May 27, 2015 // Facility Spotlight: Twin Falls ATCT (TWF)

Commissioned in 1975, Twin Falls ATCT (TWF) is a level five facility and class D tower in Idaho. This 100 percent NATCA facility is home to seven CPCs who work an airspace up to five miles from the tower. Their class E radar approach goes about 44 miles east, 20 miles west, 20 miles north, and 90 miles south of the facility. In addition to working their airspace, which includes many different types of aircraft, TWF provides non-radar approach service – one of only two in the country – to Burley Municipal (BYI) and Jerome County (JER) airports, as well as several smaller satellite airports in the surrounding area. TWF also works with Salt Lake City Center (ZLC).

“We work agricultural aircraft, F15s based at nearby Mountain Home Air Force Base, as well as the aircraft in the training field for K35Rs flown out of the Utah Air National Guard base,” FacRep Aaron Greenwood says. “We also work all kinds of general aviation aircraft including helicopters, business jets, and bug smashers.”

“TWF serves as a vital firefighting base for southern and central Idaho, so we see a lot of tanker traffic during firefighting season as well,” explains Greenwood. “We have the Allen & Co. party in Sun Valley, Idaho, every year, where we see a lot of business jet traffic, and we are also a diversion airport for SLC during significant weather days for aircraft like CRJs and 737s.”

Though the facility is small, NATCA solidarity is still an important part of their environment. “We host quarterly meetings for the facility,” says Greenwood. “100 percent of the CPCs at the facility are part of NATCA, and we are looking forward to our two new trainees joining in the near future. Everyone loves what NATCA stands for. They love doing their job, and we all get along great. The best part about being FacRep is that I get to represent all of the people I work with. They trust me to do what’s right for our facility. I also really enjoy seeing the labor side of things. I have learned more about the Union in the last year than the previous four years combined, and I look forward to taking that knowledge into the future.”