Narrative:

For the past 5 yrs, pensacola TRACON has assumed control of eglin RAPCON's airspace on late night shifts and wkends. Beginning in 2004, eglin RAPCON has been opening on saturdays to accommodate mission activity that makes money for the military. Due to poor radar coverage and automation issues, there are several conditions that must exist before eglin gives the airspace back to P31 in the afternoon. Yesterday, none of these conditions existed when eglin xferred. Eglin had not terminated the mission activity or released the restr areas associated with the activity. Due to our poor radar coverage, we can only accept limited active restr airspace when we have the airspace. P31 also had no automation or flight plan data on the aircraft that were active during the changeover. This resulted in the aircraft that were active being put in an unsafe situation. Occurrences such as this often occur when eglin RAPCON opens for less than a 24-hour period. Neither the eglin personnel nor the P31 personnel are adequately trained to ensure a smooth transition of the airspace. Plus, the automation at ZJX is not properly configured to support such openings and closings of airspace. Rarely are the contract automation specialists on site at ZJX to troubleshoot the automation problems associated with this activity. Eglin needs to invest in enough air traffic personnel to resume 24/7/365 responsibility for their airspace, or get out of the ATC business altogether. It is not fair for eglin to put aviators in danger in the pursuit of making money for the military.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: P31 CTLR CONCERNED WITH INTERFAC INTERAGENCY COORD FOR THE RELEASE AND XFER OF CTL AUTH BTWN UNITED STATES AIR FORCE, ZJX, P31 AND VPS MILFAC APCH CTL.

Narrative: FOR THE PAST 5 YRS, PENSACOLA TRACON HAS ASSUMED CTL OF EGLIN RAPCON'S AIRSPACE ON LATE NIGHT SHIFTS AND WKENDS. BEGINNING IN 2004, EGLIN RAPCON HAS BEEN OPENING ON SATURDAYS TO ACCOMMODATE MISSION ACTIVITY THAT MAKES MONEY FOR THE MIL. DUE TO POOR RADAR COVERAGE AND AUTOMATION ISSUES, THERE ARE SEVERAL CONDITIONS THAT MUST EXIST BEFORE EGLIN GIVES THE AIRSPACE BACK TO P31 IN THE AFTERNOON. YESTERDAY, NONE OF THESE CONDITIONS EXISTED WHEN EGLIN XFERRED. EGLIN HAD NOT TERMINATED THE MISSION ACTIVITY OR RELEASED THE RESTR AREAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACTIVITY. DUE TO OUR POOR RADAR COVERAGE, WE CAN ONLY ACCEPT LIMITED ACTIVE RESTR AIRSPACE WHEN WE HAVE THE AIRSPACE. P31 ALSO HAD NO AUTOMATION OR FLT PLAN DATA ON THE ACFT THAT WERE ACTIVE DURING THE CHANGEOVER. THIS RESULTED IN THE ACFT THAT WERE ACTIVE BEING PUT IN AN UNSAFE SIT. OCCURRENCES SUCH AS THIS OFTEN OCCUR WHEN EGLIN RAPCON OPENS FOR LESS THAN A 24-HR PERIOD. NEITHER THE EGLIN PERSONNEL NOR THE P31 PERSONNEL ARE ADEQUATELY TRAINED TO ENSURE A SMOOTH TRANSITION OF THE AIRSPACE. PLUS, THE AUTOMATION AT ZJX IS NOT PROPERLY CONFIGURED TO SUPPORT SUCH OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS OF AIRSPACE. RARELY ARE THE CONTRACT AUTOMATION SPECIALISTS ON SITE AT ZJX TO TROUBLESHOOT THE AUTOMATION PROBS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ACTIVITY. EGLIN NEEDS TO INVEST IN ENOUGH AIR TFC PERSONNEL TO RESUME 24/7/365 RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR AIRSPACE, OR GET OUT OF THE ATC BUSINESS ALTOGETHER. IT IS NOT FAIR FOR EGLIN TO PUT AVIATORS IN DANGER IN THE PURSUIT OF MAKING MONEY FOR THE MIL.

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.