I was watching a programme on air traffic controlling on the Discovery Wings channel yesterday. At some point they started talking about point-to-point air travel (otherwise known as ‘free skies’ I think?) and they explained how still to this day we’re still sticking to decades-old air corridor systems.
Naturally this gives massive headaches to controllers, causes congestion and increases the risk of mid-air collisions in busy areas. Airlines also complained of the extra fuel needed to fly these established corridors compared with flying ‘in a straight line’ between cities.
I’m completely ignorant on this subject so I’d be grateful if someone could explain: why are we still doing this? With the advances in radar technology both on the ground and on a/c, why can’t we allow airplanes to fly point to point? It’s fair enough that once they approach their destination they should follow established air corridors, but when in the middle of the Atlantic or Pacific oceans, for instance? Why the need to squeeze all flights within a narrow corridor with all that available air space?
Thanks. Be gentle, I’m only an aficionado!
By: 4 engines good - 11th September 2004 at 10:40
Thanks for that!
By: tenthije - 10th September 2004 at 17:27
It is a lot busier in the corridors, but everything is together. This makes it easier to guess each others intentions. The ATC and other pilots will know what other planes are (going to be) doing because there are fixed patterns.
It is also important to remember that not everywhere there may be radar coverage. The flight lanes do have radar coverage. Same goes for beacons, ATC communications etc. In particular the flights over the oceans you mentioned suffer from this problem.
Another advantage is that small planes will know where the large planes are. Therefore it is possible for the small planes to avoid them, and their wake. Most small prop planes do not have radar and depend on the eye and ATC to prevent collisions and wake turbulence.
Finally, a lot of areas are forbidden for airliners. For instance military training grounds and airspace over critical installations like nuclear power plants and in many countries the parliaments/palaces.
There probably a more reasons too that pilots will get into.
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September 10, 2004 at 4:54 pm