Continuous Closed Traffic Approved

One of our Class D controllers has taken issuing clearances such as

"Seneca 1234X, continuous closed traffic approved, cleared for the
option, no need to report base, I'll let you know of any arriving
traffic."

What he's basically authorizing is operating in the traffic pattern at
will without landing clearances. I suspect that he's engrossed with
his PlayStation that they have in the tower and doesn't want to be
bothered with a sole aircraft doing pattern work.

Anyone else had clearance such as this? (I'm not quite comfortable
with it. Just seems wrong.)

I used to get a clearance like this on a regular basis, lazy Sunday
afternoon, Grand Forks North Dakota, only aircraft in the area.

He "tower" is authorizing continuous traffic pattern operations.. with
landing clearance.. "cleared for the option" is a landing clearance, stop
and go, touch and go, or go around..

I would get "cleared for the option, all runways".. then when someone else
approached Tower would ask me to "keep it on the east runway while NWA
lands.. he's coming in from the south", and I would acknowledge and do as
cleared.

Could really work some figure 8 patterns with a double north/south runway
plus one east/west runway. Take off north on the west side, left turn out,
downwind for the east runway, left base, left turn to final landing east,
left turn on take off, left downwind for the south runway on the east side,
left base, left turn to final, take off south bound, right 180 to final to
the north on the west runway.. then mix it up a bit.. take off north.. right
180 to land to the south, left pattern to land to the west on the cross
runway.. right turn out to land to the south on the west side... yada yada
yada..

I doubt there is a play station in the tower cab, but he's got weather
observations to record, plus other administrative papers, plus logging every
landing for his traffic count. His pay is based on traffic count.. every
landing and departure you make counts.. he does not want to miss one.

BT

"Greg Esres" wrote in message
...
One of our Class D controllers has taken issuing clearances such as

"Seneca 1234X, continuous closed traffic approved, cleared for the
option, no need to report base, I'll let you know of any arriving
traffic."

What he's basically authorizing is operating in the traffic pattern at
will without landing clearances. I suspect that he's engrossed with
his PlayStation that they have in the tower and doesn't want to be
bothered with a sole aircraft doing pattern work.

Anyone else had clearance such as this? (I'm not quite comfortable
with it. Just seems wrong.)

BTIZ wrote:



I doubt there is a play station in the tower cab, but he's got weather
observations to record,

There's a weather observer for that, they're in the small tower at GFK.


plus other administrative papers,

There's none.


plus logging every
landing for his traffic count.

When the controller clears you for multiple operations like that he
can't count each one. You could stay up for an hour, that's a two count.


His pay is based on traffic count.. every
landing and departure you make counts.. he does not want to miss one.

Which is why he should give you separate clearances.

interesting... so the traffic count rules have changed since I was in ATC

every takeoff and landing was one each.. (even a low approach got 1/2 a
count)

multiple pattern operations counted every time around

I left KGFK (KRDR) in 1991... so I did not remember the "weather tower"

BT

"Newps" wrote in message
...


BTIZ wrote:



I doubt there is a play station in the tower cab, but he's got weather
observations to record,

There's a weather observer for that, they're in the small tower at GFK.


plus other administrative papers,

There's none.


plus logging every
landing for his traffic count.

When the controller clears you for multiple operations like that he can't
count each one. You could stay up for an hour, that's a two count.


His pay is based on traffic count.. every
landing and departure you make counts.. he does not want to miss one.

Which is why he should give you separate clearances.

BTIZ wrote:

interesting... so the traffic count rules have changed since I was in ATC

every takeoff and landing was one each.. (even a low approach got 1/2 a
count)

multiple pattern operations counted every time around

I left KGFK (KRDR) in 1991... so I did not remember the "weather tower"

BT

I was at GFK from March 89 until December 92. The weather tower was the
old ATC tower and was taken over by the weather guys as soon as the
controllers moved into the current tower and that was before I got there
in 89. Were you at GFK, RDR or the RAPCON?

I was at GFK from March 89 until December 92. The weather tower was the
old ATC tower and was taken over by the weather guys as soon as the
controllers moved into the current tower and that was before I got there
in 89. Were you at GFK, RDR or the RAPCON?

I was at RDR, Flying B-1B, I would come over to GFK and rent Cessna's every
once in a while for fun.

BT

I doubt there is a play station in the tower cab,

Actually, I'm told that there is, though it may be Nintendo. They're
all the same to me. ;-)

Thanks for the info.

Greg Esres wrote:

Anyone else had clearance such as this? (I'm not quite comfortable
with it. Just seems wrong.)

Yup.

I also had a controller tell me that my comms were "unnecessary" one
night and he would call me back if he wanted me to change what I was
doing. Conditions were so calm, I was landing, rolling out, pulling a
"U" turn, and departing in the opposite direction. G

Since I was the only one even thinking about being in his airspace, I
didn't see a big deal.

I get that here in Jackson Hole while testing my firebreathing
experimental. If nothing is coming the tower clears me for any option I
need. When traffic approaches I get a heads up and I either land or
clear the area. They do have paperwork, record ATIS, and various other
duties ya know.


Ben
www.Haaspowerair.com

wrote in message
oups.com...
I get that here in Jackson Hole while testing my firebreathing
experimental. If nothing is coming the tower clears me for any option I
need. When traffic approaches I get a heads up and I either land or
clear the area. They do have paperwork, record ATIS, and various other
duties ya know.


Ben
www.Haaspowerair.com


Cool link, you didn't have any specifics on the HP, climb rate or max cruise
though, I'm curious to see those numbers! Neat idea.

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DW