In search of the future of air traffic control: [3 & 4] In a typical air traffic control facility today [top], aircraft locations are displayed in green on round monitors, a design dating back to the 1960s.

High Desert Tracon [middle] is one of the first U.S. air traffic control facilities to move to networked workstations and full color displays that are the signature of a modern air traffic control system. The Rehost air traffic control system developed by BDM Corp. was installed in 1993 at High Desert Tracon, a civilian facility on Edwards Air Force Base in California, and at Department of Defense control facilities on Edwards Air Force Base and at China Lake. It uses Sun 470 workstations to process data from multiple radars and display information on Sony high-resolution 20-inch color monitors. Touch panels on either side of the screen act as function keys; they are typically used during controller training until keystroke commands are memorized.

In this latest release of Rehost software [bottom], a conflict alert function warns of a pending a separation violation by turning the aircraft's data tag red (the tag includes text showing the flight's call sign and altitude.) Aircraft under the command of a controller are displayed on-screen in cyan; those being handled by other controllers at the Tracon are green.

Controllers can call up maps or approach path information with a few keystrokes. They may also draw their own maps, indicating, for example, an area of airspace restricted because of a fire or an area where a model rocket club is conducting launches. The yellow circles on this display are controller-drawn maps.