DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY COMMANDING OFFICER NAS PENSACOLA 150 HASE ROAD STE-A PENSACOLA, FLORIDA 32508-1051 NAVAL AIR STATION PENSACOLA INSTRUCTION 3710.1 NASPCOLAINST 3710.1 N32 From: Commanding Officer, Naval Air Station Pensacola Subj: NAVAL AIR STATION PENSACOLA CLOSED CONTROL TOWER AIRFIELD OPERATIONS Ref: (a) OPNAVINST 3710.7U (b) NASPNCLAINST 3722.1X (c) AIM, Section 4-1-9; Traffic Advisory Practices at Airports without Operating Control Towers (d) Pensacola TRACON and Naval Air Station Pensacola Letter of Agreement; Subject: Inter-facility Control, Coordination and Local Procedures Encl: (1) Operating Guide for Pilot-controlled Airfield Lighting System (2) Points of Contact and Pertinent Telephone Numbers 1. Purpose. To establish policy for limited aircraft operations when the Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola (NPA) Tower is closed. 2. Scope. Except as specifically noted or by waiver from NAS Pensacola Commanding Officer or Air Operations Officer, the procedures outlined herein apply only to aircraft operated by tenant units of NAS Pensacola and within the airspace delegated by Pensacola Regional Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) Facility during TRACON operating hours. 3. Procedures. Closed Control Tower Operations involve a higher level of risk and should be used by exception rather than normal procedure. Reference (a) provides specific policies which allow aircraft to depart or conduct full stop landings when the airfield control tower is closed with the authorization of the airfield commanding officer and the concurrence of the aircraft reporting custodian. Squadron commanding officers are responsible for ensuring all pilots conducting closed-tower operations are completely knowledgeable of references (b) and (c) and enclosure (1). Additionally, the following guidelines apply:
a. Squadrons shall contact Base Operations as early as possible, and no later than the day prior to any closed-tower operations for approval. Base Operations shall notify TRACON at (850) 266-6921 in advance of all closed-tower operations. b. The aircraft commander shall comply with all requirements pertinent to weather, Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs), and flight clearances. Pilots must contact the Navy Pensacola Weather Office via telephone for local weather information and advisories during weather office operating hours. See enclosure (2) for weather and other points of contact information. When the Weather Office is not staffed, pilot or Squadron Duty Officer (SDO) may utilize the voice recording from the Automated Surface Observation System (ASOS) at (850) 452-3040, Navy Flight Weather Briefer, or 1-800-WX-BRIEF for weather information. c. Per provisions of reference (a) and this instruction, NAS Pensacola s Commanding Officer authorizes aircraft reporting custodians of the following commands/agencies to conduct airfield operations at NPA when the tower is closed: (1) Commander, Training Wing (COMTRAWING) SIX (KATT, ROKT, BUCK). (2) 479 th Flight Training Group (FTG) (JEDI, CONGO, BLADE, RAIDR). (3) Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron (Blue Angels). d. The following specific procedures shall be used for all closed-tower operations: (1) General Procedures (a) Aircraft are required to operate on an Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) Flight Plan when departing from/ returning to NPA during closed-tower operations. (b) The SDO shall contact Crash Dispatch and Security via telephone at least 15 minutes prior to the expected arrival/departure time and when services are no longer required. Crash will relay the last known arresting gear configuration (as provided by Base Operations at field closure) to the SDO. 2
NOTE: Crash Dispatch shall not conduct any form of air traffic control function (i.e., "clear" an aircraft to land/take off). Operations Duty Officer will perform an airfield Foreign Object Damage (FOD) check after field closure prior to any closed-tower operations scheduled for the next day. However, pilots are responsible to visually verify the runway is clear prior to conducting any operations. Crash Dispatch monitors Ultra High Frequency (UHF) (receive only) after the 15 minutes prior telephone call from SDO. (2) Arrival Procedures (a) No later than 10 nautical miles (NM) from the airport and while monitoring TRACON frequency (unless frequency change approved by TRACON), broadcast intentions to land on NPA Tower Frequency 340.2 per Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) self-announce procedures as published in reference (c). (b) Pilots must terminate their IFR clearance with Pensacola TRACON on assigned frequency or via telephone (850) 266-6921 after the aircraft has landed. NOTE: TRACON cannot clear any other arriving or departing IFR aircraft to/from NPA until the preceding IFR aircraft has landed and notified TRACON (one-in-one-out policy) or all aircraft have canceled IFR. Formation flights desiring individual approaches will hold and wingmen will be cleared one at a time after the proceeding aircraft in the flight terminates their IFR clearance. Any undue delay in canceling IFR will delay all other traffic. (c) When ceiling and visibility is 2500/5 or greater, standard visual course rules are authorized as published in reference (d). Pilots must cancel IFR at the initial. (d) When ceiling and visibility is 1000/3 or greater and aircraft has the field in sight, the aircraft may request a visual straight-in approach. (e) When ceiling and visibility is 600/2 or greater, Area Navigation (RNAV), (GPS), and VHF Omni Directional Radio Range (VOR) approaches are authorized. 3
NOTE: TACAN and ILS are not available during closed-tower operations. (f) Closed-tower operations are prohibited when ceiling and visibility is below 600/2. (g) Blue Angels may utilize their Pitch-up Break Procedures when the ceiling and visibility is 1000/3 or greater. (h) If unable to close out their IFR Flight Plan with TRACON, pilots must close out their IFR Flight Plan with Flight Service Station or 1-800-WXBRIEF. (i) TRACON does not have access to NPA weather information during closed-tower operations. On initial contact with TRACON, it is the pilot s responsibility to advise receipt of current NPA weather and to determine the appropriate approach to request. (3) Departure Procedures (a) Aircraft are required to obtain an IFR clearance and release instructions from Pensacola TRACON prior to departing NPA during closed-tower operations. Contact TRACON via telephone (850) 266-6921 or on 270.8/120.65 to obtain IFR clearance and clearance void time. (b) Prior to entering the runway, aircraft must have an IFR clearance and clearance void time from Pensacola TRACON. Pilots shall monitor then broadcast intentions to depart on NPA Tower Frequency 340.2 per CTAF self-announce procedures as published in reference (c). If unable to depart by clearance void time, IFR clearance is cancelled. 4. Restrictions a. Closed-tower runway operations are not authorized 1 hour prior to published airfield opening due to airfield sweeping, inspections, and quantity of other support vehicles operating on the airfield. If such operations are required, the agency must contact Base Operations via telephone or UHF 312.1, relay intentions, and await further instructions. b. All engine run-ups shall be conducted at the approach end of the anticipated departure runway. 4
c. Traffic pattern work (touch-and-go, Practice Precautionary Emergency Landing (PPEL), etc.) is prohibited. d. Services (liquid oxygen, fuel, nitrogen, passenger, etc.) will not be available. e. Arresting gear configuration is based on the last duty runway assigned. At field closure, Base Operations will inform Crash of the arresting gear configuration. Crash will relay this information to the SDO during the initial telephone call prior to operations. Aircraft must be vigilant of the short field arresting gear on runways 1/19 and 7R/25L. Departures and arrivals shall make every attempt to depart/ land beyond the arresting gear. No arresting gear should be rigged on 7L/25R. NOTE: It is highly recommended that aircraft experiencing emergencies utilize an alternate airfield with tower communications and ground support services. f. Squadron personnel shall remain on station until all aircraft have departed/recovered and notification is made to Crash and Rescue, Security, and NAS Pensacola Command Duty Officer that operations have concluded. 5. Action. Squadrons shall report all closed-tower aircraft operations to Base Operations the following business day. K. W. HOSKINS Distribution: Electronic only via Gateway 2.0 https://g2.cnic.navy.mil/naspensacolafl/pages/default.aspx 5
OPERATING GUIDE FOR PILOT-CONTROLLED AIRFIELD LIGHTING SYSTEM NASPCOLAINST 3710.1 To activate the lighting system, tune to UHF 360.2, and select the following: 1. Setting 1: Key the radio three times within 5 seconds to activate the following lights: a. All runways intensity 3 b. Approach lights intensity 3 c. Taxiways Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta 2. Setting 2: Key the radio five times within 5 seconds to activate the following lights: a. All runways intensity 4 b. Approach lights intensity 4 c. Taxiways Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta 3. Setting 3: Key the radio seven times within 5 seconds to activate the following lights: a. All runways intensity to full brightness b. Strobe lights for RWY 7L c. Taxiways Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta Enclosure (1)
POINTS OF CONTACT AND PERTINENT TELEPHONE NUMBERS Base Operations: (850) 452-2431 Weather Office: (850) 452-2386 ASOS: (850) 452-3040 Crash Dispatch: (850) 452-2768/850) 452-2769 Tower Branch Chief: (850) 449-9234 Pensacola Approach: (850) 266-6921 Base Security: (850) 452-2846 Blue Angels Duty Office: (850) 452-2583 Blue Angels Ops Office: (850) 452-2156 COMTRAWING SIX Duty Office: (850) 452-2305 NAS Pensacola Command Duty Officer: (850) 418-5175 VT-86 Duty Office: (850) 452-4168 VT-10 Duty Office: (850) 452-4669 479 th FTG Safety Office: (850) 619-6157 451 st Duty Office: (850) 452-0867 455 th Duty Office: (850) 452-0990/0932 Note: NAS Pensacola DSN Prefix is 459. Enclosure (2)