I have no problem with technology but if it can falsely add aircraft, I suspect it can also falsely remove them. If we rely on the new gizmos do be our eyeballs and common sense we will stop being pilots and just be video game operators and trust the machine rather than focusing outside on the real world.
Use standard radio procedures and eyeballs (and, if available and suitable, backed up by other help) but eyes (and fingers) on screens in cockpits in busy GA terminal space is *not* what I want more of.
^^^This^^^
In defence of bad R/T procedures in CTAFs - I am sure a lot of the calls are made by students who are not confident and proficient (and often quite nervous) on the radio and by pilots who are similarly a bit frightened of talking on the radio. I would assume a large swag (perhaps most) of GA traffic at least along the east coast will be training flights with novice pilots.
That doesn't make bad R/T right but in most cases I am willing to cut people some slack. They are learning or at least trying to do the right thing. At Outerwoopwoop where there might be 2 aircraft in the CTAF and someone stumbles and adds extra words or umms and ahs, at least they are talking to each other.
Would that that were the bulk of the problem.
It seems to me that the unnecessary verbosity is being
actively trained.
(Remember when this was a report? "Alpha Alpha Alpha Grong Grong two two five five zero zero Wagga Wagga four four.")