Narrative:

I am reporting a terrible safety problem affecting my facility and the flying public in and around myrtle beach, sc. Our facility was established as part of the AFB closure in dec/92. At that time the airport (myrtle beach international) was closed to GA aircraft. Now GA aircraft are permitted to land and there has been a tremendous increase in GA activity. This increase, along with rapidly growing air carrier and air taxi operations at the airport have made this airspace increasingly more complex for pilots and controllers alike. Anytime airspace density and complexity are rapidly increasing, safety becomes more of a concern. Immediately upon the takeover of the airspace from the air force, the FAA at the local level began implementing procedures to establish an upgrade in airspace from class D to class C. The process was completed at the local level over 2 yrs ago, and the paperwork has been sitting in washington since that time. After many delays, we were advised that the class C airspace would be implemented with the new airspace maps published on jan/thu/97. This timing was nearly ideal in order to help both the users and the controllers familiarize themselves with the new procedures prior to the busy traffic season beginning in the spring. On jan/thu/97 (2 weeks prior to implementation), we were advised that the new airspace classification would not be implemented at this time due to budgetary resources, bureaucratic red tape, and 'higher priority' issues. We were informed that the new date for implementation would be with the next printing of the airspace maps on aug/thu/97. This date is of course subject to further delays. The FAA says that implementation prior to the august date would cost 'thousands' of dollars to print special maps. Our question being, when does safety fit into the FAA's budget? Myrtle beach international airport is now the second fastest growing airport in the country. In the past 2 yrs while this paperwork has been sitting in washington, this airport/airspace has experienced a nearly 50 percent increase in traffic. Corp and other GA traffic which were once nonexistent, are now booming. Anyone familiar with this airport is already aware of the north american institute of aviation in nearby conway, and the heavy banner-tow traffic along the beach during the majority of the yr. With the increase in tourism in this area comes in increase in air carrier/air taxi operations. All indications are that this rapid increase in traffic will continue into the foreseeable future. Please be aware that myself and the other air traffic controllers at myrtle beach will continue to do everything we can to provide the best and safest service both now and in the future. Our only concern is keeping safety in the myrtle beach area a priority with FAA washington headquarters. Supplemental information from acn 358205: unfortunately for the flying public, the peak traffic months at myrtle beach international airport begin in early march and continue for only about a month following the august implementation date. Therefore, the new date is much too late to alleviate the safety concerns for this busy flying season. Callback conversation with reporter acn #358204 revealed the following information: reporter stated that after sending letters to 2 congressmen, reporter heard the class C airspace may be implemented in march. Reporter alleged the congressmen directed the FAA to implement the class C sooner than august.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLASS C AIRSPACE JANUARY IMPLEMENTATION DELAYED UNTIL AUGUST CHART PRINTING. RPTR ALLEGES THAT FAA SAYS IMPLEMENTATION BEFORE AUGUST WOULD COST THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR SPECIAL MAPS. RPTR CONCERN FOR SAFETY DUE TO 50 PERCENT INCREASE IN TFC IN PAST 2 YRS.

Narrative: I AM RPTING A TERRIBLE SAFETY PROB AFFECTING MY FACILITY AND THE FLYING PUBLIC IN AND AROUND MYRTLE BEACH, SC. OUR FACILITY WAS ESTABLISHED AS PART OF THE AFB CLOSURE IN DEC/92. AT THAT TIME THE ARPT (MYRTLE BEACH INTL) WAS CLOSED TO GA ACFT. NOW GA ACFT ARE PERMITTED TO LAND AND THERE HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS INCREASE IN GA ACTIVITY. THIS INCREASE, ALONG WITH RAPIDLY GROWING ACR AND AIR TAXI OPS AT THE ARPT HAVE MADE THIS AIRSPACE INCREASINGLY MORE COMPLEX FOR PLTS AND CTLRS ALIKE. ANYTIME AIRSPACE DENSITY AND COMPLEXITY ARE RAPIDLY INCREASING, SAFETY BECOMES MORE OF A CONCERN. IMMEDIATELY UPON THE TAKEOVER OF THE AIRSPACE FROM THE AIR FORCE, THE FAA AT THE LCL LEVEL BEGAN IMPLEMENTING PROCS TO ESTABLISH AN UPGRADE IN AIRSPACE FROM CLASS D TO CLASS C. THE PROCESS WAS COMPLETED AT THE LCL LEVEL OVER 2 YRS AGO, AND THE PAPERWORK HAS BEEN SITTING IN WASHINGTON SINCE THAT TIME. AFTER MANY DELAYS, WE WERE ADVISED THAT THE CLASS C AIRSPACE WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED WITH THE NEW AIRSPACE MAPS PUBLISHED ON JAN/THU/97. THIS TIMING WAS NEARLY IDEAL IN ORDER TO HELP BOTH THE USERS AND THE CTLRS FAMILIARIZE THEMSELVES WITH THE NEW PROCS PRIOR TO THE BUSY TFC SEASON BEGINNING IN THE SPRING. ON JAN/THU/97 (2 WKS PRIOR TO IMPLEMENTATION), WE WERE ADVISED THAT THE NEW AIRSPACE CLASSIFICATION WOULD NOT BE IMPLEMENTED AT THIS TIME DUE TO BUDGETARY RESOURCES, BUREAUCRATIC RED TAPE, AND 'HIGHER PRIORITY' ISSUES. WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE NEW DATE FOR IMPLEMENTATION WOULD BE WITH THE NEXT PRINTING OF THE AIRSPACE MAPS ON AUG/THU/97. THIS DATE IS OF COURSE SUBJECT TO FURTHER DELAYS. THE FAA SAYS THAT IMPLEMENTATION PRIOR TO THE AUGUST DATE WOULD COST 'THOUSANDS' OF DOLLARS TO PRINT SPECIAL MAPS. OUR QUESTION BEING, WHEN DOES SAFETY FIT INTO THE FAA'S BUDGET? MYRTLE BEACH INTL ARPT IS NOW THE SECOND FASTEST GROWING ARPT IN THE COUNTRY. IN THE PAST 2 YRS WHILE THIS PAPERWORK HAS BEEN SITTING IN WASHINGTON, THIS ARPT/AIRSPACE HAS EXPERIENCED A NEARLY 50 PERCENT INCREASE IN TFC. CORP AND OTHER GA TFC WHICH WERE ONCE NONEXISTENT, ARE NOW BOOMING. ANYONE FAMILIAR WITH THIS ARPT IS ALREADY AWARE OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF AVIATION IN NEARBY CONWAY, AND THE HVY BANNER-TOW TFC ALONG THE BEACH DURING THE MAJORITY OF THE YR. WITH THE INCREASE IN TOURISM IN THIS AREA COMES IN INCREASE IN ACR/AIR TAXI OPS. ALL INDICATIONS ARE THAT THIS RAPID INCREASE IN TFC WILL CONTINUE INTO THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT MYSELF AND THE OTHER AIR TFC CTLRS AT MYRTLE BEACH WILL CONTINUE TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PROVIDE THE BEST AND SAFEST SVC BOTH NOW AND IN THE FUTURE. OUR ONLY CONCERN IS KEEPING SAFETY IN THE MYRTLE BEACH AREA A PRIORITY WITH FAA WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 358205: UNFORTUNATELY FOR THE FLYING PUBLIC, THE PEAK TFC MONTHS AT MYRTLE BEACH INTL ARPT BEGIN IN EARLY MARCH AND CONTINUE FOR ONLY ABOUT A MONTH FOLLOWING THE AUGUST IMPLEMENTATION DATE. THEREFORE, THE NEW DATE IS MUCH TOO LATE TO ALLEVIATE THE SAFETY CONCERNS FOR THIS BUSY FLYING SEASON. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN #358204 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT AFTER SENDING LETTERS TO 2 CONGRESSMEN, RPTR HEARD THE CLASS C AIRSPACE MAY BE IMPLEMENTED IN MARCH. RPTR ALLEGED THE CONGRESSMEN DIRECTED THE FAA TO IMPLEMENT THE CLASS C SOONER THAN AUGUST.

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.