HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 8265 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 8265
August 8, 2000
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
Page 1 of 3
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SUBJECT: Control Tower At Spinks Airport
The following information is provided in response to a request from Councilmember Clyde Picht.
Spinks Airport had an operating Control Tower until April of 1995. The Control Tower was operated by Midwest
Air Traffic Control (ATC) Services and was terminated due to cost constraints. Due to increases in annual flight
operations and operational upgrades experienced between April of 1995 and present, staff believes it is imperative
that another control tower be activated at Spinks Airport. The activation would serve two purposes. First, it
would significantly enhance flight safety and secondly, enhance the growth potential of the airport. The aircraft
mix at Spinks, on any given day, ranges from single seat experimental aircraft to corporate aircraft as large as
Gulfstream IVs.
The airport's navigational aids include an Instrument Landing System and Approach Lighting System, which are
owned and operated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and by September of this year will be
complimented by the installation of two Precision Approach Path Indicators. The navigational aids provide an
ideal environment for conducting instrument flight training and proficiency. Without the positive control of a
tower,however, the mixture of the high-speed and small aircraft creates a safety concern for many pilots.
pinks currently has 119 home based aircraft and operates on a Unicorn frequency, which is shared by Lancaster
and Denton airports. The frequency is constantly congested making the delivery of recommended radio
transmissions almost impossible. Non-controlled airports breed a variety of problems in regards to flight safety.
Primarily, pilots become accustomed to no requirement to announce their departure or arrival intentions on the
assigned radio frequency. Additionally, flight profiles are sometimes unpredictable and often times change on a
daily basis. Frequently, aircraft conducting instrument approaches to runway 35L (from the South, headed North)
at Spinks have to take evasive action to avoid mid-air collisions with aircraft departing on runway 17R (to the
North.) Spinks Airport has established flight patterns but without an active control tower, airport staff does not
have the regulatory authority to ensure compliance with the established procedures.
The introduction of a Control Tower will significantly enhance the growth potential of Spinks Airport. Although
Spinks has many corporate aircraft utilizing the airport, many of the larger corporations are hesitant to use Spinks
as an operating base due to the fact there is no control tower. Without a positive control environment, they are
hesitant to expose their expensive corporate aircraft to our airfield. As a result, the surge in fuel sales normally
associated with these larger corporate aircraft has only been minimally realized. The strategic location of Spinks
Airport provides for easy access to downtown. Fort Worth and surrounding communities. The introduction of a
control tower would serve as the primary vehicle in maximizing the full potential of the airport.
The most obvious solution to maximizing Spinks' potential is to build a Control Tower to resolve the safety
concerns and to help facilitate development. Staff has requested to be included in the FAA Control Tower
Program. The program decisions are based on the Benefit/Cost (B/C) Ratio, that are derived from the tangible
benefits of building a control tower. An airport with a B/C ratio greater than 1.0 receives FAA funding for the
development and staffing of a control tower and would automatically be enrolled in the FAA's Contract Tower
`rogram. Spinks' B/C Ratio is 0.3 1, which is based on a cost of$224,000 for staffing and does not reflect any
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS