Watch where you are going!

[wheelsup]

From the time I was able to see him (and keep in mind I had a TCAS telling me where to look)

So how would you expect him to see you? We have TCAS here on our planes and I'd bet 80% of the transient traffic through our areas don't ever have a clue where we are...

~wheelsup

P.S. My favorite saying goes: "Only odd people fly east" .

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

Just a little rant. I had an Aero Commander try to hit me today. I was on an IFR flight plan barely moving along at 7K when I saw the target on the TCAS. The target moved closer (heading west) and just as the TA sounded center also gave me an alert. I managed to get a visual on him and made a descending turn to get away. I'm sure we still passed less than 1/4 mile. Center was not talking to the guy, so I'm assuming he was VFR.

So, what did he do wrong...He wasn't watching where he was going, I'm convinced he didn't ever see me because he turned right at me as we where passing. He was at the wrong altitude for a VFR flight and was flying it in the wrong direction.

Please, if you are going to fly VFR do so at the right altitude for the direction, or even for VFR and watch where you are going. I had my landing lights on so he should have seen me. BTW it was a JS31 so the landing lights are visible in flight.

No use getting mad about it. He probably never saw you. May have been in a climb or decent. May have been an idiot, who knows. Point is at least one of you knew what was happening.

Never trust that the other guy knows the rules. Everytime someone asks me how many near misses have I had in my career, I always answer with "The ones I knew about?"

I have to agree with the previous poster about TCAS......Greatest invention in aviation in the last 40 years. Every other system is designed to protect you from your own screw ups. TCAS is the only one designed to protect you from other peoples screw ups as well as your own.

 

[urflyingme?!]

Ever take off from an uncontrolled field and at 15' AGL with <900' of runway left see a 152 on 1/8th final coming right at you?
SWEET!

 

[NuGuy]

No use getting mad about it. He probably never saw you. May have been in a climb or decent. May have been an idiot, who knows. Point is at least one of you knew what was happening.

Never trust that the other guy knows the rules. Everytime someone asks me how many near misses have I had in my career, I always answer with "The ones I knew about?"

I have to agree with the previous poster about TCAS......Greatest invention in aviation in the last 40 years. Every other system is designed to protect you from your own screw ups. TCAS is the only one designed to protect you from other peoples screw ups as well as your own.

KS...agreed...

TCAS = GOD, especially when going in/out of uncontrolled fields...

And to think people poo pooed it when they made it manditory.

Nu

 

[TIGV]

Never felt so naked as when I went from the Junkstream to the mother-Fokker and the new bird had no TCAS :-(

Someone used to have fun, VFR ,flying parallels into Lambert by ' encroaching ' a little into our paired aircraft's final approach path just over the river and setting off their ' Traffic ' Warning, you could see little heads on pivots appear, scanning frantically through the cockpit windows.

Wasn't us, I just heard about it ..........

 

[crudeoilpilot]

Read the FAR's any turbine powered aircraft should pattern at 1500 agl, a very wise practice to maintain.

This is a wise thing to do, even Duke drivers whatever. Preclude an incident or whatever the worst might be.

I always do 1500-2000, Midairs are yours or mine worst nightmare.

 

[HMR]

Couple of seconds later we hit his ' wake '....yeah who knew you could feel the wake of a one-filthy in the old ' F '.

It took me a dozen or so times to get used to it. The worst is when you feel the wake and then see the guy after he's already passed. I don't miss instructing in SoCal.

 

[HiFlyChick]

No such thing as an "active" runway at a non-towered field...

Huh? I hear it all the time around here. Going into CYFC (FSS on an MF, no tower), I heard FSS tell the guy behind me, "Preferred runway is 14, active runway is 27" - the wind was favoring 14 but me taking the straight in visual for 27 made it the active

 

[minitour]

Huh? I hear it all the time around here. Going into CYFC (FSS on an MF, no tower), I heard FSS tell the guy behind me, "Preferred runway is 14, active runway is 27" - the wind was favoring 14 but me taking the straight in visual for 27 made it the active

I dunno about that one...

Only ATC can decide if a runway is "active" or not. For example, if the winds are 180/23, ATC is most likely not going to be using 36...you'll get 18.

Uncontrolled field, same situation 180/23. Sure, the winds are better for 18, but if you want 36...by all means...its yours. That doesn't make it an "active" runway...just a runway in use.

-mini

 

[qmaster3]

I always say N856MM taking active, or clear of active. This is at an uncontrolled field. If I'm on the frikken rnwy it's active.

Having said that I agree with HFC, and think you just want to argue MINI. j/k

 

[Vector4fun]

Source; Pilot/Controller Glossary

RUNWAY IN USE/ACTIVE RUNWAY/DUTY RUNWAY- Any runway or runways currently being used for takeoff or landing. When multiple runways are used, they are all considered active runways. In the metering sense, a selectable adapted item which specifies the landing runway configuration or direction of traffic flow. The adapted optimum flight plan from each transition fix to the vertex is determined by the runway configuration for arrival metering processing purposes.


RUNWAY USE PROGRAM- A noise abatement runway selection plan designed to enhance noise abatement efforts with regard to airport communities for arriving and departing aircraft. These plans are developed into runway use programs and apply to all turbojet aircraft 12,500 pounds or heavier; turbojet aircraft less than 12,500 pounds are included only if the airport proprietor determines that the aircraft creates a noise problem. Runway use programs are coordinated with FAA offices, and safety criteria used in these programs are developed by the Office of Flight Operations. Runway use programs are administered by the Air Traffic Service as "Formal" or "Informal" programs.

a. Formal Runway Use Program- An approved noise abatement program which is defined and acknowledged in a Letter of Understanding between Flight Operations, Air Traffic Service, the airport proprietor, and the users. Once established, participation in the program is mandatory for aircraft operators and pilots as provided for in 14 CFR Section 91.129.

b. Informal Runway Use Program- An approved noise abatement program which does not require a Letter of Understanding, and participation in the program is voluntary for aircraft operators/pilots.

 

[minitour]

... think you just want to argue MINI. j/k

I'm just pissy...I think I need to change my tampax

 

[cxcap]

He was at the wrong altitude for a VFR flight and was flying it in the wrong direction.
Please, if you are going to fly VFR do so at the right altitude for the direction, or even for VFR and watch where you are going.

The altitudes for VFR and IFR flight are RECOMENDED altitudes only. NOT REQUIRED. I have a buddy who who flys aerial survey aircraft and they are required to be within 50 (yes fifty) feet of the altitude required for their specific work. They also do something with air quality samples and will sometiimes fly gridlike patterns climbing or decending in 100 foot increments. Just because you think this plane didnt see you didnt mean that was the case. When I used to ride with him there were plenty of times that they would get onto a line and see a plane coming but would continue with their survey if it was safe to do so because if they have to refly the line all the previous film is useless (and not cheap). I can't tell you how many times we'd hear some smart a$$ say somthing about how we werent watching where we were going and we were at the "wrong" altitude when in actuality we saw him long before he ever saw us and he was never even a factor.

 

[minitour]

The altitudes for VFR and IFR flight are RECOMENDED altitudes only. NOT REQUIRED.

91.159 and 91.179 seem to differ with that opinion.

-mini

 

[cxcap]

91.159 and 91.179 seem to differ with that opinion.

-mini

91.159 and 91.179 only apply to level cruise flight. So if you are climbing, descending or turning that is not required.

 

[TrafficInSight]

climbing and descending obviously but I think you'd have a tough time explaining why you nearly hit someone at an IFR altitude by saying "I was in a turn at the time."

I'm wondering where exactly this all happened?

 

[cxcap]

I agree that if you're flying from point to point just freakin' pick the right altitude but there are some people who are not at these altitudes for valid reasons.

 

[Wang Chung]

Center was not talking to the guy, so I'm assuming he was VFR....He wasn't watching where he was going... He was at the wrong altitude for a VFR flight and was flying it in the wrong direction...if you are going to fly VFR do so at the right altitude for the direction, or even for VFR and watch where you are going. I had my landing lights on so he should have seen me.

Might very well have been an aerial survey plane. There's lots of Commanders with cameras mounted in the belly flying photo missions at weird altitudes...the pilot might have been preoccupied with some electronics or monitors. There's also lots of guys flying around shooting pictures out the window of their cessnas (single-pilot).

Am I making an excuse for this guy? No way. Is it OK for people to be buzzing around without their eyes outside the cockpit? No way. But this type of flying happens everywhere, at all altitudes. I'm glad that I'm not doing that type of stuff anymore!

Fly safe...

 

[JRSLim]

One time, flying to Kansas (camp)

I was heading easterly at about 040 just cruising - had been keeping my eyes peeled pretty well- or so I thought. Another 172 just came cruising out form the left... heading probably 140 - passed in front of me about 1/8 of a mile. We were both at the right altitude for our MC, but still came close. I got the impression he never saw me. note to self: scan the rear quarters better!

 

[ksu_aviator]

Just to clear some things up...


He was level. I watched him, at my altitude, on TCAS until I decided I had to move.

If he was doing a survey or something that required him to be at a specific altitude than he needed to at least talk to center.

 

[A Squared]

I always say N856MM taking active, or clear of active. This is at an uncontrolled field. If I'm on the frikken rnwy it's active.

Ignoring the philosophical debate of whether the is an "active" runway at an uncontrolled field, announcing your actions/intentions relative to "the active" is a worthless call, why even bother to push the mic button for it? Ok, that's overstating the case a bit, but the purpose of making calls at an uncontrolled airport is to inform others of where you are and what you are doing. In that regard, stating which runway is much more informative that saying "the active" and letting others guess what your opinion is of which runway is "active"
Why not say: taxiing onto 36 for departure, instead of: taxiing onto "the active" for departure? there is no question that "Taxiing onto 36" contains more complete, useful information. The only reasons I can fathom for saying "the active" is because you think it sounds cooler, or you don't know what runway you're using.