A recent story in the FAA’s Safety Briefing newsletter announced the agency’s new Remote Tower (RT) testing facility.
Haven’t we been down the RT path before?
Yes.
The 2018 FAA reauthorization bill directed the FAA to “establish a Remote Tower Pilot Program to assess the feasibility of implementing Remote Tower technology into the National Airspace System.”
Congress specified the FAA administrator should consider:
- One non-hub airport
- Three airports that are not primary airports and that do not have existing air traffic control towers
- One airport that participates in the Contract Tower Program
- One airport selected at the discretion of the FAA administrator
That pilot program ended up with RTs at Leesburg Executive Airport (KJYO) in Virginia, powered by Saab software, and Northern Colorado Regional Airport (KFNL) in Loveland using Searidge Technologies tech. The RT at KJYO got started in 2014 and was declared “operationally viable” in 2019.
And yet, to date, no remote towers have been certified in the United States.
Never mind the fact there are multiple certified RT systems in operational status in locations around the world.
Remote towers came online in Sweden in 2015 and 2019. Coincidentally, Saab is headquartered in Sweden. I wonder if there is a connection.
In 2021, London City Airport in the United Kingdom became the first major international airport to implement a remote tower. And it is remote, more than 80 miles from the airport.
Back to the start
Despite positive experiences at both Leesburg and Northern Colorado airports, “FAA researchers subsequently determined that a centralized RT test bed would better meet the ultimate goals of the pilot program.”
The FAA set up a centralized RT test bed and laboratory space at the National Aerospace Research and Technology Park, which is located at the William J. Hughes Technical Center at Atlantic City International Airport (KACY).
Camera structures are in place at KACY: One each near the thresholds of Runway 13/31 and a main 360° camera site near the airfield’s center. The RT is more than a mile away.
“In addition to building out the Remote Tower Center and installing the airfield camera masts at the RT test bed, the FAA also provided voice communications equipment (for monitoring traffic), weather displays, and furniture,” FAA officials noted. “Vendors are responsible for supplying their entire system, including all remote tower equipment and the operating system.”
Will they come?
We have a test bed location. We have cameras in place. We even have a building, with furniture.
But given the history of the initial program, will vendors show up?
Hopefully those with a product offering will look at the marketplace opportunity in the United States and dismiss the turmoil of the original RT Pilot Program.
But we’ve been down this path before.
I hope this time it is less bumpy.
“The RT at KJYO got started in 2014 and was declared “operationally viable” in 2019.”
Then SAAB pulled out and the RT at JYO closed in 2023. They’re back to a manned control tower, although the last time I was there it was a temporary “tower” on a trailer next to the runway.
I think we all know the FAA is beyond SLOW on new or different ideas. They do need to be cautious about change, but their adoption speed is crazy slow. Would love to see the 2,000 page FAA report on what worked and what did not with the previous attempts. I don’t know for sure there is a 2,000 page report, it is probably longer.
Can it be made to work here? What would need to be adjusted, etc. Clearly it has worked in other places – how did they do it? what limits did the other countries find? Sometimes I think we get wrapped up in “not invented here”. Americans are allowed to borrow, buy and/or modify good ideas from other parts of the world, its OK, Really!
Whether it’s because of equipment limitations or controller ineptitude, the remote tower at KFNL (Northern Colorado) is less than optimal. Things ran much more smoothly and efficiently when the airport had no tower. For instance, tower won’t clear for takeoff if there’s an airplane on base or even much past mid downwind. And tower can’t see incoming traffic even when landing lights are flashing. Overall, it’s not as good as a “real” tower—far from it.
There is a remote tower in place at Selma (KSEM) Alabama airport. It’s been operational for a couple of years.
But is it worth a hoot?