NOTAM INFO DISSEMINATION. UNABLE TO FIND TWR FREQ AT CWA.

Narrative

ENRTE FROM MINNEAPOLIS TO DETROIT; AS I PASSED OVER THE AUW VOR IN THE MIDDLE OF WI; I NOTICED ATC WAS HANDING OFF ACFT TO THE TWR AT CWA (CENTRAL WI). LAST TIME I HAD BEEN THERE; THERE WAS NO TWR; AND I FILED IT AWAY IN THE BACK OF MY MIND. WHEN GETTING A BRIEFING FROM THE FSS IN DETROIT (LANSING?) 3 DAYS LATER; AND FILING TO CWA TO STOP FOR GAS ON THE RETURN TRIP; THE BRIEFER GAVE ME A NOTAM DETAILING THE HRS OF THE TWR. NO PROBLEM; I THOUGHT. AS I PASSED OVER GREEN BAY (FROM THE E) AND BEGAN SETTING UP FOR THE APCH; I COULD NOT FIND THE TWR FREQ FOR CWA ANYWHERE; NOT ON THE APCH CHARTS; NOT IN THE ARPT DIRECTORY; NOT ON THE LOW ALT ENRTE CHARTS. I DOUBLE CHKED THE DATES: EVERYTHING WAS CURRENT (I WOULD HOPE SO; I HAVE A SUBSCRIPTION WITH NOAA)! I CALLED GREEN BAY RADIO; AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE INFO; AND FINALLY FOUND IT IN THE 'PRINTED' NOTAMS. AS IT TURNED OUT; THE AWOS AT CWA HAD BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ATIS; AND THE RECORDING INCLUDED THE TWR FREQ. I INQUIRED AGAIN ON THE GND AT THE FBO; AND GOT THE STANDARD SONG AND DANCE ABOUT 'CHKING ALL SOURCES OF INFO THAT RELATE TO THE FLT.' IN THE DAYS OF TELETYPES AND MANUAL DATA ENTRY; I CAN UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF CLASS B (30 DAYS OLD) AND CLASS L (LCL) NOTAMS. BUT IN THIS DAY OF MODERN COMPUTERS AND HIGH SPD DATA XMISSION (FOR MOST OF US; ANYWAY); THIS IS A COP-OUT. THERE IS NO LEGITIMATE REASON WHY ALL INFO CANNOT BE AVAILABLE ON-LINE TO THE FSS BRIEFERS; DUAT; AND SO FORTH. CLASS L NOTAMS AREN'T AVAILABLE UNLESS YOU KNOW WHICH FSS TO ASK; AND I DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE PRINTED CLASS B NOTAMS. IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE; A DANGEROUS SITUATION WAS CREATED. A FORMER UNICOM ARPT COMMISSIONS A TWR. IT IS A SEMI-RURAL AREA; BUT THERE IS CONSIDERABLE COMMUTER AIRLINE TFC. PEOPLE ARE APPARENTLY LNDG WHILE MONITORING UNICOM; BUT NOT MAKING ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS (YEAH; I KNOW; IT'S NOT REQUIRED; BUT THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE -- DON'T GET ME STARTED ON THAT ONE)! THE CWA TWR MAY BE MONITORING UNICOM; BUT THAT WOULD NOT HELP UNLESS THE PLT IS USING HIS HER RADIO! THE CHANGE DIDN'T MAKE IT INTO THE APPROPRIATE PUBLICATIONS IN TIME; AND THEY COMMISSIONED THE TWR WITHOUT WAITING FOR THE INFO TO BE PUBLISHED (WERE THEY IN THAT BIG OF A HURRY?). AFTER 30 DAYS; THE CLASS A NOTAM 'EXPIRES' AND DOWNGRADES TO CLASS B; AND FSS JUST 'FORGETS' ABOUT IT. AND IT'S MY FAULT FOR NOT LOOKING IN A LITTLE BOOK THAT I HAVE SEEN ONLY ONCE IN MY ENTIRE LIFE? I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I CAN GET A SUBSCRIPTION TO IT.