REFLECTOR: Close Encounter

[Steven Oakley]

OK,

>I made the turn, then about 30 seconds later, the traffic was in sight.
What looked like an imminent aluminum 
>shower to the controller was a plane that was actually more than two miles
a way.

So if we assume that each plane was a single engine spam can doing about
100-120knots, that's a closing speed of 200-240Knots, in reality that's
about 1 mile every 20-30 seconds, so being made aware of a conflict 40-60
seconds away is pretty close. I think if I was flying I would have felt the
controller had made a good call "turn immediately to clear traffic".

Steve. 

-----Original Message-----
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Ron Brown
Sent: Monday, January 23, 2006 6:29 PM
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Close Encounter

I agree.  We may have the best ATC in the world, but it is still archaic
with a lot of old technology.  I was flying down the Florida coast a few
years back, when ATC excitedly called traffic and commanded a hard right
turn.  I made the turn, then about 30 seconds later, the traffic was in
sight.  What looked like an imminent aluminum shower to the controller was a
plane that was actually more than two miles a way.

I'm looking forward to ATC and radar and mode C's transponders being
replaced by ADS-B.  Then we won't have to be depending on controllers who
are working two or more frequencies, who to often tells you to stand by
while he gets on the land line to make a hand off.  We had a mid air near
here a few years back between a plane on an IFR flight plan and another on
flight following colliding at 5000' over a VOR - both were in contact with
ATC.

Ronnie