Message from the KSQL Air Traffic Manager
While the airport community eagerly awaits the annual return of Hiller Aviation Museum’s Vertical Challenge, many people are behind the scenes are preparing the environment for the most efficient transition from operational-airport to show-ready and back again with minimal disruption to the regular users of the airport. One specific item comes to mind as a potential problem, so I’ve decided to bring it to your attention and ask for your help.
On the evening of Friday, June 15, the event’s festivities kick off with a “Twilight Showâ€, scheduled from 8:00 until 8:50pm which poses one specific challenge for the Tower; resuming control of the airfield at the conclusion of the air show, then terminating Control Tower Operations by 9:00pm. For the sake of orderly operations, I would ask everyone to consider their specific need for services during this period (i.e. IFR or VFR flight following, etc.) and understand the workload involved; ten minutes is short and this time compresses greatly with numerous simultaneous requests. If you must depart IFR or if you must have the Tower coordinate your VFR flight following, please consider departing earlier in the day; with few alternatives, this is the best solution to ensure a safe and orderly airport environment. Thank you for your cooperation and support.
Respectfully,
Casey B. Giddens
Air Traffic Manager
