The need for a manned control tower at Fredericton airport

[armyvern]

Sarcasm on, "But it's an International airport !" sarcasm off.  >

Sarcasm or not, 10 000 flights a month (that's avg 300/day) is pretty busy for a wee little intnl airport - even it happens to be Freddy - with no tower. According to Nav Canada, there's many "less" busy airports (without students confusing the issue!!) that are tower manned.

That's what?? Around 12 flights per hour ... the controller would have a job - of that I'm quite sure.

 

[observor 69]

As I mentioned earlier, separation between student pilots and commercial traffic could become a safety concern justifying the need for a tower.
"The bulk of that traffic is coming from a 180-student flight college that's training pilots for airlines in China. But the airport has also seen considerable growth in the number of commercial and private flights."
http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/article/723604

Actually my sarcasm/smile is over the use of the term International in the airport name, and yes it is legitimate. But the best I can tell is traffic consists of Air Canada, the flight college and charters to the Caribbean.
I used to fly out of a small airport which like many in NB is near the border.
One weekend the airport operator had a fly-in and of course some recreational pilots came over from Maine. Sure enough the fly-in all of a sudden became "International." 
When I was in CFB Baden we would have aircraft from the US, Germany, France, Italy, England and Holland fly in for an airshow.
Now that was an International Airshow.  8)

 

[armyvern]

These days Freddy sees flights to Cuba, Dominican Republic, Britain etc regularily scheduled.

Sure, the bulk of them are Air Canada / Maine. But, so is the fact that depsite the downturn in the economy that Freddy Intnl has consistently exhibited growth (both in the addition/increase of domestic, military and international flights) while other airports have suffered a downturn. The MFS has also been experiencing a large increase in it's enrollment (thus use of Freddy). I believe that the Nav Canada study revealed that 'lil old Freddy intnl had the highest level of traffic per capita and growth rate (it was 30 something % IIRC) - ergo their decision to begin implementing controlled facilities by Dec 09.

30 flights an hour may not be busy for a well-equipped facility such as Pearson is ... but it certainly is busy (and just a matter of time before a collision does occur should it continue unmanned despite its being the record growth setting airport nationally) for the 'lil airport that could ... despite having nothing and being "in the third world".

 

[Journeyman]

Sounds like someone is a bit defensive about this dirt strip in the maritimes  >

 

[armyvern]

Sounds like someone is a bit defensive about this dirt strip in the maritimes  >

Someone else will have to defend himself should she actually turn out to be a redhead.  8)

 

[Journeyman]

Hey, you're living in Ontario; you're learning French. Let it go -- the Maritimes are behind you  ;D

 

[armyvern]

Ahhhh, désolé monsieur.




(Vern scribbles note to self in 'lil black book: Kick JMs butt next time she sees him)

 

[midget-boyd91]

We might be behind you... but that just means you can't see the funny faces we're directing towards you.
:nana:

Oddball

 

[Journeyman]

(Vern scribbles note to self in 'lil black book: Kick JMs butt next time she sees him)

And that feeling kids, is  f e a r  :-\