Originally Posted by
Sunfish
Considering the Canadian solution - get permission to enter the zone five minutes out, why couldnt we at least produce an upgraded, minimally intelligent AWIS - like box that can broadcast information on who is inbound, in circuit or outbound when polled by a transmission? Solar power, batteries, a software defined radio dongle and a raspberry Pi computer should be able to do it.
For real smarts, an ADSB data derived voice message.
That could give you just about the Canadian thing unattended.
As a software developer on the side (while looking for work - still available for hire, employers!) I think it would be difficult to get that part to work consistently. Just think, voice recognition systems are just now getting decent enough to figure out what you're saying... Now throw in low power transmissions, heterodyne, and people whose English isn't perfect, and, realistically, you now have a similar problem when things do go wrong.
Arguably, worse, since now you have an extra computer voice talking whenever a new plane pipes up, with potentially wrong data.
I still think that the key part would be to add a VHF transmitter/receiver and a ADSB receiver that's linked to the AirServices systems. Should cost significantly less than a tower, while increasing the visibility of existing movements. That would also provide data, so at least decisions could be made on that basis, instead of estimates.
The full Canadian system would be nice, but, having seen how the Australian system works, I'm not sure it would get done anytime soon due to the minimum FIS staffing requirement. (Fun fact: where I was flying, there was up to 5 airports "controlled" by 1 FIS at quieter times. When it got busier, it was as few as 1 per airport)