Well, rightfully so. Our navigation system is based on very outdated 50's technology. The airways flown today are the same airways flown 50 years ago. IFR airways are similar to roads. Problem is, the volume of air traffic has gone up yet the number of available "roads" has not, so the ones we do have are more congested than ever.
The reason this is a valid complaint is because we have the technology to fly what is known as "GPS direct" to our destination and have our planes talk to each other to basically do their own version of ATC. Finally, the FAA is acknowledging it and is beginning to put into place the facilities and equipment necessary to be able to accomplish this. Now it will open up fast areas of airspace that is not being utilized.
To those who say our skies are too congested....go outside and look up. From horizon to horizon. Tell me how many planes you see. You are looking at 10 trillion square feet of airspace and you see how many planes? Even in big cities like Los Angeles or Atlanta you might see 3 or maybe 4. Obviously the skies aren't crowded.
Weather delays are the only ones I deem acceptable as a pilot, the rest are either junk planes or junk routing, both of which are fixable if someone really wanted to.
Think just because a plane is new it's safe? Think again!
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,297248,00.html
