Narrative:

From nov/xa/03 through nov/xb/03, there will be aircraft of diverse types and operating characteristics operating in and around the navy pensacola airport. The airport will be regularly opened and closed due to practice maneuvering leading up to the actual airshows. Local FAA management has not provided the controllers at pensacola TRACON, which will be the controling agency for the airshows, with one iota of information about the airshows. The only way the controllers know it is coming is from reading the local newspaper. There have been no briefings on temporary airspace or procedural requirements for the show. There have also been no briefings on the operating characteristics of the various and diverse types of aircraft that will perform in the show. We, the controllers, do not know if there will be a tfr. This same scenario occurred in july 2003, when the military conducted their airshow at pensacola beach, fl. During that week, 1 lifeguard overflt aircraft was unnecessarily delayed due to communications problems between the 'air boss' of the show and the TRACON. Another lifeguard aircraft was forced to violate the temporary tfr to get a critical patient to one of the area hospitals. Again, because no reliable communications method had been developed or briefed. During the july airshow, a facility 'staff specialist' was assigned as the liaison between pensacola TRACON and the various entities involved in the airshow. There has been no word on who, if anyone, has been assigned this yr. I feel it is unsafe to bring so many diverse aircraft together in saturated airspace without informing the controllers who will be working the aircraft or developing and briefing temporary procedures for handling the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: P31 CTLR IS FRUSTRATED WITH LACK OF INFO REGARDING AIRSHOW ACTIVITIES.

Narrative: FROM NOV/XA/03 THROUGH NOV/XB/03, THERE WILL BE ACFT OF DIVERSE TYPES AND OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS OPERATING IN AND AROUND THE NAVY PENSACOLA ARPT. THE ARPT WILL BE REGULARLY OPENED AND CLOSED DUE TO PRACTICE MANEUVERING LEADING UP TO THE ACTUAL AIRSHOWS. LCL FAA MGMNT HAS NOT PROVIDED THE CTLRS AT PENSACOLA TRACON, WHICH WILL BE THE CTLING AGENCY FOR THE AIRSHOWS, WITH ONE IOTA OF INFO ABOUT THE AIRSHOWS. THE ONLY WAY THE CTLRS KNOW IT IS COMING IS FROM READING THE LCL NEWSPAPER. THERE HAVE BEEN NO BRIEFINGS ON TEMPORARY AIRSPACE OR PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SHOW. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN NO BRIEFINGS ON THE OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VARIOUS AND DIVERSE TYPES OF ACFT THAT WILL PERFORM IN THE SHOW. WE, THE CTLRS, DO NOT KNOW IF THERE WILL BE A TFR. THIS SAME SCENARIO OCCURRED IN JULY 2003, WHEN THE MIL CONDUCTED THEIR AIRSHOW AT PENSACOLA BEACH, FL. DURING THAT WEEK, 1 LIFEGUARD OVERFLT ACFT WAS UNNECESSARILY DELAYED DUE TO COMS PROBS BTWN THE 'AIR BOSS' OF THE SHOW AND THE TRACON. ANOTHER LIFEGUARD ACFT WAS FORCED TO VIOLATE THE TEMPORARY TFR TO GET A CRITICAL PATIENT TO ONE OF THE AREA HOSPITALS. AGAIN, BECAUSE NO RELIABLE COMS METHOD HAD BEEN DEVELOPED OR BRIEFED. DURING THE JULY AIRSHOW, A FACILITY 'STAFF SPECIALIST' WAS ASSIGNED AS THE LIAISON BTWN PENSACOLA TRACON AND THE VARIOUS ENTITIES INVOLVED IN THE AIRSHOW. THERE HAS BEEN NO WORD ON WHO, IF ANYONE, HAS BEEN ASSIGNED THIS YR. I FEEL IT IS UNSAFE TO BRING SO MANY DIVERSE ACFT TOGETHER IN SATURATED AIRSPACE WITHOUT INFORMING THE CTLRS WHO WILL BE WORKING THE ACFT OR DEVELOPING AND BRIEFING TEMPORARY PROCS FOR HANDLING THE ACFT.

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.