Narrative:

The airport passenger term area has been identified as a blind area for radio communication. Usually at terminal, we can reach clearance delivery. Almost always, if we taxi a short distance, we can reach tower. Almost never can we reach ground control, until we are established on taxiway areas. This is with all aircraft in our fleet. Normal day for our commuter. Passenger boarded and attempted to reach clearance delivery. No luck, so we called tower (normal procedure). Tower kept sending us to ground and/or clearance for radio checks. After a while we were falling behind schedule -- so we started engines and taxied closer to the taxiway in an attempt to better communication. Sheppard made no attempt to allow us to simply talk to tower (it was only early 30 am - no other traffic on air or ground). We switched frequencys and went back and forth so often that it interfered with our normal checklists. Recommendation - remote antenna at terminal. Explain to military controllers at sps that scheduled carries have schedules to stick to and checklists to perform. Sometimes, when all is not perfect accommodation is in order -- i.e. Let us stay on tower when their budget does not permit adequate radio facilities for communication on ground. Better still: civilian controllers at sps would be great! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter believes that the air force is 'using 30 yr old radios and has idiots for controllers' at sps. He realizes that this is a training base, but wishes that the system could be a little more flexible when dealing with air carrier aircraft. The VHF is weak, also. He has not yet talked to his boss or the station manager, and is now aware of the FAA safety hot line.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LTT PLT RPTS DIFFICULTY IN GETTING GND CTL AT SPS.

Narrative: THE ARPT PAX TERM AREA HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A BLIND AREA FOR RADIO COM. USUALLY AT TERMINAL, WE CAN REACH CLRNC DELIVERY. ALMOST ALWAYS, IF WE TAXI A SHORT DISTANCE, WE CAN REACH TWR. ALMOST NEVER CAN WE REACH GND CTL, UNTIL WE ARE ESTABLISHED ON TXWY AREAS. THIS IS WITH ALL ACFT IN OUR FLEET. NORMAL DAY FOR OUR COMMUTER. PAX BOARDED AND ATTEMPTED TO REACH CLRNC DELIVERY. NO LUCK, SO WE CALLED TWR (NORMAL PROC). TWR KEPT SENDING US TO GND AND/OR CLRNC FOR RADIO CHKS. AFTER A WHILE WE WERE FALLING BEHIND SCHEDULE -- SO WE STARTED ENGS AND TAXIED CLOSER TO THE TXWY IN AN ATTEMPT TO BETTER COM. SHEPPARD MADE NO ATTEMPT TO ALLOW US TO SIMPLY TALK TO TWR (IT WAS ONLY EARLY 30 AM - NO OTHER TFC ON AIR OR GND). WE SWITCHED FREQS AND WENT BACK AND FORTH SO OFTEN THAT IT INTERFERED WITH OUR NORMAL CHKLISTS. RECOMMENDATION - REMOTE ANTENNA AT TERMINAL. EXPLAIN TO MIL CTLRS AT SPS THAT SCHEDULED CARRIES HAVE SCHEDULES TO STICK TO AND CHKLISTS TO PERFORM. SOMETIMES, WHEN ALL IS NOT PERFECT ACCOMMODATION IS IN ORDER -- I.E. LET US STAY ON TWR WHEN THEIR BUDGET DOES NOT PERMIT ADEQUATE RADIO FACILITIES FOR COM ON GND. BETTER STILL: CIVILIAN CTLRS AT SPS WOULD BE GREAT! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT THE AIR FORCE IS 'USING 30 YR OLD RADIOS AND HAS IDIOTS FOR CTLRS' AT SPS. HE REALIZES THAT THIS IS A TRAINING BASE, BUT WISHES THAT THE SYS COULD BE A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBLE WHEN DEALING WITH ACR ACFT. THE VHF IS WEAK, ALSO. HE HAS NOT YET TALKED TO HIS BOSS OR THE STATION MANAGER, AND IS NOW AWARE OF THE FAA SAFETY HOT LINE.

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.