Wed, Jul 18, 2012
Transportation Subcommittee To Look At Program, DOT IG Audit
The U.S. House Transportation Committee subcommittee on Aviation, chaired by U.S. Rep. Tom Petri (R-WI) (pictured),will hold a hearing on Wednesday to review the FAA's Contract Tower Program, and the Department of Transportation Inspector General’s (DOT IG) ongoing audit of the program.
Under the Contract Tower Program, which was begun as a pilot program in 1982 to re-open five Level 1 control towers that had been closed by the air traffic controllers strike, the FAA contracts with private entities to provide air traffic control services at Visual Flight Rules (VFR) airports. The program has a history of reducing the cost of air traffic control services and enhancing aviation safety by providing air traffic services at airports where federally-staffed towers would not be cost effective.
Contract towers, as well as FAA-staffed VFR towers, operate in large and small communities in both urban and rural areas. There are some commercial service airports which also use contract towers. The FAA maintains oversight of the contract towers and the controllers who work in them. All contract controllers are certified by the FAA, and contract tower facilities are monitored on a regular basis by the agency. A hearing briefing document asserts that over 99 percent of the employees at contract towers are former FAA or U.S. military controllers with an average of 20 years experience.
The DOT IG is updating a 2003 report that showed contract towers to be at least as safe as FAA towers, and significantly more cost effective. The DOT IG and others will provide testimony in regard to the new audit and the program.
There will be two panels of witnesses at the Wednesday hearing.
Panel I:
- The Honorable Calvin L. Scovel, Inspector General, United States Department of Transportation
- The Honorable David Grizzle, Chief Operating Officer, Air Traffic Organization, Federal Aviation Administration
- The Honorable Julie Oettinger, Assistant Administrator for Policy, International Affairs and Environment, Federal Aviation Administration
Panel II:
- Mr. Walter B. Strong, A.A.E., Chairman, United States Contract Tower Association Policy Board
- Ms. Trish Gilbert, Executive Vice President, National Air Traffic Controllers Association
- Melissa Rudinger, Senior Vice President of Government Relations, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
The hearing is set to begin at 1000 EDT Wednesday in the Rayburn Office Building in Washington, D.C.
More News
Chaff Thin, narrow metallic reflectors of various lengths and frequency responses, used to reflect radar energy. These reflectors, when dropped from aircraft and allowed to drift d>[...]
Aero Linx: International Association of Missionary Aviation (IAMA) International Association of Missionary Aviation (IAMA) is comprised of individuals, schools and ministry organiz>[...]
Also: Boeing Whistleblower, Joby Aviation, Aircraft Parts Bust, AF Crew Trains w USCG Our Airborne schedule will be interrupted next week as we live-stream AEA2024. AEA Dallas 2024>[...]
Also: Moron With A Laser, EAA Aviation Museum, FAA v Santa Monica Propeller Service, Frontier MEC Lauds FO Boom Supersonic has confirmed details surrounding the successful first te>[...]
Aero Linx: The Nebraska Aeronautics Commission The Nebraska Aeronautics Commission was created by the 1935 Legislature to oversee the development of aviation in the state. The Comm>[...]