Comments on: Dear Mr. President Elect, here’s one traveler’s New Year’s wishes

By: Hapgood

Hapgood — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:04:36 +0000

How about a thorough review of the TSA to purge it of rules and procedures that are intrusive and costly “security theater” rather than genuinely effective security. The TSA is the brainchild of the Bush-Cheney administration, and is perhaps the most visible reflection of the administration’s arrogance, ineptitude, and contempt for the public and for the rule of law. The Obama administration (I hope) has a different attitude, so I can only hope its direction will result in a TSA that’s both friendlier and more effective.

By: eBob

eBob — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:31:04 +0000

Much of this article seems to be in support of more of the same liberal nonsense that has gotten our country into the mess that it is currently in. Where is the money to do these things going to come from? The airlines (and, in turn, their passengers) should have to pay for any upgrades to the ATCS, not the taxpayer. We need to get back to paying for the things we want and need, rather than trying to find someone else to foot the bill.

By: The man who notices things

The man who notices things — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 15:20:43 +0000

Ned, you are clueless about GPS based air navigation. There is NO reason, other than the cost of duplicate certified installations, that the airlines could not have GPS installed and operating in their aircraft right now.

In fact, many general aviation aircraft use GPS right now, every day, to navigate and perform instrument approaches. Those of us who operate general aviation aircraft today PAID for the systems we installed ourselves. I had no federal taxpayer aid or fees to install my system. I paid for it myself.

The airlines could be using this GPS system tomorrow if they made the investment. Obviously the cost of the system installations are not higher than the cost of the delays they incur. It is a financial decision and the airlines have simply made the decision to beg the feds, holding the passengers hostage, for money to upgrade their planes.

When I flew from Connecticut to South Carolina I flew on radio identified airways through the complex northeast airspace [which will not be helped by GPS given the level of traffic] until I got to Salisbury MD at which time I flew direct to my destination using GPS, a distance of about 400 miles.

But you commenters need to understand that the GPS signal is free and available right today for everyone. The airlines could use it tomorrow if they bought the equipment. They choose NOT to buy the equipment but instead beg the taxpayer to buy it for them under the guise of ‘reducing delays.’ What BS.

The problem for airline delays is not airspace. It is ground space, runways and taxiways. They are not building new airports and even if they build new runways, like at Atlanta, they are not building new terminal space, so the airliners get crowded ultimately into the same gate area, Delays are caused by lack of tarmac, not lack of airspace.