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Board hears update on digital (remote) tower testing, FAA funding and possible Colorado pilot site
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Summary
Board member report flagged FAA testing challenges at the tech center and discussed federal funding opportunities for digital towers; a Colorado-based remote tower center concept centered on Grand Junction was mentioned as a possible regional site.
Board members received an update on digital (remote) air traffic control tower testing and potential federal funding for digital-tower projects.
A board member reported the FAA has approximately $50 million set aside for digital-tower work and that testing at the technical center has encountered weather-related damage to camera arrays and visibility limitations in detecting small targets at about 2.5 nautical miles. The member said the FAA's initial acceptance criteria are focused on single-runway airport operations and that additional testing sites are being considered; Bartow, Florida, was cited as an active test location and the FAA's administrator visited the tech center during recent testing.
The speaker described a Colorado concept for a digital-tower operations center that could host remote tower services for multiple airports and said Grand Junction was being considered because of lower local costs and robust telecommunications infrastructure. The board member said he had discussed funding approaches and planned to continue outreach to FAA and other stakeholders; he said written materials summarizing testing and next steps would be circulated.
Board members expressed interest in pursuing pilots and noted state interest in keeping Colorado visible while FAA testing continues.
