American air traffic operators are using the same radar and radio systems that have been in our control towers since the 1960s. This technology is obsolete – the GPS in your smartphone is more advanced then the navigation on a jetliner. Text and data communication available to any teenager are still out of reach for our pilots and controllers.
While the old system has worked well for years, experts say it will soon buckle with the forecast boom in travel – U.S. passengers are supposed to increase from 700 million to over 1 billion in the next decade. Errors like the one involving Michelle Obama and Jill Biden’s plane earlier this year are already becoming more common. The fact is, if we don’t get a 21st century air traffic control system in place, things will only get worse.
Send a letter to your representatives in Congress and President Obama now about supporting America’s air transportation system.
