MalteBlaxhead
The CFMU aren't the ones who set the flow rates, it's the ATC Centres. All they do is broker them on everyone's behalf. Think back to the bad old days where there was no central agency and each ACC had to speak to the next one who had to speak to the next one who had to speak to the next one who said, sorry, there's a delay. Meanwhile half an hour or more has elapsed and it's back to square one. At least with the software, warts and all, the answer is almost instantaneous.
If you think it's a waste of time having flow control then you need to go to one of the busy ACCs in Europe and sit in on a regulated sector where the ATC controller is hanging on by his finger nails. And then tell him that there's another 20 or so coming from now on since there are no slots any more !!
CFMU is not perfect but it is sure as hell better than aluminium showers over parts of Europe.
[ 04 September 2001: Message edited by: 10W ]