European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 8, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday novembers 1987 the stabs and stripes Page 9 Bas Partai by Eisaw morn in visitors were invited to climb the new air traffic control lower and Surrey the View of the Countryside dissected by runway during the grand opening on Friday. The shift supervisor for ground control approach stairs go. Dorothy Holmes her face illuminated by a radar screen directs an approach on inc new equipment. Wiesbaden Airfield has right approach by Wendy Bourland staff writer Wiesbaden a Germany air traffic controllers feel More in commando the Busy skies above them in their new flight con Rul Tower which Icv say has increased flight safety and improve working conditions. The new Tower gives controllers a better View of the. Airfield said chief warrant officer Jim Faux the air traffic corlr.-. Ter supervisor. The old Tower was Only 40 feel off the ground and you could barely see the runways or the ends of the Field. Part of the traffic pattern was hockey from Llie control Lowery  base officials Cut the ribbon Friday on the facility that was completed oct. 15. Theold lower a Small room silting Alop an old wooden platform was a Light fit for its three to five occupants. The spacious new Tower contains new communications equipment and sits twice As far off the ground As the old Tower. The new facility is built on lop of a building at the Airfield. Germans living in and around wies Baden have one complained about the noise and safety a Ards created by being in the flight paths of Lour Busy air i pubs Wiesbaden a the Fin Lhnn army Airfield in maim. Frankfurt Ojile Nalion Al Airport and Rhein main a. Wic Sodden alone is Home to 23 fixed Wing aircraft and j2 helicopters mostly Black Hawks. . Cora i hers Airfield opera ions of Fier said about 3,000 aircraft move ments a month 3 movement being a Takeoff or a Landing Lake place a Wiesbaden a. That s compared to about 24,000 movements a Monin at Frankfurt International Airport he said. Air raffle controllers at work on their electronic equipment also have Good isl Billy of incoming Plum front Ihler totter. With so Many planes sharing the of pics. Instant Clear communication is a must Between German and american air traffic controllers. The air base s controllers now have direct lines to the army flight operations Del Heidelberg Frankfurt International Airport and Fithen army Airfield Sec. Oscar Thomas flight Tower chief is glad to see the new Tower or a number of reasons. He suggested some of the improvements himself or. Faus asked for the lower Chiel and radar chiefs input what their a swe re he said. Some of Ibe suggestions adopted More counter spate for papers and con sole extensions. In the three Man operation at he new facility one person monitors flight data another watches activity by vehicles and aircraft on the ground and a third monitors the runway. Below the Tower on inc top floor of building 1036, con i rollers Man the radar equipment Ihal can scan the skies up to 200 Miles around lie ail  Thomas said training new con trollers is easier nun. In the old Tower the ability of the acts dropped Down. They Couin l see the ends of the runway. We had Ili use alot of Pilot  me said Irain Ros now perform under the guidance of a supervisor with an override Headset the supervisor can take Over if necessary. Not Only controllers Haie non cd the changes in their performance. The pilots have noticed the improvement in to or capability Thomas said. Before the new Tower was Huil. The radar operators worked out of a Van and Sec. Anthony Well welcomed inc Moinelo building 1036. The Van will still he used he said for tactical purposes but it is not the main radar sue an  s cold in there. There s no heat. In Here it s climate Tun trolled he said. All around it s it belter environment for our  Wells gesturing u his he Adful of Gray hair Ali nil lodged the pressures of being an air traffic controller with a Grin.  crimes up a lot less  he said