Richard Kaplan wrote:

Again, GPS and WAAS are great, but no way are other approach types going to
all disappear.. we may lose a few enroute navaids but VOR and especially ILS
are here to stay for a long, long time.


10 years is probally an accurate estimate. That will be enough time to place
higher power satellites in orbit, and for airlines and busjet outfits to work
out their backup procedures to their satisfaction with INS.

After that it will be GA pilots and the AOPA lobbying to keep VOR in use, and
AOPA's heart is not really in the fight (being a GPS/WAAS avocate all these years).
That leaves "us" with about the clout of a sparrow on bad berries. Oh, and I won't
be joining you, nor I suspect will many other pilots. Four course ranges didn't
survive as VOR backups, either.

I'll predict: massive decommissioning around 2010.

--
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