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Comment by hansvm | Hacker News Reader

This should be easy enough to solve. Cut the hours back to something sane, and as much as possible time the airport closures in ways that affect the ruling class. You get bonus points if their jets are also delayed during normal taxiing and clearance requests -- explain that it's for their safety, since they're more important than everyone else and can't slot in to the same sorts of back-to-back landings that the common folk use.

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You'd have to change more regulations, because airports don't close when ATC closes, it regresses to an untowered airport environment (and related airspace designation).

ATC is there to provide specific services that increase safety and throughput (mostly by sequencing and separation).

If you did this with the ruling class, they'd likely pass regulations that would benefit themselves disproportionately and hurt general aviation (the small little Cessnas flying around). There is already a bunch of problems with privatized ATC, don't make it worse.

The ruling class makes the rules, though. That's their whole deal. That's why nothing works right.

It works right for them though. Curious question: Shouldn't those with a bigger stake in the economy have a bigger say in how it's ran?

Not in a representative republic, no. Those with more money don't need the safety net that all us governments spend the majority on the budget on. That's why the current coup is so terrifying.

But yes, it inevitably devolves into that in practice. Because money gives you more time to make your voice heard, or delegate it to someone else representing you. Or simply bribing others.

> Cut the hours back to something sane, and as much as possible time the airport closures in ways that affect the ruling class

The ruling class flies private aircraft and don't have to operate out of large municipal airports.

They're not going to want to fly to a tiny airport in the middle of nowhere and then have to drive into the city. That defeats the whole point

A friend of mine is a pilot for these types of folks (founders of non-tech household names), unless they're going to an event (say the Super Bowl), they fly into smaller airports.

Even the super bowl they are flying into smaller airports in the region.

There are many airports within easy driving distance of major metropolitan areas, and regardless of what happens, once they get off the plane they get into a car driven by a driver.

I don't think it matters much to them whether they spend the hour in traffic out of JFK, or on a highway from White Plains.

Most places I've lived, there are tiny airports much more conveniently located than the large commercial airport. I would absolutely fly out of smaller airports, but don't because I fly commercial, and if they even fly out of the smaller airports it usually means more stops.

Depends where you're going though. DCA looks pretty convenient if you're visiting the capital; but lots of big cities have smaller airports that are more convenient if you can land at any airport.

This is childish.

No, it's making the people who have influence feel the pain of the problem so that maybe they'll fix it.

The bulk of the pain is going to be felt by normal people and working class. Best case scenario you will only solve the problem at the airports the rich and wealthy use and leave the rest of us out to dry.

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