The IBM 9020D air traffic control computer at West Drayton – it’s a complex of 360/65s front-ended by 360/50s for those with memories long enough to remember what those were – has been much in the news of late for its allegedly frequent failures, but anyone flying in the US who wants something else to […]
The IBM 9020D air traffic control computer at West Drayton – it’s a complex of 360/65s front-ended by 360/50s for those with memories long enough to remember what those were – has been much in the news of late for its allegedly frequent failures, but anyone flying in the US who wants something else to worry about can reflect on the fact that most of the US air traffic control centres are equipped with the same antique machines: the good news is that the Federal Aviation Administration is in process of replacing the 360s now – and the Civil Aviation Authority will follow suit here; the bad news is that the new machines are already out of date – they’re from the 308X line, not the current 3090 models.
