Comment by bloopernova
3 months ago
(this is going to sound like I think this can be fixed with a technical solution. I don't)
I wonder what the software UX is like for ATC, and if there's room for improvement? Is the software/hardware ancient? I'd hope that it is absolutely rock solid but knowing big custom projects I'm not very hopeful!
They have fascinatingly ancient UX:
https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/technology/tfdm/efs (Image caption: "Paper flight strips currently in use")
Look up deployment date of upgraded tech at your local airport here:
https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/technology/tfdm/implementati...
Notable entry:
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington, D.C.
July 2028
> this is going to sound like I think this can be fixed with a technical solution. I don't)
Why? It's seems ripe for technical solution. Technical solutions have solved tons of things in the past. What's special about air traffic controlling?
The time to certify life-or-death changes to systems exceeds the time to train more people, or pay better to retain existing staff.
"do both" is actually a good answer. The Manhatten project did this. Thermal diffusion and other forms of concentration were initially put head-to-head in competition. It took a while for people to realise both worked, and should be run in parallel or even enriching feedstock. A competitive A or B not both position would not have worked out better.
So yes. research tech replacement, but expect it to be a 15-20 year project with the same costs as other 15-20 year projects. At the same time, don't assume tech will solve social issues, and pay ATC better and increase richness of training programmes by cloning the schools.
Oh I just don't like the tendency of tech folks to reach for technological solutions before they consider social/organizational ones.
ATC people are surprisingly resistant to change. They eat up whatever bullshit of a UI they are fed by the few companies producing that specialized software and when the time comes for a change they are too used to the old systems they want an exact replica. My current project is literally a huge ATC system and the more we try to bring in actual controllers for feedback the more we realize they just constantly yap about how they are doing it CURRENTLY in their ancient systems and ask of us that we make it the same. THEY ARE USING MICE WITH 3 buttons!