Pitot tube is really an archaic sensor that is used in aviation (in my view) only because of historic and bureaucratic reasons. They continue to use it in spite of constant problems with it - ice and bugs clogging it and causing crashes.
To begin with, Pitot tube does not even measure directly any kind of flow but pressure difference. To calculate some sort of flow/speed out of it you need to know current air density.
I was wondering how many alternatives to the Pitot tube sensor there are and what would be the pros & cons? Apart from the hot wire method there are also ultrasonic sensors similar to the Curtiss-Wright type. Considering the reliability inherent in modern electronics surely there must be a cost effective & viable alternative to the Pitot tube.