"Nathan Young" wrote in message
...

Note: I have never been in an ATC facility, so I have no idea how the
systems actually work, nor the limitations.

However, in terms of technology, managing flightplans for every
aircraft in the US would be a trivial problem. This is exactly what
database programs are designed to do.

Upon initial contact from the aircraft, the controller, should be able
to key the N-number into a database and see if there is a flightplan
available. In this manner, each controller would have access to each
flightplan, but only as they need it.


Only as they need it? How does the computer know what controller needs
access to the flight plan at any moment?



An aging utility would go through and remove old flightplans.


Old flight plans are presently removed if they haven't been activated two
hours after the proposed departure time.



Security and redudancy issues aside, I could have something like this
running on SQL and webconfigured in less than a week.


But those are rather important issues.



What am I missing? I am eager to learn how the current system works.


What do you want to know?