Originally Posted by
Uplinker
ATC is all taped is it not, so any transgressence by an airplane could be proven, and a prosecution or wrist slapping issued rather than clogging up the already busy airwaves with arse covering statements?
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You say that till you have a chat with someone who has had a '
not their fault' accident on their frequency. The controllers in those instances spend a lot of time soul searching that perhaps had they said something differently...... like adding '
and maintain'. The problem with these cautionary words is they can tend to become 'noise words' and not be listened to. Although they act as an CYA phrase when the impounded tapes are transcribed, the controller will still be thinking perhaps if they had said something differently or with more emphasis.
Much of this will disappear in a decade or so, hearing someone talk on the RT may become a relative rarity and only be in an urgent exception. RT could well be going the way of flare pistols and Aldis lamps. No - don't hold your breath - but the changes are already being made in that direction. Data link and graphical displays will be taking over.