Jamis - unmanned airport control tower in Colorado

[MillCreek]

https://denver.cbslocal.com/2018/08/31/unmanned-airport-control-tower-colorado/

The article does not explicitly say so, but it sounds as if the video feed goes to a central location where the controllers are, and they handle the air traffic from there.  I wonder if this concept would also work at night.

[Hawkmoon]

What a ridiculous article.

First, it's not an "unmanned tower," it's an un-towered man. There will be a controller (or controllers), they just won't be sitting in a tower overlooking the field directly. The article doesn't even address the question of where the controller(s) will be operating, although the video explains that he/they will be in a shack on the airport site.

The video also hints at what my immediate thought was -- if this can all be done by digital displays, there's no reason why the controller(s) have to be on-site at the airport. They could set up a regional or state facility that handles a number of airports from one building.

[MillCreek]

The video also hints at what my immediate thought was -- if this can all be done by digital displays, there's no reason why the controller(s) have to be on-site at the airport. They could set up a regional or state facility that handles a number of airports from one building.

There is a similar concept in healthcare, especially in rural hospitals for patients in the ICU or CCU: the patient monitor feeds go over the internet to a central location that has dedicated staff (monitor techs, nurses and physicians) and computers watching them 24/7 for any problems.  Once the monitoring team spots an issue, they pick up a hotline to the hospital unit, tell them what is going on, and the physician gives orders for the hospital nursing staff to carry out.  This has improved patient outcomes and enabled patients to get care in these hospitals, since otherwise the rural hospitals would not have the staff and physicians to care for these patients.  A lot of other hospitals have now adopted the centralized monitor approach.

[RocketMan]

I was impressed that they managed to accomplish all this for just $8.  (That's what the original article stated for the cost.  I see that it's been corrected.)

[230RN]

"You're cleared for takeoff on runway.... um.... yeah, that one."

https://youtu.be/51JHizpIdUQ  (0:17)

Oh, and by the way, in Nuevo Colorado, that would be "unpersoned airport control tower."

[Hawkmoon]

I was impressed that they managed to accomplish all this for just $8.  (That's what the original article stated for the cost.  I see that it's been corrected.)

I noticed that, too. 

[Hawkmoon]

"You're cleared for takeoff on runway.... um.... yeah, that one."

https://youtu.be/51JHizpIdUQ  (0:17)

Oh, and by the way, in Nuevo Colorado, that would be "unpersoned airport control tower."

This particular airport only has one runway. (Unless someone decides to pull a Harrison Ford and land on the taxiway.)

It's also interesting that the photo in the article isn't the airport. The photo shows runway 24. Northern Colorado Regional's runway is 15/33, and the taxiway extends nearly the full length of the runway to both ends. They should have labeled it "Stock photo of runway" instead of implying that they were showing THE runway in question.

[230RN]

Yeah, like:
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AR-15 caliber .280" assault rifle:

  

Showing the thing that goes up.

Note the AR-15 is 50% more powerful than the AR-10.
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Pic credit in properties

[just Warren]

un-towered man

One of the more confusingly-named superheroes.

[Jamisjockey]

https://denver.cbslocal.com/2018/08/31/unmanned-airport-control-tower-colorado/

The article does not explicitly say so, but it sounds as if the video feed goes to a central location where the controllers are, and they handle the air traffic from there.  I wonder if this concept would also work at night.

We're two years into the test at KJYO, Leesburg VA.  It's in my airspace just NW of KIAD.  They've been running the proof of concept there and it's almost a done deal now.