This was sent to me today by a very well repected and experienced aviation writer and aviator.
Just about sums it up.
AK
1.. First, the "jumbos crashing into lighties" scenario does not exist. Nothing will change at Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Townsville or Cairns for example, as the unions have untrithfully implied it will. What they're talking about is Dash 8 and BAe146 country and the occasional B737 (eg at Ayers Rock) with VFR aeroplanes overflying in uncontrolled airspace.
2.. They conveniently forget that the aircraft perceived as a threat are operating to visual flight rules, and therefore won't be around in IMC weather. To the response that VFR pilots do irresponsible things, it should be noted that a large number of incidents have been due to airline pilots entering a terminal area, calling up on the wrong frequency, hearing nothing, and assuming they are alone in the sky until a C172 appears in their windscreen.
3.. Un-notified aircraft complying with quadrantal rules will be able to use the airspace above (for example) Coffs harbour, Rockhampton and Dubbo, just as they are now, slap bang over Los Angeles International.
4.. The hue and cry is NOT coming from "pilots and air traffic controllers", it is coming from their unions. The AFAP demonstrated its corporate intellect in 1989 by resigning en masse, and the ATCs' union appers to believe that aeroplanes and pilots were put on this earth to create employment for air traffic controllers.
5.. Almost all the pilot noise is coming from regional airline pilots represented by the AFAP, who have coined an interesting new expression - "commercial air space" which does not appear in any of the catalogues of abbreviations I've ever seen.
6.. The perceived problems could be resolved in the nearer term by requiring that aircraft in the relevant airspace carry and operate transponders.
7.. The perceived problems will cease to exist altogether when ADS-B is implemented in low level air space. It is a measure of the controllers' union's intellect and attitudes that when they see ADS-B aircraft painting on their radar screens they get excited about the increased amount of airspace they'll be able to control.