Narrative:

Departed bdr for baf. Called jsd tower which abuts the bdr class D airspace for transition to the north (approved). Jsd class D surface area is active on saturdays XX00 local to sunset. A review of WX and NOTAMS did not indicate any exceptions to the jsd airspace. Departed baf directly to bdr. At 15 NM north of bdr, attempted to contact jsd on 133.6. After 3 attempts with no answer, contacted bdr tower 12 NM north with the current ATIS and requested the status of the jsd class D airspace. The bdr tower informed us that the jsd tower was now closed. I queried why the exception status of the abutting class D airspace which now had a NOTAM indicating it was closed was not on the ATIS and was told by the local controller that it was 'not their responsibility.' clearly, the procedures for ATIS require that NOTAMS for the 'terminal area' should be included on the ATIS. While the jsd heliport being closed when we expect it to be open does not create a safety of flight concern, the reverse situation is often an issue and does create a safety of flight concern. When the sikorsky heliport is operational during periods that the AFD indicates it is closed, the heliport controllers issue a NOTAM. This NOTAM for the exception status of the heliport only has meaning to those pilots who know the designator for the heliport or have found the designator on the sectional aeronautical chart. And, the operations at the heliport include flight testing by camouflaged helicopters. Additionally, the sikorsky heliport class D airspace seriously abuts the bdr class D airspace, touches the new haven class D airspace, and is extremely difficult to see on a sectional aeronautical chart. Based on the above 3 criteria: 1) the ATIS procedures require NOTAMS and PIREPS pertinent to operations in the terminal area, 2) the jsd NOTAM has no meaning to most pilots not familiar with the operations, and 3) the sikorsky heliport class D airspace is difficult to locate on the sectional aeronautical chart. This is a safety of flight issue that should be addressed by the inclusion of meaningful information on the bdr ATIS. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he has submitted several ASRS reports over the last 3 yrs relative to this matter and the last being in april/99. He has submitted reports to the FAA regional office to which he has discussed this matter with a quality assurance specialist who is trying to have the bdr ATIS include the jsd tower status NOTAM. In addition, he has discussed the matter and made recommendations to the tower personnel of bdr and jsd. He further confirmed that he made a mistake in his narration in the identify for jsd and ijd and the aircraft he was operating at the time of this report was an amateur built sel small aircraft low wing aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT RECOMMENDS THAT THE SIKORSKY MEMORIAL ARPT (BDR) ATIS INCLUDE THE SIKORSKY HELIPORT (JSD) TWR STATUS NOTAM IN THE ATIS SINCE THE HELIPORT ABUTS TO THE TERMINAL AREA ARPT AND WOULD HELP PLTS IN TRANSITING THE JSD AREA WHEN THE TWR IS OPEN, ESPECIALLY DURING HRS NOT LISTED TO BE OPEN IN THE AFD.

Narrative: DEPARTED BDR FOR BAF. CALLED JSD TWR WHICH ABUTS THE BDR CLASS D AIRSPACE FOR TRANSITION TO THE N (APPROVED). JSD CLASS D SURFACE AREA IS ACTIVE ON SATURDAYS XX00 LCL TO SUNSET. A REVIEW OF WX AND NOTAMS DID NOT INDICATE ANY EXCEPTIONS TO THE JSD AIRSPACE. DEPARTED BAF DIRECTLY TO BDR. AT 15 NM N OF BDR, ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT JSD ON 133.6. AFTER 3 ATTEMPTS WITH NO ANSWER, CONTACTED BDR TWR 12 NM N WITH THE CURRENT ATIS AND REQUESTED THE STATUS OF THE JSD CLASS D AIRSPACE. THE BDR TWR INFORMED US THAT THE JSD TWR WAS NOW CLOSED. I QUERIED WHY THE EXCEPTION STATUS OF THE ABUTTING CLASS D AIRSPACE WHICH NOW HAD A NOTAM INDICATING IT WAS CLOSED WAS NOT ON THE ATIS AND WAS TOLD BY THE LCL CTLR THAT IT WAS 'NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY.' CLRLY, THE PROCS FOR ATIS REQUIRE THAT NOTAMS FOR THE 'TERMINAL AREA' SHOULD BE INCLUDED ON THE ATIS. WHILE THE JSD HELIPORT BEING CLOSED WHEN WE EXPECT IT TO BE OPEN DOES NOT CREATE A SAFETY OF FLT CONCERN, THE REVERSE SIT IS OFTEN AN ISSUE AND DOES CREATE A SAFETY OF FLT CONCERN. WHEN THE SIKORSKY HELIPORT IS OPERATIONAL DURING PERIODS THAT THE AFD INDICATES IT IS CLOSED, THE HELIPORT CTLRS ISSUE A NOTAM. THIS NOTAM FOR THE EXCEPTION STATUS OF THE HELIPORT ONLY HAS MEANING TO THOSE PLTS WHO KNOW THE DESIGNATOR FOR THE HELIPORT OR HAVE FOUND THE DESIGNATOR ON THE SECTIONAL AERO CHART. AND, THE OPS AT THE HELIPORT INCLUDE FLT TESTING BY CAMOUFLAGED HELIS. ADDITIONALLY, THE SIKORSKY HELIPORT CLASS D AIRSPACE SERIOUSLY ABUTS THE BDR CLASS D AIRSPACE, TOUCHES THE NEW HAVEN CLASS D AIRSPACE, AND IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO SEE ON A SECTIONAL AERO CHART. BASED ON THE ABOVE 3 CRITERIA: 1) THE ATIS PROCS REQUIRE NOTAMS AND PIREPS PERTINENT TO OPS IN THE TERMINAL AREA, 2) THE JSD NOTAM HAS NO MEANING TO MOST PLTS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE OPS, AND 3) THE SIKORSKY HELIPORT CLASS D AIRSPACE IS DIFFICULT TO LOCATE ON THE SECTIONAL AERO CHART. THIS IS A SAFETY OF FLT ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE INCLUSION OF MEANINGFUL INFO ON THE BDR ATIS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAS SUBMITTED SEVERAL ASRS RPTS OVER THE LAST 3 YRS RELATIVE TO THIS MATTER AND THE LAST BEING IN APRIL/99. HE HAS SUBMITTED RPTS TO THE FAA REGIONAL OFFICE TO WHICH HE HAS DISCUSSED THIS MATTER WITH A QUALITY ASSURANCE SPECIALIST WHO IS TRYING TO HAVE THE BDR ATIS INCLUDE THE JSD TWR STATUS NOTAM. IN ADDITION, HE HAS DISCUSSED THE MATTER AND MADE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE TWR PERSONNEL OF BDR AND JSD. HE FURTHER CONFIRMED THAT HE MADE A MISTAKE IN HIS NARRATION IN THE IDENT FOR JSD AND IJD AND THE ACFT HE WAS OPERATING AT THE TIME OF THIS RPT WAS AN AMATEUR BUILT SEL SMA LOW WING ACFT.

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.