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[quote user="blue streak 1"] Samantha:It is not easier to add a larger aircraft. All aircraft have a trailing separation that the following aircraft has to follow. For MD-80,B-737, a-319,320,321 and small aircraft it is 3 miles. Behind a B-757 it is four miles, Behind a B747,B-767,B777, A -330,A-340 it is five miles. The new A-380 has not beenfinalized but 7 miles appears likely. there are other nuances but that mainly covers the point. Plus B-747s and A-340s are not allowed in LGA airport. Therefore increasing the size of aircraft increases seats but reduces the number of aircraft that can takeoff or land in any . The proposed constraints will limit the total number of passengers handled by each airport believe me.  Also I made a mistake on my original post of fuel used from NYC to Florida it is only 35.000# and I have corrected the original post. BTW 3 miles equals about 30 - 70 seconds.[/quote]I was a pilot for many years.  I worked at it full time for approximately two years; otherwise, it was a part time avocation.  I racked up more than 2,500 hours in a variety of airplanes.  I was a CFI and CFII with multi-engine ratings.  I also held corresponding ground instructor ratings. I flew out of Hartford, Connecticut.  One of my runs was to LaGuardia, although most of my flights into the New York TCA were to Tetterboro.  At the time, which goes back a few years, the Carmel VOR was a key navigation aid into the New York area from New England.  I am aware of the separation rules.  Using larger airplanes, e.g. B-767 in place of B-737 or MD-80, etc., would result in fewer airplanes.  It would mean fewer departures carrying the same number or more passengers than are carried with the current equipment, which consists of regional jets, A-319s, B-737s, etc.  Accordingly, air traffic would be reduced.  It would not be increased.  And separation would be less of a problem.The probability that the airlines would use anything larger than a 767 for shuttle work in the NEC is pretty remote.  I drew reference to the 767 because Qantas uses it between Melbourne and Sydney, which has some of the charasteristics of the NEC, without any traffic congestion problems.  In spite of their current woes, the airlines are not going to dry up and go away.  Service will be cut back in many markets, i.e. those that cannot support larger airplanes, or eliminated in some markets, e.g. Lancaster, PA, Longview, TX, etc., but people are going to continue flying long distances.  Trains may be a viable solution for relatively high density corridors, but they cannot compete with the airplane for long distances.  And outside of the high density corridors they cannot compete with the automobile.Some people seem to think that $4 or $5 gasoline will drive people out of their cars and onto trains.  It could in some parts of the country.  But don't count on it.  The folks who live across the street from me have shown me the future.  They just bought a SMART Car.  It gets more than 38 miles per gallon around town and about 45 miles per gallon on the highway.  This is a glimpse the future, at least in most areas of Texas, which is where I live.  Texans might bail out of their SUVs and pick-ups.  And they will get smarter about driving.  But they will not give up their cars for trains.  I'll be on the trains when they make sense.  Because I am a train buff!  But most of my friends and neighborhoods will not, at least in my lifetime.
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