnl – Concord, NC

ASH – Boire Field – Nashua, NH

TTN – Trenton Mercer – Trenton, NJ

AEG – Double Eagle Ii – Albuquerque, NM

SAF – Santa Fe Muni – Santa Fe, NM

ITH – Ithaca Tompkins Rgnl – Ithaca, NY

RME – Griffiss Intl – Rome, NY

CGF – Cuyahoga County – Cleveland, OH

OSU – Ohio State University – Columbus, OH

TZR – Bolton Field – Columbus, OH

LAW – Lawton-Fort Sill Rgnl – Lawton, OK

OUN – University Of Oklahoma Westheimer – Norman, OK

PWA – Wiley Post – Oklahoma City, OK

SWO – Stillwater Rgnl – Stillwater, OK

OTH – Southwest Oregon Rgnl – North Bend, OR

PDT – Eastern Oregon Rgnl at Pendleton – Pendleton, OR

SLE – Mcnary Fld – Salem, OR

TTD – Portland-Troutdale – Portland, OR

CXY – Capital City – Harrisburg, PA

LBE – Arnold Palmer Rgnl – Latrobe, PA

LNS – Lancaster – Lancaster, PA

CRE – Grand Strand – North Myrtle Beach, SC

GYH – Donaldson Center – Greenville, SC

HXD – Hilton Head – Hilton Head Island, SC

MKL – McKellar-Sipes Rgnl – Jackson, TN

NQA – Millington Rgnl Jetport – Millington, TN

BAZ – New Braunfels Muni – New Braunfels, TX

BRO – Brownsville/South Padre Island Intl – Brownsville, TX

CLL – Easterwood Field – College Station, TX

CNW – TSTC Waco – Waco, TX

CXO – Lone Star Executive – Houston, TX

GTU – Georgetown Muni – Georgetown, TX

HYI – San Marcos Muni – San Marcos, TX

RBD – Dallas Executive – Dallas, TX

SGR – Sugar Land Rgnl – Houston, TX

SSF – Stinson Muni – San Antonio, TX

TKI – Collin County Rgnl At Mc Kinney – Dallas, TX

TYR – Tyler Pounds Rgnl – Tyler, TX

VCT – Victoria Rgnl – Victoria, TX

OGD – Ogden-Hinckley – Ogden, UT

PVU – Provo Muni – Provo, UT

LYH – Lynchburg Rgnl/ Preston Glenn Fld – Lynchburg, VA

OLM – Olympia Rgnl – Olympia, WA

RNT – Renton Muni – Renton, WA

SFF – Felts Field – Spokane, WA

TIW – Tacoma Narrows – Tacoma, WA

YKM – Yakima Air Terminal/Mcallister Field – Yakima, WA

CWA – Central Wisconsin – Mosinee, WI

EAU – Chippewa Valley Rgnl – Eau Claire, WI

ENW – Kenosha Rgnl – Kenosha, WI

JVL – Southern Wisconsin Rgnl – Janesville, WI

LSE – La Crosse Muni – La Crosse, WI

MWC – Lawrence J Timmerman – Milwaukee, WI

OSH – Wittman Rgnl – Oshkosh, WI

UES – Waukesha County – Waukesha, WI

HLG – Wheeling Ohio Co – Wheeling, WV

LWB – Greenbrier Valley – Lewisburg, WV

PKB – Mid-Ohio Valley Rgnl – Parkersburg, WV

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