The Air Traffic Control Network Needs An Update
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There is an old adage that often one has ‘to spend money in order to save money’. That old saying certainly applies to the air traffic control network:
” A World War II-era air traffic network that often forces planes to take longer, zigzagging routes is costing U.S. airlines billions of dollars in wasted fuel while an upgrade to a satellite-based system has languished in the planning stages for more than a decade.
The $35 billion plan would replace the current radar system with the kind of GPS technology that has become commonplace in cars and cell phones. Supporters say it would triple air traffic capacity, reduce delays by at least half, improve safety and curb greenhouse gas emissions.”
link: U.S. air-traffic network outdated, costly
Not only would an updated system be more cost efficient, it would be more secure. There would be increased safety in the air and on the runways. It would reduce the incidents of ‘near misses’ significantly.
The problem is that this is an approximately thirty five billion dollar ($35,000,000,000.00) project. It is not a presidential campaign issue. And, in this bailout economy, where are the funds found in order to save financially?
Catherine Forsythe
4 Comments
William Smith
October 10th, 2008
at 2:58am
If you love the FAA and the VA, you’re in for a real treat when the same government is running our health care and banking systems.
Tim Ellis
October 10th, 2008
at 5:40am
The sad fact is that FAA awarded a modernization project to the former IBM Federal Systems Group (now part of Lockheed-Martin) in 1989 or so; I worked on part of the preliminary design during the summer and fall of 1990 as a new employee. Even then, FAA’s program mandates (use Ada language with all data protection options turned on) did not mesh with the naturally strict performance requirements (identify a radar signal within 10ms of receipt). This “problem” has been recognized now for 20 years and we still have no solution ready for installation.
In many instances, the Feds handcuff contractors to a chair that is bolted to the floor in the hallway and then complain when same contractors are unable to walk into a meeting room around the corner.
AvaChava
October 10th, 2008
at 6:09am
I think there shouldn’t be an advertisement for a crooked politician on the same page as a plea to spend money to fix a problem. And if the fanatics we are at war with succeed in implementing an air-burst atomic weapon to take out all our satellite communications/navigation with a giant EMF pulse, then what? Killing the Star Wars initiative in favor of giving free care to illegals and other social experiments of dubious value has left us open to such attacks. For cars and hikers, losing their GPS signals will be a nuisance. For airlines to be suddenly without guidance is suicidal.
A Pilot
October 10th, 2008
at 6:11am
utter BS. We use GPS for direct routes all the time. What we don’t have is MORE AIRPORTS.