Ah, great information from someone who knows. Jose Prize Fan of accurate info In a message dated 12/3/2003 12:26:33 AM Eastern Standard Time, ericgr@xxxxxxxxxxx writes: > Subj: Re: DFW TOWERS- how many? 3 TOWERS. > Date: 12/3/2003 12:26:33 AM Eastern Standard Time > From: <A HREF="mailto:ericgr@xxxxxxxxxxx";>ericgr@xxxxxxxxxxx</A> > Reply-to: <A HREF="mailto:AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx";>AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</A> > To: <A HREF="mailto:AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx";>AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</A> > Sent from the Internet > > 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 >