Converging aircrafts

Hmm, it seems to me that the optimum forum meeting heights are now no longer at round thousands of feet, but rather at x200 or x800 feet, bearing in mind everyone here seems now to be adding or subtracting two hundred either way. Perhaps I’ll try harder to stay dead on the thousands from now on, seeing as most of you lot are now leaving that band well alone. 😉

As far as what to do in that particular instance, I couldn’t agree more with what everyone else has said; exercise your own judgement as captain (with a small ‘c’) of the aeroplane and do what you need to do to ensure separation. DO NOT assume the other guy has seen you. As Douglas Bader once said, “Rules are for the obeyance of fools, and the guidance of wise men.”

Steve (resident clag lurker 😉 )

What Seneca? :confused:

If you don’t make a mistake on flight plans why do you need to spend so long looking at the map trying to work out where you are??? Surely with an accurate flight plan you should know at all times where you are?

Looking out of the window allowed me to see a shadow on the ground which looked very unlike the 172 I was flying on Monday night, a quick scan around drew my attention to a Herc zipping underneath me, thankfully as I was up at 3000 feet and he was closer to what I would guess was 1000 feet there was a lot of room between us.

Oddly enough I trained on the PA38 (easy way out of spelling problems – r) and quite like them. Spins are really fun 🙂

Now I fly a PA22 a long way from Thruxton though my 52 was based at Sarum so I used to be a denizen of the area.

It’s still at the menders. Now they’ve discovered the ADF is duff, which doesn’t exercise me at all as I never use it, but it sems to get the CAA in a bit of a lather. 2 months so far and counting 🙁

These days I too fly and recommend plus or minus 200 ft from the round figures as well as NEVER using VORs or Airfields as GPS waypoints. An offset of a couple of miles does wonders for the peace of mind except when Steve Young is lurking in the clag 😉

Interesting point about the aircraft on the left being the better choice to have right of way by dint of the pilot’s seating. I’ve thought about it and would suggest that it is the way it is since eggbeaters (flown from the RH seat) are such ugly things nobody in their right mind would want to have a mid-air with one.

Imagine arriving in heaven with your last memory of earthly life being the sight of an R22 – horrid.

But the big lesson on all this is VFR = Look out the bloody window!

Moggy

Remember, R has trouble telling the Isles of Wight and Man apart… so what faith in his aircraft recognition 🙂

As for Steph’s question, I’m not a pilot but would probably have taken similar action to modify my course.

all I wanted to point out was that you had spelt Tomahawk incorrectly

Surely the correct spelling of Tomahawk is Traumahawk???

Now if I’m not mistaken the Traumahawk is a low wing thingy and the nice looking Piper that Moggy flies is high wing???? I may have missed something here but I think I may have spotted a difference.

As for the original question I agree with everyone else’s comments I’d do exactly the same and have done on more than one occasion.

Like everyone (pretty well) has said you did exactly the right thing. Right of Way and accepted procedure only works if the other guy has seen you too. Just like on the roads, you cannot presume that the other guy has seen you and if he pulls out in front of you it is time to swerve!

As Moggy (I think) said, the guy may have been looking inside the aeroplane, not outside.

Melv

I’m sure someone has pointed it out before.

In a busy class G airspace, I make it a rule to fly 200 feet above, or below, whole thousund feet of altitude. For some strange reason, 99% of the pilot population seem to be glued to the whole thousunds, with their heads firmly inside the cockpit fiddling with the GPS!

Of course you did the right thing Steph. The right of way is just an interesting speculation when you are falling down to mother earth after a mid-air

In these situations of potential conflict, I wouldn’t even consider the niceties of who may or may not have the right of way. As soon as I see ‘incoming’ I turn to ensure separation, and keep watching until they are past. In almost all cases, they sail past without a quiver, and no indication that they have seen anything.

Given the choice, and suitable terrain, I prefer to stay under 1000 feet, where there is usually less traffic- apart from helicopters, there is not too much military in the south-east.

Low down, you will not have long to pick a field should the engine fail, but in a Cub, most fields will give you a chance.

Famous last words: “It’s my right of way”!

One of what exactly do you mean ?? , all I wanted to point out was that you had spelt Tomahawk incorrectly – copying somebody elses error is no excuse. I think I know what Moggy flies ( G-ARNE ) and I know where it is at present – much to Moggy’s displeasure 🙁 . How long now Moggy ???

back on topic…

given that so much VFR traffic is composed of aircraft with side-by-side seating and with P1 on the left, would it possibly work better if he was expected to give way to traffic coming from his left, i.e. that which would be easier to spot because there was less of his own aircraft’s structure in the way to mask it? To put it another way, the one with the best view is expected to take the avoiding action?
There have been similar posts on PPrune etc, where the one with the right of way saw the other guy, but he didn’t (couldn’t?) see them.
Sorry if this is a daft question, but I’m not sure of the reasoning for having it the way it is.

Mike

If it was a Tommahawk it was most likely Moggy flying around at his less rounded heights. (As he quite rightly says every person flys at thousands of feet) And we all know so many students can not fly to the height they are told to do so by their Instructor for long periods of time. Thruxton can not be to far from Bourn(e?) neither can Alderney from Glasgow, its only the United Kingdom. (Wow I keep saying that don’t I, my education must show some left wing teachings that have been drilled in me) Moggy is just trying to save his back from the CAA under the basis you got the registration and made a complaint about him nose diving at you. 🙂

Regards

R.weaver

Safe legal flying

What doe’s this translate into ??? , and I’m pretty sure Moggy wouldn’t be seen dead in a Tomahawk ( please note the correct spelling ).

Al

If it was a Tommahawk it was most likely Moggy flying around at his less rounded heights. (As he quite rightly says every person flys at thousands of feet) And we all know so many students can not fly to the height they are told to do so by their Instructor for long periods of time. Thruxton can not be to far from Bourn(e?) neither can Alderney from Glasgow, its only the United Kingdom. (Wow I keep saying that don’t I, my education must show some left wing teachings that have been drilled in me) Moggy is just trying to save his back from the CAA under the basis you got the registration and made a complaint about him nose diving at you. 🙂

Regards

R.weaver

Safe legal flying

Ruprecht strikes again.

Legally you had the right of way and should have maintained your course and altitude and waited for him to take the necessary avoiding action.

The fact that you were legally in the right would probably not have been of much comfort to your next of kin.

You did right.

Too many people these days fly VFR with their head in the cockpit fiddling with their GPS 😡

Moggy

Hi Steph, not a pilot myself but hope to start my PPL during July. I think you did the right thing, you never know if the others have seen you. When I have flown with others and we have seen another aircraft that may possibly converge with us, we took simillar action.

Neal