Scared of mid-airs

Larry Dighera wrote:
On Fri, 05 May 2006 17:40:18 GMT, B A R R Y
wrote in ::

Do you ask for traffic advisories or VFR flight following from ATC?

I do on EVERY flight at an altitude that permits ATC to provide Radar
Traffic Advisory Service.


Same here, hence my asking... G

I've been told by controllers that even they prefer that we ask for
advisories, 'cause that makes one more aircraft talking to them and not
squawking 1200 and flying in the space incommunicato.

I even use them for sightseeing and practice (stalls, steep turns,
etc...) flights. Only once have I been denied due to workload.

On Fri, 05 May 2006 19:09:54 GMT, B A R R Y
wrote in ::

Larry Dighera wrote:
On Fri, 05 May 2006 17:40:18 GMT, B A R R Y
wrote in ::

Do you ask for traffic advisories or VFR flight following from ATC?

I do on EVERY flight at an altitude that permits ATC to provide Radar
Traffic Advisory Service.


Same here, hence my asking... G

I've been told by controllers that even they prefer that we ask for
advisories, 'cause that makes one more aircraft talking to them and not
squawking 1200 and flying in the space incommunicato.

I even use them for sightseeing and practice (stalls, steep turns,
etc...) flights. Only once have I been denied due to workload.

Watch out with that heretical stance least the true believers in the
Big Sky Theory characterize you a heathen. :-)

Thanks to all that took time to answer!

I went flying after posting, and tried not to focus on the fear.
It worked, but still sat in the back of my head.

Don't think my scan went down though.

I had a near miss once and The Netherlands.

My wife and I took off in a rented Warrior from Groningen (EHGG) to fly to
Oostende in Belgium (EBOS)

A bit west of the EHGG control zone (don't remember how far west) there is
class A airspace around Schiphol extending from 1500 feet and up.

Thus, all spam cans, UL's etc were having a ball between 1000 and 1450
feet....

:-)

i didn't see anyone until I could pick out the excact antenna formation on
the belly of a C172 thet passed me direct overhead....

And I was scanning, but missed a portion at the wrong moment.

I agree, A airspace from 1500 feet around Sciphol is not excactly the middle
of nowhere, so that fact figures in.

I have decided (for now) to avoid that area until I get my instrument
rating, and can file IFR through that part....

Strange thing was the previous time I flew there, ATC was constantly calling
out traffic to us VFR pilots on the Amsterdam info frequency (seperate from
the class A frequency)

I asked about traffic info after the near miss, and was told no radar
service today....

The rest of our trip (to Cannes in southern France) was uneventful.
Just saw a few sailplanes here and there, but they are generally easy to
pick out with their huge white wingspans.

Some might say it's madness to do a cross country from oslo to Cannes 10
days after getting the PPL, but I think that trip tought me more than I will
ever appreciate about flying. Great experience!


Anyway, thanks again for sharing. I feel better about the statistics, will
still keep a good scan, but will not worry anymore.
Bigger chance of being hit by a falling piano downtown I guess....

Frode


"Larry Dighera" skrev i melding
...
On Fri, 05 May 2006 19:09:54 GMT, B A R R Y
wrote in ::

Larry Dighera wrote:
On Fri, 05 May 2006 17:40:18 GMT, B A R R Y
wrote in ::

Do you ask for traffic advisories or VFR flight following from ATC?

I do on EVERY flight at an altitude that permits ATC to provide Radar
Traffic Advisory Service.


Same here, hence my asking... G

I've been told by controllers that even they prefer that we ask for
advisories, 'cause that makes one more aircraft talking to them and not
squawking 1200 and flying in the space incommunicato.

I even use them for sightseeing and practice (stalls, steep turns,
etc...) flights. Only once have I been denied due to workload.

Watch out with that heretical stance least the true believers in the
Big Sky Theory characterize you a heathen. :-)

I have decided (for now) to avoid that area until I get my instrument
rating, and can file IFR through that part....

....where you will still have to engage the Mark I eyeball.

Jose
--
The price of freedom is... well... freedom.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

"Jose" wrote

I have decided (for now) to avoid that area until I get my instrument
rating, and can file IFR through that part....

...where you will still have to engage the Mark I eyeball.


Yeah, but the sky will not be full of VFR pilot's and it will be radar
controlled.
So I will not run the risk on flying there the odd day radar is not up for
VFR.

At least ATC will have the legal responsability to give you traffic info.
I feel it's confusing that in someparts, you get loads of traffic info,
other parts none, and nobody really tells you unless you really ask them.

I always add "request traffic information enroute" when I initially contact
ATC. That way, they will at least say "no known traffic in the area" or
something on initial contact, or "no radar cover in your area"

If I'm in A airspace flying IFR on a bright day, there's lesser chance of
hitting another light aircraft than if I'm 50 feet below A airspace with
evry other VFR plane at excactly the same altitude.

I know off course that seperation in VMC while flying IFR is also the
reponsability of the pilot, but A-class airspace has got to have more
traffic sep from ATC than G-class, I think we can agree on that.

Frode

On Sat, 6 May 2006 15:28:33 +0200, "Frode Berg"
wrote in ::

I know off course that seperation in VMC while flying IFR is also the
reponsability of the pilot, but A-class airspace has got to have more
traffic sep from ATC than G-class, I think we can agree on that.

Right. In Class A airspace ATC provides separation for all.

Yes, and class A is prohibited for VFR.


Frode


"Larry Dighera" skrev i melding
...
On Sat, 6 May 2006 15:28:33 +0200, "Frode Berg"
wrote in ::

I know off course that seperation in VMC while flying IFR is also the
reponsability of the pilot, but A-class airspace has got to have more
traffic sep from ATC than G-class, I think we can agree on that.

Right. In Class A airspace ATC provides separation for all.

Some might say it's madness to do a cross country from oslo to Cannes 10
days after getting the PPL, but I think that trip tought me more than I will
ever appreciate about flying. Great experience!

Good job. I encourage all pilots -- new ones and old -- to hop in the
plane and GO some place! Too danged many pilots never, ever, EVER
leave the pattern, or (at best) their neighboring $100 hamburger stop.

And then we wonder why some pilots quit flying, cuz they're "bored".
D'oh! I'd be bored, too.

Hop in the plane and fly 500 miles. Aim in whatever direction the
weather is best. Don't worry about what you'll do when you get there.
It is really, REALLY fun -- and you'll learn more about flying and
navigating while doing it.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" skrev i melding


Some might say it's madness to do a cross country from oslo to Cannes 10
days after getting the PPL, but I think that trip tought me more than I
will
ever appreciate about flying. Great experience!

Good job. I encourage all pilots -- new ones and old -- to hop in the
plane and GO some place! Too danged many pilots never, ever, EVER
leave the pattern, or (at best) their neighboring $100 hamburger stop.

And then we wonder why some pilots quit flying, cuz they're "bored".
D'oh! I'd be bored, too.

Hop in the plane and fly 500 miles. Aim in whatever direction the
weather is best. Don't worry about what you'll do when you get there.
It is really, REALLY fun -- and you'll learn more about flying and
navigating while doing it.
--


Hear hear!

Excactly what my wife and I have been doing.
On that first trip, we planned the whole thing before leaving home.

We wanted to see the Champagne district, places in Denmark, holland etc.

We saw none of the places we planned because of weather. We did see lot's of
other terrific places though!

And learned the lesson! Have an idea of where you want to end up, but be
open to change intermediate destinations because of weather.

It's more fun to fly a different course and go somewhere else than staying
for the 5th day in "no-where" because the weather 50 nm down your intended
flight is lower than your comfort range.
Off course, you'll need to buy all the maps you "might" use, as it's kind of
hard to find pilot shops with Jepp charts in Rural France, but it's worth
it!

Frode
(taking my son this year on a no-known destination thoughout Europe)