Narrative:

I was making a series of landing circuits at whp. As is the custom at whp; the tower operator was handling ground control; clearance delivery; and air traffic. I was on my second landing circuit and had just turned downwind. Two aircraft called on ground frequency for taxi clearance to the runway and an IFR clearance was being read to an awaiting aircraft. I was able to squeeze a 'aircraft X abeam' but that was all. The tower continued to deal with ground based aircraft. When I reached the 118 freeway; our normal base leg turning point and the first quiet air time; I called; 'aircraft X turning base at the 118.' the tower was unhappy that I turned base without clearance and let me know it. There was never any conflict with any other traffic. I was the only aircraft in the class D talking to the tower. No aircraft called for takeoff clearance or were even waiting for takeoff. I believe whp has a safety issue with the manner in which the tower is manned and run on a day to day basis. Had the second man in the cabin attendant handled the ground and clearance duties; the tower controller would have been talking to me and my 'abeam' call would have been acknowledged. If it had not been acknowledged; I would have had plenty of time to call again. Those of us based at whp have complained to the contract operator about the 'one man band' tower safety aspect. None of us understand why they refuse to use both men (at times three). Imagine an airport with about 700 based aircraft and the tower operator giving taxi and IFR clearances on a weekend day when the 'fleet' is coming home to roost. Since a straight in approach from newhall pass is the norm; it can get pretty crowded out there on a saturday afternoon. Another point is; who is watching the runway environment. Two months ago a cessna 152 crashed upon landing. An aircraft waiting to takeoff asked the tower if the airport was going to be closed. The tower asked; 'why?' the aircraft told the tower an aircraft had crashed on a botched landing attempt. Another pair of eyes could go a long way in keeping a safe airport environment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PLT EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING ATC SERVICES AND STAFFING AT WHP.

Narrative: I WAS MAKING A SERIES OF LNDG CIRCUITS AT WHP. AS IS THE CUSTOM AT WHP; THE TWR OPERATOR WAS HANDLING GND CTL; CLRNC DELIVERY; AND AIR TFC. I WAS ON MY SECOND LNDG CIRCUIT AND HAD JUST TURNED DOWNWIND. TWO ACFT CALLED ON GND FREQ FOR TAXI CLRNC TO THE RWY AND AN IFR CLRNC WAS BEING READ TO AN AWAITING ACFT. I WAS ABLE TO SQUEEZE A 'ACFT X ABEAM' BUT THAT WAS ALL. THE TWR CONTINUED TO DEAL WITH GND BASED ACFT. WHEN I REACHED THE 118 FREEWAY; OUR NORMAL BASE LEG TURNING POINT AND THE FIRST QUIET AIR TIME; I CALLED; 'ACFT X TURNING BASE AT THE 118.' THE TWR WAS UNHAPPY THAT I TURNED BASE WITHOUT CLRNC AND LET ME KNOW IT. THERE WAS NEVER ANY CONFLICT WITH ANY OTHER TFC. I WAS THE ONLY ACFT IN THE CLASS D TALKING TO THE TWR. NO ACFT CALLED FOR TKOF CLRNC OR WERE EVEN WAITING FOR TKOF. I BELIEVE WHP HAS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE MANNER IN WHICH THE TWR IS MANNED AND RUN ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS. HAD THE SECOND MAN IN THE CAB HANDLED THE GND AND CLRNC DUTIES; THE TWR CTLR WOULD HAVE BEEN TALKING TO ME AND MY 'ABEAM' CALL WOULD HAVE BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED. IF IT HAD NOT BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED; I WOULD HAVE HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO CALL AGAIN. THOSE OF US BASED AT WHP HAVE COMPLAINED TO THE CONTRACT OPERATOR ABOUT THE 'ONE MAN BAND' TWR SAFETY ASPECT. NONE OF US UNDERSTAND WHY THEY REFUSE TO USE BOTH MEN (AT TIMES THREE). IMAGINE AN ARPT WITH ABOUT 700 BASED ACFT AND THE TWR OPERATOR GIVING TAXI AND IFR CLEARANCES ON A WEEKEND DAY WHEN THE 'FLEET' IS COMING HOME TO ROOST. SINCE A STRAIGHT IN APCH FROM NEWHALL PASS IS THE NORM; IT CAN GET PRETTY CROWDED OUT THERE ON A SATURDAY AFTERNOON. ANOTHER POINT IS; WHO IS WATCHING THE RWY ENVIRONMENT. TWO MONTHS AGO A CESSNA 152 CRASHED UPON LNDG. AN ACFT WAITING TO TKOF ASKED THE TWR IF THE ARPT WAS GOING TO BE CLOSED. THE TWR ASKED; 'WHY?' THE ACFT TOLD THE TWR AN ACFT HAD CRASHED ON A BOTCHED LNDG ATTEMPT. ANOTHER PAIR OF EYES COULD GO A LONG WAY IN KEEPING A SAFE ARPT ENVIRONMENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.