Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness; Other / Unknown
ATC Issue All Types; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach
Human Factors; Procedure; Weather
The weather was Special VFR and Bethel Tower said they were losing the airspace after four of us were allowed clearance into the zone. We were keeping our speed up to accommodate the Tower and Anchorage Center. I was flying a Cessna Caravan; sequenced one mile behind a C207; which was turning base to final. Bethel Tower told me to extend; that I would be following [call sign]. I started my base turn assuming I would be following the plane ahead of me; which I thought was [call sign]. Tower said that I would be following the C207 which was three miles away coming from the northeast; even though I was positioned 1 mile out to follow the plane that was landing ahead of me. I was completely confused; wondering why they'd make me extend; to maneuver and slow up to trail behind a plane still three miles out when I could've landed and been well clear of the runway since we were losing the airspace. A float plane then called Tower to say he was down and safe on the water. No response from Tower. I continued; following close behind [call sign]; keeping it tight; thinking with a fifteen knot headwind he'd be able to make the first taxiway; Bravo. Tower now asks about the floatplane; is he down and safe. I tell Tower the plane's down and safe on the water. [Call sign] isn't able to make Bravo Taxiway and BET Tower tells me to go-around; which I clearly understand; given my spacing; as I turn the plane to the east; assuming they'll have me land on the parallel runway; 19L. Instead they tell me to leave the zone; to go to the southwest hold. They're losing the airspace; a runway is open right in front of me; I could be down in five seconds; and they tell me to fly back across the zone; the opposite way; to go to the southwest hold. I asked why I can't land on 19L. They tell me they're losing the airspace and to leave the zone. Since I'm already heading to the southeast I explain I'll be heading to the southeast hold. I talk to them later on the phone and ask why they didn't let me land on 19L. Their explanation: they were losing the airspace. In all my 20 years flying around the state the last four to five years dealing with the controllers in Bethel Tower has been beyond exasperating. Even as busy as Bethel airport is ONE controller continues to work both Ground and Tower frequency. When you call on the ground you get no response. You call again; nothing. You call again and you get barked at; CALLING GROUND STAND BY! You call ten miles out on Tower; nothing. You call again. Aircraft coming from the southwest say call sign; even though you just told them twice. They get confused; they're looking for planes in the air when they've already landed. It happens all the time. When you complain to the controllers about how things are not going so well; you get jerked around as I described in the scenario above. It is indeed so exasperating for all the pilots in Bethel that I think it is affecting our safety. These are the rudest; most incompetent controllers I've ever worked with and something's got to be done. Just to compare; there was one Controller; and he was a sheer delight. He changed everything. Pilots would thank him for coming to work. But of course he is gone and now we're still stuck with this.
C208 pilot on SVFR clearance into BET reports being issued a go-around due to aircraft on Runway 19R and also being denied the opportunity to land on Runway 19L. Reporter suggests that staffing (single controller) is the issue.