Well Folks, Many of you have generated many good answers to the questions of DFW airport and I am very thankful to all of you . Much has been cleared up about their operations and the history. I found the story and history and some maps of the airport by going to the internet. I guess the only question left is; Would the airport be able to accept the new Airbus aircraft without that much new construction/modification of the existing runways and terminals? Again, Thanks to all that came forth with information, 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: Eric Grundmann [mailto:ericgr@xxxxxxxxxxx] Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2003 9:26 PM To: The Airline List; Fletcher, Robert Subject: Re: DFW TOWERS- how many? 3 TOWERS. 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 <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 <mailto:Robert.Fletcher@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > To: AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx < mailto:AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > ; exatc@xxxxxxxxxx < mailto: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 <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> < 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) >