Narrative:

These parachute jumpers have created a dangerous situation for controllers. Their jump zone is now in the middle of our arrival route. FAA management has told us that we are to rerte all inbounds to dfw around the parachute jumpers to avoid compromising safety. This will increase my workload by at least 100 percent. Instead of running parallel arrs, all aircraft must now be in trail, requiring excessive vectors. All aircraft must be rerted in the computer for correct strip processing, therefore, increasing my workload and creating possible distrs. My solution: stop or move the jumpers! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he feels this situation is compromising safety. The workload at his facility, center, was fairly heavy under normal circumstances. Now with the in trail separation required, he notices controllers who cannot handle the increased workload. His facility has been getting heat from regional to reduce the 20 mi separation, and an ongoing request from approach to maintain the 20 mi separation. This mainly happens on saturday and sunday when the jump activity is high. The jump airspace is protected from 8:30 am until late afternoon. The jumping may occur only 45 mins during that time. He feels there must be a better way to handle this. One of the major problems is the lack of range marks for controller use to separate aircraft and if that was available it would make the job much easier. This all developed when the airspace around dfw was expanded and increased by about 40 percent. New rtes were established and they go directly over the drop zone. They work very well when there is no jump activity. The jump activity has been going on for many yrs and the owner does not feel he should have to move because the rtes have been changed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTR CTLR RPT REGARDING PARACHUTE JUMP ZONE CAUSING PROBS DUE TO THE NEED FOR IN TRAIL SEPARATION ON ARR AT DFW.

Narrative: THESE PARACHUTE JUMPERS HAVE CREATED A DANGEROUS SIT FOR CTLRS. THEIR JUMP ZONE IS NOW IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR ARR RTE. FAA MGMNT HAS TOLD US THAT WE ARE TO RERTE ALL INBOUNDS TO DFW AROUND THE PARACHUTE JUMPERS TO AVOID COMPROMISING SAFETY. THIS WILL INCREASE MY WORKLOAD BY AT LEAST 100 PERCENT. INSTEAD OF RUNNING PARALLEL ARRS, ALL ACFT MUST NOW BE IN TRAIL, REQUIRING EXCESSIVE VECTORS. ALL ACFT MUST BE RERTED IN THE COMPUTER FOR CORRECT STRIP PROCESSING, THEREFORE, INCREASING MY WORKLOAD AND CREATING POSSIBLE DISTRS. MY SOLUTION: STOP OR MOVE THE JUMPERS! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE FEELS THIS SIT IS COMPROMISING SAFETY. THE WORKLOAD AT HIS FACILITY, CTR, WAS FAIRLY HVY UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES. NOW WITH THE IN TRAIL SEPARATION REQUIRED, HE NOTICES CTLRS WHO CANNOT HANDLE THE INCREASED WORKLOAD. HIS FACILITY HAS BEEN GETTING HEAT FROM REGIONAL TO REDUCE THE 20 MI SEPARATION, AND AN ONGOING REQUEST FROM APCH TO MAINTAIN THE 20 MI SEPARATION. THIS MAINLY HAPPENS ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WHEN THE JUMP ACTIVITY IS HIGH. THE JUMP AIRSPACE IS PROTECTED FROM 8:30 AM UNTIL LATE AFTERNOON. THE JUMPING MAY OCCUR ONLY 45 MINS DURING THAT TIME. HE FEELS THERE MUST BE A BETTER WAY TO HANDLE THIS. ONE OF THE MAJOR PROBS IS THE LACK OF RANGE MARKS FOR CTLR USE TO SEPARATE ACFT AND IF THAT WAS AVAILABLE IT WOULD MAKE THE JOB MUCH EASIER. THIS ALL DEVELOPED WHEN THE AIRSPACE AROUND DFW WAS EXPANDED AND INCREASED BY ABOUT 40 PERCENT. NEW RTES WERE ESTABLISHED AND THEY GO DIRECTLY OVER THE DROP ZONE. THEY WORK VERY WELL WHEN THERE IS NO JUMP ACTIVITY. THE JUMP ACTIVITY HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR MANY YRS AND THE OWNER DOES NOT FEEL HE SHOULD HAVE TO MOVE BECAUSE THE RTES HAVE BEEN CHANGED.

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.