Ex FSO GRIFFO, point taken and I accept the criticism. However at least when you fly today in Class G radar airspace, you can talk directly to an air traffic controller and get a radar service (workload permitting). In the old days, the Flight Service Officer wasn’t allowed to sit in front of a radar screen, so there was no chance of using the advantages of radar. Therefore, I think we have moved slightly forward.
I have always agreed that the old mandatory full position VFR service was great, however I was concerned about how the VFR pilots would pay for this. If you remember, there was something like 26 cents per litre on Avgas – that would have meant Avgas would be even more expensive than it is today.
I’m sure I’ve made mistakes in the past, but let’s at least work together on this present situation. Just about everyone agrees that we should have a separate Flightwatch system which is independent. As stated previously, we can afford this and there is no reason for us to have a lesser service than countries like New Zealand.