MODEL ACFT BEING OPERATED IN THE TFC PATTERN WITHOUT ATC KNOWLEDGE AND IN CLOSE PROX WITH TFC.

Narrative

RADIO CTLED ACFT WERE OBSERVED OPERATING IN THE ATA; ON THE ARPT AND ON MOVEMENT AREAS. ACFT HAD BEEN LANDING AND DEPARTING INCLUDING ACR OPS AND FGTS OPERATING IN THE TFC PATTERN. PERSONNEL OPERATING THE RADIO CTLED ACFT WERE GIVEN PERMISSION BY THE ARPT DIRECTOR BUT NO ONE ELSE WAS NOTIFIED. NO NOTAMS OR WAIVERS WERE ISSUED. AIR TFC OPS WHERE SUSPENDED IMMEDIATELY IN THE INTEREST OF AIR SAFETY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THIS OCCURRED AROUND SHIFT CHANGE AND WAS JUST COMING ON DUTY. WAS NOT WORKING POS; BUT SAW THE MODEL ACFT FLYING UP TO APPROX 200 FT. DID NOT SEE ANY CONFLICTS WITH OTHER ACFT. THE ARPT STAYED CLOSED FOR LESS THAN 30 MINS UNTIL THE MODEL ACFT COULD BE STOPPED. THERE WAS NO INFORMATION IN THE TWR ON THIS EVENT; EITHER PERTAINING TO MODEL ACFT OR CLOSING A PORTION OF THE MOVEMENT AREAS. THINKS THAT ATM NOTIFIED THE REGIONAL OFFICE ABOUT THIS; BUT NOT SURE IF DISCUSSION WITH ARPT MGR TOOK PLACE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 258688: WHILE ON BREAK IN THE TWR CAB; I OBSERVED A MODEL HELI OFF THE DEP END OF RWY 28 (RWY IN USE) AT APPROX 2-300 FT AGL. NO ONE IN THE TWR WAS AWARE OF THIS OP. I SUGGESTED TO LCL CTL THAT PRACTICE LNDGS BE STOPPED. THERE WERE FGT'S IN PATTERN. TFC COUNT WAS IN THE 50S FOR THAT PERIOD OF TIME. WE STOPPED TFC - SENT OUT SECURITY; HAD THE ACTIVITY STOPPED. IT TURNS OUT ARPT AUTH APPROVED THE OP (ATTACHED) - NO NOTAMS SENT - NO COORD WITH TWR. IS IT LEGAL TO HAVE REMOTE CONTROLLED ACFT IN ATA? THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS!