Keep Smyrna, TN Control Tower Open
Closing Smyrna control tower puts the lives of people using Nashville airspace at risk
We are writing to ask our political leaders to reconsider the decision to close the air traffic control tower in Smyrna, TN. This airport has a 100% safety record that is going to be all but impossible to maintain once the decision to close the control tower has been implemented. Multiple runways combined with Nashville's complex airspace and variety of traffic, makes Smyrna's airport a dangerous airport to operate in and out of without a control tower directing traffic. In fact last year the Smyrna airport saw over 80,000 aircraft.
This airport is much more complex than most smaller satellite airports out there. It has corporate based aircraft, private airplanes, a flight school, 2 fixed based operators, maintenance repair and avionics facility, UPS freight airplanes, Vanderbilt life flight helicopters, MTSU and Wings student pilots, and let's not forget the national guard.
This airports proximity to Nashville and its military presence could have security implications without a control tower.
MTSU aerospace and other flight school students who are required to conduct practice approaches at a towered airport as per their training, will no longer be able to take advantage of the variety of approaches Smyrna has to offer. This would result in a reduction of aerospace students in the future, and subsequently loss of revenue in Tennessee.
We believe, without question that keeping Smyrna tower open will save lives, avoid potential accidents, and continue to promote growth in Middle Tennessee. The tourism industry in Nashville continues to grow and with the opening of the new Convention Center we can only expect traffic in and around Nashville airspace to increase. We are aware that Nashville controllers are going to suffer a reduction in staff. For the safety of everyone who uses this airspace please do no force the Nashville air traffic controllers to direct the additional 80,000 aircraft that should be managed out of the Smyrna tower.
This airport is much more complex than most smaller satellite airports out there. It has corporate based aircraft, private airplanes, a flight school, 2 fixed based operators, maintenance repair and avionics facility, UPS freight airplanes, Vanderbilt life flight helicopters, MTSU and Wings student pilots, and let's not forget the national guard.
This airports proximity to Nashville and its military presence could have security implications without a control tower.
MTSU aerospace and other flight school students who are required to conduct practice approaches at a towered airport as per their training, will no longer be able to take advantage of the variety of approaches Smyrna has to offer. This would result in a reduction of aerospace students in the future, and subsequently loss of revenue in Tennessee.
We believe, without question that keeping Smyrna tower open will save lives, avoid potential accidents, and continue to promote growth in Middle Tennessee. The tourism industry in Nashville continues to grow and with the opening of the new Convention Center we can only expect traffic in and around Nashville airspace to increase. We are aware that Nashville controllers are going to suffer a reduction in staff. For the safety of everyone who uses this airspace please do no force the Nashville air traffic controllers to direct the additional 80,000 aircraft that should be managed out of the Smyrna tower.
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