Going back 100 years ago, before automated traffic lights were invented, a traffic cop (police officer) would stand in the middle of the intersection and direct vehicles with a whistle to avoid collisions and frustration. Along came traffic lights, and the cop would then stand on the corner, and manually change the light depending on the traffic flow. Fast forward 30 years, and we had automated, timed traffic lights, and also pressure sensors on the roads to let the traffic light now there was a car there.
Ive been flying in small aircraft since I was a kid with my dad. Back then, we didnt have an encoding altimeter, but had a unicom that allowed us to broadcast our position and intentions to other pilots aloft. That was decades ago, but today, general aviation is still using vocal transmission to get clearances, and communicate with ATC.
Im wondering what the next step is for general aviation and ATC? Will it be non-verbal communications, with an automated ATC? Computers are great devices to use on mundane, or repetitive, stressful tasks, and from friends I have that are ATC, say its one of the most stressful jobs in the world. With automation these, days, what would it take to migrate or evolve from what we have now to a more automated ATC?
Ive been flying in small aircraft since I was a kid with my dad. Back then, we didnt have an encoding altimeter, but had a unicom that allowed us to broadcast our position and intentions to other pilots aloft. That was decades ago, but today, general aviation is still using vocal transmission to get clearances, and communicate with ATC.
Im wondering what the next step is for general aviation and ATC? Will it be non-verbal communications, with an automated ATC? Computers are great devices to use on mundane, or repetitive, stressful tasks, and from friends I have that are ATC, say its one of the most stressful jobs in the world. With automation these, days, what would it take to migrate or evolve from what we have now to a more automated ATC?