Any traffic please advise

Matt Whiting wrote in
:

ET wrote:
"Dan Luke" wrote in
:


"Viperdoc" wrote:


Have to agree that "looking" in response to a traffic call is
reasonable. Saying "roger" makes it unclear as to whether you
actually have the traffic in sight.

Both responses are incorrect.

"Traffic in sight (the correct response) makes it very clear that you
have the traffic in sight.



OK, then what do YOU say to ack. the call, but you have not yet seen
the traffic????

If I haven't seen the traffic before the ATC call, I scan for 3-5
seconds. If I can't find the traffic after this time, I reply "ATC,
N12345, negative contact on the traffic."

Matt


Hrrm, well, I'm still a student pilot (2-2000 mile+ cross countries as a
pax handling the radio though with FF) but to me that just sounds like
"I looked for 3-5 seconds and gave up..."

--
-- ET :-)

"A common mistake people make when trying to design something
completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete
fools."---- Douglas Adams

If I haven't seen the traffic before the ATC call, I scan for 3-5 seconds. If I can't find the traffic after this time, I reply "ATC, N12345, negative contact on the traffic."

You must not fly in busy airspace. In the Northeast, in 3-5 seconds the
traffic controller has vectored ten airliners, cleared two IFR
departures, and had lunch. Either you respond right away or you can't
get a word in edgewise.

Jose
--
The monkey turns the crank and thinks he's making the music.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

ET wrote:
Matt Whiting wrote in
:


ET wrote:

"Dan Luke" wrote in
:



"Viperdoc" wrote:



Have to agree that "looking" in response to a traffic call is
reasonable. Saying "roger" makes it unclear as to whether you
actually have the traffic in sight.

Both responses are incorrect.

"Traffic in sight (the correct response) makes it very clear that you
have the traffic in sight.



OK, then what do YOU say to ack. the call, but you have not yet seen
the traffic????

If I haven't seen the traffic before the ATC call, I scan for 3-5
seconds. If I can't find the traffic after this time, I reply "ATC,
N12345, negative contact on the traffic."

Matt



Hrrm, well, I'm still a student pilot (2-2000 mile+ cross countries as a
pax handling the radio though with FF) but to me that just sounds like
"I looked for 3-5 seconds and gave up..."

It doesn't suggest I've stopped looking, it suggests I've been
unsuccessful thus far. It also allows the controller to have
confirmation that I received the traffic report.

Matt

Jose wrote:

If I haven't seen the traffic before the ATC call, I scan for 3-5
seconds. If I can't find the traffic after this time, I reply "ATC,
N12345, negative contact on the traffic."


You must not fly in busy airspace. In the Northeast, in 3-5 seconds the
traffic controller has vectored ten airliners, cleared two IFR
departures, and had lunch. Either you respond right away or you can't
get a word in edgewise.

I live and fly in the northeast and always have. The frequency isn't
any less busy 500 ms after the call than 5000 ms after the call.

Matt

"Ron Lee" wrote:


Dan, what is your response when you have only had one-three seconds to
look and have not yet found the traffic? This happens often.


"Negative contact."

That is the proper response, straight out of the AIM.

I have been advised of the traffic and responded with a phrase that tells
the controller all he needs to know for the moment. When things change, the
controller can give me an update or I can report "traffic in sight."

Why people think they need to give controllers warm fuzzies about this is
beyond me. Whether you are looking or not is irrelevant to the controllers.
The only information that is useful to them is whether you see the traffic
or not.

--
Dan
C172RG at BFM

Peter R. wrote:
Everything discussed up to your post applies to IFR traffic advisories as
well. However, in the case of IFR traffic advisories, additional
instructions are most likely forthcoming the moment the pilot advises
traffic in sight, such as "cleared for the visual approach," "maintain
visual separation with the traffic, climb and maintain xxx," etc.

This can happen in VFR, too. As I mentioned in another post, after
reporting traffic in sight in the pattern, I'll get "cleared to land,
number three" or whatever.

.... Alan

--
Alan Gerber
gerber AT panix DOT com

"Steven P. McNicoll" writes:

"Christopher C. Stacy" wrote in message
...

If you're in VMC, then you are persumed to be looking for traffic.
If you're in IMC, you're not going to be "looking".
What the controller wants to know is if you see it right now.
"Negative Contact".


Why aren't you going to be "looking" if you're in IMC?

Because you are "looking" at the panel and there is nothing to see outside but clouds?

Dan Luke wrote:

"Alan Gerber" wrote:

It depends. At the Class D airport where I fly, the controller won't
clear you to land behind somebody until you report them in sight.

Really??

Sure. "Cherokee NNN, number two to land, behind the Cessna on base",
followed by "Cherokee NNN, traffic in sight", gets me "Cherokee NNN,
cleared to land, number two". (With runway number added, of course.)

.... Alan

--
Alan Gerber
gerber AT panix DOT com

Larry Dighera wrote:
What you say is true, however I was referring to en route VFR radar
traffic advisory service.

Sure. But the conversation in general is about reporting traffic in
sight -- let's try to keep the big picture here.

The situation you describe on approach is a result of the controller's
necessity to separate IFR traffic which can be either radar separation
or visual separation.

Not in this case. This was VFR, in the pattern. No IFR traffic in the
mix. It's being driven by the controller's necessity to sequence the
traffic to the runway. (Let's not get into the other issue of separation
at Class D airports, OK?)

.... Alan

--
Alan Gerber
gerber AT panix DOT com

The frequency isn't any less busy 500 ms after the call than 5000 ms after the call.

That's not my experience. When a controller is being rapid-fire, there
is a slight pause after his transmission wherein he expects a response.
That 500 ms is quieter.

Jose
--
The monkey turns the crank and thinks he's making the music.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.