In a message dated 11/22/2003 12:23:39 AM Pacific Standard Time, gjmck@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes: << Leaving aside patriotism for a second, how do you work out the US has the best aviation system in the world? Define "aviation system". Perish the thought that I'd suggest you were wrong but is it more than just your opinion (as usual)? >> I am talking about the ability to keep a very free GA system working with a huge commercial system. Just look at a place like Southern California, which has some of the most crowded skies in the world and combines GA trainers at Van Nuys with commercial at BUR, or Santa Monica with LAX. Serious problems almost never occur, because the system here is so well executed by the professionals who work in it. While critical ATC errors, like the collision of 2 planes last year over Switzerland, happen on a yearly or biyearly basis in Europe, the last ATC problem like that I heard of here was when USAir set down on a Skywest Brasilia at LAX something like 10 years ago, or more.