Isn’t it all down to cost? For the few occasions when an airport can’t offer a GPS approach because the satilites are down will that loss of income justify the huge costs of keeping ILS equipment serviceable?
Out of interest Timothy are Bournemouth keeping their NDB approaches? They must be much cheaper to keep as an alternative to GPS.
I think there are some real parallels in the technology industry.
You have the innovators selling propretary solutions, Microsoft, Google, apple, etc each of which would happily own everything if they could. And common internet standards, many of which are archiac, but perfectly serviceable.
SMTP, (mail protocol) is like the NDB of the internet, many other similar examples. Many of these standards have held things back, at least until a solution that allows everyone else to come along has been found.
Peter wrote:
I can’t see ILS ever losing its importance
Ever is a long time. But then again, maybe pilots will become obsolete before the ILS does. After all, I hear that Airbus is playing with two new technologies: electric-powered and pilotless aircraft. 
I think ILS will disappear over the next 10 years or so at airports which
For airline traffic, much longer. CAT3 is not even in sight. Also ILS is much more robust than LPV because LPV is trivially easy to jam. Think of the recent Gatwick drone crisis and multiply it 100×. And there is no defence… I am sure this point has not been lost on anyone running major airports.
For FTO usage, that depends on whether those in charge judge LPV to be adequate for airline pilot training. I am not sure if LPV (instead of ILS) meets the current IR test requirement.
For the strategic stuff, you could be looking at a very long time because many State / military aircraft cannot be realistically upgraded.
Incidentally I think many airports funded by local chambers of commerce (often the case in France) without many questions asked will find their funding cut, as the bean counters wake up.
Peter wrote:
Extended Squitter
Not worth doingADS-B
Not necessary but worth doing in the context of another job
True today, but the future is uncertain. With Aireon going on-line, there is talk in Canada about TC/Nav Canada making ADS-B mandatory so they can phase out radar. It is generating a lot of discussion due to an open question (need for diversity?? which would make it a no-go for GA) and possible benefits even for GA (eliminate ELT requirement).
Timothy wrote:
How many of us are satisfied with the same car for 20 years? Some, for sure. I know plenty of people who have kept the same boring, family car forever.
That’s an interesting point. I’ll gladly drive my 15-year-old Saab another 10 years, if the price of a new replacement is thereby available for new technology improvements to my 40-year old Cessna aircraft.
chflyer wrote:
True today, but the future is uncertain. With Aireon going on-line, there is talk in Canada about TC/Nav Canada making ADS-B mandatory so they can phase out radar. It is generating a lot of discussion due to an open question (need for diversity?? which would make it a no-go for GA) and possible benefits even for GA (eliminate ELT requirement).
Well… Swedish ATC phased out all primary radar some decades back. Eventually they found out that having primary radar was maybe not such a bad idea so they are putting it back in areas with the most traffic.
True. In Europe 28 sizes fits all.
You need primary radar for all sorts of reasons, starting with national security.
In theory, a “neutral” country, in an age where other peoples’ nukes prevent WW3 from starting, doesn’t need to worry, but we now have terrorism, and it isn’t going to go away.
chflyer wrote:
I’ll gladly drive my 15-year-old Saab another 10 years
Good for you. But you must also know people who like new cars just because they like them?
