Bob,
Well, you got some interesting responses to your question, here
is another one.
The actual operation at DFW is actually quite simple. The East Tower is
located on the east side of the airport and controls traffic on runways
17R/35L, 17C/35C, 17L/35R, and 13L/31R. The West Tower is located on the
west side of the airport and controls traffic on runways 18R/36L, 18L,36R,
and 13R/31L. The Center Tower is used only for the Flight Data
position. Both the outboard towers have Local Control and Ground Control
for their side of the airport. The center tower just issues the ATIS and
any weather or Traffic Management reroutes.
There really is no coordination between the outboards because of
the way the automation is set up and how they determine departure and
arrival runways for individual aircraft. Say an a/c parked on the west
side needs to go to Cleveland. They call the west side Ground controller
who clears them to taxi up to the bridge that goes over to the east
side.. They then cross the bridge and call the east side Ground controller
who fits them in the departure sequence on that side of the airport. Same
happens for a/c parked on the east side going west.
As far as arrivals go, the TRACON attempts to land the aircraft on
the side of the airport that they park on.. If it doesn't work out that
way, then the process is reversed. As they clear the runway, the a/c gets
clearance to taxi to the bridge and them they call the other sides ground
control and get instructions to their gate area.
One other thing to think about, there are actually two additional
towers at DFW. Delta and American both have ramp control towers. They
'control' the ramp areas for their respective terminals. Once you clear
the taxiway system, you call the ramp tower and get instructions to the
gate.
The hardest positions at DFW are the ground control
positions. These can get really crazy during busy times, especially
because you don't know who the aircraft are, you just yell for the "MD-80
at spot 42", etc. They answer you and then you figure out where they are
going and how to get them there.. Local control is pretty easy,
relatively speaking. "Cleared to land, cleared to takeoff, turn left at
the next high speed and contact ground control", that sort of thing.
DFW opened in 1967.
Hope that helps you,
Eric Grundmann
Ft. Worth ARTCC
At 01:20 PM 12/2/2003 -0800, you wrote:
>Alan, Thanks for the reply
>
>That being the case, there is total coordination between all 3 towers, How
>are aircraft landed and all 3 towers knowing who is doing what? I am
>speaking of the many pilots landing there all the time. I think I'd be
>pulling the rest of my hair out if I was a controller. I was there only
>once, not long after the airport opened (what year did it open?) and I did
>not have time to look around. Other than the obvious problems, are the some
>that other airports do not have? This is a very interesting subject,
>Thanks for coming back so fast, Bob
>
>
>Bob Fletcher
>Robert.Fletcher@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>MILITARY DESIGN SECTION
>10th Floor SW, CUBE 134
>(916) 557-7235,
>1325 J Street, Sacramento,
>CA. 95814-2922
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Allan9 [mailto:exatc@xxxxxxxxxx]
>Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2003 1:12 PM
>To: Fletcher, Robert; AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: Re: DFW TOWERS- how many?
>
>
>
>Bob this is an excerpt from DFW's history. It was planned prior to my
>retirement to been operated as three seperate airports. I don't recall the
>split but it was something like left operation, center operation and right
>operation. Because of the sprawling expanse of airport the "airport
>movement area" could not be seen from on location. In order to accomplish
>the visibility of the airport the tower would have been so high it then
>would have become and obstacle and caused an increase in landing minima.
>O'Hare operates as two airports as far as the contollers are concerned.
>Construction was completed on ORDs existing Tower Cab after I left there.
>
>Al
>
>
>
>1994 - DFW Airport's Twentieth Anniversary.
>
>* FAA opens two new control towers, bringing to three the number of
>operational control towers on DFW Airport. DFW is the only airport in the
>world with three air traffic control towers.
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Robert.Fletcher@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:Robert.Fletcher@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>To: AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> ;
>exatc@xxxxxxxxxx <mailto:exatc@xxxxxxxxxx>
>Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2003 11:59 AM
>Subject: DFW TOWERS- how many?
>
>
>How many towers are there at the DFW Airport? Do these different tower
>operators/controllers forward all info to a main tower? It would seem
>logical to have just one tower (Enlarged) and much taller to cover the
>entire complex. Can someone explain this confusing situation?
>
>Bob Fletcher
>Robert.Fletcher@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:Robert.Fletcher@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>MILITARY DESIGN SECTION
>10th Floor SW, CUBE 134
>(916) 557-7235,
>1325 J Street, Sacramento,
>CA. 95814-2922
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Allan9 [ mailto:exatc@xxxxxxxxxx <mailto:exatc@xxxxxxxxxx> ]
>Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2003 8:22 AM
>To: AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: Re: AIRLINE Digest - 28 Nov 2003 to 29 Nov 2003 (#2003-196)
>
>
>DFW uses several physical control towers
>Al
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Alireza Alivandivafa" <DEmocrat2n@xxxxxxx>
>To: <AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2003 3:03 AM
>Subject: Re: AIRLINE Digest - 28 Nov 2003 to 29 Nov 2003 (#2003-196)
>
>
> >