Winter Haven Regional Airport to use digital remote tower system to enhance safety, first in nation
The Brief
Winter Haven Regional Airport is looking for ways to enhance safety and efficiency.
The airport currently shares a frequency with five other airports.
City officials are pushing the FAA for a dedicated frequency.
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - As the Winter Haven Regional Airport gets busier and busier every year, the airport is looking for new and inventive ways to enhance safety and efficiency.
The airport is home to multiple flight schools and has experienced explosive growth.
By the numbers
"Two years ago, we were averaging 55,000 to 60,000 flight operations a year," said Airport Director, Troy Heidel. "We're now averaging 80,000 operations a year."
The airport currently shares a frequency with five other airports, so city officials are pushing the FAA for a dedicated frequency since they account for 40 percent of the traffic on the channel.
"Pilots for several different airports call their position in the pattern. It can create confusion," said Heidel. 'Was he on final for Winter Haven or Apopka?' So having that dedicated frequency can eliminate some of that confusion."
A midair collision in 2023 between a fixed-wing plane and a seaplane claimed four lives, including a student pilot and instructor. It's a tragic reminder of the risks posed by congested airspace.
Dig deeper
By the end of this year, Winter Haven will have a digital remote tower system with a 360-degree camera and sensor array that can automatically detect and predict air traffic.
The tower, which will begin with a testing phase, will be operated remotely from 10 miles away at the Bartow Airport.
"Polk County will be the first example of where a remote digital tower at one airport is provided to another airport," said Jake Polumbo with the airport's Safety Committee.
"When you have somebody on the ground and their dedicated purpose is to do nothing but guide and direct traffic, it really helps eliminate the variables in the airspace and give that people a single focus and gives them some direction to fly the sky," said Heidel.
What's next
The remote tower system is fully funded by a more than $1 million Florida Department of Transportation grant.
The Source
FOX 13 journalist Carla Bayron gathered the information for this story.
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