Ex FSO GRIFFO, the change of the directed traffic service from Flight Service to ATC was about maximising the use of our $350 million radar system.
Yes, you are remembering the positives about Flight Service – which I agree with. However, what about the negatives? When flying in a good radar environment in the J curve below 12,500 feet in the enroute airspace, the pilot was forced to monitor and talk to a Flight Service Operator who did not have a radar screen.
Are you really suggesting that we should hand this airspace back to Flight Service who operated without radar? I hope not.
The original AMATS plans made it clear (in writing and in the video) that whilst the directed traffic service would be changed to air traffic control – so the maximum use could be made of radar – there would still be a complete Flight Service VHF system across Australia. This was called Flightwatch, and would replicate the Flight Service system in North America.
In North America the Flight Service system (which duplicates ATC) does not provide a directed traffic service. It provides a service similar to our Flightwatch.
I cannot believe that many pilots would want to go back to a system where they are flying in uncontrolled airspace in close proximity to a major capital city, but the person that they are mandated to talk to sits in a separate room with a microphone and some flight strips, but no radar screen. This was incredible madness.
You discredit your argument by constantly misquoting “affordable safety.” Affordable safety is a truism. It had nothing to do with me. Fortunately there are lots of young people coming along who understand that. Possibly it is their schooling.
In the old days, Flight Service and ATC were 50% funded by the general taxpayer. I’ll say it again – I had nothing to do with the change. I simply said that if the industry was going to pay the whole whammy, that the costs would have to be affordable by the industry, otherwise it would not exist.
How about a bit of balance on this thread? Does anyone believe that handing the radar covered airspace to air traffic controllers has had a safety advantage? I certainly do.