Narrative:

En route from (eyw) key west, we used flight following to aide in flight safety on our trip back to gyy (gary, in) our normal fuel stop is athens, GA (last 10 yrs). Center handed us off to macon approach, macon approach took us through their airspace and terminated our flight following just south of ahn. All normal so far, in checking our position in our IFR chart and the LORAN we verified the frequencys with LORAN database. It concurred with our last 10 visits to ahn only unicom on 123.00. We watched for traffic and stated our position and intentions, called downwind base, final and made a smooth uneventful landing for the 11TH time at ahn. Since our last visit, the ahn tower was reopened!! They contacted us on roll out on 123.00. The tower personnel knew the mistake being made because they knew what frequency to contact us on, namely the old unicom frequency. We know things change from time to time with regard to airports, airways, intxns, etc. We would like to suggest a few safety ideas. As on VFR charts, IFR charts with airports with towers in operation should be uniquely marked as such. Tower procedures, for relatively new towers should include monitoring the old unicom frequency for the first 18 months, to listen for aircraft unintentionally not contacting the new tower. A 30 cent postcard could be sent to recent and repeat patrons of the FBO at the new towered airport to advise of the major change to class D airspace. Timely reminders could be sent by the manufacturers of LORAN and GPS units to update the new databases now being used so widely in GA. We have other safety ideas and would welcome a call. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he was operating a beech baron model 55 aircraft and had not been contacted by the FAA regarding investigation of his oversight. He was informed that since the appropriate sectional and airport facility directory (even the IFR airport diagram chart), showed the athens control tower, there was no real need to provide it on the IFR en route charts since the controller will usually advise the frequency when handing off landing traffic to the tower controller! He seemed pleased with this response by us and our service.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF AN SMA TWIN FAILED TO CONTACT THE TWR ON LNDG SINCE IT WAS A NEWLY ESTABLISHED TWR SINCE HIS LAST VISIT.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM (EYW) KEY WEST, WE USED FLT FOLLOWING TO AIDE IN FLT SAFETY ON OUR TRIP BACK TO GYY (GARY, IN) OUR NORMAL FUEL STOP IS ATHENS, GA (LAST 10 YRS). CTR HANDED US OFF TO MACON APCH, MACON APCH TOOK US THROUGH THEIR AIRSPACE AND TERMINATED OUR FLT FOLLOWING JUST S OF AHN. ALL NORMAL SO FAR, IN CHKING OUR POS IN OUR IFR CHART AND THE LORAN WE VERIFIED THE FREQS WITH LORAN DATABASE. IT CONCURRED WITH OUR LAST 10 VISITS TO AHN ONLY UNICOM ON 123.00. WE WATCHED FOR TFC AND STATED OUR POS AND INTENTIONS, CALLED DOWNWIND BASE, FINAL AND MADE A SMOOTH UNEVENTFUL LNDG FOR THE 11TH TIME AT AHN. SINCE OUR LAST VISIT, THE AHN TWR WAS REOPENED!! THEY CONTACTED US ON ROLL OUT ON 123.00. THE TWR PERSONNEL KNEW THE MISTAKE BEING MADE BECAUSE THEY KNEW WHAT FREQ TO CONTACT US ON, NAMELY THE OLD UNICOM FREQ. WE KNOW THINGS CHANGE FROM TIME TO TIME WITH REGARD TO ARPTS, AIRWAYS, INTXNS, ETC. WE WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST A FEW SAFETY IDEAS. AS ON VFR CHARTS, IFR CHARTS WITH ARPTS WITH TWRS IN OP SHOULD BE UNIQUELY MARKED AS SUCH. TWR PROCS, FOR RELATIVELY NEW TWRS SHOULD INCLUDE MONITORING THE OLD UNICOM FREQ FOR THE FIRST 18 MONTHS, TO LISTEN FOR ACFT UNINTENTIONALLY NOT CONTACTING THE NEW TWR. A 30 CENT POSTCARD COULD BE SENT TO RECENT AND REPEAT PATRONS OF THE FBO AT THE NEW TOWERED ARPT TO ADVISE OF THE MAJOR CHANGE TO CLASS D AIRSPACE. TIMELY REMINDERS COULD BE SENT BY THE MANUFACTURERS OF LORAN AND GPS UNITS TO UPDATE THE NEW DATABASES NOW BEING USED SO WIDELY IN GA. WE HAVE OTHER SAFETY IDEAS AND WOULD WELCOME A CALL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS OPERATING A BEECH BARON MODEL 55 ACFT AND HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED BY THE FAA REGARDING INVESTIGATION OF HIS OVERSIGHT. HE WAS INFORMED THAT SINCE THE APPROPRIATE SECTIONAL AND ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY (EVEN THE IFR ARPT DIAGRAM CHART), SHOWED THE ATHENS CTL TWR, THERE WAS NO REAL NEED TO PROVIDE IT ON THE IFR ENRTE CHARTS SINCE THE CTLR WILL USUALLY ADVISE THE FREQ WHEN HANDING OFF LNDG TFC TO THE TWR CTLR! HE SEEMED PLEASED WITH THIS RESPONSE BY US AND OUR SVC.

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.