RVSM Is Finally Here !!

[Uncle Sparky]

I absolutely agree with that logic but I think the arrival segment is going to be the wrench in the gears, not the enroute portion of the flight. I have experienced the "hold down" more frequently, it would seem, lately. More FL's = less "holding down" in my opinion. That and the "commuter lane" thinking would be good examples of pro's.
I keep hearing about this "fixed quantity" of traffic that exists at the present. Is anyone accounting for the 20-30 aircraft that are holding short at places like ATL and BOS or the squadron of iron that's in gate hold at TEB? Will these airplanes be released any sooner? As it is, ATL has a fixed holding stack even in "severe clear" weather and a let down in excess of 100miles from the standard profile is "the norm" when going into places like ORD and TEB. I think the naysayers are trying to say that "increasing flight level density is a great idea but a bottle neck is still going to occur at the return end". I hope it all works out in the end but I have my own doubts. As the saying goes, we all "soon shall see!"

 

[TonyC]

Is anyone accounting for the 20-30 aircraft that are holding short at places like ATL and BOS or the squadron of iron that's in gate hold at TEB? Will these airplanes be released any sooner? As it is, ATL has a fixed holding stack even in "severe clear" weather and a let down in excess of 100miles from the standard profile is "the norm" when going into places like ORD and TEB. I think the naysayers are trying to say that "increasing flight level density is a great idea but a bottle neck is still going to occur at the return end".

I don't think RVSM will effect those problems either way. Until ATL gets another runway, their capacity will remain largely unchanged. Arrival procedures at ORD and TEB will likely remain unchanged. Gate holds and ground releases will still abound. RVSM adresses an enroute problem, and quite well, I think. However, it doesn't presume to fix ALL the traffic problems.

"increasing flight level density" ??? I think it will do the opposite. I think we'll be arriving at the arrival gates with more gas to hold longer.

 

[Uncle Sparky]

"increasing flight level density" ??? I think it will do the opposite. I think we'll be arriving at the arrival gates with more gas to hold longer.

I think this is a " ....glass half full vs. half empty" argument. Some are saying that every aircraft will now be spread out further, horizontally, due to vertical relief. Others are saying that ATC will just fill in the new holes. I'm not so naive to think that there will now be twice as many aircraft in the air but I think overall numbers will increase regardless. So......if you look at it from a two-dimensional perspective, density may increase.