I just wanted to concur with Captain Claret who was pleading the case for him flying into Alice Springs, where there is no radar and substantial air traffic, of all types. At least in the case of the Virgin near miss, the controller had radar at his disposal. He could see the aircraft and with the help of DTI the Virgin was able to acquire the aircraft visually. In Alice Springs the controller will not have the lightie on his non-existent radar, and since the guy had not flightplanned there would be no record of him being in the area.
So if this had been into Alice, the Lightie calls up ATC requesting to go IFR. The ATC, with no radar, would have to firstly get flight details, position information etc, and then work out how he could get a clearance. All this time he would be unaware the Transponder was not transmitting altitude. The 737 would continue to descend, and without the aid of the DTI from the controller, or from TCAS info with altitude information, would he visually acquire the lightie?? Since there is no radar in the entire area, I am sceptical that all the lighties around Alice use there transponders, and if they do, whether they work or are accurate, so if you remove the transponder and hence the TCAS from the scenario it gets truly scary.
But of course Captain Claret and all the other RPT pilots into Alice have nothing to worry about, cos John Anderson said its safer.
P.S How is it that
VB are allowed to have a company policy for pilots to disregard RA's if they have visual with the aircraft concerned. If it is a requirement to have TCAS fitted and working, wouldn't it also be a requirement to respond to it?? I have seen times where having visual with one aircraft turns out to be visual with another, and thats where ignoring the RA scares me. Just my opinion.