Narrative:

Several times in the last couple of months including twice this week; once at mgm and once at avl; the approach controls have handed the airspace over to ZTL due to staffing at the 2 tracons. Leaving a VFR tower that neither the center or the tower has procedures for or have been trained on. There is a contingency plan for staffing but we have yet to follow any of its procedures and it basically calls for holding all aircraft on the ground that are supposed to go to those airports. While the facilities do close on the mid-shift we take all the airspace with no tower. Working this airspace with a tower is new to us and we need some kind of training and procedures if we are going to be forced to do this. It is not safe to make procedures up as we go; especially when one of these facilities is surrounded by mountains and its airport has a lot of IFR days.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZTL CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING LACK OF TRAINING DURING TRACON AIRSPACE CONSOLIDATION WITH ARTCC DUE TO STAFFING ISSUES.

Narrative: SEVERAL TIMES IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS INCLUDING TWICE THIS WEEK; ONCE AT MGM AND ONCE AT AVL; THE APCH CTLS HAVE HANDED THE AIRSPACE OVER TO ZTL DUE TO STAFFING AT THE 2 TRACONS. LEAVING A VFR TWR THAT NEITHER THE CTR OR THE TWR HAS PROCS FOR OR HAVE BEEN TRAINED ON. THERE IS A CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR STAFFING BUT WE HAVE YET TO FOLLOW ANY OF ITS PROCS AND IT BASICALLY CALLS FOR HOLDING ALL ACFT ON THE GND THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO GO TO THOSE ARPTS. WHILE THE FACILITIES DO CLOSE ON THE MID-SHIFT WE TAKE ALL THE AIRSPACE WITH NO TWR. WORKING THIS AIRSPACE WITH A TWR IS NEW TO US AND WE NEED SOME KIND OF TRAINING AND PROCS IF WE ARE GOING TO BE FORCED TO DO THIS. IT IS NOT SAFE TO MAKE PROCS UP AS WE GO; ESPECIALLY WHEN ONE OF THESE FACILITIES IS SURROUNDED BY MOUNTAINS AND ITS ARPT HAS A LOT OF IFR DAYS.

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.