I believe the Echo Delta waypoint was in the Airservices database. How else could the aircraft be cleared to track to Echo Delta, and how could the air traffic controller call the pilot and say that he was 65 miles from Echo Delta?
Point one regarding the clearance, in the same manner that you clear an aircraft for a holding pattern, an NDB let down, a weather diversion; you use your experience and knowledge to facilitate the arrival as requested; you don't need to know "exactly" where a point is to clear an aircraft to it. When separating you then "add on for mum". If ED was in CTA then you're probably right re the clearance, but it wasn't.
Point two, run the distance measuring tool from the aid to the aircraft and then subtract the distance from the aid to the tracking point. ie 80-15 = 65; or something like that. They got the chart info from the menu in AAARDS (which is a computer monitor adjacent to the dispaly; but not on the display, if it was available, where we have our RAPIC) or from opening the DAP East like everybody else.
I absolutely support the increase in safety participation; unfortunately to suggest it's simple and won't cost serious dollars, is outrageous; please don't quote whilloughby report figures; nobody with more than $3.50 in the bank can see the logic behind that one; unless it's millions more than $3.50.
