Serious Contracting out low-level towers

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Termine

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Section 804
From this thread, I see that the following facilities have lost or will lose their TRACONs:

ERI (to BUF)
CAK/MFD (to CLE)
FNT/GRR/LAN/MBS/MKG (to AZO)
PIA/SPI (to T75)
PSC (to GEG)
RDG (to MDT)
BFL (to FAT)
ALO (to DSM)
BGM/ELM (to AVP)
HUF (to IND)

Have any of the resulting tower-only facilities been contracted out, or are there plans to contract them?

Pre-Section 804
From looking at old facility maps, I notice that some facilities used to have their own approach controls but the approaches were consolidated. For example:

BZN (to BOI)
COU (to SGF)
DAY (to CMH; DAY is still FAA)
FYV (to FSM)
GJT/PUB (to D01; PUB is still FAA)
LYH (to ROA)
MFR (to EUG)
MSO (to GEG)
RNO (to NCT; RNO is still FAA)
SJT (to MAF)

The majority of these now-tower-only facilities are no longer operated by the FAA. How did the divestment process work for them? What was the timeline? What happened to the FAA controllers who used to work there?
 
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I heard about some guys from RNO that Went to NCT and got a huge pay raise and they only had to work the RNO airspace for a long time
 
The grand plan for SGF pre-9/11 was to toss it and a few others to T75 and make it a “super” TRACON. SGF runs two approaches, Springfield and Mizzu, the COU->SGF approach consolidation happened years before I arrived there.
 
Coworker I work with was apart of the FAA when they contracted out Klamath falls to the DOD. He was given the option of EUG and accepted it (I'd have to ask the details of how it played out). I currently work under Chinook approach (PSC sector) and from my understanding they're anticipating the tower to get contracted out after they eventually lose the approach and have low numbers. From the sounds of it, the FAA will make it worth your while to move/relocated/retire if you're atleast a little flexible.
 
Regarding the recent and current 804’s, none have since been contracted out. Maybe they will be one day but I have heard no rumors or news of that. Contracting places out has not been done in forever, so if it they did the efforts to make it happen it would probably be for all level four or five towers I imagine, not just handpicking a few.

I don’t know what the NATCA stance on the old contracts were but they seem super protective of the job number now. Not letting places reduce staffing numbers even when they request it, etc..... So NATCA might resist contracts and block that idea now, and in the Biden/Mayor Pete administration I doubt the FAA would have the power to force it.
 
Termine said:
Pre-Section 804
From looking at old facility maps, I notice that some facilities used to have their own approach controls but the approaches were consolidated. For example:

BZN (to BOI)
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Bozeman was never FAA. The tower was built in 1997. They added a radar (locally purchased and first in the nation to do it) in 2007.
ZLC ran their airspace until 2013 when Boise opened their new facility with a Bozeman sector.
 
Was working at an FAA tower in 1995 that got contracted out. We were allowed to make a dream sheet of any four FAA facilities and place them in order of preference. We were guaranteed to get one on our list, regardless of facility level. Every one of the 10 controllers there got either their first or second choice, ranging from centers and high level towers to lower level up/downs. Eight out of the ten checked out at their destination and the other two were able to find a suitable landing spot after washing. It was a pretty sweet deal that NATCA worked out. It was different times and I'm not sure how things would work in this enviorenment , but just some history.
 
Gern Blanston said:
Was working at an FAA tower in 1995 that got contracted out. We were allowed to make a dream sheet of any four FAA facilities and place them in order of preference. We were guaranteed to get one on our list, regardless of facility level. Every one of the 10 controllers there got either their first or second choice, ranging from centers and high level towers to lower level up/downs. Eight out of the ten checked out at their destination and the other two were able to find a suitable landing spot after washing. It was a pretty sweet deal that NATCA worked out. It was different times and I'm not sure how things would work in this enviorenment , but just some history.
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They would set up the same deal for people, they are way stronger now then they even were back then. That’s why I heavily favor all 804s and contracting out. It would reduce the overall staffing number which some people think would be the end of the would but it would improve the quality of hundreds or thousands of BUE’s lives depending on how far they went with it.
 
FightingIrish2012 said:
They would set up the same deal for people, they are way stronger now then they even were back then. That’s why I heavily favor all 804s and contracting out. It would reduce the overall staffing number which some people think would be the end of the would but it would improve the quality of hundreds or thousands of BUE’s lives depending on how far they went with it.
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So, for the people that want to stay, i.e. 17 years at BGM for example with a family, and no desire or skill set to make a jump, what do you do?

The smart money in my opinion would be to offer them the 25 year retirement right now, i.e. buyout, and then they can work into their sunset years as they please double dipping. Would that though help staffing? I'd hate to see them get screwed like they did to all the FSS people with the exception of those who were protected in Alaska...
 
Stinger said:
Bozeman was never FAA. The tower was built in 1997. They added a radar (locally purchased and first in the nation to do it) in 2007.
ZLC ran their airspace until 2013 when Boise opened their new facility with a Bozeman sector.
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Correct. The city built, owns and funds the tower, I don't think they're on the FCT program. I believe when the ZLC/BOI changeover happened a new radar with faster rotation/update was brought in, and it was spurred by a fatal Medevac King Air crash several years back. Something like that.

Also, FWIW BZN is now the busiest airport in MT.

Missoula (MSO) is also a contract tower.
 
JumperBones said:
Correct. The city built, owns and funds the tower, I don't think they're on the FCT program. I believe when the ZLC/BOI changeover happened a new radar with faster rotation/update was brought in, and it was spurred by a fatal Medevac King Air crash several years back. Something like that.

Also, FWIW BZN is now the busiest airport in MT.

Missoula (MSO) is also a contract tower.
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Serco runs the tower. The city paid for an extra controller a few years ago in line 2018. It's the same radar as 2007.
Original plan was for BOI to become a tower only, Salt Lake to run their approach, and then either the center to keep Bozeman or have Billings run it.
Boise got a new facility, their congress and legislature got involved, they kept their airspace and also got Bozeman because the Montana congress people didn't want to do any work with the FAA.
That was all because of delays growing quickly using center rules into Bozeman. Lot of money in that area and people taking ski vacations. Needed to reduce delays to make them happy again.
MSO/GPI also in the state ran by Serco.

Also: Boise hates the Bozeman airspace and keeps having separation losses and other events.
 
jamisjockey said:
Once upon a time, a man we called "the Bull" drew a line in the sand on new contracting. Sooner or later that line will be erased.
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You have to admit John "The Bull" Carr for all his faults had integrity and stuck up for controllers, right or wrong he never backed down.
 
GulfCharlie said:
You have to admit John "The Bull" Carr for all his faults had integrity and stuck up for controllers, right or wrong he never backed down.
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Except for the lack of sticking up for Atlanta controllers to get level 13 pay because “...Atlanta isn’t getting level 13 until Chicago does first...” The local and management had to petition for it themselves and eventually got it paid out.
 

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