More space, digital equipment, better visibility, elevators, safer stairwells — these are only a few advantages to the new air traffic control tower that were mentioned at an Oct. 26 ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dover Air Force Base.
“The most important thing is not to find a bad guy,” said Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., during the ceremony. “The most important thing is to take off safely, fly safely and land safely.”
Carper said the Delaware delegation had lobbied Congressional leaders for several years for the funds to build the approximately $16 million tower. The new facility replaces an air traffic control tower that dates back to the 1950s and is the oldest traffic control tower being used by the Air Force.
“We have to be mindful that we are landing some of the biggest planes and planes that are full of equipment, personnel and gear,” said Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del., at the ceremony.
Dover is to begin using the new tower during the evening of Oct. 31. Maj. Joe Rajos, who will be in charge of the new facility, said controllers will end one shift in the old tower and start the next in the new tower.
With the installation of elevators, personnel no longer will need to trudge up more than 90 stairs or climb up a narrow staircase to reach the top of the tower.
With the new digital equipment, Rajos said the air traffic controllers will need to spend less time focusing on the equipment and will have more time to look through the windows at the runways.
The equipment also will allow the military to have pictures of any mishaps, so they can re-create the exact events and analyze what went wrong, Rajos said.
The new tower is 25 feet taller and located north of the former facility, which will allow air traffic controllers to see more of the runways and better manage vehicles that are used to taxi airplanes or unload cargo, Rajos said.
“It’s like going from a mini compact car to a luxury vehicle,” Rajos said, adding the new tower will allow the three to five air traffic controllers to have more space to move around the top of the tower.
Once Dover AFB starts using the new tower, the top of the former air traffic control tower will be moved to the base’s Air Command Mobility Museum, said 436th Airlift Wing commander Col. Manson Morris.
Email Elaine Hughes at elaine.huges@doverpost.com
