Tri-Cities ATCT / Chinook TRACON Pasco, Washington
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS 2
FAA Mission and Values 3
Welcome Letter 4
Pasco Airport Yesterday and Today 5
Tri-Cities Tower Organizational Chart 9
Tri-Cities Tower Management Team 10
Tri-Cities Tower Support Staff 12
Policies 14
Local Area Information 17
Recreational Activities and Special Events 21
Restaurants of Note 23
Local Sports Teams 25
Tri-Cities Tower and Airport Area Map 26
Tri-Cities Tower Directory 27
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FAA Mission and Values
Mission: Provide a safe, efficient, responsive air transportation system that serves the nation and supports the global aviation community.
Vision: We continue to improve the safety and efficiency of flight We are responsive to our customers We are accountable to the public
Values: Safety is our passion. We're world leaders in aerospace safety. Quality is our trademark. We serve our country, our customers, and each other. Integrity is our character. We do the right thing, even if no one is looking. People are our strength. We treat each other as we want to be treated.
Our Expectations of Employees The Tri-Cities Tower leadership team expects all employees to:
• Come to work on time
• Be prepared – mentally and physically
• Understand our leave policy and manage your leave appropriately
• Be cooperative and professional
• Treat people with respect and dignity
• Take initiative
• Be accountable
• Lead by example – be a good role model
• Do not tolerate or engage in any form of harassment or discrimination
• Actively participate in training
• Know your airspace and equipment
• Use prescribed phraseology
• Follow rules and procedures
• Be open to feedback – provide honest information
• Be an effective team member
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Welcome Letter
Dear New Employee,
Welcome to Tri-Cities Tower and Chinook Approach Control in Pasco
Washington. Congratulations on your selection! You will soon join a dedicated team
of professionals who will make your working environment both enjoyable and
educational as you progress toward your goal of becoming a CPC at PSC. Our goal at
Tri-Cities is to make you feel welcome and a part of our team from your first day
here.
We at Tri-Cities Tower strive to involve everyone in the process of making
this a facility where you want to come to work every day. Our staff and controllers
will work hard to reinforce your positive attitude as you progress through the
certification program. Soon, you will be working shoulder to shoulder with a band of
dedicated and energetic professionals. They will work hard to impart their skills and
knowledge to you during your progression through the training program. We strive
hard to provide the best working environment possible. Your positive attitude and
work ethic will further enhance the team concept at the Tri-Cities.
Our aim is to continually improve and add to our positive image at Tri-Cities
Tower. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me or
any member of our staff.
Sincerely,
James D. Johnson
PSCT ATM
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Pasco Airport Yesterday and Today
History
The Pasco airport originally started as a United States Navy training field during
World War II. During the first part of the war, the field was used to train beginning
pilots for combat training. During the last half of the war, the mission shifted to
training established pilots returning from battle in the use of newer aircraft. After the
war, the Navy sold the field to the city of Pasco, but still retains training privileges.
Several Navy aircraft, especially the P-3 Orion, use the field for landing and take-off
training.
The airport's terminal at the south end of the field is currently the property of the Port
of Pasco, and is the northern terminus of North 20th Avenue. Firefighting services,
however, is handled by the City of Pasco. A new fire station has recently been built
on the terminal grounds. The old Navy station buildings on the north end of the
airport are currently being used by other firms, most notably Bergstrom Aircraft,
which specializes in general aviation flight lessons. The control tower is situated just
a little northwest of the terminal.
The Pasco ATCT was commissioned in 1973 then later upgraded to a non-radar
approach control facility. After the PATCO strike of 1981, the approach control was
decommissioned and the facility became a VFR tower. In January 1990, the Tri-
Cities Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) was commissioned. The
tower’s name was changed to Tri-Cities Tower and has remained so since. The Tri-
Cities Approach Control assumed responsibility for providing radar approach control
services on April 20, 1995 to the Yakima Airport. Tri-Cities Approach Control was
renamed “Chinook Approach Control” at that time.
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Current use
Tri-Cities Tower and Chinook Approach Control is an ATC Level 7 combined
facility. The airspace delegated to the TRACON is one of the largest Approach
Control airspaces in the nation, approximately 8361 square miles in two states and
extending from the surface to 10,000’ MSL.
Within this airspace are three Federal Contract Towers (FCT), Walla Walla FCT,
Pendleton FCT and Yakima FCT. Richland airport (RLD) and Hermiston airport
(HRI) are two non-towered airports that have Instrument Approaches that Chinook
Approach provides service to. Additionally, there are several other non-towered
airports within Chinook’s airspace including Vista Field (S98), College Place/Martin
Field (S95), Prosser (S40), Sunnyside (1S5), Mattawa (M94) and Buena (WA97) just
to name the more prominent ones.
Airways in the Pasco Sector of Chinook Approach
There are two special use airspaces within or bordering on Chinook airspace. They
are the Yakima Training area and the Boardman Complex. The airspace has several
Military Training Routes (MTRs) that cross through it, both IR Routes and VR
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Routes. All of this combined, gives a newly hired developmental an opportunity to
get some exposure to a variety of training scenarios that not all trainees at other
similarly sized Towers/TRACONS might see.
Airlines and Destinations
Pasco airport’s travelers have several destination options available to them from the
services provided by the following airlines. Allegiant Air with service to Las Vegas
and Phoenix, Delta Connection operated by SkyWest Airlines provides service to Salt
Lake City, Horizon Air with service to Walla Walla and Seattle, Northwest Airlink
operated by Compass Airlines provides service to Minneapolis/St. Paul, and United
Express operated by SkyWest Airlines provides service to Denver and San Francisco.
In addition to the airlines mentioned above there are several Air Freight companies
that fly out of Pasco airport. They include Aero-Flight (TVD), Airpac (APC), Empire
Air (CFS), and Amflight (AMF).
C-17on the east ramp at sunset, with the Tri-Cities Tower in the distance
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Portland Hub Organizational Chart
Portland Oregon District
Eugene ATCT/ CascadeTRACON Hillsboro ATCT
Klamath Falls FCT
Medford FCT
North Bend FCT Pendleton FCT
Portland ATCT Portland TRACON (P80)
Redding FCT Redmond FCT
Salem FCT Tri-Cities ATCT/ Chinook TRACON
Troutdale FCT Walla Walla FCT
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Tri-Cities Tower Organizational Chart
James D. Johnson Air Traffic Manager
Steven W. Koepl Front-Line Manager
Hyrum G. Wadsworth Front-Line Manager
Paul W. Zaring Staff Specialist
Korey Barber Administrative Assistant
CPC Air Traffic Control Specialists
CPC Air Traffic Control Specialists
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Tri-Cities Tower Management Team
James D. Johnson, Air Traffic Manager
James D. Johnson (JJ) began his aviation career learning to fly in his home state of
Oregon. He holds a commercial instrument rating for single and multi-engine fixed
wing aircraft. His FAA career began in 1982. Prior to coming to Tri-Cities tower in
1999, he had the opportunity to work in all three ATC options; the Enroute option at
Seattle Center, the Flight Service option at both Livingston Montana and Spokane
Washington, and the Terminal option at Spokane (Felts Field) Washington and Great
Falls Montana. He became a Front Line Manager in 1991 and became the Tri-Cities
Air Traffic Manager in 2004.
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Steve Koepl, FLM
Steve Koepl began his aviation career in the U.S. Army as a helicopter pilot. In his
FAA career, Steve has worked at several towers including Lewiston Idaho, Spokane
Felts Field, Casper Wyoming, Spokane International, and Tri-Cities towers. He has
also worked at McMinnville Flight Service. Steve’s managerial experience began
when he was the Air Traffic Manager at both Lewiston and Spokane Felts Field
towers. He has been a Front Line Manager at Tri-Cities tower since 2007.
Hyrum Wadsworth, FLM
Hyrum Wadsworth began as an air traffic controller in the U.S. Army. He worked at
several military control towers in Tennessee and Alabama. Hyrum began his FAA
career at Spokane Felts Field tower in 1987. In 1990 he transferred to Casper,
Wyoming and then Tri-Cities Tower in 1999. He has been a Front Line Manager
since 2005.
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Tri-Cities Tower Support Staff
Paul Zaring, Staff Specialist
Paul began his Air Traffic Control career in 1982 at Bergstrom AFB, TX. Since then, Paul
has obtained facility ratings in 14 different military and FAA facilities. He has accumulated
over 25 years of military service in the Air National Guard and has deployed several times in
support of contingency operations such as Operation Joint Forge (supporting the Bosnia
campaign) and several deployments supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Paul continues
his military service today in the Oregon Air National Guard.
Paul transferred from the DoD to Denver AFSS in 2000. In 2004, Paul transferred to the Tri-
Cities ATCT. In his spare time, Paul enjoys spending time with his family, home projects,
motorcycles, and traveling.
Korey Barber, Administrative Assistant
Korey has worked at the Tri-Cities Tower since September 1996. She started with the
stay-in-school program through the FAA, and converted to a permanent position
when her schooling was done. She enjoys traveling and spending time with her
husband and three children. When you get to the facility, be sure to stop in and say
‘hi’ to the lady who will be doing your time and attendance!
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Larry Winsor, Raytheon Contractor
Larry began his career with the FAA in 1983. Larry spent his whole FAA career at
the Tri-Cities Tower and has served as a union FACREP, as the vice president of the
union local, as the Quality Assurance and Training Specialist, as a temporary
supervisor, and as an On-the-Job Training Instructor (OJTI). Larry retired from the
FAA on July 1, 2007. The very next day, July 2, 2007, he began as an Instructor
working for Washington Consulting Group (WCG), a government contractor.
Raytheon now has the contract.
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Policies
Reporting for Duty
New employees will start on an administrative work schedule (7:00am-3:30pm).
Employees are expected to report for work at their assigned shift time. If a situation
arises that will prevent you from reporting on time, call the Controller-in-Charge or
Front-Line Manager at 509-542-4209.
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Hours of Duty
Tri-Cities Tower operates from 6:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. and thus has multiple shift-
start times. Operational personnel are assigned to various AWS shifts unless assigned
an administrative day. Employees working various AWS shifts may not leave the
facility, during their shift, unless they have obtained management approval.
Employees working an administrative schedule are assigned an 8 ½ hour shift and
may leave the facility for their 30 minute unpaid lunch break after obtaining
management approval. When participating in classroom activities employees will be
working 8½-hour days. Once employee’s transition to operational training, in the Tower or TRACON, they will work 8 hour days.
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Parking
Employee parking is at the base of the control tower or in the lot west of the base
building. Vehicles must display a parking permit or they are liable to be ticketed or
even towed. Parking permits will be issued on employee’s first day at the facility.
Security
All Tri-Cities Tower employees are required to wear their FAA Identification Badge
while inside the FAA facility. The badge must be clearly worn and displayed in
accordance with regulations. Employees are expected to report any unidentified,
unknown, or suspicious persons observed on tower premises.
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Building Access
Electronic Entry Cards are needed to gain access to all facility exterior doors.
Guests and Visitors
Guests and visitors are usually welcome and encouraged. Employees may have
family members visit the facility after obtaining approval from management. After
obtaining approval, ensure all guests register. Employees must escort their guests at
all times.
Cell Phones and Personal Phone Calls
Cell phones may be used in the facility; however they are not permitted in the tower
or TRACON. Employees should never accept personal phone calls while on an
operational position.
U.S. Mail
A mail box is located outside the base building and is used for delivery of official
FAA correspondence and packages. Per FAA regulations, personal mail and package
deliveries are not permitted at the tower.
CRU-ART and Read & Initial Binder
Upon reporting for duty each day, employees are to sign on the CRU-ART computer
located in the TRACON and review the read and initial binders in the TRACON.
Employees are then required to report to the FLM or the CIC to obtain briefing on
any ‘Hot Topics’ and for a work assignment.
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Medical Services
There are no on-site medical facilities at the tower. First aid kits are located in the
base building, TRACON, and tower cab. In an emergency, medical services can be
summoned by calling 911. Annual physicals are performed off-site. Employees are
scheduled for physicals during their birth month.
Smoking
Smoking is only permitted in designated areas. There is a heated smoking building
located outside of the base building.
Break Room
The break room is located in the base building. The break room is shared with the
Tech Ops folks. Employees are expected to clean up their own mess in the kitchen.
There are lockers, a microwave, and a refrigerator for your convenience.
Additionally, this is not an area to use for study.
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Local Area Information
The Tri-Cities History and Information
The Tri-Cities is a metropolitan area in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of
Washington, consisting of Benton and Franklin counties. Three neighboring cities are
the principal cities for the metropolitan area: Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland. The
cities are located at the confluence of the Yakima, Snake, and Columbia rivers in the
semi-arid region of Southeastern Washington. A fourth neighboring city, West
Richland, is generally included as part of the Tri-City area and region.
The population of the metropolitan area was 228,992 at the 2007 Census estimates.[1]
If the Tri-Cities were a single city, it would be the fourth largest city in the state of
Washington, behind Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma.
Cable Bridge spanning the Columbia River
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Kennewick
Kennewick was first home to the Chemnapum Indians. The name means Winter
Haven, an appropriate title as the tribe gathered in the mild climate to trade, fish and
pasture their horses. Kennewick is now the largest of the three cities and relies on
light industry and retail to support their thriving economy. Our history includes that
of Kennewick Man, a 9,200-year-old skeleton unearthed in Kennewick’s Columbia
Park – a significant discovery receiving national attention.
The Blue Bridge at Sunset
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Pasco
Pasco is near the site where the Lewis & Clark Expedition made camp in 1805. The
expedition spent several days near present-day Sacajawea State Park trading with the
Indians and cataloging our diverse plant and animal life. Pasco has both strong
agricultural and industrial roots, and is the largest city in the million acres Columbia
Basin Irrigation Project. Transportation is a dominant part of Pasco's history and
future. The arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad was instrumental in bringing a
rush of settlers to the Washington Territory which led to statehood on November 11,
1889. World War II brought the Army Reconsignment Depot and Naval Air Station
to Pasco. Pasco is also home to the first commercial airport west of the Mississippi.
Richland
Richland started out as a small farming community, but the population boomed from
about 1,500 to more than 5,100 residents in 1943 when the government built the
country’s first nuclear reactor on the Hanford Site. The Hanford Site continues to play
a major role in the Tri-Cities economy and is also a huge partner in the science and
technology communities worldwide. The Hanford Reach is the last free-flowing
stretch of the Columbia River in the United States and was designated as a National
Monument by President Clinton. Currently underway, is the development of a
Hanford Reach National Monument Visitor and Heritage Center located near
Columbia Point Park at the Gateway of the Hanford Reach.
View of Richland looking north
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Rattlesnake Mountain with Yakima River in foreground
West Richland
West Richland was once the two small communities of Enterprise and Heminger
City. The City of West Richland was the Tri-Cities growth leader during the decade
of the 1990s, doubling its population. The city continues to grow due to the popularity
of the mix of urban and rural living that West Richland offers. This growth has
attracted new businesses and spurred the addition of a new elementary and middle
school. West Richland is prepared to welcome new commercial and industrial
development with its open spaces, available land, and infrastructure.
West Richland’s Flat Top Park has become the center for numerous family events
throughout the year, including Summer Concert Series, Hogs & Dogs, Fall Harvest
Festival, Veteran’s Day Parade, and December’s Carols and Cocoa.
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Recreational Activities and Special Events
The confluence of the Snake, Yakima and Columbia Rivers has produced an aquatic
playground second to none. The area’s inviting waterways beckon water lovers from
all over the region to enjoy sailing, power and pleasure boating, waterskiing,
swimming, fishing, windsurfing, and much more.
From bicycling to bowling, hunting to fishing, soccer to snowskiing, recreational
opportunities are endless. Due in part to the area’s exceptional climate, golf is one of
the Tri-Cities most popular sports. The area’s ten beautiful courses challenge the most
experienced golfer as well as the beginner. It is a very hard winter indeed when a
round of golf cannot be played nearly every day of the year.
After savoring just one of the local premium wines, the visitor will understand why
the area has been rightfully called the “Heart of Washington’s Wine Country.” The
Tri-Cities boasts more than 100 wineries within a 60 mile radius, producing some of
the finest wines in the country. The wineries range in size from the Hogue Winery,
where 460,000 cases of wine are produced annually, to the Kiona Vineyards in
Benton City, housed in the basement of the winemakers home but already producing
an internationally acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon wine.
Our unique combination of mighty rivers and cloudless skies has made the area a
center for hydroelectric power, wind power generation and solar studies. The Hanford
Site, adjacent to Richland, adds nuclear energy and environmental research to this
mix. Explore the area’s Columbia River Exhibition of History, Science &
Technology Museum, and Energy Northwest’s Nine Canyon Wind Farm Visitor
Centers too.
An F-16, a P-51and an F-15 fly formation during boat race weekend
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Boat Races on the Columbia River
The Lamb Weston Columbia Cup and the HAPO Over-The-River Air Show draws
thousands of visitors every July as unlimited hydroplanes race at unbelievable speeds.
The Tri-Cities was recently named the top race site for unlimited hydroplane racing at
the ABRA banquet dinner.
Air show performer races a speed boat during a break between hydroplane heats
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Restaurants of Note
American
Anthony's HomePort 550 Columbia Point Dr., Richland - 509.946.3474
Bonefish Grill 133 Gage Blvd., Richland - 509.628.9296
Cedars Restaurant 355 Clover Island Dr., Kennewick - 509.582.2143
Famous Dave's Legendary BBQ 8110 W. Gage Blvd., Kennewick - 509.783.3405
Tagaris 1844 Tulip Lane, Richland - 509.628.0020
Asian
Double Dragon 3107 Clearwater Ave., Kennewick - 509.737.8833
Emerald of Siam 1314 Jadwin Ave., Richland - 509.946.9328
Bar and Grill
Ice Harbor Brewing Company 206 N. Benton St., Kennewick - 509.582.5340 /
888.701.2350
Jack-sons Sports Bar & Restaurant 99 Lee Blvd., Richland - 509.946.8118
Kimo's at Rattlesnake Mountain Brewing Co. 2696 N. Columbia Center Blvd.,
Richland - 509.783.5747
R.F. McDougall's 1705 Columbia Park Trail, Richland - 509.735.6418
Italian
The Spaghetti Establishment 2107 W. 4th Ave., Kennewick - 509.586.6622
Monterosso's Italian Restaurant 1026 Lee Blvd., Richland - 509.946.4525
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Mexican
Azteca Mexican Restaurant 556 Columbia Center Blvd., Ste 640, Kennewick, WA
99336- 509.735.6661
Wine Bars
Bin No. 20 2525 N. 20th Ave., Pasco - 509.547.0701
Katya’s Restaurant & Wine Bar 430 George Washington Way, Ste. 201, Richland -
509.946-7777
U.S. Coast Guard frogman suspend from rescue copter
over the Columbia river during boat race weekend
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Local Sports Teams
Baseball: Tri-Cities Dust Devils - A Minor League Team that is a Class-A affiliate of
the Colorado Rockies
Football: Tri-Cities Fever – Arena Football team that is part of the af2 league.
Hockey: Tri-Cities Americans – A member of the WHL
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Tri-Cities Tower and Airport Area Map
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Tri-Cities Tower Directory
The following list provides the most commonly used phone numbers within the Tri-
Cities Tower facility.
Front Desk (509) 542-4204
Facility [Recorded] (509) 542-4200
Facility Night & Weekend [unpublished] (509) 542-4209
Manager’s Office (509) 542-4201
FLM’s Office (509) 542-4205
Training Department (509) 542-4212
Facility Fax (509) 542-4210
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