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All Air Traffic Controllers Resign at the San Carlos airport

Discussion in 'Too Hot for Swamp Gas' started by G8trGr8t, Jan 31, 2025 at 9:34 AM.

  1. ATLGATORFAN

    ATLGATORFAN Premium Member

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    You guys realize the airports runway was only 2600 feet long. You can’t land anything of significance. I mean nothing. You do also realize UPS and FedEx land every night at 2am all across the country at airports with no control tower. This airport has zero need for any federal paid controllers. And is actually a good example of waste

    AirNav: KSQL - San Carlos Airport
     
  2. OklahomaGator

    OklahomaGator Jedi Administrator Moderator VIP Member

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    2600 feet long, wow, a twin engine King Air needs almost twice that much. You are not landing much past a single engine plane there.

    KING AIR 350ER Specifications, Cabin Dimensions, Performance
     
  3. oragator1

    oragator1 Hurricane Hunter Premium Member

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    It’s in the path of several major airports, we literally had a plane crash yesterday with dozens dead where visual verify failed in a busy airspace. As the manager said, it’s a layer of protection gone.
     
  4. G8trGr8t

    G8trGr8t Premium Member

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    nothing to do with it. proximity and traffic sharing with san fran is the key element, location, location, location...they aren't in idaho

    and if they can get by without ATC, they wouldn't have ATC.
     
  5. G8trGr8t

    G8trGr8t Premium Member

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    likely not qualified to work at bigger airport. you have to work your way up.
     
  6. G8trGr8t

    G8trGr8t Premium Member

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    they were federal employees. sounds like these are now working for contractors. imagine the CF is we fired even 10% of the current ATC's without major, proven, tech advancement in the process
     
  7. tilly

    tilly Superhero Mod. Fast witted. Bulletproof posts. Moderator VIP Member

    I think the issue is that it sits in a flight approach corridor for San Fran. That means any traffic around that airport is an issue for a great deal of San Francisco traffic.
     
  8. channingcrowderhungry

    channingcrowderhungry Premium Member

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    ATCs pass planes off between towers and centers (ARTCCs which are not at airports)

    This is quite a gap in communication now, which was the cause of the crash we just had.
     
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  9. AzCatFan

    AzCatFan GC Hall of Fame

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    Here's a map of the three major Bay Area airports. San Carlos is off the 101 which connects San Jose and San Francisco, and about 3 miles north of Redwood City, which is on this map.

    Draw a triangle between the three major airports, and the exact center would be over the bay. But just a few clicks west of that exact center sits San Carlos.

    [​IMG]
     
    • Informative Informative x 2
  10. ATLGATORFAN

    ATLGATORFAN Premium Member

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    This is just not true. You don’t need a control tower to control airspace. But think whatever you want
     
  11. VAg8r1

    VAg8r1 GC Hall of Fame

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    The issue is moot now since the airport and the air traffic controllers have reached an agreement.
    San Carlos Airport reaches agreement to keep its air traffic controllers
    That being said and while there are actually more airports without control towers than there with towers, the San Carlos Airport probably needs the controllers both by virtue of the number of flight operations and its location near three major airports.
    Control tower at San Carlos Airport may soon be unstaffed, leading to safety concerns – The Mercury News
    Franco said that an unmanned tower at the airport is a cause for concern, especially with the San Carlos Airport being so close to San Francisco International Airport. The main concern, he added, is the volume of traffic around the area because planes approaching SFO make their final descent near San Carlos.

    “There’s going to be a lot of traffic, and the tower, when they’re operating, will usually help remind and advise pilots of that proximity,” Franco said.

    The airport also handles charter operations and flight training, which involves repeated takeoffs and landings. Franco said that air traffic is the immediate concern right now, because operations would be “logistically more challenging and less safe,” and other airports in the area might have to take that traffic.
    In 2024, San Carlos Airport had more than 98,000 operations, such as takeoffs and landings, and over 100,000 operations directed by the air control tower.
     
    Last edited: Jan 31, 2025 at 9:10 PM
  12. dave_the_thinker

    dave_the_thinker VIP Member

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    So ... does this mean Ronald Reagan is off the hook?

    Just checking before we dig him up and put him on trial.
     
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