So when will we see this "new improved" radar control at Yulura, Mildura, Ballina, Karratha, Broome, Mackay, Hamiliton Island, Gove, Alice Springs, etc?
Afterall what is the difference in landing at Alice when the tower is shut than at Launceston?
No doubt we will see a push for Canberra tower to be manned 24/7?
Why is Dick pushing for radar at Devonport now? Once upon time it was a Flight Service base, then a MTAF, then a MBZ now its a CTAF-R.
Why a radar service for a handful of Dash-8 flights a day?
Nothing to do with Launceston being in a very marginal seat for the federal election, by any chance?
Having a look back through the accident files for Launceston most accidents have happened when the tower is open.
March 1995 Trojan 2 Fatalities
September 1993 VH-WGI Piper PA-31/350 CFIT 6 fatalities
August 1982 DH114 Heron VH-CLY 0 Fatalities
March 1965 Fokker Friendship.
Perhaps the skygods that fly the big shiny jets for Virgin and Jetstar, need to brush up on there procedures for operating OCTA . The crews that fly the B737 freighters up and down the East coast seem to be very capable of seperating them selves from other VFR or IFR traffic when operaing OCTA at night time.