Peter wrote:
Newps wrote:

David Bridgham wrote:

The point I'd hoped to make was not my particular ideas of how to make
a better system for air traffic (though I'm happy to talk about that
too). My point is that the monopoly situation that we currently have
with ATC is a result of the particular design that came to be for good
reasons given the technology at hand. However, technology has changed
so much since the 40's (even though our planes haven't) that it seems
worth reconsidering the fundamentals, not just trying to push ahead
with the same old thing. The need for a monopoloy is not a given.



There is no way that 50 airplanes, each with a computer trying to
figure out a sequence, will ever be as efficient as one controller.
Cannot be done. Your system would immediately fall apart when you
start introducing everyday variables into the mix. Such as
vehicles/aircraft needing to cross or access the runway, aircraft
missing their turnoff, aircraft aborting takeoff, debris falling off
aircraft and needing to be cleaned up, mowing, snow removal, the list
is endless.


Yes, it might be almost as complex as this post managing to find its way
through a network of thousands of computers without any central control.

I'm sure the system will immediately fall apart and you'll never see
this response.


Apples and oranges. If your post made it immediately to the server or
was delayed by 5 minutes it would be irrelavant. Air traffic doesn't
work that way. Take a simple example. There is an aircraft on fianl,
put there by the computer. There is an aircraft cleared for takeoff by
the computer. There is an aircraft told to taxi into position and hold
by the computer. The aircraft on takeoff roll has to abort and as you
know there could be a million reasons for that. Perhaps it's a non
mechanical reason, and therefore not known by the computer, a deer ran
on to the runway. How does the aircraft on final know what to do? It
all has to be inputted into a computer immediately. Where will he fly?
How will the aircraft, who is in position and hold, know what to do.
The computer needs to be told that it can't go. If everything works
perfectly every second of every day it probably still wouldn't work.
Add in one typical variable and the house of cards collapses.