ATC Gear In Fort Wayne's New Tower Was Built In 70s

We can't speak to something borrowed, something blue, but there's a lot of old inside the new control tower at Fort Wayne International Airport in Indiana. The $12 million tower is chock-full of equipment on the trailing edge of technology.

The tower is being equipped with the ARTS system (Automated Radar Terminal Systems) -- based on technology first installed in 1974. Originally, the new tower was supposed to house STARS (Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System) gear, but the cost was prohibitive.

"We understand trying to keep costs under control, but it doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense," said NATCA spokesman Brad Hiatt.

What's the deal? The answer from the FAA might be gaulling to folks in places like Fort Wayne. "We’re putting the money where the need is greatest," said FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Corey.

The FAA was originally supposed to spend $970 million to upgrade to the STARS system at airports all over the country. But the upgrade project ran way over budget. Now, the FAA is spending $1.6 billion to install it in just 47 of the busiest airports in the country. Fort Wayne isn't one of them.

"We’re probably 10 years ahead of ourselves in getting the air tower," said Martin Green, aide to Congressman Mark Souder (R-IN). “As a result, the FAA is going to have to catch up with us.” Like Hiatt and Corey, Souder was quoted in the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette.

"We are disappointed the FAA is considering putting refurbished equipment into the new state-of-the-art facility and we’ll continue to push for the originally programmed STARS equipment," said Airport Executive Director Tory Richardson in a statement to the Journal-Gazette.

FMI: www.fwairport.com