More than 50 aviation organizations are backing new House legislation that proposes a $15 billion investment to modernize the nation’s air traffic control system.
I’m all for “modernizing” the ATC system, but this looks like it’s merely throwing money at the problem. No doubt that will help with tower staffing issues (which is a Good Thing) but I’m not convinced that was the proximate cause of the DCA tragedy. Multiple timely warnings were issued, but it takes only one pilot to fail to “see and avoid”.
The only solution I see that would prevent that sort of accident, is to get all the “bags of salt-water” completely out of the loop. However, even simple computer-controlled transportation systems, like theme-park monorails and certain modern subways, have failures. We won’t see a substantial improvement in the already amazingly safe ATC system we now enjoy, until we have one that, essentially, turns control of every aircraft over to an AI-driven system. (If then.)
My hope is that when that time comes, there will still be some “uncontrolled airspace” available for those of us who enjoy the experience of being pilot in command. Though I doubt that my cohort will live to see it.
After 45 years of flying, I have seen towers come and go, and come back again, ILS replaced with MLS replaced with ILS, LORAN-C, GPS, VNAV, Transponder mandates, ADS-B, Nextgen and now yet another Modern Skies initiative to replace outdated stuff that was outdated when I got my first solo signoff.
We’ll see what they come up with next for the NEXTBILLION system. And I’ll keep flying the same airplane I’ve had for 30 years for the next little while.
“The group, known as the Modern Skies coalition”
I’m sorry, is there any official information on this group, when they formed, and maybe if they have a formal mission statement?
They say they have sounded the alarm for decades but I can’t seem to find any online presence for them. Thanks for any info.
They should gatekeep the industry even more.
Keep on not advertise job postings, and make the requirements harder while theyre at it. They should then complain they have a worker shortage and blame people these days for not wanting to work. They will reduce traffic flow at busy airports while charging the same price for their services. And then they will need even more government funding to help them hire people. But no one will get hired because they have to gatekeep and not let anyone new in. And then they will complain no is qualified. Its like the meme of the cyclist puting a stick in their own spokes.
I hope one day they can completely automate this process of what so many ATC people call “just keeping airplanes seperated”.
“ The proposed legislation would direct funding toward several key priorities: refurbishing control towers and TRACON facilities, replacing outdated radar and communications systems, and expanding recruitment and training programs for air traffic controllers.”
Throwing more money at a problem with no plan, outside of glowing verbiage of a hope, makes as much sense as DOGE thinning the ranks today while this new initiative backfills it sometime in the future, rinse and repeat. Refurbishing towers and TRACON facilities in what way? New paint? New furniture? And replacing outdated radar and communications systems? With what? Expanding recruitment after showing a bunch where the exit is with the number of the local unemployment office and an 8 month severance check? Money appropriations first, planning means having Monopoly money in hand to dangle that funny money in front of the lobbyist, with contract awards to LM and the big B, and a quick run by Congress to Wall Street for stock purchases of LM and Big B. Soon after, the debate about privatizing ATC. I am sure traffic separation will continue for sometime with old round green screens with a bunch more funny money spent on how to link AI with 50 year old hardware. Maybe they will name it NexGen. Oh yeah, they already used that. Maybe NewGen2.0AI? Nope. OldGen2.0AI…yeah, that works.
For anyone sitting in the conference room at the ORD Tower/TRACON in '84, ‘85’ '86, and on and on, you would hear a well meaning briefing by one of our good guy managers/supervisors. They knew as well as any of us how bad the staffing was and how long the six day weeks would last. They would have a flip chart showing where we were that day , but flipping the chart where we would be with staffing numbers next year, the next year, etc. The following year we would have the same briefing again following another year of 6 day weeks. These were good folks, Shifty was one of them. They really meant well having received the presentation from the Region folks. They couldn’t just stand there and not present the info they had been given and assured of. But in their hearts, they also knew the truth. So here we are thirty or so years later. Shifty has died and many controllers have retired or departed and what is our staffing issue now? Oh wait, traffic has increased but the ratio to staffing remains the same or worse. So you all tell me, where does this fix begin and when??? Yes, myself and other retired controllers could tell you what exactly is needed to move forward today. but the folks in charge will never accept it to that level. Each of you can give a pretty good guess!
I can imagine how the controllers who walked off the job in 81’ must have felt. They were told the same lies you were only it was for ten or twenty years not three or four. Did you really think it was going to be any different for you than it was for them?
I didn’t walk. When the strike happened, I already had 13 years in and was an instructor at the FAA Academy at the time.
Hey no judgment here just frustration. I don’t think the system ever really recovered from the strike/firings and it sounds like they have never addressed the issues and the attitudes that let up to the strike in the first place.
Right you are. From the Academy, I was sent to ORD to help with the recovery. And although I had pretty good experience previously on the West Coast, it still took me a year to be fully certified throughout the ORD Tracon. That is another thing that is so overlooked. A new hire can be several years training in a new facility before becoming fully productive. The talk about hire now and it will be fixed, not so. “They” need to convene a group of older folks who worked the trenches and know the real story. But “they” have know that for years. Many of them came up through the ranks.
Good point, Arthur. Here’s what I’ve found.
Modern Skies Coalition: Key Facts
Raf, thanks for finding that. Good investigative work.
No wonder I found only hours old references when searching for that group yesterday. They were only in existence for a few hours when I searched.