TERMINAL CHAOS: Why U.S. Air Travel Is Broken and How to Fix It (Library of Flight Series) |...

TERMINAL CHAOS: Why U.S. Air Travel Is Broken and How to Fix It (Library of Flight Series) | George L., Ph.D. Donohue, Russell D., III, Ph.D. Shaver | Great book.

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TERMINAL CHAOS: Wh...

	TERMINAL CHAOS: Why U.S. Air Travel Is Broken and How to Fix It (Library of Flight Series) George L., Ph.D. Donohue, Russell D., III, Ph.D. Shaver Amer Inst of Aeronautics &, 2008 - 240 pages average customer review:based on 9 reviews view larger image
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In total passenger miles, air travel has never been more popular. But as any frequent flyer knows, air travel problems are growing even faster long lines, lost luggage, overbooking, flight delays, and serious safety issues. And instead of doing something about it, the traveling public seems simply to be sitting down, buckling in, and allowing itself to be treated like sheep.

But it doesn't have to be this way. There are solutions to our air travel problems, real solutions that can make real differences. And they don t require 15 years to implement.

With decades of experience in civil aviation and policy, Drs. George Donohue and Russell Shaver are well qualified to assess the problems in the system and to offer responsible, workable solutions. Dr. Donohue, the current Director of the Center for Air Transportation Systems Research and a Professor of Systems Engineering at George Mason University (GMU), has extensive high-level experience at the Federal Aviation Administration and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Dr. Shaver, formerly a senior RAND Corporation research analyst and now a visiting research fellow at GMU, served as chief scientist for policy analysis at the MITRE Center for Advanced Aviation System Development.

The stories they tell are compelling. They are high-profile horror stories passengers stranded for hours on the tarmac, flights canceled for bad weather when there s not a drop of rain anywhere near the flight path, and an overall sense of apathy and obstructionism among those responsible for managing the industry. Interestingly, these problems are not the inevitable result of the size or complexity of the U.S. system. Air transportation in Europe, with almost identical air traffic control systems and safety standards, is far better. Amsterdam moves 30% more passengers than Newark, but the average flight delay is an order of magnitude lower. In addition, a European Passenger s Bill of Rights giving distressed passengers the right to substantial and immediate compensation has been a powerful incentive for non-U.S. airlines to maintain their schedules.

The Causes

So just how did we get where we are in the U.S. system today? Donohue and Shaver cite multiple reasons for the chaos we now face. These causes include airline deregulation, multiple governmental agencies with no central oversight or responsibility, multiple corporate entities with conflicting agendas, and a technologically outdated air traffic control system. Even more importantly, there seems to be a complete absence of advocacy for the customer the passengers. The authors also explain that our air travel problems, if left unaddressed, are on a direct course to greatly impact the overall U.S. economy and harm our global competitiveness. In 2006 alone, the delays and cancellations cost U.S. travelers an estimated $3.2 billion. And in 2004 and 2005, the U.S. tourism industry is estimated to have lost $98 billion in revenue due to our air travel mess.

The Cures

Fortunately, Donohue and Shaver don t leave us in this state of chaos. Their provocative analysis not only identifies the causes and extent of the problems, but also provides us with a course heading that will put us on the path to recovery. The solutions they propose include holding the government decision-makers responsible, expanding the capacity of airports and airplanes, modernizing the air traffic control system, and implementing what the authors call the 30% solution to significantly reduce congestion.

In short, this book should be read by every airline passenger traveling in or through the United States. As a country,

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Great book in which ATC is but one part of the problem

As a daughter of an ATC veteran, I know what I am talking about.

Yesterday, one review of this book appeared in which ATC/NATCA took some knocks. What did they do? Same thing they always do, deflect responsibility and attack the messenger. So all of a sudden, 4 poor reviews of the book appear from pro-NATCA people.

Until the first review appeared, NATCA was quiet. Yesterday, the NATCA blogs and mailing lists got busy, telling everyone who could to post negative reviews about the book.

That's the NATCA way, deflect responsibility, protect members at all costs, plausible denial, etc., etc.

NATCA members work hard. The bad part is their leadership is empty. We need more automation and fewer controllers, and that is what they are scared about.

As for me, I am reading this book, and it is excellent.

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Great book.

The author really understand the complex issues that are crippling our nation's air traffic system. Very evident that he wants to spark change through this book. We can only hope that things will get better before they get worse!

reviews: page 1, 2

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