Airports near DFW (was NATCA Going Down in Flames)
Well, yes and no.
Yes for some like me; no for some like Emily.
Well, it's a bit more than that. Flying in the DC area without talking
to anyone is hard. (at least doing it more than once is hard!). Flying
in weather without talking to ATC can be hard in many areas of the
country where it would be easy VFR, and when that area doesn't have much
VFR, that "adds value" to ATC services. (Many areas like that don't
have much spam can IFR either). And although you may be able to "fly"
without talking to anyone, this doesn't help if you can't get where
you're going without them.
It's not just Emily (although I will say she paints a bleaker picture
than I think is warranted).
And if a privatized ATC starts charging for services, and finds that
they are not making enough money because spam cans demure, then it is
not out of the question that the FAA will require, somehow, that spam
cans procure more ATC services.
All speculation, but intertwined. We are lucky to have the system we
have, but we need to be vigliant that it doesn't get sold, piece by
piece, like the DC area did, as each of us who is not directly affected,
poo poohs the idea that it could come to reach us.
Jose
--
There are more ways to skin a cat than there are cats.
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