Fresno Airport Control Tower/ Terminal Radar Approach Control TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Content 2 Welcome Letter 3 Fresno Tower/TRACON Today 4 Fresno Tower/TRACON Leadership Team 6 Our Expectations of All Employees 10 Policies 11 Local Area Information 13 Sporting and Special Events 14 Restaurants of Note 16 Online Resources 17 Fresno Tower and Airport Area Map 19 Fresno Tower/TRACON Directory 21 2 Welcome Letter Dear New Employee, It is with great pleasure that I welcome you as a new employee to the Federal Aviation Administration and Fresno Tower/TRACON! The enclosed information is designed to serve as an introduction to Fresno Tower, its personnel, and the surrounding community. The entire team at Fresno ATCT is ready to support and assist with your transition into your new job and the Fresno area. Here you will have an opportunity to work with an outstanding team of professionals that help to make Fresno a truly great place to work and develop your skills as an Air Traffic Controller. Your knowledge, abilities, and positive attitude will make you a highly regarded addition to our team, and I am certain that you will make a positive impact on our future. All of us want to make your time at Fresno ATCT as enjoyable and rewarding as possible. Please feel free to ask any questions and express your thoughts and ideas to the staff and senior leadership. Our aim is to create an informal atmosphere and involve everyone in the process of keeping our facility an exceptional place to work. I look forward to working with you and would like to welcome you again to our team. Sincerely, Kenneth J. Hyman Air Traffic Manager 3 Fresno Tower/TRACON Today Located in the San Joaquin Valley, a few hours drive from coastal resorts or an hour from the snow and pine covered Sierras, Fresno is one of the fastest growing areas in the state, and the Fresno Yosemite International Airport is the busiest airport in Central California. Beginning as Hammer Army Air Field in 1941, the airport was given to the City in 1946. The Communications and Weather Stations moved here from Chandler Field to begin service in 1948. A Federal Control Tower was opened in 1954, staffed by the Civil Aviation Agency (CAA) with 4 controllers and a Chief. Since that time the airport has expanded to include major airlines, air taxi’s (boarding near 1 million passengers a year), the California Air National Guard fighters, Army National Guard Helicopters, the Tanker activity of the National Forrest Service, a major Cargo Center, and over a dozen fixed base operations, with more than 400 aircraft of all types. Traffic activity is increasing. The Tower/TRACON is a fully equipped Level 8 radar approach control facility, using ARTS IIE interfaced with Oakland Center, Bakersfield, Lemoore NAS, and Northern California TRACON approach controls. Service is provided to Fresno, Visalia, Hanford, Chandler, Madera, and many other valley airports on a 24-hour basis. The facility has also expanded into one of the finest combined Tower/TRACON’s in the Western-Pacific Region, with a tradition of providing excellent service and a friendly, professional atmosphere in which to work. This tradition will be continued with effort and a positive attitude toward your job and will result in a rewarding and enjoyable career at FAT. Fresno International Airport (FAT) is a joint civil-military public airport. Fresno annual operations were 161,607, with a mixture of commercial, general aviation, military, and special operation aircraft (i.e. forestry tanker aircraft, life flight aircraft, and law enforcement). The 144 th Fighter Wing of the California Air National Guard is based at the airport. The California Army National Guard maintains an Aviation Classification Repair Activity Depot at the airport. A monthly unit training drill, resulting in a surge of up to a total of 990 personnel, including pilots, perform additional drills, flying training periods and/or active duty every month throughout the year. Both the U.S. Forest Service and the California Department of Forestry operate an Air Attack Base at the airport for fighting forest fires with aerial tankers. 4 Fresno Tower Organizational Chart The following organizational chart depicts the structure of the Fresno Tower Management Team. AIR TRAFFIC MANAGER SUPPORT SPECIALIST QA & PLANS & PROCEDURES ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT RAYTHEON TRAINING FRONT LINE FRONT LINE FRONT LINE FRONT LINE MANAGER MANAGER MANAGER MANAGER CPC CPC CPC CPC CPC CPC CPC CPC CPC CPC CPC CPC CPC CPC CPC CPC CPC CPC CPC CPC CPC CPC CPC CPC CPC 5 Fresno Tower/TRACON Leadership Team Ken Hyman, Ken Powell, Joe Tropf, Carlos Gallardo, Ken MacNeill and John Mombourquette head the Fresno Tower Leadership Team. Below are their bios that outline career paths of these distinguished individuals and briefly describe their personal interests and hobbies. Kenneth J. Hyman, Air Traffic Manager, Fresno Tower/TRACON Ken Hyman started his government service in the United States Air Force in 1973 as an Aircraft Electronics Specialist then crossed-trained into Air Traffic Control in 1977. After leaving the service, Ken came to work for the FAA in 1982 as a controller at Fresno Tower/TRACON. In 1987 he became the Plans and Procedures Support Specialist and then served as a Front Line Manager from 1988 until 2001. In 2001, he became the Quality Assurance Support Specialist until becoming the Acting Air Traffic Manager from 2004 to 2006. In 2007, Ken was made the permanent Air Traffic Manager at Fresno Tower/TRACON. Ken grew-up as an Army military brat living in numerous states through out his childhood. He however, calls Salinas, CA his childhood home. He enjoys traveling, cruises and spending time with his family. He and his wife reside in Clovis, CA and are the proud grandparents of a young lady named Hanna. Kenneth C. Powell, Front Line Manager, Fresno Tower/TRACON Ken Powell started his government service with the Federal Aviation Administration in Monterey TRACAB in January of 1983. He served as an ATCS for 3 years and the Quality Assurance Training Specialist for 1 year. In 1987 he transferred to Honolulu, Tower/TRACON and worked as an ATCS for 3 years including a brief period as a temporary supervisor. 6 In 1990 Ken returned to the Monterey Peninsula as an Operational Supervisor at the recently renovated Tower/TRACON. At one point he served as the only OS as the other three had retired or been selected elsewhere. December of 1994 he was selected to the Fresno Tower/TRACON where he works today as a Front Line Manager. Ken grew up as an Air Force brat and resided in several states and Guam. Post Air Force settled Ken in Fresno, CA until the high flying adventures of the FAA whisked him and his family away. He has three grown children from his first marriage. Re- Married in 2008 he and his wife enjoy traveling, cruising, water and snow skiing. Joseph A. Tropf, Front Line Manager, Fresno Tower/TRACON Joe began his Air Traffic Control Career in the United States Army in 1977, and worked as a controller at Robert Gray Army Airfield, Fort Hood, Texas. He came to work for the FAA in 1981 after leaving the Army as a controller in Seattle ARTCC. Throughout Joe’s FAA career he has worked for the FAA at Hoquiam, Washington FSS, Redmond, Oregon FSS, Walla Walla, Washington FSS, Sacramento, California International ATCT, finally settling in at Fresno, California ATCT where for the past 20 years he has held positions of Staff Support Specialist, NATCA facility representative, and Front Line Manager. Joe enjoys spending time with his wife Valerie of 32 years, children and grand- children. He enjoys spending traveling the country, cruises, hunting and fishing. Carlos G. Gallardo, Front Line Manager, Fresno Tower/TRACON I was born January 21, 1960 in Phoenix Arizona. I lived there my entire life until 1980 when I joined the United States Air Force. I went in with the guaranteed job of Air Traffic controller. After Tech school my first duty assignment was Laughlin AFB Del Rio Texas. I became a journey man Controller soon after. The events of August 3 1981 took me to Oakland Towers, Oakland California to supplement the controllers there that did not strike. I became an FPL controller there and became part of the training team. My next assignment took me to Zaragoza Air Base Spain. Because of my ability to speak Spanish I was asked to coordinate several new Letters of Agreement with the civilian controllers. I was next assigned Columbus AFB Mississippi. I checked out in the tower but was then quickly detailed to Palmerola 7 AB in Honduras Central America. The Air Force took over ATC operations from the Army. The Army had no means of coordinating with the Hondran Air Force or the Civilian authority. Once again we helped to establish Memorandums and Letters of Agreement between all parties to ease operations. After a six and one half year career I decided to try my luck in the FAA. Before I got into the FAA I worked for Bartons ATC Incorporated. I was hired to work in my home state. Flagstaff Tower in Northern Arizona was a beautiful facility. I enjoyed my 1 year duty there. I was hired by the FAA in April of 1987 back to Oakland California. There I was reunited with some of the same people that I trained back in 1981. I worked Oakland towers for 7 years. Another controller that I knew suggested that I apply for Fresno Tower and Tracon to further my career. I made it through the tower portion with no problems, after struggling through the radar portion I became FPL.