https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/storage/the-faa-seeks-to-eliminate-floppy-disk-usage-in-air-traffic-control-systems

Next time your flight is cancelled it may be the floppy is stuck.😆

It is absolutely mind boggling that with all the modern technology available, the government is still using paper and 1990's technology.

Honestly, that really is astounding that they are still using floppy discs. If it was April 1st I would think it was a wind-up. Almost everybody abandoned them after 2000. 

And Windows 95. When did support stop for 95? 2001 was it?

Edited June 9, 20251 yr by martin-w

2 hours ago, stans said:

It is absolutely mind boggling that with all the modern technology available, the government is still using paper and 1990's technology.

It's not unusual. Generally, governments make a big single investment in a 'system' and then the hardware gets replaced when that system is replaced...perhaps decades later.

In the UK our railways are still sending fax's to themselves.  The son of a friend of mine who served in our armed forces was sent - not too long ago - to the US to train on drone systems. He was surprised to find the whole system at that time was still running on Windows XP...

It's called "government". 

They pay themselves lavish salaries and benefits and fail to actually perform the duties they are paid to perform.

Some things never change.

Dave

You`d be surprised to find what some ATM cash machines run on.

On 6/9/2025 at 10:39 AM, G-RFRY said:

You`d be surprised to find what some ATM cash machines run on.

OS/2?

Hook

Hopefully, I'm not derailing the topic...

Sadly, it's not just antiquated air travel systems...infrastructure in general...it has been reported for a very long time that bridges across the US are also in desperate need of TLC (money!)...with about 6-7% of the more than 600,000 bridges receiving a "structurally deficient" rating.

One example...about 25 years ago, I lived in Cincinnati...the Brent Spence Bridge (I-75 corridor) was a relic back then...it's been all talk since then with "future promises" of a new crossing. I was forever crossing that bridge to get to KCVG for business travel.

I think there have always been Fed/State disagreements (on who is going to take the biggest funding hit). The issue is then compounded when a bridge crosses a State line...I can think of one example off the top of my head between Washington and Oregon that has been discussed as long as I can remember...nobody appears to be prepared to bite that bullet.

I think about the volume of everyday goods that are transported across the interstate system.

Future generations will suffer from today's inactivity...IMHO.

(Just a statement...not a political opinion!)  🙂  

Floppies to keep online hackers out. It is/was a safety precaution. Very much less interference possible when using older tech. 

Old tech from before the "Smart" age. I don't' like Smart garage door openers nor burglar alarms. Outsiders can access their way in. But not if the tech is dumb and offline.

Typical problem with mission critical system.  You don't just swap out a floppy with a thumb drive until you prove that the USB interface is correctly implemented.  Of course if your OS/hardware doesn't support the latest USB 3 spec then you have other things to work on.  Then also the question of what file system to use on your removable media.

it’s wild to think the FAA still uses floppies in this day and age! No wonder delays happen sometimes - those things are so outdated. Hopefully, they ditch them soon for something way more reliable

On 6/10/2025 at 8:30 PM, Fielder said:

Floppies to keep online hackers out. It is/was a safety precaution. Very much less interference possible when using older tech. 

 

You mean like none of the Battlestar Galactica's computers being networked. 

To keep this lady out.

 

Hmmm..... maybe we should network our kit. 

 

She's fine, in league with Mudd, not Khan.