Visibility Range

[Josh Glottmann]

...they're unlikely to ever change it deliberately.

I'm sure many would.

If I could have a 1500 mile vis range and my computer and network could handle it, why not? More dots = more fun.

 

Regarding training a student, it's not too often any mentor/instructor would need to use an obnoxious range. What ground student's instructor need to see planes 150 miles over? I can't think of a situation where a controller needs a super large range except maybe for the Socal/Norcal TRACONs in the US... but even that can be avoided by setting multiple visibility centers.

I honestly think it is completely fine how it is now, no need to fix something that isn't a problem. Plus "automatically setting it" means that clients such as VRC (and technically ASRC which both haven't released an updated in years) would need to be updated.

[Tim Simpson]

With modern powerful servers, higher end home PC's, and high speed internet almost universally available, to the ranges really impact things negatively? I can see a decade ago when all of the equipment, and the internet speeds would pose a challenge, but is that still the case today?

 

Just curious if the tight range restrictions are a holdout from the past, or if they are a necessity even with todays advanced equipment. As they are now, I think they are reasonable ranges for each position, but was just interested in the technical aspect of it.

[Norman Blackburn]

Hi Tim,

 

Whilst it is true that technology has developed over the past decade, there are still great parts of the globe who don’t enjoy the same advances that you and I do.

 

Dial up and satellite connections, with users paying for every byte of information up or downloaded still are a reality. An increase in range can and does affect these people.

 

In any event, with the upcoming changes in codec will come some other changes which will impact this element of our hobby.