SPINNING PAPER INTO GLASS: TRANSFORMING FLIGHT PROGRESS STRIPS

The aims of this paper are to describe how flight progress strips are currently used in U.S. en route air traffic control (ATC), and to discuss the Federal Aviation Administration's objective of eliminating them. The paper begins by briefly describing the U.S. ATC system, in particular, the en route environment, and then details how flight strips are used. Issues surrounding the replacement of flight strips are discussed, along with the role of various methods of inquiry in answering questions about appropriate strip replacements.