The TCI is broken. Some of my favorite examples that reaffirm this are similar types of airports with different levels. In this case, let's look at some the some core 30 towers.
In the past 12 months, FLL has worked 12.5% more planes than IAD and they did it with half as many runways. The vast majority of the traffic at both airports is IFR commercial intinerants. The major difference is IAD gets 25% extra for being a class B compared to FLL's 10% for class C, and IAD also gets 10% for having a converging runway.
For the same 12 months, IAH worked 1.8% more planes than MCO. Both class B, but IAH gets the converging runway multiplier and that somehow gives them enough to be an 11 vs MCO as a 9. I think the fact IAH and IAD are hubs also probably helps their count over MCO and FLL since the traffic during their busiest hours is condensed by departure/arrival pushes.
One more thing I find wild is that MYR is a 9. I think their TCI is heavily carried by the fact that from about April to August, they have these 2 helicopters that just run land on the SE side of the runway, takeoff and fly a sightseeing tour up NE up the beach a few miles, come right back, pick up more passengers, and do it again. All day, everyday in the summer. And they count them as air taxis. Their air taxi op goes from like 2k in January to 18k in July. The crazy thing is I listened to a little LiveAtc and I didn't hear them talk to the helis at all. I think they just have an LOA where they're probably monitoring the freq. Meanwhile they get a tower and a tracon count for it. Insane. Meanwhile RSW is also a single runway Class C and they ran twice as many IFR itinerants as MYR in the past year (almost triple the amount of air carriers) but they are an 8.
I was trying to figure out that as well lol. Every airport with a crossing runway will use that runway when a pilot requests and the controller can see it working workload permitting ofc.
Definitely don’t think they are using it for patternwork while they have patternworkers on the parallels with inbounds as well though. Some airports are just blessed with a crossing runway that adds a bump to the tci regardless of use which is definitely hurting AUS.
I think the tci should be adjusted to different types of airports, like “GA primary” and “air carrier primary”. Have 2 tiers since the towers do not have the same workloads, they are different. Airports that work both should be given a boost since that’s definitely rough. #SNA/LGB come to mind
during busy inbound pushes it's not uncommon for DAB to land Rwy16 to LAHSO Rwy7L, while landing 7L to LAHSO RWY 16 all while running pattern to 7R.
Recent construction projects have shut down 7R and they will depart 16 and land 7L with LAHSO. They use the crap out of the crosswind runway.
The fact that PSC was dropped from a 6 to 4 before GEG bumped to an 8 should be a great example on how the TCIP needs adjusting in some way. Definitely a backdoor pay cut there. GEG has been working PSC radar for years now with no pay raise yet
The fact that PSC was dropped from a 6 to 4 before GEG bumped to an 8 should be a great example on how the TCIP needs adjusting in some way. Definitely a backdoor pay cut there. GEG has been working PSC radar for years now with no pay raise yet
But at the same time 8 controllers are cut in pay as you said but 21 will get raises. (guessing on those numbers). But I’m against consolidating lol. Or more importantly against closing facilities.
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