Air Traffic Control Tower Tour

Today I had the privilege of taking a control tower tour at Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport in Springfield, Ohio (KSGH). It wasn’t my first control tower tour but it was definitely my most pleasant. The staff that works at Springfield tower, well, simply amazing. I really can’t say enough good about them; professional, friendly and very very helpful.

If you have never had the opportunity to do so, taking a tour of a ATC tower is highly recommended. It is very educational to see what goes on on the other side of the radio and all that happens to make a control tower run. Besides learning a great deal, it is also nice to put faces with the voices you hear and interact with on a daily basis. I especially recommend this if you are working or thinking about working on your instrument rating. You learn a lot seeing the processes behind a flight control strip being generated, printed, the information on it and how it is handled in the system. You will benefit from learning about Radar and how emergency services are activated. You will also gain an appreciation for all that Air Traffic Control does to make each and every flight smooth and above all, safe.

The best way to schedule a tour is to call them and schedule one in advance. Obviously, some control towers will not be able to accommodate at certain times of the day due to air traffic volume but you’ll find that most of them are more than happy to meet you. Don’t be intimated just because they work for the FAA! If you want to call them, most of your FBOs will have the phone number for the local tower. You can also look it up in AC-U-KWIK

Thanks again to the guys at Springfield and like always…

Fly Safe.

photo credit: Micah Maziar