Anyone who spends any time on an airliner (and gives the whole thing any thought) will find Air Traffic Safety vs. Capacity interesting. Here’s an excerpt that brings out the key point:
Various entities in aviation are using the complexities found in air traffic control to obscure the basic facts in order to further their agendas. The basic fact I would like to clarify is the finite capacity of a runway. I too have an agenda. My agenda is safety.
Any runway has a finite capacity. The key to understanding this is in understanding time. Only one aircraft is allowed to use the runway at any time. It takes a certain amount of time for a departing aircraft to taxi onto a runway, accelerate to flying speed and lift off. Likewise, it takes a certain amount of time for an arriving aircraft to touch down, slow down and taxi off the runway. The time it takes the typical airliner to do either one — land or takeoff — is roughly one minute.
The math is as simple as it is inescapable. Roughly 60 airliners can use a runway in one hour if conditions are absolutely perfect. It is physically impossible to improve that number. However, it can get a lot worse.
As the author goes on to illustrate, one minute at 180 mph is three miles, the distances airliners must usually maintain on approach (five miles for larger airliners). That means that planes landing in New York, for example, need to have a place in line when they take off from Washington or Boston. Throw in a rain cloud … you get the idea.
I fly quite a bit (25k miles this month), and I am very aware of any little delay on the ground that could translate into delay in the air. An extra five minutes on the ground could make you an hour or more late. So, sit the hell down people and let’s get going.
The article was interesting, but didn’t point out what I think is a possible solution: fly less often in bigger planes.
A large part of the blame in this goes to us, the passengers. When I fly I want 32 choices to get from Dulles to Raleigh. And I am mad when I find out I can’t leave at 9:00 AM, I have to leave at 8:30 AM. But, it would be smarter for all of us if we paired down the shuttles maintained capacity by flying bigger planes. Costs would be more controlled, it would be better for the environment, there would be less delays, and air travel would be safer.
The US has 12 of the busiest 15 airports by traffic movements (planes landing/ taking off) but only 7 of the busiest 15 airports by passengers. The rest of the world is flying bigger planes (and less often) why can’t we?
Ken, I posted just for you….