Team Travel Issues thanks to Sequestration

[Southern Bison]

Two weeks ago, the FAA began closing down 149 Air Traffic Control towers at regional airports throughout the country. Some notable towers that will affect traveling for FCS teams and fans are:

Southern Illinois Airport - Carbondale, IL (S. Illinois U.)
Grand Strand - Myrtle Beach, SC (Coastal Carolina U.)
Lynchburg Regional - Lynchburg, VA (Liberty)
Manhattan Regional - Manhattan, KS (NDSU's opener at K State)
Hickory Regional - Hickory, NC & Smith Reynolds Field - Winston-Salem, NC (App State?)

I'm sure that there more schools that will be affected by this than we think. In some situations, this means a visiting team may have a 2-3 hr bus ride just to get to the game location after flying in to the next nearest airport on their charter.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewbender/2013/03/24/faa-to-close-149-air-traffic-control-towers-under-sequester-what-it-means/
http://www.faa.gov/news/media/fct_closed.pdf

[NDB]

That doesn't mean the airports are closing superstar...

[tourguide]

Looks like a bunch of crap cities in crap states. Nothing in North Dakota or Nevada so its not really a big deal

[Southern Bison]

That doesn't mean the airports are closing superstar...

In speaking with the company that we chartered our bus for a road trip to Youngstown for the game in Nov., he stated that schools are not happy about the problems this will create and the extra travel that will be necessary. His company is already fielding calls for additional trips because the charters will have to land somewhere else and the teams will have to bus to the game location/city.

Concord Regional is a major take-off spot for the NASCAR teams & drivers' planes since most of the race shops are nearby. They've had to make serious adjustments already according to my contacts.

[rokamortis]

1) The Grand Strand airport isn't closing - just going to use different control tower. It is a small airport.
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2013/03/22/3396555/control-tower-at-grand-strand.html
2) The main airport is Myrtle Beach Regional.
3) Conway has a small airport that would probably suffice.
4) I do not believe Coastal is planning on flying anywhere or hosting a team who will fly in the near future.

[walliver]

1) The Grand Strand airport isn't closing - just going to use different control tower. It is a small airport.
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2013/03/22/3396555/control-tower-at-grand-strand.html
2) The main airport is Myrtle Beach Regional.
3) Conway has a small airport that would probably suffice.
4) I do not believe Coastal is planning on flying anywhere or hosting a team who will fly in the near future.

What about Monmouth?

[rokamortis]

What about Monmouth?

I did forget about them being added in 2014 - but I'm not sure either will fly. It is about 10 hours - probably could go either way.

[CFBfan]

I did forget about them being added in 2014 - but I'm not sure either will fly. It is about 10 hours - probably could go either way.

Blame Obama!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!

[heath]

Two weeks ago, the FAA began closing down 149 Air Traffic Control towers at regional airports throughout the country. Some notable towers that will affect traveling for FCS teams and fans are:

Southern Illinois Airport - Carbondale, IL (S. Illinois U.)
Grand Strand - Myrtle Beach, SC (Coastal Carolina U.)
Lynchburg Regional - Lynchburg, VA (Liberty)
Manhattan Regional - Manhattan, KS (NDSU's opener at K State)
Hickory Regional - Hickory, NC & Smith Reynolds Field - Winston-Salem, NC (App State?)

I'm sure that there more schools that will be affected by this than we think. In some situations, this means a visiting team may have a 2-3 hr bus ride just to get to the game location after flying in to the next nearest airport on their charter.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewbender/2013/03/24/faa-to-close-149-air-traffic-control-towers-under-sequester-what-it-means/
http://www.faa.gov/news/media/fct_closed.pdf

Switch the TV channel off MSNBC,or just switch parties and start enjoying life HOPING the government was not put in place to run peoples lives. Your glass seems half empty but probably the way you've taught.BTW, we will not skip a beat cutting back 2% of anything-learn to adjust,thats what the whole hope and change BS was about.xthumbsupx

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Time to move this to the politics board.

[Southern Bison]

Switch the TV channel off MSNBC,or just switch parties and start enjoying life HOPING the government was not put in place to run peoples lives. Your glass seems half empty but probably the way you've taught.BTW, we will not skip a beat cutting back 2% of anything-learn to adjust,thats what the whole hope and change BS was about.xthumbsupx

Heath, I don't know where you're coming from with this ^^^ but you apparently haven't looked at the Political board in the AGS Lounge. For the record, MSNBC is nothing more than a liberal ****-spewing joke of a news organization. I posted this because of what a charter bus broker had been seeing in his own business over the past few weeks. Personally, I think the sequester was a joke and did more to hurt than help. As Ronald Reagan said, Government is not the solution, it's the problem. BTW, life-long Republican and conservative and Chair Emeritus of largest Young Republicans chapter in NC...

[ngineer]

Closing the towers does not close the airport.

[CopperCat]

If it is the charter company's policy that the intended landing destination must have a manned tower (class B, C, and D airports) then that would be the driving factor. You don't have to have a control tower to land anywhere, I've done it lots of times. Universities may be able to influence the charter companies by telling them they will go elsewhere with their money if they won't land at a non-towered field.

[NoDak 4 Ever]

Time to move this to the politics board.

That's all the OP was intending anyway.

[bluehenbillk]

A lot about nothing - everything will be fine come football season. Just some FAA people trying to get attention yesterday.