Did I watch the same programme as everybody else? Personally I thought it was utter tripe with a misleading title. It did not feature a single occurrence in which the skies were crowded. It was almost on a par with that awful "The Day Britain Stopped" programme.
The issues that could have been raised properly on the programme were not; there was no investigative flesh on the bones of the rather sensationalist incidents. Repeated images of the two tragic accidents might have increased feelings of sorrow for the victims, but did nothing to justify the title "Crowded Skies". It was more BBC bilge aimed at running down an industry that's already suffering from a lack of public confidence.
Here are some issues that could have been covered in a more factual documentary (although it still wouldn't need to rejoice in the title of "Crowded Skies"):
1) Why are civilian airliners still being allowed to fly in the bandit country that lies between airway Y70 and Newcastle / Teesside? Since the NORCA was replaced with an airway, civil traffic into NT/NV from the south and the east should be using it. Instead, airlines are taking chances with their passenger's lives by flying direct from NALAX/OTBED, into areas of high military activity. And for what? 35nm of extra flying. 50nm at the most. The airlines can cry profitability, but the airway system is there to keep them safe. If they choose not to use it, and have a major incident, then they are negligent. Simple as that.
2) There is a clear need for better comprehension of r/t between pilot and controller. Ultimately the answer to this problem, and indeed to the problem of increasing air traffic, is datalink. There should be increased funding into a cooperative solution. And it's no use people on opposite sides of the Atlantic using two different systems - the airlines would cry profitability again.
3) There is no excuse in this day and age for major radar units to be operating without SSR. That includes Delhi and anywhere else that may be thought of as "third world". Good to see that Delhi has a shiny new radar room now though. The words stable, door and horse immediately spring to mind. Although is it good practice to allow radar echoes to merge when operating primary radar only?
We can only hope that the Beeb have made a better effort for the other two programmes in the series.
LTP