Uncontrolled yet Controlled Airspace?

[dashtrash]

Trying to settle an argument. Lets say an airport does NOT have a control tower, just UNICOM. However, it's depectied as Class E to the surface on the Sectional Chart. It is controlled airspace but an UNCONTROLLED airport. Do you agree? I can't find the refrence in the AIM.

Thanks.

 

[350DRIVER]

correcto mundo slick

An airport <without> a control tower simply indicates that it is an "uncontrolled" field. Obviously without a control tower the only thing that can be "controlled" would be some airspace or a portion of it which surrounds the airport.

how is the other party "attempting" to argue this point with you, his case.??

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[DoinTime]

You are correct.

 

[dashtrash]

350Driver,

Thank you. The argument got started over a question of if our company could cancel IFR into a specific airport. It would take too long to go over what our ops specs say. However, a whole new argument started when he made this wrong statement.

 

[350DRIVER]

no prob- Ops specs can be somewhat of a pain

We cannot cancel until within 10NM of destination airport when going into the "uncontrolled" fields.

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[172driver]

What would the policy be at a Class G field with a control tower? You guys ever run into this?

I think this is why there's a big push to get rid of the terms 'controlled' and 'uncontrolled.' They are now supposed to be called 'towered' and 'nontowered.'

 

[tarp]

"What would the policy be at a Class G field with a control tower?" - 172Driver

You mean a towered field when the tower closes and it reverts to Class G?

OpSpecs covers that too. We service State College, PA (UNV) and Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP). They both revert all the way back to "G". For us, we need: instrument approach, approved source of weather, PIC can get airport advisories and ramp status, all the facilities and services required to conduct an instrument approach are available and operational.

 

[172driver]

Nope, I mean a towered field that is Class G airspace even when the tower is open. Don't see em too often but I have operated into two of them in my short career.

 

[pireps]

Yep, Stuart, FL used to be like that (maybe still is). No blue dashed ring or anything, just Class G but still had a tower. How the heck does that work? Well, from a reg standpoint, if you look into 91.126 (Operating on or in the vicinity of an airport in Class G airspace) under paragraph "d" it basically tells you that if there's a tower, you need to follow their directions. So in a way it's still controlled when that tower is operating.

Some airports like that have non-federal (private) control towers, and others might be awaiting appproval to become a Class D airport but don't have the operating volume yet.