When considering the additional operations of just three other important operators' aircraft, in excess of sixty light piston airplanes available for flight training or rental on any given day is available at our airport. There are days when the local control tower radio becomes so congested that it is split into two discreet frequencies, one termed "Local One' and another, "Local Two", each controlling one of two parallel runways. While only one primary tower frequency is published on aeronautical charts (118.9), local and visiting pilots must know that there is a great likelihood on a fine clear afternoon that multiple tower frequencies will be in use. You should expect to be routed to a runway best suited for ATC's workload and traffic needs given your initial request.

 

I often hear grumbling from some pilots about the "tense" atmosphere that can exist on the weekend-when perhaps a short tempered controller may have quipped something akin to "xxx Foxtrot Tango, read back hold short of RWY 17 left at Bravo 8" followed by silence, then "XXX FOXTROT TANGO HOW DO YOU HEAR?"-finally followed by a timid pilot response..., "Ah, this is Fox Tango, we're over here on Bravo holding short of.... (mumble, mumble) ah, ah..." These are the days when I count down the minutes to a tower shift change, in anticipation of an afternoon phone call from one of my controller friends wanting to go have a beer after work to test my psycho-therapeutic skills... They ask me semi-joking, "how can it be that these people are allowed to fly airplanes"? I think they somehow assume I have the answer...I don't. 

 

The irony here of course is that most of the guys and gals upstairs are pilots too. Some in fact have advanced flight certificates, and even a few have turbine time (those that figured out that being a controller was a reasonably good tradeoff from waves of furlough's, reduced, or even erased retirements, weeks away from home, and a paycheck that would actually clear the bank-but that's another 'economic' story altogether). On top of that, a good percentage of the senior folks have worked at some of the busiest airports and airspaces in the world, like Chicago O'Hare, LAX, New York Center, and SOCAL-you name it. Naturally, as the suds continue to flow, the smiles broaden, and the comradery intensifies. We all send out a resounding "CHEERS" for we all remember that we are in this insanity together, and somehow, we continue to share a love for this aviation insanity for pretty much the same reasons. 

 

As we share stories, I might interject a reminder of what they already know deep down; that pilots, like controllers, merely act out what they have been taught by their instructors, or have observed when watching their peers, or read in one of 'those were the days in Nam' books, or worse, what they may dangerously assume is true without any empirical evidence. I remember an adage from my days spent in a graduate Aviation Psychology course: you shouldn't always blame the individual, but more often, we should blame their training, professional culture and sometimes, even the industry.

 

General Aviation tows a very narrow line between acts of individual freedom, and the respect and demand for collective compliance to shared rules. It's sort of like a democracy in that we all expect each other to participate in a shared system with the utmost respect for one-another's freewill.  But, we also equally demand that all of us show an unwavering dedication to personal responsibility that does not impinge upon others, made for the pursuit of intelligent enlightenment, truth and equality (deep breath here...) So-we need to remember that while the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS) gives us extraordinary freedom it must then also have rules that protect us (the general public) from undue harm. We do need a hen house as it were. Thus, we must all remember that indeed, we are all in this together...that each and every one of us has an impact upon another's ability to go where they want, when they want, and how we might want to go about doing it. So, that said, let's talk about what we can do at Centennial Airport to enhance the safety, efficiency and fun flying experience for everyone.

 

The Centennial Airport Air-Traffic Control Tower has a published document titled "General Operating Tips" which briefly describes the ATC operational procedures that have been designed for KAPA which have been proven to be most effective given the kinds of traffic that utilize our airspace and airport. There are a number of unique differences given a typical Class D airport. Probably the most noticeable for transient pilots is the ATIS instruction to call Ground Control AFTER your run-up is complete for a tower controlled departure sequence. This effectively means you must call Ground Control at least twice, one for a taxi clearance, and one to advise ground control that you are ready for departure. Due to the heavy load of training traffic, and the desire to not impede the departure of turbine traffic (after all, they don't need a run-up-usually) ATC desires to sequence departures such that bottle-necks on the taxiway are minimized, speed separation on departure is enhanced and traffic pattern congestion is properly managed given the current load.

 

Unfortunately, it is a common experience for controllers to have to query pilots upon initial contact to confirm they have received the ATIS information. Why? Well, often pilots are too lazy to listen all the way through a long winded ATIS (some after all are painfully long) when they see each number of the HOBBS 'click', as the thought crosses their minds of the inverse relationship that event has to the thickness of their wallets. However, this is where the pilot is expected to have received the airport specific information that instructs us to "...contact ground when run-up is complete for sequence to tower." For those concerned about saving money on the ground (and the environment) you can call 303-799-6722 on your cell phone before engine start to receive KAPA ATIS. This is what I make my students do before we go out on a lesson, mostly because its safer (more heads-up time) and I have an opportunity to ask performance questions before the airplane is growling. I shake my head often when I see pilots sitting on line, gasoline fires burning for what seems like a century, head down, copying ATIS, with no idea who might be walking around that 6' meat grinder.

 

Ground Control will instruct the pilot where to go, and when to monitor tower (operative word...MONITOR) upon your call to instruct them that your run-up is complete. After which you will be told to hold position, or pull-up to the hold line of the assigned runway, if that is what they need at a given time. Ground control will be very specific about when to 'Monitor Tower'...and this means what it means, just monitor. Unlike other airports, Centennial will not accept your departure request if you initially call tower. Remember, ATIS already gave you everything you need to know. It is the ground controller who is responsible for sequencing each control strip to the tower controller.

 

A recent addition to these unique procedures is the "read back all hold short instructions VERBATIM". I've been to a number of national airports recently and more and more, I hear this statement on ATIS. What does verbatim mean...? Dictionary.net defines the word Verbatim \Ver*ba"tim\, adv. [LL., fr. L. verbum word.] Word for word; in the same words; verbally; as, to tell a story verbatim as another has related it. So, in effect, spit it back exactly how you heard it. E.g. "Cessna xxxFT, hold short of runway 17L at B8". You say....... Why? One simple reason, runway incursions are on the rise, and accident data suggests this is one of the single most deadly transgressions we can make as pilots. Additionally, the verbatim read back protects you and the controller from any misunderstanding and the legal implications this might have for both of you if something goes wrong.

 

Remember, controllers are on the 'hook' as much, if not more than you are. We think we have enough rules, you should see the 7110.65

(http://www.faa.gov/airports_airtraffic/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/Atc/) .. And, also remember, everything is recorded to tape. Tape doesn't lie.

Attached is the Operating Tips published by the Centennial Airport Air Traffic Control Tower. Think of it as recurrent training. I know most of you have probably read this at least once, but it's worth another review. Next CABA newsletter I'll be discussing the Centennial Airport practice areas and good operating techniques when flight training. In the meantime, think about this:

 

How is it possible that on a fine cloudless afternoon a group of ATP rated jet pilots (possessing multiple flight instructor certificates) in 172's flying a missing man formation almost suffered a mid-air collision with another unrelated aircraft transiting the adjacent airspace (while monitoring the practice area frequency, another air-to-air frequency, the tower frequency, and approach)? Ah...it really can happen to anyone... Until then, fly with your ears open, and your head on a swivel!   
 
Centennial Airport Operating Tips