COMPLAINT REF UNFAIR PRACTICES BY ARPT MGR WHO OBJECTS TO SKYDIVE OPS AT ARPT.

Narrative

ENRTE TO 12500 FT OVERHEAD THE TEMPLE ARPT TO DROP A LOAD OF SKYDIVERS WE HAD A NEAR MISS WITH AN SMT. THOUGH THE NEAR MISS IS IMPORTANT; THE CIRCUMSTANCES CAUSING THE INCIDENT ARE THE REAL CAUSE OF THIS POTENTIAL MID AIR. THE ARPT MGR AT TEMPLE MUNICIPAL ARPT HAS BEEN ON A PERSONAL CAMPAIGN TO RID THE ARPT OF SKYDIVING OPS. HAVING BEEN INVOLVED IN SKYDIVING OPS FOR OVER 12 YRS AND CURRENTLY OWNING AND OPERATING A SKYDIVING BUSINESS I FEEL JUSTIFIED TO SAY THAT THE OPERATORS ARE NONE OTHER THAN TRULY PROFESSIONAL AND SAFETY MINDED. THOUGH OP HAD SO FAR BEEN ABLE TO THWART THE ARPT MGR'S EFFORTS; THE SITUATION HAD DEGRADED TO THE POINT THAT IF ANYONE IS BEING EXPOSED TO UNNECESSARY DANGERS IT IS THE SKYDIVERS THEMSELVES. IN AN EFFORT TO COMPEL OP TO FIND A NEW HOME THE ARPT MGR HAS IMPOSED A SERIES OF REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF HIS AUTHORITY. THE ARPT MGR HAS DECIDED THAT IT IS HIS AUTHORITY TO DIRECT OP TO MAKE UNNECESSARY AND RESTRICTIVE RADIO XMISSIONS TO BOTH UNICOM AND APCH CTL. REGARDLESS OF THE FACT THAT FAR 91 AND 105; AC- 105; AND AIM PART 135 DO NOT REQUIRE THESE; THE ARPT MGR REQUIRES THE FOLLOWING; ALL SKYDIVING ACFT WILL: CONTACT UNICOM FOR AN AERONAUTICAL ADVISORY PRIOR TO EACH TAXI. MAKE ALL XMISSIONS WHILE IN THE ARPT PATTERN. CALL UNICOM 5 MINS BEFORE DROPPING SKYDIVERS TO RECEIVE ANOTHER AERONAUTICAL ADVISORY. CALL GRAY APCH 5 MINS PRIOR; EVEN IF APCH HAD NOT REQUESTED SUCH A CALL. CALL UNICOM 1 MIN PRIOR TO DROP FOR YET ANOTHER AERONAUTICAL ADVISORY. CALL GRAY APCH 1 MIN PRIOR TO DROP. CALL UNICOM WHEN SKYDIVERS ARE IN THE AIR. CALL GRAY APCH WHEN SKYDIVERS ARE IN THE AIR. MAKE ALL TFC PATTERN XMISSIONS. THE ONLY RADIO XMISSION REQUIRED BY FARS WHEN DROPPING SKYDIVERS ARE THOSE DIRECTED TO THE NEAREST CTLING FACILITY; IN THIS CASE GRAY APCH CTL. ALL OTHER XMISSIONS ON UNICOM ARE ADVISORY IN NATURE AND SPECIFIED SO IN THE AIM. THIS ASRS RPT IS FILED TO CLARIFY THE NEAR MISS WITH THE SMT. THE NEAR MISS WAS CAUSED BY UNNECESSARY WORKLOAD PLACEDUPON THE PLT BY THE ARPT MGR. INSTEAD OF COMPLYING WITH THE SEE AND BE SEEN CONCEPT OF VFR OPS THE PLT OF THE SKYDIVING ACFT WAS FORCED TO MANIPULATE MULTIPLE FREQS WHEN HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MAINTAINING A VIGILANT SCAN FOR TFC WHILE IN A CONSTANT CLBING ATTITUDE. THE ARPT MGR AT TEMPLE HAS ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE THE AUTHORITY OF THE PIC TO DETERMINE WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DROP HIS SKYDIVERS. HE HAS SPECIFIED THAT EACH CONTACT TO UNICOM FOR AN ADVISORY INCLUDE THE WX; WINDS; ALTIMETER AND ANY KNOWN TFC. IN A LETTER POSTED TO THE ARPT LINE PERSONNEL; THE ARPT MGR SPECIFIED THAT IF THE SKYDIVING ACFT DROP THEIR LOAD WITH 'ANY ACFT IN THE AREA' HE IS TO BE NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY. WHEN ASKED BY THE OWNERS OF SKYDIVING OP TO DEFINE THIS STATEMENT THE ARPT MGR REFUSED AND LED THE LINE PERSONNEL TO BELIEVE THAT THE SKYDIVING ACFT WERE NOT ALLOWED TO DROP IF ANY ACFT HAD MADE CONTACT WITH UNICOM. THE ARPT MGR HAS NO AUTHORITY TO FORCE THE PLTS OF SKYDIVING ACFT TO OBTAIN CLRNC FROM THE LINE PERSONNEL TO DROP THEIR LOAD. IT IS LUDICROUS TO THINK THAT A LINE PERSON HAS BETTER SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF POTENTIAL TFC CONFLICTS WITH EXITING SKYDIVERS THAN DOES THE PLT OF THE SKYDIVING ACFT AND ATC. FURTHER COMPLICATING THE SITUATION IS FREQ CONGESTION ON UNICOM. AT 12500 FT THE RECEPTION AND XMISSION RANGE OF A VHF RADIO CAN BE HUNDREDS OF MI. THIS FORCES THE PLTS OF THE SKYDIVE ACFT GREAT DIFFICULTY IN COMMUNICATING WITH TEMPLE UNICOM. IT IS NO ENHANCEMENT TO SAFETY TO CONGEST THE UNICOM WITH UNNECESSARY XMISSIONS FOR HUNDREDS OF MI AROUND; BLOCKING XMISSIONS OF ACFT IN TFC PATTERNS NOT EVEN RELATED TO THE ARPT WHERE THE SKYDIVING OPS ARE BEING CONDUCTED. 1 MIN PRIOR TO THE SKYDIVERS EXITING THE ACFT THE PLT HAS HIS HANDS FULL. THE REQUIREMENTS IMPOSED AT TEMPLE CAUSE THE PLT TO MAKE 4 SEPARATE RADIO XMISSIONS AND 5 FREQ CHANGES ALL WITHIN 1 MIN PRIOR TO EXIT. THIS IS A TIME WHEN THE PLT IS TRANSITIONING FROM CLB TO LEVEL FLT; CHANGING PWR SETTING; ACFT CONFIGN; TRIM; ADJUSTING TO CG SHIFTSAS THE SKYDIVERS POS OVER THEMSELVES FOR EXIT; SEARCHING FOR TFC AND MAKING FINAL ADJUSTMENTS TO THE ACFTS POS OVER THE ARPT. COMPOUNDING ALL OF THIS WITH MORE RADIO XMISSIONS IS NOT SAFETY ENHANCING. THE TRUE SAFETY HAZARD IS ALLOWING A PERSON IN A POS OF AUTHORITY TO ABUSE THAT POS BY IMPOSING THEIR PERSONAL BELIEF UPON OTHERS. THE ARPT MGR AT TEMPLE MUNICIPAL ARPT HAS EXPRESSED HIS PERSONAL DISLIKE FOR SKYDIVING OPS. HE IS CURRENTLY ATTEMPTING TO ACHIEVE HIS PERSONAL DESIRE TO RID TEMPLE ARPT OF SKYDIVING UNDER THE CLOAK OF 'SAFETY.' HOWEVER HIS ATTEMPTS ARE MORE DETRIMENTAL TO SAFETY THAN THE PERCEIVED DANGER THAT SKYDIVERS POSE TO THE ARPT. IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THE CITY OF TEMPLE HAS RECEIVED FUNDS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE TEMPLE ARPT AND WITH THOSE FUNDS COME AN OBLIGATION TO NOT DISCRIMINATE BTWN BONAFIDE AERONAUTICAL USES. NO OTHER USERS OF THE TEMPLE ARPT HAVE BEEN FORCED TO COMPLY WITH ANY TYPE OF RESTRICTIONS THAT SKYDIVE OP HAS HAD TO DEAL WITH.