TRAFFIC ALERT! TRAFFIC ALERT!

On Sun, 25 Jun 2006 11:33:45 GMT, "Casey Wilson" N2310D @ gmail.com
wrote:

...Skyhawk XXX. Traffic is 12 o'clock, two miles, altitude 7600, closing.
Recommend turn left 30 degrees immediately."


A few weeks ago I was flying out of my base airport on a short cross
country flight. As I climbed out of runway 23 the controller told me
to make a "structured" right downwind and to maintain 1000'. The word
"structured" threw me for a second. I had never heard that term used
before. But I assumed he meant to fly a standard closed circuit which
I did. I established myself on the downwind and nailed it at 1000'
because the controller had traffic at 1500'. All is good until I get
down to the arrival end of the runway abeam the numbers. Then out of
the corner of my eye, in a split second a Cessna passed directly
under me about ten degrees off the nose. I believe he was less than
100' below me. I never thought about it again and proceeded with the
flight. But I begin to wonder about it the next day. The day before I
took this aformentioned flight I had schedlued a visit to the control
tower for the next weekend. So when I went for the visit I mentioned
the incident the controller. It happened to be the same guy that was
working me the previous weekend. He remembered the particular aircraft
in question and said that they in the contrl tower were taken
completely by surprise by that Cessna driver. We talked about it for a
little while and moved on to other topics. (As a side note I told him
that the word "structured" confused me for a second. He said that it
was something he had used as a military controller and that it might
be best to rethink his use of it now.)

The reason I mention this close encounter is that I have always been
hesitant about how well I can spot aircraft at a distance. I felt
that I should have seen this guy at least a few miles out but never
did. Depending on the sun angles, the haze, the background clutter
etc., I am not completely confident yet on my ability to be able to
immediately spot an aircraft 3 or 5 miles out. And in this case I
never saw him until he was right under me.

Is it resaonble to expect that Casey or the other pilot should have
been able to see each other 3, 4 or 5 miles out? Or do you have to
have the infamous eyesight of Chuck Yeager. For the average GA pilot
what would be the expected level of visual acuity? When conditions are
right I can see aircraft 3 to 4 miles out but when the controllers
report traffic that far out it can take me some time to spot it.
Sometimes I never can because of the conditions. Usually it takes the
lightreflecting off the aircraft just rightfor me to see it.

Does the ability to spot other aircraft improve with experience?

Kirk