LaGuardia's most "marvelous and enlightening sight"...

Was its air traffic control technology!

Back when airplanes were only just starting to take off and airports were a place to visit rather than a dreaded purgatory, air traffic control technology was cool.  People were excited by the gears and gadgets that made flight possible and New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia ensured that New York Municipal Airport, as it was then known, had the state-of-the-art equipment. 

For example, the Duke of Windsor, who visited Flushing in 1939 to see both the airport and the World’s Fair, thought the most “marvelous and enlightening sight” was in fact the airport’s control tower.[1]  The tower was positioned on top of the Central Terminal Building (CTB) and had sixteen radio receivers which could pick up calls on any airline frequency.  This technological innovation meant the dawning of a new age and the people of New York knew it (as did the Duke of Windsor). 

LaGuardia's air traffic control center was located on top of the CTB, as seen in this picture.  Photo: Port Authority of NY & NJ

The new air traffic control tower, erected in 1964, was another exciting technological advancement, albeit controversial, as it was thought to resemble an ice cream cone or Swiss cheese, depending on who you ask.  The structure was designed by local heavy-weight Wallace K. Harrison, who was also responsible for the 1939 World’s Fair’s Trylon and Perisphere as well as several other monumental New York City buildings.  But the new structure was also exciting because of what it stood for – LaGuardia Airport staying ahead of the curve. 

LaGuardia's first air traffic control tower.  Photo: Port Authority of NY & NJ

However, exciting developments are underway that would help greatly enhance airline travel but they need the public's help and involvement.  NextGen, the name given to the US’s GPS air traffic technology due to replace the old radar system, would drastically cut delays caused by plane stacking and poor weather conditions, and enable pilots to fly more direct and efficient routes.  All in all, it’s not only a safer option, but it would also save everyone masses of time in the airport and on the runway. 

LaGuardia's new state-of-the-art air traffic control tower replaced the infamous ice cream cone tower in 2011.  Photo courtesy of International Airport Review

It’s not rocket science and yet the technology is lacking a public awareness necessary to turn it into a reality.  It’s in everyone’s interest to upgrade but unless we acknowledge that, change will be slow and low on the list of priorities.  So, if you ever spend time in an airport or on a plane, spread the word – it’s time to get excited about NextGen.   

For more information about NextGen, watch this video:

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[1] Alistair Gordon, Naked Airport: A Cultural History of the World’s Most Revolutionary Structure (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2008), 116.