Squawk6969, you ask what Benalla has to do with the Class D CTA services – presumably at places like Launceston. You say it is chalk and cheese, I say it shouldn’t be.
I the United States under NAS, both airspace would be the same and you would get a full radar service using the existing radar – including air traffic control descending you to the lowest safe or minimum safe. Why should it be inferior here?
I think your mind is so fixed on what we do in Australia that you don’t seem to be able to examine whether it can be done in a better and safer way.
The radar goes to ground level at Launceston, so we should have control at least to levels that would help to prevent CFIT accidents. The radar goes to quite low levels at Benalla, and as has been shown on previous threads, a proper procedure could help prevent CFIT accidents there.
Tiberius, yes, staffing is required but lots of posters on this thread seem to say that it is not possible. Surely if we have radar where large jets are going into an airport, we should use it. If the service is provided from the Centre, it could be done efficiently.
What would the cost be per passenger? Let’s say, 30 cents I suppose at a place like Launy. I wonder if we actually asked the passengers if they would be prepared to pay 30 cents per ticket to have a full radar service provided from the Melbourne Centre, whether they would accept it. I’m sure they would.