Part 121 operation at non-towered airport

[igneousy2]

My company operates under Part 121 -Sched under Ops Spec C080: Terminal Area IFR Operations Without an Operating Control Tower for Schedules Passenger Operations.

d. The certificate holder is authorized to conduct scheduled passenger terminal area IFR operations in Class G airspace or at airports without an operating control tower provided an authorized instrument approach procedure...are available and operational at the time of the particular operation.

We operate to a Class E airport with a "company IAP" which is a VOR-A approach. We do not have any GPS/RNAV capability. The airport in question has a Unicom operated by the state that provides traffic advisory information.

If the VOR goes out of service it seems to me that we cannot operate into this airport.

At first my question was about the "authorized instrument approach procedure" - and if a "visual approach" could be connsidered...I've since come to the conclusion that it is not.

The remaining question to me is when is a tower a tower and how do you know. What's throwing me is that I have always considered "towers" centered on Class D airspace, however when you read the regulations, clearly there are Class G towers and Class E towers also.

The Aim does not really help...

4-1-2. Control Towers

Towers have been established to provide for a safe, orderly and expeditious flow of traffic on and in the vicinity of an airport. When the responsibility has been so delegated, towers also provide for the separation of IFR aircraft in the terminal areas.


Anyway, can a unicom count as a control tower? How would you know?

Thanks,

Later,

Ig

 

[SPilot]

My best guess would be that the way you can tell, is by looking at the sectional chart. If the airport is blue, it has a control tower.

There are a few control towered airports located in E and G airspace, it is actually not so uncommon, but in any case, those airports have BLUE color on the sectional chart.

I'm also sure you've checked the AF/D.

Tower is by definition an FAA approved ATC facility. Some company or state personell telling you about wind, traffic and rental cars without an FAA license to do so...isnt a tower.

 

[pilotyip]

Do you have op spec C77, that allows you to conduct the approach VFR if visual conditons exisit?

 

[Say Again Over]

For dispatch, I would think that forecast weather would have to be quite good if the VOR is OTS, SOP for a visual approach should be covered in your FOM, I'm not sure I understand your second question, symbology on the chart indicates when the tower is not 24/7, the control zone is then handled by someone else like FSS, Center or whatever. Your concern about traffic in the pattern is a good one, you never know when some guy is in the pattern doing touch and goes, possibly without a radio, the AIM is a good reference for recommended procedures, in reality your crew will be quite busy, monitoring two frequencies at the same time, clicking up the lights etc.

 

[rjacobs]

My best guess would be that the way you can tell, is by looking at the sectional chart. If the airport is blue, it has a control tower.

There are a few control towered airports located in E and G airspace, it is actually not so uncommon, but in any case, those airports have BLUE color on the sectional chart.

I'm also sure you've checked the AF/D.
/quote]
Carrying those types of charts at a 121 company, hahaha, thats funny. I rarely use the company provided enroute high alt charts and they sure dont have any airports on them. We dont fly VFR, ever, always IFR. I will agree that the company op-specs will list this. This airport may be a special use airport for just those reasons that you mentioned-no tower, one ifr approach, because of these it probably has a special nod from the FAA regarding how it can be used.

 

[rjacobs]

My best guess would be that the way you can tell, is by looking at the sectional chart. If the airport is blue, it has a control tower.

There are a few control towered airports located in E and G airspace, it is actually not so uncommon, but in any case, those airports have BLUE color on the sectional chart.

I'm also sure you've checked the AF/D./quote]

Carrying those types of charts at a 121 company, hahaha, thats funny. I rarely use the company provided enroute high alt charts and they sure dont have any airports on them. We dont fly VFR, ever, always IFR. I will agree that the company op-specs will list this. This airport may be a special use airport for just those reasons that you mentioned-no tower, one ifr approach, because of these it probably has a special nod from the FAA regarding how it can be used.

 

[igneousy2]

Do you have op spec C77, that allows you to conduct the approach VFR if visual conditons exisit?

Yes we do...that's the answer I was looking for. op spec C77 allows us to conduct terminal VFR operations. So basically you file to an enroute fix and then proceed under VFR to the airport if you can. Thanks a lot to all of you who replied. Everything is scattered all over the place. When you get into a situation that you don't see very often it's hard to get a difinitive answer to a question. Thanks for those of you who replied.

Later

 

[Singlecoil]

As long as the airport lies within the operational service volume of a navaid, you can file right to the airport. You just can't let down and land unless you can do it under VFR.
This happens on occasion at Sun Valley. The NDB approach is day only so unless you have a GPS, you are going in VFR at night.