Narrative:

The us air force has a waiver from the FAA to conduct low level fly-bys at the air force academy. The USAF has a long standing tradition of exercising the provisions of this waiver for events such as football games and commencement ceremonies. This practice has evolved into what is now a chronically unsafe situation. On this date the USAF scheduled 41 aircraft of ten different types ranging from MTR's to bmb's to fly over the football stadium in the space of 30 mins on a precise min-by-min schedule. The aircraft arrived from every direction with many departing cos to hold over the city south of the academy for their appointed times. The fly-by aircraft were in addition to the normal volume of traffic worked by cos approach and the airspace congestion was considerable. The high terrain immediately west of cos limits usable airspace and flexibility of radar control procedures. The size, speed, variety and number of military aircraft along with the frequent unexplained lapses in communication and confusion about times, requested altitudes, flight break-ups, post fly-by recovery procedures and coordination required for aircraft departing the cos area IFR, greatly degraded the ability of cos ATCT to provide a safe, orderly and expeditious service to the users of the system during that time. In my view it was the extraordinary efforts of the ATC at cos which prevented any (known) unsafe sits. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that this is not an isolated incident. It has happened at least 3 or 4 times in the last several yrs where large number of military aircraft are involved, and numerous times with lesser amounts of aircraft. Reporter does not have a problem with the fly-by's when smaller number of aircraft are involved. They can be handled with little difficulty. The large groups are a different story. In this case, the facility manager called the air force and said they could not handle so many. Supposedly, the air force said they would cut the number in half. However, they came in force, mostly unannounced. In addition, trying to get these aircraft back to the center for handoffs is not easy since many of them came in flts of two or more and generally go back single. It appears the that the facility does not get together with the military in advance to discuss their plan of action. They normally send a letter stating what they plan on doing and waivers are handed by FSDO if required. So far no deals.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR CLAIMS THAT FLY-BY AIR SHOWS BY MIL ACFT IMPACT CTLR WORKLOAD AND THE NORMAL FLOW OF TFC.

Narrative: THE US AIR FORCE HAS A WAIVER FROM THE FAA TO CONDUCT LOW LEVEL FLY-BYS AT THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY. THE USAF HAS A LONG STANDING TRADITION OF EXERCISING THE PROVISIONS OF THIS WAIVER FOR EVENTS SUCH AS FOOTBALL GAMES AND COMMENCEMENT CEREMONIES. THIS PRACTICE HAS EVOLVED INTO WHAT IS NOW A CHRONICALLY UNSAFE SIT. ON THIS DATE THE USAF SCHEDULED 41 ACFT OF TEN DIFFERENT TYPES RANGING FROM MTR'S TO BMB'S TO FLY OVER THE FOOTBALL STADIUM IN THE SPACE OF 30 MINS ON A PRECISE MIN-BY-MIN SCHEDULE. THE ACFT ARRIVED FROM EVERY DIRECTION WITH MANY DEPARTING COS TO HOLD OVER THE CITY S OF THE ACADEMY FOR THEIR APPOINTED TIMES. THE FLY-BY ACFT WERE IN ADDITION TO THE NORMAL VOLUME OF TFC WORKED BY COS APCH AND THE AIRSPACE CONGESTION WAS CONSIDERABLE. THE HIGH TERRAIN IMMEDIATELY W OF COS LIMITS USABLE AIRSPACE AND FLEXIBILITY OF RADAR CONTROL PROCS. THE SIZE, SPD, VARIETY AND NUMBER OF MIL ACFT ALONG WITH THE FREQUENT UNEXPLAINED LAPSES IN COM AND CONFUSION ABOUT TIMES, REQUESTED ALTS, FLT BREAK-UPS, POST FLY-BY RECOVERY PROCS AND COORD REQUIRED FOR ACFT DEPARTING THE COS AREA IFR, GREATLY DEGRADED THE ABILITY OF COS ATCT TO PROVIDE A SAFE, ORDERLY AND EXPEDITIOUS SVC TO THE USERS OF THE SYS DURING THAT TIME. IN MY VIEW IT WAS THE EXTRAORDINARY EFFORTS OF THE ATC AT COS WHICH PREVENTED ANY (KNOWN) UNSAFE SITS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. IT HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 3 OR 4 TIMES IN THE LAST SEVERAL YRS WHERE LARGE NUMBER OF MIL ACFT ARE INVOLVED, AND NUMEROUS TIMES WITH LESSER AMOUNTS OF ACFT. RPTR DOES NOT HAVE A PROB WITH THE FLY-BY'S WHEN SMALLER NUMBER OF ACFT ARE INVOLVED. THEY CAN BE HANDLED WITH LITTLE DIFFICULTY. THE LARGE GROUPS ARE A DIFFERENT STORY. IN THIS CASE, THE FAC MGR CALLED THE AIR FORCE AND SAID THEY COULD NOT HANDLE SO MANY. SUPPOSEDLY, THE AIR FORCE SAID THEY WOULD CUT THE NUMBER IN HALF. HOWEVER, THEY CAME IN FORCE, MOSTLY UNANNOUNCED. IN ADDITION, TRYING TO GET THESE ACFT BACK TO THE CTR FOR HDOFS IS NOT EASY SINCE MANY OF THEM CAME IN FLTS OF TWO OR MORE AND GENERALLY GO BACK SINGLE. IT APPEARS THE THAT THE FACILITY DOES NOT GET TOGETHER WITH THE MIL IN ADVANCE TO DISCUSS THEIR PLAN OF ACTION. THEY NORMALLY SEND A LETTER STATING WHAT THEY PLAN ON DOING AND WAIVERS ARE HANDED BY FSDO IF REQUIRED. SO FAR NO DEALS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.