LOVELAND, Colo. (CBS4) — A new high-tech experiment is underway at the Northern Colorado Regional Airport that could have ramifications around the country.
The Colorado Department of Transportation Division of Aeronautics is nearing completion on the Remote Tower Project.
“It’s the first one that’s going to combine radar and track-based information with the video-based information that will come from the cameras to provide an even better situational picture of what’s happening here,” said David Ulane the Director of the CDOT Division of Aeronautics.
Three masts filled with cameras stretch along the airport in Loveland. The cameras stream into a room that acts as a virtual tower.
(CBS)
“We’ll have basically what looks like a video wall,” said Ulane. “When you’re standing in front of them make it look like from these cameras you’re looking out the windows of a traditional air traffic control tower cab.”
NCRA opened in the 1960s and has never had an air traffic tower. Most airports in Colorado do not. However, with more than 90,000 take off and landings, and a growing population in Norther Colorado the airport is getting busier.
“We have a lot of different types of aircraft that use this airport,” said Jason Licon, the Airport Director at NCRA. “This will help us maintain safety for all the users.”
“A more efficient facility, a safer facility and certainly one that if airline service resumes has a bigger economic impact on this community,” said Ulane.
The Division of Aeronautics has spent more than $8 million on the remote tower project. It’s worked hand in hand with the FAA. Testing will begin in the next few weeks and last for more than a year. The hope is to have a fully operation virtual air control up and running by the end of 2020.
State officials are looking to expand the project in the future.
“We have a number of our airports in the state that could use air traffic controls services like this, even part of the year,” said Ulane. Montrose, Telluride, Hayden, Durango and Gunnison are some of the airports with commercial service and no air traffic control tower.
In Loveland, the hope is the new technology could return commercial service there.
“It will allow additional traffic to come in in a safe way. As we grow over time it will continue to be able to accommodate that growth,” said Licon. “Having a safe airport is critical to market to those airlines.”
For more information on the remote tower project: https://www.codot.gov/programs/remote-tower/programs/remote-tower
Jeff Todd joined the CBS4 team in 2011 covering the Western Slope in the Mountain Newsroom. Since 2015 he’s been working across the Front Range in the Denver Headquarters. Follow him on Twitter @CBS4Jeff.
https://denver.cbslocal.com/2018/08/31/unmanned-airport-control-tower-colorado/
This is foxtrot delta tango on final, gear wont come down, need runway foamed, hello, is anybody there? Goddamit were is everybody? Hello, this is a mayday, hello goddamit, were the hell is everybody I’m out of fkg fuel, hello anybody there?
Great… Fine.. Just What we need.
A Stoned IT tech in Colorado at the FAA control tower watching AI crash planes into the Rockies.
But don’t feel worried.
We have an upgrade.
Crash Into the Rockies 2.0.
One of the features gives you unlimited cell and data bandwidth up to 10 gigabytes.
Just before you crash.
So you can call and say
Oh sh…t aghhh click.
Just more digitized spying
Nothin ta see here , move along sheeple
Thank you for contacting the Air Traffic Control of Northern Colorado. Press or say 1 if you are spinning out of control. Press or say 2 if you are coming in too fast. Press or say 3 if you’re landing gear has failed. Press or say 4 if you need emergency assistance. Press or say 5……..
– Plane crashes.
See my point?