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Comment by srge | Hacker News Reader

Air trafic controller strikes have plagued our country (France) for many years and I see no indication that it makes our flight safety better

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Not to be snarky, but these last couple close calls in the US feel like indication to me.

In 2020, ATC directed an incoming United 787 on the wrong runway at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. The only reason nothing terrible happened is that the Easyjet pilot on the wrong runway called for go-around after looking out the window, moments before the would-be collision.

Didn't make it beyond aviation news, probably because recording ATC is not allowed in France.

Human error will creep up everywhere, all you can control is the frequency.

ATC cannot be recorded? Where else is that the case?

Germany. To be clear, they have tapes, you're just not allowed to listen in / record legally if the transmission is "not intended for you".

Can the tapes be released by the government or is that also restricted?

This is clearly bad law. Not only is it unknowable and unenforceable, but it serves to reduce oversight if actually followed. Society is better off when we pay attention to how it runs and this type of law directly criminalizes that.

And it shows a basic misunderstanding of government, if it's paid for by your tax money it clearly involves you.

This is what the USA has over almost every other country - an acknowledgement that ultimately the people charter the government not the other way around.

In the UK it's not only illegal to record, it's also illegal to even listen. https://aviation.stackexchange.com/a/3280

People seem to believe other nations have freedom.. In reality when looking at it objectively Most nations lack a huge amount of core freedoms we in the US take for granted

In fact I heard some stories of nepotism in another european country. Not convinced it is an elite either.

Flight in airports are not safe without air controller. It doesn't make it better, it's a requirement to safety.

Talking about the strikes, I think.

Indeed lol

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