The show-stopping issue with that system is that ATC isn't on the CTAF.
Correct of course.
At least Griffo (if 50 years younger) would keep his finger on the pulse and beady eye out the window and be able to advise "conflicting" circuit traffic on the CTAF.
Believe it or not, Griffo's beady eyes were not allowed to look out the window! But Griffo, would have had an extremely good 'picture' of where everybody was, i.e. his situational awareness would have been spot on, those remote FSO's were bloody good at their job.
RPT crews running two busy radios (ATC and CTAF) is a recipe for disaster.
Yup, agree. But Mildura, Byron, Ballarat, Wagga etc will NEVER get a tower, having said that, they probably will, but it's going to take Australia's first smoking hole before it happens.
FS was expensive and excessive but, rationalised, into a CAGRO type of thing, licenced and a supplement to ATC, would avoid the expense of a tower. And ATC's would love it, they wouldn't be caught in the peurile joke of a system where they're passing you traffic on ADSB VFR aircraft in the circuit. Griffo could do that, without looking out the window of course!