Visiting the Airport Control Tower?
 

Hello. Stupid question, but I was thinking it would be a interesting "field trip" to bring some folks from work to visit the airport control tower to see the operations.

Has anyone ever done something like this? Like tried to contact the FAA and set something up?

Or is this just never going to happen....

I'm from Australia and have done it many times. Generally if you know someone who is an air traffic controller, or you work in a job where you have a reason to be familiar with air traffic control operations, it can be easy to set something up....

Assuming you are in the US.

I recall going on a field trip to see the tower many years ago, long before 9/11 and the TSA. I suspect it would be very difficult these days. You are correct that the FAA would be who to ask, probably at your local airport.

-----

These days there's not much that you can see in a control tower that you can't see on flightradar24.com. The security argument doesn't really wash if it's a civil airport.

I find it amazing that they can keep track of everything. I'd be a nervous wreck doing that job.

An individual group will most likely be turned down by the FAA, you have to know someone that work there to bring your group in.

Another source is look for Airliners International, they organize airline collectibles show, every year being held in different cities, like this year just finished in LAX, it will have different tours like airport operations including the airport control tower, but these tours are paid tours though.


You don't need to have a group backing the tour like airlines, flight schools, military units, it is about the people you know, and most likely those who work there (e.g. airport management executives) can bring you in, and it can be small or bigger facilities, like I had been to the ORD tower with a group of 10 frequent flyers by friend of a friend that work in ORD.

-----

Actually they can, like I said, it is about who you know.

I know for sure the friend of a friend that brought me in wasn't a controller, and I didn't need a background check in order to go up the tower.

-----

Yes, we visit MIA control tower years ago. We have a nice tour for aviation photography. Unfortunately, there is no camera allowed. Because it's restrictions and also, we had a nice tour at FAA control center. I remember Airliners International 2001 Miami. They offer me to get on the tour at FAA control center & control tower.

IIRC there was a DO a few years ago that organized a control tower tour at a major USA airport. They discovered at the last minute that USA citizenship was required.

So the OP should be sure to check this issue early if any of the work people to be invited might not have USA citizenship and photo ID documents such as passports to prove it.

I have visited two Norwegian towers, including both APP and TWR in the larger one where these weren't seated and "done together". Being on the very top floor of the tower watching the controllers working was really fascinating and inspiring to me.

(And now I am moving to North Dakota in September to start my education as a Norwegian Air Traffic Controller.)

Norway trains their air traffic controllers in North Dakota??

-----