To meet mandated deadlines, we back-office engineers arranged EHS modifications to all your airliners, we've even put VDL transceivers into VHF3 channels wherever we can to accomodate ACARS downlink etc. (Unfortunately, not every operator specifies triple VHF Comms when they define their fleet configuration.) Until the complementary ground systems and operational procedures to use the technology are put in place, the airwaves will remain congested. Meanwhile, for many years now, at ground level we've been able to cross national boundaries as though they weren't there. Why must the sovereignty of national airspace be guarded so jealously? The time for ditching so many superfluous ATC handovers are long overdue. We need a single Europe-wide ATC system and we need it yesterday.
JJFlyer's interesting last comment shows that pilots may in any case, be un-aware of what data their aircraft already transmit in the background. As an industry, despite technology already being in place, are we not simply clinging on to outdated procedures?
Last edited by Blacksheep; 30th May 2008 at 07:01.