Bang!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Two computerised systems have been trialled, supposedly to simplify the final director task and FAST was somewhat better than CAAS, which was briefly trialled in the 70s. You will have to speak to our bosses to get the official line on its current status.
Personal view: Unfortunately, such systems required a degree of controller input and in some operational positions the additional workload outweighs any benefits. The final director task at present requires 5 essential components - a radar display, a wireless, a felt-tip pen, flight progress strips and a genius. If you start adding bits and pieces which divert the attention of the genius then you lose the benefits of the bits and pieces. Experienced Heathrow Directors, left alone to their own devices, were able to beat both systems in terms of traffic shifted.
The other problem, which I am sure our aircrew friends will readily confirm, is that when you allow a task to be fully computerised the human operator loses his skill very quickly. When the computer falls down you are left somewhat in the lurch..
Last edited by HEATHROW DIRECTOR; 26th Jul 2002 at 07:13.