No Airspace Safety System
Thanks BIK for your response to all and sundry.
Firstly, your responses to my inputs imply that you think I am also a controller. I'm not. I normally "fly" a desk, with occasional outings where I only fly VFR (for both business and pleasure) mainly in a single engine PA32RT.
Secondly, like you, I was generally unfazed about "see and avoid" as being the ONLY method of separation (didn't think about it much really, to tell you the truth; just accepted that was the way things were). That was until last year, when I had 3 VERY CLOSE "near-collisions" (I don't call them near-misses; too serious for that) in G (enroute) airspace over the space of some 4 days, even though I had made all the required broadcasts and maintained a good (well I thought it was good) visual scan. It was at that point, that I decided that I should start taking an interest in the background issues related to flying in Australia eg CASA regulatory reform, airspace design, ATC procedures etc.
Thirdly, unlike you, I am definitely starting to now feel unsafe in G airspace, considering the number of aircraft no longer participating (intentionally or otherwise) in the system and I no longer have confidence that "see and avoid" is an effective, sole source means of ensuring conflict detection and resolution.
Fourthly: most of your response was dedicated to detailing what services YOU REQUIRE from "the system" and what YOU ARE prepared to pay for. I respect and have no argument with that and I believe any robust and well-designed system should be capable of accommodating your requirements. However, my needs are different to yours (and probably others).
I would like to access and use (as a VFR pilot) the full range of services the system offers, such as SAR alerting and traffic information and, what's more, I am prepared to pay for them! So, where's the respect from you for my needs and requirements? It would appear to me that the old system where B050/A050 was the delineation point where those who wanted to fly like BIK stayed below and those who wanted to fly like me went upstairs. This appeared to me to be an entirely sensible system, which worked well and simply required that when we each visited each other's "house", we adopted and abided by the established "house rules". The part that I find disappointing about BIK's approach is that he has no respect for the way that I want to fly and just wants it all his own way.
Tell me where we go from here?