[CarlosF@grtavionics]

It just dawned on me from personal experience flying behind GRT Avionics equipment and hearing stories from others with similar capabilities, UAT, stands for Unmanned Access Tower.

More and more the pilot of a Technically Advanced Aircraft (TAA) has just as much if not more information than the dedicated ATC professional. At some point in the near future "the system" will be so automated that controllers won't be needed in the same roll as they are today. Instead of aural direction from a human in a nearby control tower, direction will come from "the system" via text or aural instruction; perhaps automatic aircraft control with acknowledgement from the pilot, from a control station in (enter state of choice).

Today is February 11, 2013. The future is here. Enjoy!



(UAT stands for Universal Access Transceiver, a 978 Mhz transceiver, providing ADS-B traffic and weather data to equipped aircraft in the USA)

 

[kinger]

Carlos,

That already exists with CPDLC and being used it the North Atlantic Tracks with FANS 1/A.

CPDLC = Controller Pilot Data Link Communication
FANS = Future Air Navigation System

 

[flyvans.com]

or CPDLC through VDL2 (VHF Datalink) over continental Europe.

And don't worry, other than replacing the voice (and related miscommunication errors/threats) the roll of the controller doesn't change a bit...
Moving a bit more traffic will be possible and the planner function ATCO will be able to assist the executive more efficiently.

we're decades, not months from replacing controllers by an automated system (obviously the wet dream of some engineers and bean counters).