If you worked in an air traffic control tower, and you spotted a UFO, what are your 1st words in the speaker?

Answer 1

"Wow, another thing for George Bush to attack"

Answer 2

Believe it or not, that isn't exactly science fiction. There are research companies and colleges looking to adapt technology like this to ATC. Perhaps not holograms as you describe it, but other media means of displaying traffic at an airport. Unfortunately, this has less to do with improving safety as it does with eliminating control towers. Running the ATC system is expensive and if certain political movements had their way, ATC would be sold to the lowest bidder and cost saving measures would soon follow. Right now, ATC is in debates about the advantages of combining facilities. Essentially, instead of having an approach control set up at each large airport, the FAA has been having super facilities that work the approach control function for several airports at the same time. My facility, Potomac TRACON, is an example of consolidation. In our one facility ( that isn't located at any airport) we work the radar for BWI, DCA, IAD, Andrews AFB, Richmond International and every smaller airport around them. The plus, they say, is it is cheaper to maintain one mega facility. However, there are many significant drawbacks to this as well. If consolidation continues, the ability to make towers "remotely" controlled at these consolidated facilities would be the next step being worked on. Fortunately, in my mind atleast, this type of behavior is being battled fiercely by members of the avaition community that see the risk of this. There are many other factors that prevent this sort of idea being implemented as well. ATC currently works on a backbone of 1960's technology. Despite some very cool tech being injected over the past two decades, the core of the system still works off of CRT monitors and ground based radar systems. While pilots can navigate just about anywhere with GPS, ATC isn't equiped to fully utilize it. If you were lost and gave me the Lat/Longs coordinates of where your GPS said you were, I would have no way of figuring out where the hell that was. Lastly, cost and redundancy are limiting factors. The current administration is finally trying to get the fund allocated to update our air traffic control infa-structure. The cost is many billions of dollars just to get the meat and potatoes into place. To implement "futuristic" tech into it just won't happen. Honestly, we are really just trying to bring ATC up to 1990s tech, not future tech. The system you described is already essentially in place through ASDE radar ( tracking aircraft on the airport surface) But, technology still hasn't been able to replace humans for intuition and projection.

Answer 3

Whoa Fellas!We have a major problem,more than Houston can imagine guys!

Answer 4

"Hey look! It's a UFO! Maybe there are aliens inside with small children and pets!"

Answer 5

I just saved a bundle on car insurance

Answer 6

"I Think We're Gonna Have A Problem"

Answer 7

Holy crap. I need to change my underwear. lol
Merry Christmas

Answer 8

I would'nt talk into a speaker.

Answer 9

I wouldn't even speak because I would be too stunned to speak.

Answer 10

unauthorized entry spotted