
This idea resurfaces...
every five years since at least the late 70s -- since there's an aviation disaster related to anomalies in the pitot-static system about twice a decade. I was involved in one such system in the mid-90s that eventually turned into a fully qualified system from BAE. But every time, the combination of pressure from airplane manufacturers and inertia at government regulators means that the technology gets mothballed yet again. Unfortunately, memories of AF 447 have already faded, so I suspect that laser doppler velocimetry will be shelved for yet another half-decade until the next pitot-related aviation disaster.