Narrative:

On july/thur-sat/03, the special event practices were conducted. Typically, ATC controllers at FAA pensacola TRACON, the controling facility, are given an extensive briefing on the air show participants' flight characteristics, as well as procedures to get them in and out of navy pensacola airport. This year, on july/mon, a two sheet graphic depicting the tfr that would be activated for the show was placed in the facility read binder. That was the extent of the briefing received by the controllers and their supervisors prior to this year's show and practice shows. Npa airport was opened and closed randomly for three days. The air boss, the person technically responsible for the aircraft while they were actively participating in the show, was never in communication with the TRACON. On july/sat, this resulted in a delay to a helicopter trying to deliver a drowning victim to an area hospital. On another occasion, a jet on a mission was unduly delayed by being rerouted around the tfr when the airspace was not in use. Local facility management designated a staff specialist as the facility's liaison to the air show. This 'specialist' has never trained or received certification on ATC operations at pensacola TRACON. She was actually sent to the site, pensacola beach, during duty hours, with a cell phone to 'coordinate' the air show activities with the TRACON. Needless to say, no pertinent information was ever received from this uncertified specialist liaison. Such treatment of 'special' operations such as air shows, etc, has become common by pensacola TRACON management. The controllers routinely receive late or no notification of pertinent information to the air traffic operation, such as the erection of antennae, operation of construction cranes, opening/closing of neighboring eglin radar approach control facility. Their blasé treatment of critical NAS information is dangerous. It appears that management would rather turn a special air traffic event into an opportunity for a lark at the taxpayer's expense, rather then do their job and provide the information to the controllers who need it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: P31 CTLR IS FRUSTRATED WITH LACK OF INFO REGARDING SPECIAL EVENT ACTIVITIES.

Narrative: ON JULY/THUR-SAT/03, THE SPECIAL EVENT PRACTICES WERE CONDUCTED. TYPICALLY, ATC CTLRS AT FAA PENSACOLA TRACON, THE CTLING FACILITY, ARE GIVEN AN EXTENSIVE BRIEFING ON THE AIR SHOW PARTICIPANTS' FLT CHARACTERISTICS, AS WELL AS PROCS TO GET THEM IN AND OUT OF NAVY PENSACOLA ARPT. THIS YEAR, ON JULY/MON, A TWO SHEET GRAPHIC DEPICTING THE TFR THAT WOULD BE ACTIVATED FOR THE SHOW WAS PLACED IN THE FACILITY READ BINDER. THAT WAS THE EXTENT OF THE BRIEFING RECEIVED BY THE CTLRS AND THEIR SUPVRS PRIOR TO THIS YEAR'S SHOW AND PRACTICE SHOWS. NPA ARPT WAS OPENED AND CLOSED RANDOMLY FOR THREE DAYS. THE AIR BOSS, THE PERSON TECHNICALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACFT WHILE THEY WERE ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING IN THE SHOW, WAS NEVER IN COM WITH THE TRACON. ON JULY/SAT, THIS RESULTED IN A DELAY TO A HELICOPTER TRYING TO DELIVER A DROWNING VICTIM TO AN AREA HOSPITAL. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, A JET ON A MISSION WAS UNDULY DELAYED BY BEING REROUTED AROUND THE TFR WHEN THE AIRSPACE WAS NOT IN USE. LOCAL FACILITY MGMNT DESIGNATED A STAFF SPECIALIST AS THE FACILITY'S LIAISON TO THE AIR SHOW. THIS 'SPECIALIST' HAS NEVER TRAINED OR RECEIVED CERTIFICATION ON ATC OPERATIONS AT PENSACOLA TRACON. SHE WAS ACTUALLY SENT TO THE SITE, PENSACOLA BEACH, DURING DUTY HRS, WITH A CELL PHONE TO 'COORDINATE' THE AIR SHOW ACTIVITIES WITH THE TRACON. NEEDLESS TO SAY, NO PERTINENT INFO WAS EVER RECEIVED FROM THIS UNCERTIFIED SPECIALIST LIAISON. SUCH TREATMENT OF 'SPECIAL' OPS SUCH AS AIR SHOWS, ETC, HAS BECOME COMMON BY PENSACOLA TRACON MGMNT. THE CTLRS ROUTINELY RECEIVE LATE OR NO NOTIFICATION OF PERTINENT INFO TO THE AIR TRAFFIC OPERATION, SUCH AS THE ERECTION OF ANTENNAE, OP OF CONSTRUCTION CRANES, OPENING/CLOSING OF NEIGHBORING EGLIN RADAR APCH CTL FACILITY. THEIR BLASÉ TREATMENT OF CRITICAL NAS INFO IS DANGEROUS. IT APPEARS THAT MGMNT WOULD RATHER TURN A SPECIAL AIR TRAFFIC EVENT INTO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A LARK AT THE TAXPAYER'S EXPENSE, RATHER THEN DO THEIR JOB AND PROVIDE THE INFO TO THE CTLRS WHO NEED IT.

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.